"Praying with a Purpose" Part Three

I sure hope you have a desire to know the Lord more today than you did yesterday.  You can't know someone unless you spend time with that person.  Hearing about someone is not the same as meeting with that person.  In Sunday school we learn about Jesus, the words of God, and about characters in the Bible.  This is great but it is nothing like having time alone with God.
The nice part about spending time with God is that you don't need an appointment, a new outfit, or a taxi or bus ride to get there.  You can meet with God anytime and anywhere.  You can even wear your old clothes.  He doesn't mind.
So far, we've discussed five different parts of prayer: praise, waiting, watching, confession, and intercession.  Some of these might sound like difficult tasks, but they are not.  If you've added any of these to your prayer life, I'm sure your time with God has increased and meant more to you.
Today we're going to talk about Scripture praying.  What is that?  Well, it's taking a passage of scripture that you might have read or a verse that has a promise of God in it, and taking it to God.  Today I read, James 4:8, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you..."  So, I prayed something like this, "Lord, I am doing my best at this moment to be closer to You and to know You.  Please draw nearer to me as you promised in James 4:8.  Help me to know that the distance between us is always up to me, I must take the first step, be humble, and know that You are there."
Does that make sense?  The next part of a verse says, "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded."  We must ask God to cleanse our sinful actions and to purify our hearts of known and unknown sin.  We cannot be doubleminded about the things of God.  We can't have the attitude of having a second path to take if this one doesn't go exactly our way.
Scripture praying is agreeing with the words of God.  Going to God with His promises.  And having the faith to believe God will do His will in our lives.  

"Praying with a Purpose" Part II

Last time we went over four parts of prayer: praise, waiting, confession, and watching.  If you took just five minutes on each one of those aspects you'd have twenty minutes of prayer time!  That would be revolutionary for most Christian young ladies.  The next part of prayer is really the heart of prayer - intercession - praying on the behalf of another.
If we would look at the average prayer list, most of the requests would be for others.  This is important. Praying for others is prayer that pleases God and helps us become more caring Christians.  We should pray for ourselves and we'll get to that part, but others should come first in our lives, right after the Lord!
Types of intercessory prayer...
1. Praying for those that don't even know they need prayer
a. the unsaved
b. those we minister to on a weekly basis - Bus route riders, Sunday School friends, elderly, visitors at church, neighbors
c. friends who are out of church or who are struggling
d. our authorities at school, work, or in the community
2. Praying for those who ask for and desire our prayers
a. missionaries and evangelists around the world - I pray for several missionary families every single day, plus I have a list of thirty-one missionaries and I pray for a different one each day of the month.
b. church leadership - pastor, assistants, Sunday School teachers, bus captains, music leaders
c. ministries in the United States - churches, camps, evangelists, colleges
3. Praying for our loved ones
a. parents
b. siblings
c. grandparents
d. uncles and aunts
e. cousins
f. nieces and nephews
4. Praying for our friends
a. close friends
b. acquaintances
c. new friends
d. sick or injured
e. those who've had a tragedy or bad news
Just listing the options of those can pray for makes for a long list!  When we turn our spiritual vision outward we can have a wonderful prayer time of intercession - praying on the behalf others!

Praying with a Purpose, Part I

Hello Bible girls and ladies,
2012 has been a year of learning and blessings.  Right after the holidays I had the chance to spend an hour on the phone with my sister, Paula.  We don't talk much on the phone because it will last over an hour each time.  We love to talk about what the Lord has taught us along with what our kids are doing, how we're getting old, and the books we've read.
She recommended that I get a book about prayer called "The Hour that Changes the World".  I've never been able to spend an hour in prayer, much less thirty minutes without falling asleep, getting distracted, or running out of things to say.  Basically, the book teaches that prayer has several components and if you spend five minutes on each area it will equal one hour with God.  Wow.  I wanted that.  I have to say that I believe it has changed me for the better.  I'm not bragging but I wish that someone would have taught this to me when I was a teenager.  I might not have been able to spend five minutes on each area and have one hour, but I could spend two minutes on each area and have 24 minutes, or one minute on each area and have twelve minutes.  Girls, anytime that we spend with God is a help and blessing in our lives.
Here are the components to a time with the Lord - prayer time.
1. Praise - Praise God for who He is, what He does, His name, His qualities, His work - make a list and focus on several different areas each day.  He is the Almighty, Bread of Life, Comforter, Deliverer, Everlasting Father, Friend, Guide, Healer, Image of God, Judge, King, Lamb, Master, Nazarene, Omega, Power, Prince of Peace, Rock, Shepherd, Teacher, Vine, Way, etc.
2. Wait - This is where we put ourselves in our place.  We are to wait on the Lord, to listen and realize that we are existing only for His glory.  This is a time to humble ourselves before God's throne.  Sometimes we treat God like Santa Clause, just show a list of what we want.  We need to realize we are nothing without the Lord.  He is all.
3. Confess - This is where we remove the barriers between ourselves and the Lord - our sins.  I John 1:9 says that we should confess our sins and He will forgive us.  Doing this daily takes a load of guilt off of our hearts and keeps the channels open and clear between us and our Lord.
4. Watching - Jesus told his disciples to  "Watch and pray".  It has nothing to do with keeping your eyes open, but being alert.  What's going on in the world, in your neighborhood?  Are you aware of the needs of the lost around the world?  Expand your prayer life globally instead of thinking only of yourself.

Part II coming next.