harvest prayers in new england
|
|
what about
your prayer travels ?
My dad, liked to pray in his car while driving. Perhaps you do too.
prayer in secret
Prayer is really asking God's direction and blessing as we travel through life. The bible encourages two kinds of prayer. Secret prayer like Jesus did, finding a solitary, quiet place. Time pressures were set aside and he was refreshed and strengthened as he communed with our heavenly Father.
Many men prefer secret prayer because of warnings against praying to be seen or heard of men, like the Pharisees. It is possible, however, to have Spirit guided prayers, free of legalism, and focused on the will of our Heavenly Father. We encourage men to give themselves to secret and public prayer. We believe this is part of keeping one's lamp trimmed and filled with oil. It is also Father's way of knitting our hearts together in love.
As babies, He knits our bones together in our mother's wombs. As Christ's Body, He knits us together by our praying with and for one another. Without these foundations, our bodies and Christ's body suffer and fail to grow as He would grant. Then, we may miss some of the blessings and promises He has for us due to our distraction, faithlessness, or reluctance to follow Him like the Jews failed to do in the Old Testament. We should desire to be complete in our Savior and prepared for glory.
Many men prefer secret prayer because of warnings against praying to be seen or heard of men, like the Pharisees. It is possible, however, to have Spirit guided prayers, free of legalism, and focused on the will of our Heavenly Father. We encourage men to give themselves to secret and public prayer. We believe this is part of keeping one's lamp trimmed and filled with oil. It is also Father's way of knitting our hearts together in love.
As babies, He knits our bones together in our mother's wombs. As Christ's Body, He knits us together by our praying with and for one another. Without these foundations, our bodies and Christ's body suffer and fail to grow as He would grant. Then, we may miss some of the blessings and promises He has for us due to our distraction, faithlessness, or reluctance to follow Him like the Jews failed to do in the Old Testament. We should desire to be complete in our Savior and prepared for glory.
house or church prayer
The early Church apostles and believers met together in an upper room for prayer prior to Pentecost. They were told to wait in Jerusalem until the day when the Holy Spirit would come and make them faithful witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Praying together as families and in our churches is essential to our moving with the Spirit as he would lead us. Often praying together helps us find our place in Christ's Body and the work we are called to do.
feeling lost, or delayed ?
Sometimes our individual prayers fall short or our faith is weak. We ask God for things that seem obvious but aren't yet answered. Life's problems seem to pile up like congested highways, and we don't know how to break free.
spirit- led prayers
Enter - Spirit led prayers. Just our simple prayers accompanied by the Spirit's presence and His shaping our thoughts and words so they agree with things our heavenly Father can hear and answer. They take shape as we pour out our hearts. Sometimes they begin with a song or some verses of scripture. Other times we need to do a journal entry and seek out helpful scriptures. Serious issues may need the concentration that only comes with fasting and prayer.
more than words
The Holy Spirit teaches what true prayer is and helps us understand scripture
passages that we can claim in relation to our problems and needs. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, when we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But even then, the Holy Spirit prays for us for what we fail to put into words with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father, who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying. The Spirit pleads for us who believe and who desire to live in harmony with God's good, acceptable, and perfect will. As we allow the Spirit to lead and fill us, "we know that God causes everything to work together for the good because we love God and are called according to his purpose". - (paraphrase Romans 8:26-28, 12:2, n.l.t)
ask boldly "in Faith"
Knowing the Father will work things for good and according to his purpose in our lives, as his sons, gives us confidence to come before him boldly "to find grace to help in time of need". May the Holy Spirit guide us in prayer, so our travels are safe, so we move closer to our home coming, and the day we hear Jesus say, "well done, my good and faithful servant". (Matt. 25:21)
four MINISTRIES
FOR OUR NATION
1. Faith & Liberty
faithandlibertydc.org/about
2. Hillsdale College
www.hillsdale.edu
3. American Cornerstone Institute
americancornerstone.org/
4. The Presidential Prayer Team
www.presidentialprayerteam.org