Wonderful Jesus!

Category: Prayer

• That’s All We Can Do

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 19, 2021

  Acts 16:25 – But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. NKJV

  

  As I was thinking about prayer, and how I could conclude this topic, I had a sudden flash in my mind. I was inquiring of the health of a certain individual when I was told, “All we can do is pray”. Now, if you have ever been in a situation when you heard these words, you know that these were not faith filled words; but words that were saying, “Things are looking really bad and everything has been exhausted, and we’re at the point where all we can do is pray and see if God will do something!” Does anybody know what I’m talking about?

  Paul and Silas were on their way to a prayer meeting. In route, a girl possessed with a spirit of divination met them crying out, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” Luke wrote that she did this for many days until Paul became greatly annoyed with her. Paul then turned to her and rebuked that spirit of divination out of her. He and Silas were dragged into the marketplace to the authorities, beaten, and thrown into jail. This is at the point where some religious people would say, “All we can do is pray”! However, for Paul and Silas, it was more of a, “Let’s take some time to pray and give God glory!”

  Hardships come to us all. We all experience terrible times in our lives. Those times may look differently, but the sense of hopelessness, or desperation that accompany the hard times are felt the world over. It is during these difficult times that we may find ourselves in a place where we may feel that all we can do is pray. I can tell you from experience that is exactly what you should do! Pray!

  Luke wrote that at midnight they were still awake, and they weren’t complaining or blaming God, or feeling rejected by Him. Just the opposite is true! They were in the midst of a prayer meeting which involved a time a praise and worship to the God whom they loved and served. And they were not quietly praying, for scripture let’s us know that they were heard by the other prisoners who were listening to them!

  James, the brother of John, one of the Sons of Thunder, was murdered by Herod.

  Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. Acts 12:1-2 -NKJV

  When Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter. We don’t know that the Church wasn’t praying when James was murdered, but we do know that when Peter was arrested, the saints were praying. Unlike Paul and Silas who were up praying themselves, Peter was fast asleep. As a matter of fact, the angel had to shake him to wake him up.

  Both situations involved prominent, well-known men of God who found themselves in jail with the likely outcome of death being a reality. Paul and Silas were praying, and Peter was asleep. But the saints were praying for him.

  Both situations caused an angel to be sent on their behalf to bring deliverance. Peter was guided out of the jail, stopped by the prayer meeting, and then went on his way. It could have been a regular time of meeting for them, and that’s why Peter knew where to go. It could also explain why he fell asleep, because he trusted that they were praying. Or Peter could have prayed and then went to sleep because he wasn’t concerned. Whatever the case, Peter was delivered.

  Paul and Silas were also delivered, and in the process, so were all of the other prisoners. The keeper was so shocked to see the door open that he prepared to kill himself, for he knew that Herod would surely have him put to death. But no one had left the prison, although they had all been made free. This had such an impact on the jailer that he and his household were saved.

  Prayer should never be done from a standpoint of “all we can do is pray” because that isn’t faith, that sounds like you’ve given up. Prayer works, and prayer changes things. The Bible recorded many instances when prayer was offered and things happened. Not because prayer was the least that they could do, but because the person or group of people praying knew the power of prayer!

  The early Church believers were known to pray. In the upper room after Jesus ascended, they were praying together. Not because that was all they could do, but because they knew it was what they should be doing! And they were obviously not just going through the motions, because things were happening! As people prayed in the New Testament:

  • The power of God descended from on High and filled them with His Holy Spirit and they spake in tongues for the first time in history!
  • Thousands were getting saved and coming into the kingdom at one time!
  • They received the dead back to life!
  • Wisdom was given to them to do the work of the ministry and to know who to work with in ministry
  • Signs and wonders followed them as they preached the gospel.
  • Doors of opportunity were open to them to share the gospel!

  In both the Old and New Testament we have example upon example of what happens when people pray. As I have grown in Christ, when someone say that all they can do is pray, I remind them that is the best thing they can do, pray!

  Prayer is always the one area that I feel I can improve in and don’t do it enough. I never ever really feel that I have spent enough time with the Lord in prayer. I have prayed all night, I have prayed faithfully for years at our prayer meetings, and I have my private time of prayer. And I still feel I can pray some more. Sometimes I don’t feel like praying, but I know that the devil always feel like creating problems! Sometime I don’t want to pray, but I understand that the devil loves it when I am not praying. I’m not praying out of compulsion, I pray because I know the importance of prayer!

  Prayer brings peace into your heart and mind about the things going on in life. Prayer allows you to give your problems to Someone more capable of handling them. Prayer brings you into the Presence of God. Prayer stops the enemy in his tracks. Prayer releases the Spirit of God into your situation. And most importantly, God hears and answers our prayers!

  Thank you for going on this journey with me about prayer. Again, I have not exhausted it, but I am being led in another direction. I trust you’ll continue to see the necessity to pray, and enjoy the benefits of developing a prayer life centered around the word of God! Stay safe and be encouraged! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Deliverance, hard times, Prayer | 3 Comments | Tagged attacks, Deliverance, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, household salvation, Paul and Silas, Peter, Prayer, protection, supernatural, the devil, the jailer

• The Power of a Petition!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 17, 2021

  1 John 5:14-15 – Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. NKJV

  

  In honor of Women’s History Month, and in keeping with my theme on prayer, I want to blog today about the power of a petition.

  In 1891, the women of Victoria went door to door and collected close to 30,000 signatures on a petition for women to have the right to vote. These signatures, collected from women in every station of life, were written in a variety of colors of ink, and even in pencil. It took the women about 6-10 weeks (depending on the source) to collect the many signatures. This petition played an important role in the history of Australia. In 1901, 10 years later, Australia was the first nation to give women both the right to vote and to be a part of government.

  In America, the women’s suffrage movement was equally as powerful in getting things done. While watching a documentary tonight on Lincoln, it was fascinating to note that the women’s suffrage movement played a significant role in getting him to abolish slavery in America! They marched and petitioned for decades, resulting in the 19th Amendment and winning the right to vote in 1920.

  In the case of the women suffrage’s movement in Victoria, the petition was a formal request from almost 30,000 people to its government in Victoria, Australia to recognized their right to vote and to have a say in the laws and taxes that governed their lives. In the sense of prayer, a petition is a request, where one asks of God to grant favor, a right, or mercy. Also, the prayer of petition is used for having our needs met by God. It’s a powerful prayer.

  In 1 Samuel, we find Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, and she is barren. Her greatest desire is to have a child. After much heartache and many years of disappointment, Hannah petitioned the God who hears. Her petition was so important to her that she poured all of her energy into it, much as the women in our above example of the suffrage movement. The high priest, at that time was Eli, and he thought her praying looked like the actions of a drunkard. When she told him that she had poured her heart out to God, he replied:

  Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” 1 Samuel 1:17 -NKJV

  And it was! Hannah had a son, and she named him Samuel. The same Samuel who later became a mighty prophet in the land of Israel!

  Then there was Daniel. At this time, he was serving under king Darius. It was Daniel’s custom to petition God, three times a day. When his enemies saw this, they set a trap for Daniel, requesting (petitioning) the king to sign a decree that no one could petition a god or man, except the king, for thirty days. When Daniel heard about it, he continued with his practice of petitioning God. Not in private! Not only once! But for the same amount of time that he had always petitioned God!

  So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” Daniel 6:13 -NKJV

  Daniel ignored the decree and was thrown in the lion’s den. But we know God delivered him. I’m pretty sure that while Daniel was praying, he petitioned God to deal with his enemies, for they were all fed to the lions!

  And now, to our text for this blog.

  1 John 5:14-15 – Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. NKJV

  The prayer of petition is a prayer of confidence and power, because when we petition God, we do so on the basis of His word. Even in the petition of the suffrage movement, they petitioned the government based on the laws that were already in place: all people are created equal, the government was for the people and by the people… And when we petition God, it has to be in line with that which is already in His word. No need to say, “If it be your will” because you have already established that it is His will because it’s His word.

  Jeremiah wrote:

  Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”Jeremiah 1:12 – NKJV

  Another point to remember is that when we petition the Father, we must believe that He hears us. Again, when the women in this suffrage movement took their petition to Parliament, it was rigged. The man in charge, James Munro, was married to the woman leading the pack, Jane Munro. When we go to God, it’s a rigged court session. Our Father is the Judge, our elder brother and Savior, is our defense attorney, and His beloved Son. We can count on Him hearing our case because the “cards” are stacked in our favor!!

  Even if the answer tarries, we must believe that God heard us, the thing that we asked is in line with His will, and therefore we have the petitions that we have asked of Him!

  Sometimes I pray for things that I don’t really care if I get them or not, but if I do get them, it would be nice. Do you know what? Most times I don’t get them at all. But there are other times when I petition God for a need, and I see Him come through. I can share many testimonies when He has answered petitions for healing, for provision, for protection, and for forgiveness. I always, always base my petitions on the word of God. I don’t always get an immediate answer, and it doesn’t always take a long time. I am learning how to trust Him when I see nothing. That’s what faith is all about!

  Some believe that we have to write a formal prayer petition and sign it. If that’s how God leads you to petition Him, I encourage you to do so expeditiously. However, you can simply petition God, as Hannah and Daniel did, from your heart; and trust that He will hear you and He will answer you! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Prayer, Women’s History Month | 0 Comments | Tagged 19th Amendment, abolishing slavery, Australia, Daniel, Faith, favor, Forgiveness, Hannah, Lincoln, Prayer, testimony, the Word of God, trust in God, Victoria, women’s sufferage

• When You Pray!-Repost & Revised!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 15, 2021

  Luke 11:2 -So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our  Father  in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven…”

  

  when-you-pray_-r-_-r.mp3

  I think it is noteworthy, that Jesus said, “When you pray” and not “if” you pray. Unfortunately, statics show (I’ve often wondered who were the people they surveyed) that most Christians spend very little time in prayer. So I thought that I would repost this blog, since I’m in the midst of blogging about prayer.

  What happens when you pray? Are your prayers being answered? Are they seemingly not being heard? Does nothing happen? Does something happen every now and again? 

  This scripture resonateds with me and I couldn’t help but ask myself, “What happens when you pray?” What happened when Jesus prayed? 

  So let’s take a look at what I discovered about what happened when Jesus prayed:

  • Luke 3:21- the heavens opened up while He prayed
  • Luke 5:16-He prayed often in the wilderness and the paralyzed and many others were healed
  • Luke 6:12-After praying all night, He chose the 12 disciples
  • Luke 9:29-As He prayed, He was transfigured (His appearance and His clothing changed; and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him)
  • Luke 11:1-As He prayed, His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray
  • Matthew 14:23-30- After He prayed, He walked on water and so did Peter
  • Matthew 26-He prayed and then He went to the cross
  • Mark 1:35-He prayed in a solitary place and cast out demons and cleansed the lepers
  • John 14:16- He prayed and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper

  This is just a quick list of the things that happened when Jesus prayed. In other words, when Jesus prayed, something was always happening!

  Charles Finney, considered the Father of Modern Revival, was not brought up in a Christian home. It wasn’t until he was pursuing the law that he was even near a church that he could attend regularly. Charles began to attend the weekly prayer meetings that were held near the law offices that he worked in. It was his study of the law that got him interested in religion, because much of the law was based on Scriptures.

  Finney began to notice that even though he went to prayer meetings weekly, no prayers that were prayed were ever answered. This troubled him so deeply he almost walked away from the Bible and Christianity. When the prayer group offered to pray for him, he said no thanks! How sad is that? To have someone say to you that they don’t want your prayers because they have not seen your prayers answered is insulting!

  I am convinced that when we pray, something should be happening all the time. The Bible mentions in detail, less than 40 miracles that Jesus performed, but then multitudes were often healed when He was around. I believe He made such an impact, because He prayed often, He prayed effectively, and He left the evidence to support this!

  I believe in prayer! I’ve seen some wonderful things happen as a result of prayer! Private prayer, prayer groups, and corporate prayer! God answers prayer! Charles Finney did eventually figure out the power of prayer and God used him mightily during the Second Great Awakening in America. Maybe you haven’t seen your prayers answered, or feel inadequate in your prayer life. I can understand the frustration that will produce. But I encourage you to be like Finney! Don’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself; learn to pray and to pray effectively. One of the first things he did was to study what the Bible has to say about pray and how God delights in giving His children the kingdom! Then he began to pray knowing that God heard him and wanted to answer him. I can assure you that he saw many of his prayers answered.

  As I was thinking about my blog for today, I just had a desire to read some of my past blogs on prayer, and found this one. As I reread it, I decided it would be my post. As I began looking at, I had to add some new thoughts to it. Prayer is such an important part of the life of the believer. Not an exercise, but a time spent communing with the Father, and Him with you. A time of asking and receiving. A time of gaining strength and wisdom. A time of power! Jesus prayed often, and if we want to be anything like Him, and do anything He did, we are going to have to pray, also. More to come! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in encouragement, Jesus, Prayer | 0 Comments | Tagged answered prayer, Charles Finney, Christian, encouragement, God, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prayer

• Watch Duty

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 12, 2021

  Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—NKJV

  

  When I was in the military, in training, I was assigned several different duties that I was responsible for carrying out. Inevitably, I would be assigned watch duty. This required me standing at a gate on the base, for many hours, making sure that only “authorized” people were coming on the base. As each car pulled up to the gate, we checked for military identification and made sure that a military sticker was on the vehicle. Those without the proper credentials who needed or wanted to access the base were asked to pull over while we checked their credentials, or to turn their cars around. I am grateful that I had no incidents involving someone who wanted illegal access!

  The whole purpose for watch duty was to make sure that those wanting access had a need to be on the base, resulting in providing protection for those on the base. Some people enjoyed this duty, while I considered it a mundane waste of time. And yet there was no denying that it was an important duty. Lives were at stake, and we were the first line of defense for keeping them safe. It was important that we were alert during watch to insure that nothing and no one got past us while we were at our post.

  As I read the verse in Ephesians, the phrase, “being watchful” jumped out at me. Immediately following was a reminder of my time on watch duty. When I served watch duty, I served no matter the weather, the time of day or night, or how I felt. Watch duty was expected and necessary. When I think of watchfulness in the word, and its connection to prayer, I know that it requires an even greater sense of urgency and dedication in the life of the believer.

  Typically when we teach on prayer or even think about prayer, we think of fasting and prayer. But scripture lets us know that watching and praying also go hand in hand. The word “watch” means, “being awake or alert”. Naturally and spiritually, being on watch requires alertness as we guard our lives against our enemies.

  Remember in my previous post that I mentioned Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane? Tonight, I return to that scene where Jesus spoke to His disciples:

  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:40-41 – NKJV

  Jesus mentions an important reasons for watching and praying: that we enter not into temptation. And this particular statement was made to Peter. My husband and I was just having a “what if” conversation about Peter. What would have happened if Peter would have watched and prayed? Would he have still denied Jesus? I don’t think so! What would have happened to Jesus’ prophecy? There would have been no need to warn Peter because He would have known that Peter would have spent that time on watch duty! How many things would we avoid, would be kept away from us if we took watch duty more seriously?

  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. Mark 13:33 – NKJV

  Hear the words of Jesus: watch and pray about the day of His return. Be alert, aware, on guard! Don’t live life as if He isn’t coming back any time soon, for no one knows the day or the hour. He was so insistent that we remain watchful, that He said it three times in this passage alone. Watch! Don’t fall asleep! Wake up so that you are not caught unawares!

  Peter finally got what Jesus was trying to tell him, so maybe that’s the real reason he had to experience it:

  But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7 – NKJV

  Prayer is serious business, and it requires watchfulness. Most people pray after something serious happens, but a watchful person prays before a thing happens. That’s the real message in watchfulness and prayer. Everything won’t be stopped at the door, but there is something to knowing the enemy is on the attack and being prepared for that attack. Watch duty keeps us alert to our surroundings and potential dangers. Each of us must be on alert!

  When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said “pray that you are not led into temptation”. Isn’t that something? When you are watchful, you can avoid temptation and even sin! When you are watchful you can avoid or sidestep the attacks of the enemy! Just like in the military. Surely our bases are prepared for being breached, but it is much easier to keep the enemy out, than it is to have to deal with him once he gets access! That’s the power of watch duty! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Jesus show us all the things that didn’t happen because we were watchful and we prayed? I think so!

  As we were raising our children, we would never allow anyone to speak negative things over them. If someone did, I would just say something like, “I bind that in Jesus Name!” My husband and I were extremely watchful over our girls! If we saw something in our children that we didn’t think would lead to wise and godly choices, we prayed about it before it could come to fruition. One of our daughters was particularly stubborn as a toddler. I was told she would give me a hard time in her teen years. We didn’t wait for her teen years to pray or to deal with her stubbornness , we jumped right on that mess! We knew it wouldn’t be cute at 13, so it wasn’t cute at three!

  One final word. Watchfulness requires honesty and a willingness to respond to what you see. When God showed me something about my children, I wouldn’t get worried, I would just say something like, “Ok, Lord! Show me how to pray!” And then I would pray! Or vice versa, when my husband would see something. We didn’t fall apart, we didn’t accept it as the way it would be, and we certainly didn’t enlighten our children to the future the devil had for them! No way! We canceled his assignments and his attacks in prayer! But we had to stay honest about what we saw and heard, and then get in line with God to change undesired behavior. Were we perfect parents? Not even! But we were and are watchful and prayerful!

  You have been assigned to watch duty! No one can do it better! There will be times when it may even seem mundane, but it is most important! Your watchfulness can make the difference in your life, your family, and even your church. Get started today and still the hand of the enemy! I know you can do it! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Family, Jesus, Prayer | 4 Comments | Tagged attacks, Believer, children, duty, encouragement, Family, garden of Gethsemane, God, Jesus, military, Peter, Prayer, protection, raising godly children, Spiritual warfare, the enemy, watch and pray, watchfulness

• Once, May Not Be Enough!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 10, 2021

  Isaiah 62:1 -For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. NKJV

  

  once_-may-not-be-enough_.mp3

  Today, instead of blogging about another type of prayer, I want to discuss prayer itself. As most of us know, prayer is simply talking to God. In our desire to understand prayer, and how to pray effectively, we have studied prayer and found many different types of prayer. In our quest to understand prayer, we have found that there are certain “times” of prayer. We have even found that there are patterns to prayer. With all of this in mind, we have even had teachings on how often to pray.

  Some highly respected teachers of the word, at least respected by me, have done a phenomenal job at dissecting these areas of prayer, to the point one might ask, “What else can be said?” I don’t pretend to be amongst that group, but as I was praying tonight, I felt this scripture rise in my spirit, and I heard the words, “once may not be enough”. Hence, my topic for this blog!

  The journeys of life are quite interesting. Years ago, as I was praying to the Lord about a situation that was not changing, I asked Him how long was I supposed to pray about this thing? Amazingly, He responded immediately with our key text. Although I have known this scripture for decades, it never really dawned on me as a prayer scripture. (That just goes to show that we can know something without understanding it). But if the Holy Spirit showed it to me in regards to praying, then I’m not going to argue with Him.

  For Zion’s sake I won’t hold my peace! Are there some situations in your life or the lives of others that you can’t hold your peace about? You just can’t be silent? You have to talk to God about it? And for some reason, it seems like you have hurt your knees, drained your tear ducts, and used every scripture imaginable on the subject with no change? Do you feel faithless, because you just keep praying about it? Have others tried to make you feel like you just need to give it up? Well, if so, this blog is for you!!

  Isaiah wrote that for Zion’s sake he wouldn’t hold his peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake he wouldn’t rest. That meant that he intended to cry out to God for as long as he felt he needed to because he was greatly concerned about the Church and his beloved city, Jerusalem! As a matter of fact, he even told us how long he intended to keep this prayer vigil going-until he got results! Some people believe and teach that when you pray in faith, you only have to pray one time. I can tell you for a truth that in many cases, this is absolutely true. Sometimes, you just know, that you know, when you finish praying, the thing is done!

  But there are some other times, the Spirit of God whispered to my heart, when once is not enough! Let’s look at Jesus, because we can all agree that He knew how to get a prayer through!

  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” – Luke 22:41-42 – NKJV

  This prayer was on the night that He was betrayed. He went to the garden to pray, as was His custom. Jesus had spent the day encouraging His disciples, praying for them, and even giving them last minute instructions. And now He is going to spend time in prayer. He even told His disciples how deeply grieved in His soul He was, and asked them to pray with Him. While He was crying out to the Father, they were sleeping!

  For this blog, I’m not concerned so much with the topic of His prayer, but there are a couple things to note. First, according to Matthew, He prayed hours about this situation. During the course of His hours of praying, He actually stopped praying and went to check on His disciples. They were falling asleep. Not once, nor twice, but three times. After He checked on them, He went back and prayed twice more for a total of three times. And another thing, He prayed the same thing! For those who feel that praying about something over and over is a lack of faith, I give you Jesus!

  Now, let’s look at Paul!

  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. – 2 Corinthians 12:8 – NKJV

  Paul writes that he had been under attack by the messenger of Satan himself. He was so sick and tired of this messenger who kept coming at him, again and again that Paul called him a thorn in his flesh. I guess after some time Paul got tired of this foolishness and he prayed asking the Lord to allow it to depart from him. As a matter of fact, Paul said that he prayed this same prayer on three different occasions. He didn’t get the answer he sought, but it wasn’t because he prayed more than once. It wasn’t because Jesus liked watching him get attacked over and over again. Jesus simply responded to him that His grace was sufficient for Paul, for His strength was made perfect in weakness. A truth that we all need to understand. Sometimes we will be delivered from the attacks of the enemy, and sometimes He will walk with us in the fire!

  Final point about praying more than once about something:

  Then the Lord said, “If even an evil judge can be worn down like that, don’t you think that God will surely give justice to His people who plead with Him day and night? Yes! He will answer them quickly! But the question is: When I, the Messiah, return, how many will I find who have faith and are praying*?” -Luke 18:6-8 – TLB

  The very first thing Jesus says in this chapter is that men ought always to pray and not faint. Then He shares this situation with us about the woman who wearied the unjust judge in her continuous coming. The point I want to look at is what Jesus said in the end: But the question is: When I, the Messiah, return, how many will I find who have faith and are praying*?” This woman, going to judge over and over again, was symbolic of us going to the Father in prayer over and over again. Jesus didn’t call this a lack of faith, He actually called it faith! She was so convinced that if she kept asking, that she would receive! This reminds me of one of my husband’s favorite sayings: “The squeaky wheel gets the oil!”

  Okay! I absolutely have to add this point, so forgive the length of this blog:

  Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Daniel 10:12 – NKJV

  For three full weeks, Daniel fasted and prayed about the same situation. Then one day, an angel appeared to him and told him that he was heard on the first day! God hears you the first time. It doesn’t take Him 21 days to hear, but sometimes, it takes “earthly” time because the devil is fighting on every hand. And your continuous praying will bring angelic help, if needed, to get the job done!

  It’s not a lack of faith that keeps you going back to the Father for a concern on your heart, it’s your desire to see your prayer answered that keeps you going back. You are saying, “I need some oil!” Or, “I need some justice!” Or, “I need some help!” Don’t give up on your confidence in God’s willingness and His ability to answer your prayer! Pray until you get what you want, because once may not be enough! Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation-2.mp3

  Posted in Faith, Jesus, Prayer | 0 Comments | Tagged angels, attacks, Daniel, Deliverance, encouragement, Faith, God, hard times, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Paul, Prayer, Satan, Spiritual warfare, supernatural, the enemy

• Getting in Agreement!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 8, 2021

  Matthew 18:19 – “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven…” NKJV

  

  I recall a time at church when we were told to join with another believer and pray for one another. A woman in the church gave me her request and I prayed earnestly. She asked me to pray for her husband. After church, I discovered that she had no husband. I felt like the biggest fool because I had prayed with everything in me for her husband, only to find out that she didn’t have one!

  Even though I had that weird and negative experience of praying with someone about a fantasy situation, I couldn’t be more confident in saying, I believe wholeheartedly in the prayer of agreement.

  Let’s start by zeroing in on the concept of agreement. The Greek word for agreement is “symphoneo” and gives us a picture of a symphony in perfect harmony. I’ve gone to many concerts over the years, and have heard many different instruments playing together. The harmony and timing of the concert leaves you in awe, as you listen to the majestic sounds emanating from the strings, the percussions, the brass, and the woodwinds. Each playing their part, combining to make one sound! Harmonious! That’s a picture of agreement.

  The prophet Amos, asked this question:

  Amos 3:3 -Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? NKJV

  I ask, “Can two pray together effectively, if they don’t agree?” And I’ll answer this question. They cannot!

  Agreement should be in the request. One person praying can’t be praying for a miraculous healing, while the other person is praying for everything to go well in the surgery. That’s not agreement! Agreement is when you are all praying for the same thing. It may be said differently, it may cover a different aspect of the request, but it has to be for the same result. So if someone asks you to pray for a speedy recovery, get in agreement with them and pray for a speedy recovery! If while you are praying, you believe God is leading you to pray in another direction, let it be known. If they still can’t get in agreement with you, you need to get in agreement with them. After that sad situation I mentioned in the beginning, I have learned to say that I don’t have the faith for that, or I can’t get in agreement with that. It is what it is!

  Agreement should be in the bond of association. I can’t come in agreement in prayer with a non-believer, for there is no agreement. Light and darkness don’t agree. It’s called being unequally yoked:

  Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 – NKJV

  You can pray for unbelievers. You can also pray for those in another religion, or those who are lawless, but it can’t be the prayer of agreement. Because, what will you be agreeing on?

  Agreement works well when you are praying for the same thing, believe in the same God, believe the same truth about what you are praying, and are kindred spirits in prayer. In other words, you can’t just hear this scripture and grab just anybody to pray with you and be in agreement. However, in a church setting, when you are asked to pray with someone next to you, the prayer of agreement can be effective, as long as they person is a believer and you are in agreement with what is being prayed.

  Agreement must be in the Name of Jesus! Can you pray a prayer of agreement with a Buddhist, if you are a Christian? Not hardly, since only one of you can pray in His Name. I have to admit that as I watched the inauguration in January, I experienced disappointment, as I heard the pastor ended his prayer in “the strong name of our collective faith”! What is that? I’m still baffled at that one! We are not all collectively in relationship with the same God! And if we were, then ending in the name of Jesus would have been acceptable!

  The situation that I mentioned at the beginning when the woman had me praying for her husband? The beautiful thing is that it taught me about just jumping in and praying. As a minister, I have prayed with many people at the altar. Not a lot of time for an interview. However, I have learned to ask clarifying questions because of that situation. And you should to. In doing so, you will find out if you are in agreement or not. With my prayer warriors, I don’t have to ask clarifying questions, the years have solidified what we believe and how we believe. But with new people, I need to understand what you are asking me to agree with you about. And you need to know also!

  I remember many times when I prayed in agreement with someone and God answered. I’ll share a couple:

  Our firstborn was diagnosed with abnormal seizure disorder at the age of 2 weeks old. Of course, this was pretty hard to hear. We alerted the family and everyone we knew, to please pray. She was placed on medication and given a life sentence of seizure activity. We knew we were moving to Chicago and wanted to establish a connection to a pediatric neurologist in Chicago, and we made an appointment there around her sixth month. She was looking and acting very normal at this time, and was free of seizures. (Prayer changes things). But her pediatrician didn’t want to take her off of the medicine or to say that she was fine. My husband and I prayed that the doctor in Chicago would give us a different report and take her off of the medication. Sure enough, he told us how to wean her properly from the medicine and said that all tests had come back normal! God is a good God!!

  Another time, someone asked me to pray with her about her job. A trap was being laid out against her by someone at her job. We prayed together that the trap being set for her would trap that individual. Sure enough, that person ended up losing her job as a result of her own actions! We were specific, we were in agreement, and we saw God shut that person down.

  Over the years, I have had a tremendous amount of prayer support within my circle of friends. We have learned to trust each others’ hearts and have built our relationships in the God of our Lord and Savior, Jesus! As a result we have seen mountains moved, diagnoses turned around, debts paid, and relationships restored. We have become so adept in our ability to pray with and for one another that now we can simply say, “pray”! When we pray, we are like a symphony orchestra that has played together for years. Even if improvisation is needed, we pray well together. One of us might pray for the situation, another may pray against satanic forces, then it will get picked up again by a third who can pray about another facet of the same situation. When we are done, it has been well covered and it is as if one person did the praying, when it was easily two or three, or four of us!

  Jesus said that the prayer of agreement will work concerning anything that we ask. We’ve probably prayed about some of everything, and seen God answer. What do we do when we don’t get the results we want? Because it has happened over the years. And here’s what we do, we continue to pray in faith, because we have found Him to be faithful. Some results are better than what we ask, some are point on, and some we have had to continue to trust God with, but nothing could turn us from our conviction that the prayer of agreement is a powerful way to get results.

  What do you have going on in your life that you need to see God move in? Whatever it is, you may just need some prayer support. Your spouse, your child, your sibling, your friend…the list is endless. Just make sure that it is someone who can get in agreement with you. The last thing you want when you are praying, is someone praying against what you are believing God for! So never ask someone to pray with you about something when they have already expressed their doubts. They can’t pray above those doubts. No one can!

  If you have seen success with the prayer of agreement, keep it up! I know you have testimonies of your own. If you haven’t used it before, you may want to start using it now. It’s a powerful way to pray that gets results! And that type of prayer is a symphony before heaven! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Prayer, the Name of Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, God, Healing, Jesus, Prayer, prayer of agreement, prayer partners, protection, relationships, trust in God

• Who is Like You, O Lord?

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 5, 2021

  Exodus 15:11 – “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? NKJV

  

  I was in New York at a conference when I heard Chris Tomlin’s song, “Our God”. I couldn’t get enough of that song! We sang it in every meeting, and when I came home, the first thing I wanted to know was, who wrote that song and how could I get it! Here are the words to the chorus:

  Our God is greater, our God is stronger
  God You are higher, than any other
  Our God is Healer, awesome in power
  Our God, Our God!

  The prayer of praise and worship is another prayer that focuses solely on God! Even greater than the prayer of thanksgiving is this time of pouring our love and affection on the Master.

  Some of the things that we can worship Him for are His holiness, His glory, His greatness, His majesty, His power, His creation and His faithfulness, to name a few!

  Our text is a verse that focuses on His greatness. After God delivered the children of Israel from Pharaoh, Moses sang this in a song:

  Exodus 15:11 – “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? NKJV

  Is that the echo of your heart? Who is like our God? Who can do the wonders He does? Who is more glorious? There is no other! No, not one!

  Nehemiah uttered these words of worship to God:

  You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 9:6 – NKJV

  It’s appropriate that at some point in our life we worship Him for the angels spend time worshipping Him, and He hasn’t saved them! Sooner rather than later! More often, than not! He’s worthy!

  Jonah, while in the belly of the great fish spoke these words to the Father:

  “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple. “Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy. Jonah 2:7-8 – NKJV

  Jonah worshipped the merciful God when His soul was faint! Anytime, is a good time to stop and worship the Lord or give Him praise. When you do so, it’s praying, conversing with God, on another level! Here are some scriptures to get you started:

  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Psalm 48:1 – NKJV

  He is so great! He is awesome! Worthy to be praised! Worthy of honor!

  Psalm 77:13- Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God?

  No one! Our God is the only true God! You’ll not find another! He’s greater! He’s stronger! He’s wiser! Our God!

  A personal favorite of my brother-in-law, Pastor Eric and one that comes to mind is:

  Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25 – NKJV

  Can’t you hear yourself worshipping Him and saying: You, O Lord, are the only One who can keep me from stumbling, and only You can present me before the Father, faultless! I worship You God my Savior, who alone is wise… and then throw some of this in there:

  O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens! Psalm 8:1 – NKJV

  Go ahead and worship Him for His excellent Name! The Name that is above every name!

  For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:3-5 -NKJV

  If I had to stop and worship Him right now, I couldn’t do it without telling Him how good He is. I couldn’t go far with my words without saying how great is His love towards me. I would have to mention His faithfulness throughout my life!

  Sometimes in thinking about prayer, we can over complicate the manner. We can accomplish so much in prayer when we spend time in worship, adoring Him, offering Him praise, throwing in some gratefulness, and basically focusing on Him. Is He insecure and needs words of affirmation to get through His day? Not hardly! But He is God, Creator of the Universe! The Living God, Who was, and Is, and Is to Come! He is worthy! He deserves to be worshipped and honored. And as I blog, I realize I haven’t done it enough! Who is like our God? No one, that’s who? No one is greater, no one is stronger, no one is higher. I am overwhelmed with His love! I am awed by His creation! I am touched by His heart towards us! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, praise, Prayer, worship | 0 Comments | Tagged adoration, Attitude, faithfulness, God, holiness, Honor, Jonah, love, Moses, praise, Prayer, the Exodus, worship, worthy

• Getting It Right!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 3, 2021

  Psalm 51:10-11 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. NKJV

  

  getting-it-right_.mp3

  Tonight I want to blog about the prayer of repentance. The Webster’s 1868 edition defines the word repentance, in the following manner:

  Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life.

  Since this definition fits my purpose, I will say that the prayer of repentance is used to express a sorrow over any sin we have committed that offends or dishonor God or His Word. This prayer can be, and probably is, prayed multiple times throughout our lives.

  Our key text, taken from Psalm 51, happens to be a part of a prayer of repentance that David prayed. David had an affair with Bathsheba. He tried to cover it up, but was unable to do so. First, Bathsheba got pregnant. Then he called her husband back from the battle and tried to get him to go home to her so that they could play the child off as Uriah’s. When that didn’t work, he had Uriah killed in battle. Not only that, God had to send Nathan, the prophet, to him because he hadn’t yet acknowledged his deed for the sin that it was. When David finally came to the place where he was willing to admit that he had sinned, his next step was to go to God and confess it and repent of it! David’s hesitancy to repent, actually paralyzed him in his relationship with God!

  Here’s another example of someone repenting in prayer:

  Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. Ezra 10:1 -NKJV

  In this verse, we see Ezra is before God, praying, confessing, and weeping. The prayer of repentance doesn’t always involve weeping, but most definitely can. I won’t say it is a criteria for sincerity because some people are really good at gut wrenching tears that produces nothing more than an emotional drain. However, it is a time of prayer where you can find yourself crying before the Lord.

  I know this is an Old Testament example, and we don’t live under the Old Testament, but it is applicable for tonight’s topic.

  What makes this such a relevant prayer is that we must use this type of prayer to become born again. I don’t know your experience, but I am pretty sure that when you accepted Jesus as Savior, prayer was involved. And I am fairly certain that repentance was involved.

  Here’s a New Testament example for us: the prodigal son. You have probably heard or read this account of the son on more than one occasion, but I will briefly retell it. The son asked his father for his inheritance, even though his father was still alive. The father gives it to him. Then the son leaves home and loses all of his money while partying hard. He finds himself in abject poverty, eating the same food as the pigs he was hired to feed. One day he realizes, if he is going to be a slave for someone it may as well be his father for his father treats his servants so much better. His attitude is one of repentance:

  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ Luke 15:18-19 – NKJV

  It was the son’s acknowledgment that he had blown it big time, that places this son in a position to receive grace and mercy from his father. Yes, his father forgave him and restored him, but there’s no doubt in my mind that things would have ended differently had he not confessed his sins before his father. This is a beautiful picture of how we are to come to the Father when we blow it. No justification, no pointing fingers, no excuses, just simple acknowledging that we did wrong and sincere repentance of the wrong.

  John wrote this:

  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 – NKJV

  This brings us back to our key verse. David asked God to create in him a new heart. When we pray a prayer of repentance, our greatest desire should be that God give us a new heart. If we are sinners in need of salvation, it is what He wants to do! If we are believers who need to “get it right” He wants to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In either case, forgiveness is waiting for us, we need only ask!

  David also asked that God would renew a steadfast spirit in him. What’s that? A spirit of stability, a spirit of being fixed on obedience to God, a yes to His will spirit! David had that type of spirit before, and he wanted it re-established in his life. So much so, it was more important to him than anything, because he didn’t want to lose the right to be in the presence of the Lord. He knew his sin had separated him from God, and he desperately wanted to see his relationship restored with God.

  David also asked God to not to remove His Holy Spirit from him. That’s deep for an Old Testament individual, and that makes it applicable to New Testament believers. When we sin, we need to get it right! Our heart should be as David’s heart was. God, whatever You do, don’t turn me away, and please don’t remove Your Spirit from my life! Why? Because more than anything, we should want to be right before God and to know that His Spirit is still present in our lives. And that’s why the prayer of repentance is so necessary to pray. Sin blocks our ability to connect with God, but confession of that sin and repentance of that sin gives us unlimited access to Him.

  As I stated in the beginning, we may need to pray this prayer on more than one occasion in our lives. But if we find that we are praying it daily, then we are in need of some different type of praying. I don’t believe necessarily in steps when dealing with God. You may need to pray for an hour about your situation, while someone else may need only a few minutes. Let His Spirit lead you during this time. However long you pray, pray until you know you’ve accomplished the task of truly repenting. And according to our definition, it must bring about a change in your behavior and your life! Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation-1.mp3

  Posted in God, Holy Spirit, Prayer, Repentance, Salvation | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, David, favor, God, Grace, Holy Spirit, obedience, parable, Prayer, Salvation, Sin, Sinner

• Lord, I Thank You!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 1, 2021

  Ephesians 6:18 – praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—NKJV

  

  lord_-i-thank-you_.mp3

  This week I am turning my focus to prayer. I’ve blogged before on the subject of praying always, but I don’t recall addressing the many types of ways we can pray. I look at the picture of the young girl and her posture, and I think, I know that posture. Do we have to have a certain type of posture? No! But sometimes a posture say more than our words ever could!

  Paul encourages us in this verse to pray with all prayer. That word “all” causes me to infer that there is more than one way to pray. Of course, I know it to be true, but for the sake of beginnings, I want to make that point. There are all kinds of prayers, and therefore there are all kinds of way to pray.

  One of my favorite ways to pray, is the prayer of thanksgiving! This time of conversing with the Lord can be short and to the point: Thank you Lord for not allowing that car to hit me! Or it can be longer, where we give Him thanks for any number of reasons!

  Something I see in the Old Testament, is that people were chosen to give thanks to God:

  And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31:2 – NKJV

  Can you imagine living life without the privilege of thanking God for who He is in your life, and for all He has done? Can you imagine being in a time and place when someone else was designated to be in His presence thanking Him, and you weren’t that someone?

  And with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever; 1 Chronicles 16:41 -NKJV

  Or maybe it wasn’t like that all! Maybe, they were chosen to set the atmosphere of worship in the house of the Lord! For that is exactly, what the prayer of thanksgiving leads to. Worship!

  What are some of the things we should find ourselves giving Him thanks for?

  • We should thank Him because He is good! 1 Corinthians 16:34
  • We should thank Him for His great name! Psalm 35:18
  • We should give Him thanks because we are His people Psalm 79:13
  • We should thank Him because it’s the right thing to do! Psalm 92:1
  • We should thank Him for His wonderful works to other people! Psalm 107:8
  • We should thank Him for His word! Psalm 119:62
  • We should thank Him for His mercy that endures forever! Psalm 136:26
  • We should give thanks for His Blood that was shed for us! Mark 14:23
  • We should give thanks for His Body that was given for us! Luke 22:19
  • We should give thanks for what He does for us! Luke 17:16
  • We should give thanks for Him giving us the victory through our Lord! 1 Corinthians 15:57
  • We should thank Him for those who are a part of the Body of Christ! Ephesians 1:16
  • We should thank Him for grace! 2 Corinthians 9:15

  And if that is not enough to take you to the place of worship, thanks should be given for Jesus! And thanks for this beautiful land that we live in, and for life, and for health, and for strength! And for family, and jobs, and friends, and vehicles, and homes…and I think you get the picture!

  This is my favorite type of prayer, as I said, because it leads to worship. It leads to us remembering who God is and all He has done and can do for us! It has a way of refreshing me and causing me to get my mind off of the negative issues in life, or the stress of the day. As a matter of fact, it gets me in the right frame of mind to blog.

  Anyone can be become an expert at talking to God with the prayer of thanksgiving! The leper who was cleansed, immediately knew exactly what words to say and what posture to take after he was healed. You don’t need an example, or further explanation. No need for the Greek or the Hebrew words to break it down! Just know that it’s an excellent way to talk to the Everlasting God and that you will most certainly get His attention!! Then when you finish giving Him thanks, you can just bask in His presence! Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation.mp3

  Posted in God, Prayer, Thanksgiving | 2 Comments | Tagged Christian, David, giving of thanks, God, leper, miraculous, Paul, Prayer, psalm, Thanksgiving, victory, worship

• Pray Without Ceasing!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 10, 2020

  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” NKJV

  

  pray-without-ceasing_.mp3

  Praying without ceasing! I was a member of a Baptist Church when I first learned this scripture. Over the years, I have tried to be this person who pray without ceasing. I’m pretty sure that I haven’t arrived yet, but I believe sincerely in the discipline of praying without ceasing.

  There used to be a time in my life when I would get some really bad news and I would say, “All I can do is pray” as if every possible avenue had been tried and I was now left with trying prayer. I truly believe this attitude of, I guess I now have to pray, is the root behind many unanswered prayer.

  I spend a lot of time reading and studying about prayer, people who pray, and the impact of a life of prayer. I want to pray more effectively, I want to see my prayers answered instantly, I want to see God move in people lives and situations, and sometimes, I just want to deepen my communion with the Father!

  The phrase, “praying without ceasing” causes me to infer some things about prayer that will break through our traditions on how to pray: our posture, our voice, our place.

  If I am truly to pray without ceasing, then the posture of prayer doesn’t matter to God. Some people think that prayers must be prayed on bended knees, because it demonstrates humility, and it does. Some people think standing is the position of prayer, because Jesus said “when you stand praying”! These are certainly postures of prayer. However, you can also pray sitting in a chair, riding in your car, walking down the street (I love to prayer walk), or laying out before the Lord, just to name a few! And whichever posture you happen to be in when you pray, God will hear you!

  Lightfoot, a well-known commentator to many theologians, wrote that it’s not possible for us to spend all of our time with words of prayer on our lips; but, we can remain in the spirit of prayer, recognizing that we are dependent on God for everything! This leads to my second point. Some believe you are not praying, if you are not opening your mouth, for when Jesus taught the disciples to pray He said, “And when you pray, say…” While using your words are an important part of praying, your heart’s cry or desire, can get the job done! After all, if you go about praying out loud all day, you’ll look like a crazy person! I have prayed many prayers in my heart that I have seen God answer! Do I pray out loud? Most definitely! But, there have been times that words could not express what was in my heart, or I wasn’t where I could pray them, and yet God heard, understood, and responded!

  Praying without ceasing keeps us from being locked down to a location. My sister-in-law, Pastor Caren, teaches on “The Secret Place”. Whenever she does, it causes me to want to pray even more. Even still, you don’t have to be confined to praying in one place. Jesus’ instructions to us to pray in the secret place is vital in developing a personal prayer life. However, if that was the only place we could pray, we could not pray always. The car, the church, the bank, the restaurant, the shower, the garden, the beach, are all great locations for prayer. Any place, is a great place, to talk with God. Enjoy the secret place, but if you find yourself in the bathroom and someone is crying their heart out, it’s okay to stop and pray. God is in the bathroom!

  Smith Wigglesworth, an evangelist in the early part of the 20th century, walked in supernatural miracles which included the raising of the dead, and creative miracles of body parts being restored. Once he was asked how long did he pray? Here’s the discourse from a book written about him:

  “Tell us, how long do you pray every day?  “Well, the apostle replied, “I don’t ever pray any longer than twenty minutes.” What?” his questioners exclaimed. After pausing for effect, Smith Wigglesworth continued, “Yes, but I never go twenty minutes without praying”.

  I think we can all agree that Wigglesworth was a man who prayed without ceasing! It is even said, about his prayer life, that people couldn’t take being in the room with him when he prayed, because of the presence of God! That’s powerful!

  We should get to a place where we are talking to God about everything that is happening in our day. He wants to be involved in every part of our lives. Some say, it would be ridiculous to ask God what to wear! I have heard more than one testimony of someone asking, of Him answering, and of it being a benefit in more ways than one. But it’s not necessary to ask Him what to wear, He gives us free choice. However, throughout the day, there will be many times when talking softly to the Lord will make things go so much better!

  Is there a reason to pray continuously?

  • Luke 18:1-Jesus Himself said that if we are always praying, we won’t faint! That means constant communication with God, through prayer, gives us the strength to make it through the tough times in life!
  • Luke 21:36- Jesus says that we should not allow our hearts to be weighed down with the cares of this life to the point that we will miss His return! However, if we are praying continuously, we will not be drinking and carousing, but watching for His return and will not be caught unaware!
  • Ephesians 6:18 -Paul talked about the armor of God, then he said that we are to pray with all kinds of prayer! It is a strategic weapon against our enemy and his attacks, and praying always enables us to be watchful for all the saints! Have you ever been praying about one thing, when God interrupts your prayer, bring someone to your heart or mind, and you begin to pray? Then you find out that it was at a crucial moment that had a major impact on their life? Wow!

  I know some prayer warriors. They can be in the middle of a celebration, hear of a need, and go into serious combative prayer. My mother-in-law wouldn’t let you out of her sight without her praying for you. It’s a beautiful thing to have so many people in your life who can pray at the drop of a hat, because they live a life of prayer. I thank God for them! The word of God tells us to pray without ceasing, for this is the will of God concerning us! Let’s get started today! Wonderful Jesus!!

  Posted in Bitterness, Prayer, will of God | 4 Comments | Tagged Attitude, encouragement, God, Jesus, miraculous, pray without ceasing, Prayer, Smith Wigglesworth, Spiritual warfare, supernatural, testimony, the devil

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