One of the things I’ve been focusing on during the Daniel Fast is my prayer life. The Lord has really shown me so much about prayer!
It has been hard, and it is work. But I have found a delight in praying, and a renewed faith, that far surpasses all the toil!
One of the devotionals I am using is 31 Days of Prayer by Ruth and Warren Myers (I love all their books!)
Each day has a few pages of prayer with a focus, all based on Scripture. I find this helps me to know how to also take the Scriptures and make my prayers from them. Then she has a little "As You Have Time" section for each day with ideas and quotes from many prayer warrior authors of the past. She also has some extra reading in the back she refers you to on certain days, titled "Ways to Grow in Prayer".
Things like, "Cultivate Faith Through Pursuing God" and "Count on the Truth of Instant Forgiveness" and "Abide in Christ" and "Depend on the Word, Not Feelings".
I know many people who feel inadequate at intercession. It almost seems like you either have a gift for it or you don’t! But, while some may have a calling to intercessory prayer, we all are to intercede. And so often, if you’re like me, you think it to death and make it so much harder than it is!!!
A few days ago, Ruth quoted Andrew Murray (I love his books, too!), and this really riveted my attention:
"Be specific in your petitions, then you’ll know what answers to look for. Intercession is not the breathing out of pious wishes; its aim is to bring down God’s blessing through believing, persevering prayer."
This part really spoke to me….
"…its aim is to bring down God’s blessing through believing, persevering prayer."
In our instant American society we want it yesterday. If God doesn’t answer our prayers within 72 hours, we’re onto the next request.
There’s a reason we need to learn to "be still and know that He is God"!
George Mueller is considered a prayer warrior extraordinnaire. Yet did you know he prayed for over 50 years for one man to come to the Lord, who didn’t accept Christ until after Mueller’s death?! How many of us would even pray 50 days?!!!
Here is a beautiful quote by Mueller to chew on next to Murray’s quote above (this is also in 31 Days of Prayer):
"The great point is never to give up until the answer comes. I have been praying for fifty-two years, every day, for two men, sons of a friend of my youth. They are not converted yet, but they will be!…The great fault of the children of God is, they do not continue in prayer; they do not go on praying; they do not persevere. If they desire anything for God’s glory, they should pray until they get it."
Did you catch that phrase tucked in there? "Every day"!
And how much more would Mr. Mueller reprove us today?!
I am convicted and have decided I will not give up on praying for certain ones. I may not see the fruition of all my prayers…..but if I truly believe God, then I will not demand "signs and wonders" by answered prayers, nor will I dictate to Him how He should answer.
I have found that by asking Him for Scriptures to pray for people, situations, myself….I focus on what He wants for them, for me. Not my ideas of how it should all go. I’ll give you one example.
I have a dear friend who is struggling with totally realizing the Father’s love for her. She is a Christian, but due to her upbringing and pain in her past, she struggles. I don’t pray, "Lord, help her not to struggle with this," focusing on the negative. Oh, I don’t act like it’s not there! But I try to see her as Jesus does. He loves her. He died for her. He hurts with her that others have so pained her, and that she can’t receive all He died to give her. But He also has the answers. He knows when and the best way to answer her cries.
So I asked Him for a Scripture for her. He actually gave me several, but the one that really stood out was in 1 John 4:16 "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."
That is what my friend needs–to know and believe the love that God has for her. And so that is what I pray.
This has opened up a new dimension to my praying–and I’ve been a Christian for nearly 31 years!
I hope by giving you a glimpse of what the Lord is doing in my life, you will seek Him to help you in your prayer life and especially intercessory prayer. It is hard work. But neither is it as hard as we make it to be!
And if you’re already doing great in this department, say a prayer for me, that I will continue in prayer as Andrew Murray and George Mueller exhort us all to!
May The LORD Who Hears bless you with strength and determination to persevere for Him!
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