Hi Friends~
I hope you all had a fabulous God filled weekend! Sorry we weren't posted on Friday, Blogger- the system we use to post our blogs on, wasn't working all day, and into the beginning of the evening. I do have something special to share with you today. But, first, would everyone please take a second to answer the poll on the top right corner? It is about a possible future short study, here on the blog. Please answer only once...but please answer it soon, it ends June 1st. I would hate to do a short study on something that none of you are interested in. That doesn't sound good for either of us!
OK--I have some wisdom to share today from "Discipleship Journal" dated,
November, 2003. (I think I may be a certifiable pack rat!) And, this particular issue is full of golden nuggets of wisdom. Most of this copy is about the individual Beatitudes. Today however, we'll be learning from an article by Lee Brase. Lee is an international prayer minister for The Navigators. This article is wonderful and is titled, "Learning to Talk to God--How to Use Scriptures to Launch a Young Believer into Prayer." I think it is a great tool for any Believer, young or older-ish. lol Also, I am quoting a few sections of this. I was sure to use quotation marks...as always, so please know, that I did not come up with those particular thoughts...they are Lee Brase's. Let credit fall where it is due. Of course, Our God blesses us by sharing His Words and giving us thoughts, especially through answered prayer, and reading His Word, and through other people...like each of you!
OK---"Every growing baby needs to learn to talk in order to navigate his new world. Likewise, learning to pray--that is, talking to God--is a foundational building block in every believer's relationship with God."
Prayer is learned in the same steps that children learn to talk. They mimic or imitate the sounds they hear. They learn better this way, than with formal instruction.
"Jesus knew that the Disciples would need words to mimic as they learned to pray. Jesus gave them Luke 11:2:
A man names Samuel Chadwick said, "The only way to learn to pray is to pray." And, that includes taking the person to the prayers in the Bible.
"God has recorded prayers in Scripture for every occasion: for praise, thanks, grief, pain, frustration, warfare, joy, and more. Just as Jesus offered His disciples a model prayer, so the Scriptures are full of prayers we can use to help a believer learn to talk to the Father."
**Burdened by stress? Take a look at Psalm 57 or 63. They were written while David was running from Saul.
**Have a wayward child? Look at Exodus 32 to see how Moses prayed as he led the rebellious people out of Egypt and through the desert.
**Want to pray for the spiritual needs for others? Take a look at Jesus' prayer in John 17, or the Apostle Paul's intercession in Ephesians 1. And, then let me know that you are considering joining the He IS Able Prayer Team that is growing! :)
"Keeping in mind that prayer is a language, I try to help people imiate the words of Moses or David, Paul or Jesus. Next, we work on putting these prayers into their own words, for their specific situation."
"For example, when David was fleeing from Saul, he prayed,
"I cry out to God Most High...I am in the midst of lions I lie among ravenous beasts--men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords." Psalm 57:2,4
"These words perfectly describe what David was facing. But the person I'm discipling faces his own unique struggles and battles. I would encourage him to pray something like this: "Father, I am in the midst of a lot of uncertainty and stress. I feel as if my life is being drained out of me." It's important that people who are learning to pray be very specific with God about what they are experiencing."
I know that it is also appropriate to include Scripture in our prayers as we go before Our Lord. It is doing just what is stated above, and go one step further, when their prayer lives are maturing. For instance, if you are feeling lonely, you may include something like this in your prayer:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I am feeling all alone, as if there is no one on this planet that cares about me. I feel empty.
STOP! That is what the author has shown us to do. Now comes the additional part of including the awareness of who Jesus is and what He is capable of or has promised us in the prayer. This comes as they memorize Scripture, which you can start very young, or as soon as you are a Believer, it is never too late to start! Here is the second part:
I know you have told me about feeling like this. So, I am casting all my cares upon You, for You care for me. (1 Peter 5:7) And, I know that You are the One who goes with me. You will not leave nor forsake me." (Deuteronomy 31:6) Thank you, Lord Jesus for reminding me of who You are, and that You will always be with me, even when I feel alone...You will be there, and I can share my worries with You, You care for me, and I can always count on You! Thank You! You aren't going any where! In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen!"
It is important to be aware of our Lords capabilities and promises in general, so that we can count on them. He will not fall back from them. He doesn't break promises! He will be there! Let's take a look at what that more mature prayer may look like in whole:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I am feeling all alone, as if there is no one on this planet that cares about me. I feel empty. I know You have told me about feeling like this. So, I am casting all my cares upon You, for You care for me. (1 Peter 5:7) And, I know that You are the One who goes with me. You will not leave nor forsake me." (Deuteronomy 31:6) Thank You, Lord Jesus for reminding me of who You are, and that You will always be with me, even when I feel alone...You will be there, and I can share my worries with You, You care for me, and I can always count on You! Thank You! You aren't going any where! In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen!"
This is just an example of remembering Scripture, storing them in our heart, so that when we or a friend is in need, we can share it back to Him in prayer. We can count on it! We can believe it to be true! It is also a way of praising Him! We are taking His Word to be important enough to remember! And we want to praise Him for He is Worthy! Hallelujah!
Please, if you don't have the Scripture completely memorized, don't let that keep you or your children from using it in prayer. He knows Everything! He knows you don't have the whole Bible memorized yet. Just share that with Him. And, share what you remember about the Scripture in the prayer. I hope that came across clearly. There are many Scriptures that I can tell you about...but can't remember word for word yet, or maybe I don't remember where it is located in the Bible yet. Still, share with Him, as much as you do remember. He knows the rest. And, it honors Him to show Him you are doing what He would like...studying and reading the Bible, to get to know who He is and what He has done in the past, so we can count on Him in the present and future!
The author sums things up so beautifully. "Discipling others in prayer goes well beyond helping them learn to pray for a given situation. The goal is to help them become attentive to God and to grow into people who long to communicate openly and to live in utter dependence upon Him. When these things happen, prayer becomes the rich, organic language it's meant to be."
Ready? This is a challenge for this week! To grow in Christ, we should set goals on walking closer with Him, in my opinion. So, to go along with this article...I am challenging all of us to this: When you pray this week...even if you usually have a rote prayer over a meal...include a Scripture in your prayer. If you don't know any...share what you remember about Him and the subject, or about the Scripture, even if not verbatim. Please let us know if you will give this a try for this week? I will be doing my best...and believe me, I have a long way to go as far as memorization goes. The prize? Pleasing Him! Up to you!
It will also get you entered to win this week's "Card of the Week!" drawing! Anyone can play, and all you need to do is leave any comment, prayer request, or prayer, or question...you name it, in the comment section before 8pm (Eastern) to be eligible to be randomly chosen to win the "Card of the Week!" The winnner will be annnounced on Wednesday!
And, please be sure to keep stopping by the next few weeks...we have some very fun, very exciting news to share....but I am not saying when. It will be on a regular post day...Monday, Wednesday or Friday! What fun this will be! You will surely like it!
Have a blessed day!
He IS Able!
Traci S.
Who is going to participate in this week's challenge? Are you? Let us know!
I hope you all had a fabulous God filled weekend! Sorry we weren't posted on Friday, Blogger- the system we use to post our blogs on, wasn't working all day, and into the beginning of the evening. I do have something special to share with you today. But, first, would everyone please take a second to answer the poll on the top right corner? It is about a possible future short study, here on the blog. Please answer only once...but please answer it soon, it ends June 1st. I would hate to do a short study on something that none of you are interested in. That doesn't sound good for either of us!
OK--I have some wisdom to share today from "Discipleship Journal" dated,
November, 2003. (I think I may be a certifiable pack rat!) And, this particular issue is full of golden nuggets of wisdom. Most of this copy is about the individual Beatitudes. Today however, we'll be learning from an article by Lee Brase. Lee is an international prayer minister for The Navigators. This article is wonderful and is titled, "Learning to Talk to God--How to Use Scriptures to Launch a Young Believer into Prayer." I think it is a great tool for any Believer, young or older-ish. lol Also, I am quoting a few sections of this. I was sure to use quotation marks...as always, so please know, that I did not come up with those particular thoughts...they are Lee Brase's. Let credit fall where it is due. Of course, Our God blesses us by sharing His Words and giving us thoughts, especially through answered prayer, and reading His Word, and through other people...like each of you!
OK---"Every growing baby needs to learn to talk in order to navigate his new world. Likewise, learning to pray--that is, talking to God--is a foundational building block in every believer's relationship with God."
Prayer is learned in the same steps that children learn to talk. They mimic or imitate the sounds they hear. They learn better this way, than with formal instruction.
"Jesus knew that the Disciples would need words to mimic as they learned to pray. Jesus gave them Luke 11:2:
"He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come."
A man names Samuel Chadwick said, "The only way to learn to pray is to pray." And, that includes taking the person to the prayers in the Bible.
"God has recorded prayers in Scripture for every occasion: for praise, thanks, grief, pain, frustration, warfare, joy, and more. Just as Jesus offered His disciples a model prayer, so the Scriptures are full of prayers we can use to help a believer learn to talk to the Father."
**Burdened by stress? Take a look at Psalm 57 or 63. They were written while David was running from Saul.
**Have a wayward child? Look at Exodus 32 to see how Moses prayed as he led the rebellious people out of Egypt and through the desert.
**Want to pray for the spiritual needs for others? Take a look at Jesus' prayer in John 17, or the Apostle Paul's intercession in Ephesians 1. And, then let me know that you are considering joining the He IS Able Prayer Team that is growing! :)
"Keeping in mind that prayer is a language, I try to help people imiate the words of Moses or David, Paul or Jesus. Next, we work on putting these prayers into their own words, for their specific situation."
"For example, when David was fleeing from Saul, he prayed,
"I cry out to God Most High...I am in the midst of lions I lie among ravenous beasts--men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords." Psalm 57:2,4
"These words perfectly describe what David was facing. But the person I'm discipling faces his own unique struggles and battles. I would encourage him to pray something like this: "Father, I am in the midst of a lot of uncertainty and stress. I feel as if my life is being drained out of me." It's important that people who are learning to pray be very specific with God about what they are experiencing."
I know that it is also appropriate to include Scripture in our prayers as we go before Our Lord. It is doing just what is stated above, and go one step further, when their prayer lives are maturing. For instance, if you are feeling lonely, you may include something like this in your prayer:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I am feeling all alone, as if there is no one on this planet that cares about me. I feel empty.
STOP! That is what the author has shown us to do. Now comes the additional part of including the awareness of who Jesus is and what He is capable of or has promised us in the prayer. This comes as they memorize Scripture, which you can start very young, or as soon as you are a Believer, it is never too late to start! Here is the second part:
I know you have told me about feeling like this. So, I am casting all my cares upon You, for You care for me. (1 Peter 5:7) And, I know that You are the One who goes with me. You will not leave nor forsake me." (Deuteronomy 31:6) Thank you, Lord Jesus for reminding me of who You are, and that You will always be with me, even when I feel alone...You will be there, and I can share my worries with You, You care for me, and I can always count on You! Thank You! You aren't going any where! In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen!"
It is important to be aware of our Lords capabilities and promises in general, so that we can count on them. He will not fall back from them. He doesn't break promises! He will be there! Let's take a look at what that more mature prayer may look like in whole:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I am feeling all alone, as if there is no one on this planet that cares about me. I feel empty. I know You have told me about feeling like this. So, I am casting all my cares upon You, for You care for me. (1 Peter 5:7) And, I know that You are the One who goes with me. You will not leave nor forsake me." (Deuteronomy 31:6) Thank You, Lord Jesus for reminding me of who You are, and that You will always be with me, even when I feel alone...You will be there, and I can share my worries with You, You care for me, and I can always count on You! Thank You! You aren't going any where! In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen!"
This is just an example of remembering Scripture, storing them in our heart, so that when we or a friend is in need, we can share it back to Him in prayer. We can count on it! We can believe it to be true! It is also a way of praising Him! We are taking His Word to be important enough to remember! And we want to praise Him for He is Worthy! Hallelujah!
Please, if you don't have the Scripture completely memorized, don't let that keep you or your children from using it in prayer. He knows Everything! He knows you don't have the whole Bible memorized yet. Just share that with Him. And, share what you remember about the Scripture in the prayer. I hope that came across clearly. There are many Scriptures that I can tell you about...but can't remember word for word yet, or maybe I don't remember where it is located in the Bible yet. Still, share with Him, as much as you do remember. He knows the rest. And, it honors Him to show Him you are doing what He would like...studying and reading the Bible, to get to know who He is and what He has done in the past, so we can count on Him in the present and future!
The author sums things up so beautifully. "Discipling others in prayer goes well beyond helping them learn to pray for a given situation. The goal is to help them become attentive to God and to grow into people who long to communicate openly and to live in utter dependence upon Him. When these things happen, prayer becomes the rich, organic language it's meant to be."
Ready? This is a challenge for this week! To grow in Christ, we should set goals on walking closer with Him, in my opinion. So, to go along with this article...I am challenging all of us to this: When you pray this week...even if you usually have a rote prayer over a meal...include a Scripture in your prayer. If you don't know any...share what you remember about Him and the subject, or about the Scripture, even if not verbatim. Please let us know if you will give this a try for this week? I will be doing my best...and believe me, I have a long way to go as far as memorization goes. The prize? Pleasing Him! Up to you!
It will also get you entered to win this week's "Card of the Week!" drawing! Anyone can play, and all you need to do is leave any comment, prayer request, or prayer, or question...you name it, in the comment section before 8pm (Eastern) to be eligible to be randomly chosen to win the "Card of the Week!" The winnner will be annnounced on Wednesday!
And, please be sure to keep stopping by the next few weeks...we have some very fun, very exciting news to share....but I am not saying when. It will be on a regular post day...Monday, Wednesday or Friday! What fun this will be! You will surely like it!
Have a blessed day!
He IS Able!
Traci S.
Who is going to participate in this week's challenge? Are you? Let us know!
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