PRAYER

“Quality of Life Series”

4/27/04

LEADER: “Measuring Faith Attitudes”

Source: Barna Research Group, by Monica Seaberry and Mike Paquette, 1998 Religion News Service, quoted in Moody, July/August, 1998, p. 37

http://www.bible.org/illus/p-q/p-q-83.htm#TopOfPage

In a nationwide survey, 1,210 adults were asked…

(those responding yes)

	Christians	Others
Is your faith very important to your life?	99%	78%
Do you desire a close personal relationship with God?	94%	44%
Is it more important to please God than to achieve success or the acceptance of others?	91%	68%
Do you have a responsibility to share your faith with others?	68%	29%
Does prayer really make a difference in your life?	73%	43%

(Margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent)

LEADER: Does prayer really make a difference in your life?

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #1

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1809-1892 Poet Laureate in 1850

LEADER: Here are some examples of prayers for provision:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Blanketed in White”

Robert J. Morgan, The Red Sea Rules. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001, p. 83-84.

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon6/blanketed_in_white.htm

Another modern-day miracle occurred early in the history of the Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago, which got its start in the 1880s, when a notorious saloon called the Pacific Beer Garden was leased by a sweet Christian couple, George and Sarah Clarke. Dropping the word Beer, they added the word Mission and launched a ministry to downtrodden men and women.

In the early years, Colonel and Mrs. Clarke bore the cost of the work themselves, but the ministry's growth depleted their funds. Eventually they couldn't pay the rent, and Colonel Clarke had only twenty-four hours to make payment; otherwise they would lose their lease.

Colonel and Mrs. Clarke prayed throughout the night, reminding the Lord of the luckless whose lives were being salvaged. Emerging from their house at daybreak, they gasped. Their yard was blanketed in white. Looking closer, they discovered the lawn was covered with rare mushrooms of highest quality, though it wasn't the season for mushrooms.

Gathering the crop, the Clarkes carted the mushrooms down to the Palmer House and sold them to the chefs for enough money to pay the rent. Years later, "Mother" Clarke, commenting on the experience, said, "No mushrooms were ever seen there before-nor any since."

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “The Lord’s Cattle”

Today in the Word, MBI, January, 1990, p. 36.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

In its early days, Dallas Theological Seminary was in critical need of $10,000 to keep the work going. During a prayer meeting, renowned Bible teacher Harry Ironside, a lecturer at the school, prayed, "Lord, you own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please sell some of those cattle to help us meet this need." Shortly after the prayer meeting, a check for $10,000 arrived at the school, sent days earlier by a friend who had no idea of the urgent need or of Ironside's prayer. The man simply said the money came from the sale of some of his cattle!
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9)

LEADER: Here are some examples of prayers answered for healing:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Power of Prayer” EXCERPT

Laura Day Copright 2000 lday@neurosurgery.umsmed.edu

Laura is now raising two daughters, 4 and 10, and is working and trying to finish school to become an interpreter for the deaf, maybe in teaching.

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2c/power_of_prayer2.htm

In July 1990, I was in a car accident. I don’t remember anything about the accident or my stay in the hospital, but I have learned a great deal about the power of prayer from my family and friends.

My mother said when they first got to the hospital, the doctor told them I had no chance for survival, because my brain was swelling and I was losing a lot of blood, and he didn’t know why. My mother said there were over fifty people packed in the waiting room and lined up and down the hallway that night. She said they stayed through the night praying.

By the next morning, the doctor said there was no sign of my brain swelling, but he couldn’t give me more than a two percent chance of survival, because I was still losing a lot of blood, and he said my head injury was so severe that I might never wake from the coma I was in. My uterus had also been cut in five places, so my gynecologist was called in. He told me later that when he made that last stitch in my uterus, blood starting backing up in the chest tubes, so he knew then that it was my heart. I had a ruptured aorta valve and had to have surgery. My mother said that when the cardiovascular surgeon came out of the operating room he told them he had done all he could do, and they should pray. So that’s what they did; even complete strangers were praying for me.

On the third day of my hospital stay, my mother-in-law said I came out of my coma around 10:00 that morning (she was keeping Hollie during this time). She said she felt that I was going to be okay, so she took Hollie to the mall. She said they were on the elevator in McRaes, and there was a young lady in the elevator with them. When the elevator stopped, the other lady went off to the right and my mother-in-law went straight to a counter where a friend of hers worked. The friend was asking how I was doing, and my mother-in-law was telling her I had come out of my coma.

My mother-in-law said she then heard someone calling, and when she looked up, the same lady that was in the elevator with her was running towards her. She asked if they were talking about me, and my mother-in-law said that I had woke from my coma around 10:00 that morning. She said the lady’s face turned white as a ghost, and she said, “Your not going to believe this, but we have a prayer group at our church, and the lady in charge called everyone this morning and said she had this feeling that they needed to be praying for the girl in the accident, so we all met at the church.” Then she said,

“We started praying for Laura at 9:30 this morning”. My mother-in-law said when she got home from the mall the phone was ringing and it was Robert’s aunt from another state, and she said, “I was just calling to let you know we held a mock laying on of hands for Laura this morning”.

My mother-in-law asked what this was, and Robert’s aunt said,

“It’s where someone plays the part of Laura and lies on a table, and then everyone goes around laying their hands on “Laura’s” head saying a prayer of healing”.

My mother-in-law asked when they did this, and she said they started around 9:30 that morning. My mother-in-law said, “You’re not going to believe this, but Laura woke from her coma at 10:00 this morning”.

I was in the hospital for about a month. Two weeks after I had gone home, I returned to the heart surgeon for a follow-up visit. When he came into the room he said, “You know, I can’t explain how you can be sitting here today”. He said, “98 percent of the patients with a ruptured aorta either die at the scene of the accident or die in route to the hospital, but you lived 16 hours before we even discovered your injury. You shouldn’t be alive today.”

LEADER: Another example is the little unborn baby, Koby, we prayed for who was losing weight in the womb…down to 3 pounds…taken by C-section last Friday and came out perfectly healthy. Answered prayer.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Physicians Believe in the Power of Prayer”

Parade, Spokesman-Review, December 1, 1996, p. 18.

http://www.bible.org/illus/p-q/p-q-83.htm#TopOfPage

In a recent survey of 269 doctors, a remarkable 99% said they were convinced that religious belief can heal. In fact, that’s 20% higher than the figure for the general public.

Why do doctors feel this way? “Because we’ve seen the power of belief, said Dr. Herbert Benson, author of “Timeless Healing,” which offers scientific evidence that faith has helped to cure medical conditions. “We’ve seen that belief is powerful in conditions including angina pectoris, asthma, duodenal ulcers, congestive heart failure, diabetes, all forms of pain. We see it all the time, and we can’t deny it.”

What’s more, 75% of the doctors believe the prayers of others can help a patient’s recovery, and 38% said they think faith-healers can make people well. The survey was conducted by Yankelovich Partners at a meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians in October.

Physicians recognize the limitations of drugs and surgery, noted Dr. Benson, who added: “The real breakthrough is the acceptance of these approaches by modern medicine.” On Dec. 15 , he will head a Harvard Medical School conference on spirituality and healing, to be held in Boston, with another scheduled for Los Angeles in March.

“We have scientific data showing that people who use self-help—relaxation, nutrition, exercise and belief—reduce their visits to doctors by 30% to 60%, said Benson. “In a prepaid system, that’s money in the bank.”

LEADER: Do you pray for success?

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Praying for Success”

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon4/praying_for_success.htm

"Then he prayed, 'O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.'" - Genesis 24:12
In 1956, Ken Taylor, a graduate of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, was the director of Moody Press. During this time, his children were having a difficult time in reading their King James Bible. Starting with the book of Romans, Taylor began paraphrasing the New Testament Epistles on the train while commuting to work. The project took seven years to complete. Unable to interest publishers in his Living Letters, Ken took out a loan for $2,000 and had his paraphrase printed by his own private company in 1963. His family began to pray constantly that the Lord would cause the paraphrase to succeed and that it would bless many. For the first few years, few copies were ordered. But then Billy Graham, while laid up in a hospital read the book. After his recovery, Dr. Graham began recommending Living Letters from the pulpit. The small publishing company Ken had founded to print his paraphrase became Tyndale House Publishers. And the Living Letters Epistles grew into the popular Living Bible, with over 40 million copies sold and a blessing to millions of children and new believers.
Are you praying that the Lord would use you in a large way? Today in prayer, pray that you may be successful in using your talents to bring glory to the Lord.
"I never prayed sincerely and earnestly for anything but it came at some time-no matter at how distant a day, somehow, in some shape, probably the last I would have devised, it came." -Adoniram Judson.
God's Word: "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request." - 1 Chronicles 4:10

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #2

Richard Mayhue, Keys to fruitful prayer--Divine Healing Today, Moody Press, p. 104.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

“For more than half a century, I have never known one day when I had not more business than I could get through. For 40 years, I have had annually about 30,000 letters, and most of these have passed through my own hands. I have nine assistants always at work corresponding in German, French, English, Danish, Italian, Russian, and other languages. Then, as pastor of a church with 1200 believers, great has been my care. I have had charge of five orphanages; also at my publishing depot, the printing and circulation of millions of tracts, books, and Bibles. But I have always made it a rule never to begin work till I have had a good season with God.”

George Mueller, 1805-1898 Started over 117 schools & orphanages

LEADER: How about prayers for protection:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Striking Nine”

By Dr. Chapman, Signs of the Times, July 15, 1908. With permission from Dale Galusha dalgal@pacificpress.com

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2c/striking_nine.htm

A clock in an Edinburgh church steeple was striking nine when three young men passed on their way to a place of sin. Suddenly one of them stopped and said, "I can not go with you." And when they pressed him for a reason, he said, "When I left my home in the hill country, my old mother said, 'My son, you are going into a wicked city, but your old father and I will pray for you every night, and at nine o'clock we will be on our knees.' They are praying for me now and I can not go."

He turned about, sought his room, cried out to God for mercy, and was saved. He is today one of the leading merchants in Edinburgh. Decision of character was the means of his salvation.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Battlefield of Heartbreak Ridge”

Thanks to WITandWISDOM(tm) - October 6, 1999 subscribe-wit-wisdom@xc.org

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2/battlefield_of_heartbreak_ridge.htm

During the Korean war, one man was hurt badly on the battlefield of Heartbreak Ridge. His buddies were in a foxhole about 50 yards away when the man was hit by sniper fire in an ambush.

As the fire continued, the other men discussed amongst themselves what to do. But since the sniper fire was too intense, to crawl out and bring back their wounded buddy would mean almost certain death.

For a while no one would move. The men in the foxhole could hear their wounded friend yelling for help. Then one of the men in the foxhole began to look intensely at his own watch. He could not keep his eyes off it. All others in the foxhole noticed this, and began to ask questions. But the soldier with the watch remained silent.

All of a sudden, the man with the watch jumped out of the foxhole, and crawled over to his wounded buddy. He then grabbed him by the nape of the collar, and very slowly made his way back to the foxhole, all the while sniper fire whizzing around. Both amazingly did make it back to the foxhole without another bullet penetration.

After the sniper fire had died down, the man who saved his wounded buddy was asked why he waited so long to crawl after his wounded friend. To which he responded: "My mom said every day at the exact same time she would be praying for me. And according to my watch, I left the foxhole exactly when she started praying."

Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances dictate.

LEADER: Do you pray for the salvation of others? It is probably the most important prayer you can pray except asking Christ to come into your life.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #3

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

"There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as prayer for him.”

William Law 1686-1761 English Writer

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Faithful Prayer”

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

How important is faithfulness in prayer? Dr. Wilbur Chapman often told of his experience when, as a young man, he went to become pastor of a church in Philadelphia. After his first sermon, an old gentleman said to him, "You're pretty young to be pastor of this church. But you preach the Gospel, and I'm going to help you all I can." Dr. Chapman thought, "Here's a crank." But the man continued: "I'm going to pray for you that you may have the Holy Spirit's power upon you. Two others have covenanted to join with me in prayer for you." Dr. Chapman said, "I didn't feel so bad when I learned he was going to pray for me. The 3 became 10, the 10 became 20, and 20 became 50, the 50 became 200 who met before every service to pray that the Holy Spirit might come upon me. I always went into my pulpit feeling that I would have the anointing in answer to the prayers of those who had faithfully prayed for me. It was a joy to preach! The result was that we received 1,100 into our church by conversion in three years, 600 of whom were men. It was the fruit of the Holy spirit in answer to prayer!"

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Hudson Taylor’s Tract”

Daily Bread, July 19, 1989.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

Eighteen-year-old Hudson Taylor wandered into his father's library and read a gospel tract. He couldn't shake off its message. Finally, falling to his knees, he accepted Christ as his Savior. Later, his mother, who had been away, returned home. When Hudson told her the good news, she said, "I already know. Ten days ago, the very date on which you tell me you read that tract, I spent the entire afternoon in prayer for you until the Lord assured me that my wayward son had been brought into the fold."

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Praying for Conversion”

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon6/praying_for_conversion.htm

George Muller, the great Victorian Christian and social reformer, tells a story of persistent prayer in his diary:

In November 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of five individuals. I prayed every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on the land, on the sea, and whatever the pressure of my engagements might be. Eighteen months elapsed before the first of the five was converted. I thanked God and prayed on for the others. Five years elapsed, and then the second was converted. I thanked God for the second, and prayed on for the other three. Day by day, I continued to pray for them, and six years passed before the third was converted. I thanked God for the three, and went on praying for the other two. These two remained unconverted.'

Thirty-six years later he wrote that the other two, sons of one of Muller's friends, were still not converted. He wrote, "But I hope in God, I pray on, and look for the answer. They are not converted yet, but they will be." In 1897, fifty-two years after he began to pray daily, without interruption, for these two men, they were finally converted but after he died! Muller understood what Luke meant when he introduced a parable Jesus told about prayer, saying, "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1).

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Power of Prayer in Salvation”

Henry G. Bosch, Our Daily Bread, March-May, 1996, p. for April 3

http://www.bible.org/illus/p-q/p-q-83.htm#TopOfPage

Some years ago a young girl was very sick and not expected to recover. Because of her love for Jesus, she was troubled that she had not been able to do more for Him in her short life. Her pastor suggested that she make a list of people in their little town who needed Christ and pray that they might put their faith in Him. She took his advice, made a list, and prayed often for each person.

Some time later God began to stir a revival in the village. The girl heard of the people who were coming to Christ and prayed even more. As she heard reports, she checked off the names of those who had been led to the Lord.

After the girl died, a prayer list with the names of 56 people was found under her pillow. All had put their faith in Christ—the last one on the night before her death.

Such is the power of definite, specific, fervent prayer. Do you have a prayer list?

LEADER: Do you pray for wisdom?

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #4

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865, Sixteenth President of the USA

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #5

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers!

William Culbertson 1905-1971 Pastor

LEADER: Are you praying in faith believing the Lord is able to deliver?

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Hudson Taylor”

Source: Signs of the Times, Copyright (c) September 19, 1900, Pacific Press, www.pacificpress.com/signs . With permission from Dale Galusha dalgal@pacificpress.com

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2a/hudon_taylor.htm

Hudson Taylor was a man of great faith in God, as well as a great missionary. When he first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shore of a cannibal island the ship was becalmed, and it was slowly drifting shoreward, unable to go about, and the inhabitants of the island were eagerly anticipating a feast. The captain came to Mr. Taylor and besought him to pray for the help of God.

"I will," said Taylor, "provided you set your sail to catch the breeze."

The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling sails in a dead calm.

Taylor said, "I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails."

And it was done. The missionary retired to his stateroom to pray. While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at his door.

"Who is there?"

The captain's voice responded, "Are you still praying for wind?"

"Yes."

"Well," said the captain, "you'd better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can well manage."

And, sure enough, when but a hundred yards from shore, a strong wind struck the sails of the boat, so that the inhabitants of the island were cheated out of their human prey.

LEADER: Perhaps your prayer life is not what you’d like it to be.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Trouble Praying”

Our Daily Bread, November 13

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

A woman went to Andrew Murray with the problem of feeling she couldn't pray. He said, "Why then, do you not try this? As you go to your inner chamber, however cold and dark your heart may be, do not try in your own might to force yourself into the right attitude. Bow before Him, and tell Him that He sees in what a sad state you are, and that your only hope is in Him. Trust Him, with a childlike trust, to have mercy upon you, and wait upon Him. In such a trust you are in a right relationship to Him. You have nothing -- He has everything." The woman later told Murray that his advice had helped her. She discovered that her trust in Christ's love for her could help her pray, even when prayer did not come easily.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Romans 8:26-29

²⁶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
²⁷   and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
²⁸   And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
²⁹   For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

LEADER: Commentary:

http://www.bible.org/illus/p-q/p-q-83.htm#TopOfPage

1. The Holy Spirit helps us to know what and how to pray (v. 26).

2. The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf (v. 26).

3. God hears our hearts more than the words in prayer (v. 27).

4. Prayer is always answered (vs. 28-29), though not always according to our agenda.

LEADER: Prerequisites for Answered Prayer

Bill Donahue, Leading Life-Changing Small Groups, (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996

http://www.bible.org/illus/p-q/p-q-83.htm#TopOfPage

Though it is clear from Scripture that God always answers our prayers in some manner (as we mentioned above) there are also some guidelines for effective praying. Certain practices or attitudes can hinder your prayers and, in such cases, God will not respond to them. The passages below help us understand that we must be in a right relationship with God and with others in order for our prayers to be effectively heard by God.

1. Harboring unconfessed sin will put a barrier between you and God.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Psalm 66:18

If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;

LEADER: 2. God hears the prayers of those who obey His commands HAVE SOMEONE READ: 1 John 3:22-23

and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

LEADER: 3. God will not hear prayers that have wrong or selfish motives

HAVE SOMEONE READ: James 4:3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

LEADER: 4. We are to pray with thankful hearts. Those of us who come before God without a spirit of thankfulness will find our prayers are not heard

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

LEADER: 5. When we pray, we are to ask in faith. Unbelief is a barrier to answered prayer

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Mark 11:22-24

And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

LEADER: 6. An ongoing abiding life in Christ (having regular fellowship with Him) will allow your prayers to be heard. When fellowship is broken, so is communication with God

HAVE SOMEONE READ: John 15:7
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

LEADER: 7. Sometimes we don’t have answered prayers because we do not ask. We are to pursue appropriate requests regularly and bring them to God

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Luke 11:9

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

LEADER: 8. Prayer in the Spirit (that is, under the control of the Holy Spirit) is also a prerequisite. This verse instructs us that we must also persevere in our praying. Prayers offered in the flesh will not be heard by God

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Ephesians 6:18

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

LEADER: 9. If you are unable to forgive someone for something that person has done to you, then God says He will not forgive you. Restored and right relationships are essential for open communication with God

HAVE SOMEONE READ: Mark 11:25

"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

LEADER: 10. We are instructed to pray according to His will, not according to ours

HAVE SOMEONE READ: 1 John 5:14-15
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Surrender”

E. Stanley Jones, Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, K Hughes, Tyndale, 1988, p. 73.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

Prayer is surrender--surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “I Asked/ He Gave”

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

I asked God for strength that I might achieve.
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked God for health that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for--but everything I had hoped for...
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.

An unknown Confederate soldier.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #6

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: "Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."

LEADER: Here are some simple guidelines to prayer:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Three Prayers”

S. Briscoe, Getting into God, p. 55.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

When our children were small and we were trying to teach them to pray, we had three kinds of prayer: "Please prayers," Thank you prayers," and "Sorry prayers."

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #7

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.

John Bunyan 1628-1688 Author Pilgrim’s Progress

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Rely on Prayer”

A.C. Dixon, Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 108.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on. Nor am I disposed to undervalue any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #8

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

When thou prayest, rather let thy heart be without words than thy words without heart.

John Bunyon

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #9

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.

John Bunyon

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “God Says”

Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray, IVP, p. 74.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

If the request is wrong, God says, "No."
If the timing is wrong, God says, "Slow."
If you are wrong, God says, "Grow."
But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, "Go!"

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Prodigals and Those Who Love” EXCERPT

By William Barclay

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

When we pray, remember:

1. The love of God that wants the best for us.
2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.
3. The power of God that can accomplish it.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #10

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.

Westminster Shorter Catechism.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Intimacy with God”

E.M. Bounds, The Weapon Of Prayer.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

The central significance of prayer is not in the things that happen as results, but in the deepening intimacy and unhurried communion with God at His central throne of control in order to discover a "sense of God's need in order to call on God's help to meet that need"

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “John Newton’s Prayer”

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

May the grace of Christ our Savior

And the Father's boundless love,

With the Holy Spirit's favor,

Rest upon us from above.

Thus may we abide in union

With each other and the Lord,

And possess, in sweet communion,

Joys which earth cannot afford.

John Newton.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “St. Francis’ Prayer”

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive it; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Francis of Assisi.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Bishop Andrewes Prayer”

E.M. Bounds, The Weapon Of Prayer.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

Lord,

Be Thou within me, to strengthen me;

Without me, to keep me;

Above me, to protect me;

Beneath me, to uphold me;

Before me, to direct me;

Behind me, to keep me from straying;

Round about me, to defend me.

Blessed be Thou, O Lord, our Father,

for ever and ever.

A bishop in the Church of England, Andrewes served as royal chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I and later to Kings James I and Charles I. He was fluent in 15 languages, and when the Hampton Court Conference convened in 1604, he was chosen as one of the translators of the proposed new English Bible. When the King James Version was published in 1611, his contribution could be seen in the Pentateuch and the historical books.

Lancelot Andrewes (1555 - 1626).

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “The Lord’s Prayer” Matthew 6:6-13

"When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

" Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ' Give us this day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]'

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “John Hyde’s Prayers”

Roger F. Campbell, You Can Win!, SP Publications, 1985, pp. 17-18.

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

The prayer of Jabez moved the heart of missionary John Hyde to pray with great faith, expecting answers to his prayers. As a result, he became known as Praying Hyde and the world still feels the impact of his powerful life.

Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman once wrote to a friend, telling of Praying Hyde's influence on him. He had been holding meetings in England, but the attendance had been disappointingly small. Then he received word that Praying Hyde was going to pray down God's blessing upon him and his work. As a result of Hyde's powerful praying, the tide soon turned and the meeting hall became packed with people. At Chapman's first public invitation, fifty men received Christ as their Savior.

Relating the story, Chapman said: As we were leaving I said, "Mr. Hyde, I want you to pray for me." He came to my room, turned the key in the door, and dropped to his knees, and waited five minutes without a single syllable coming from him lips. I could hear my own heart thumping, and his beating. I felt hot tears running down my face. I knew I was with God. Then with upturned face, down which the tears were streaming, he said, "O God." Then for five minutes at least he was still again; and then, when he knew that he was talking with God, there came from the depths of his heart such petitions for me as I had never heard before. I rose from my knees to know what real prayer was."

LEADER: May 6^th is The National Day of Prayer. Through answered prayer our nation can prosper and turn its face toward the Lord and be healed.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #11

http://www.higherpraise.org/illustrations/prayer.htm

Knowing that intercessory prayer is our mightiest weapon and the supreme call for all Christians today, I pleadingly urge our people everywhere to pray. Believing that prayer is the greatest contribution that our people can make in this critical hour, I humbly urge that we take time to pray--to really pray. Let there be prayer at sunup, at noonday, at sundown, at midnight--all through the day. Let us all pray for our children, our youth, our aged, our pastors, our homes. Let us pray for our churches. Let us pray for ourselves, that we may not lose the word 'concern' out of our Christian vocabulary. Let us pray for our nation. Let us pray for those who have never known Jesus Christ and redeeming love, for moral forces everywhere, for our national leaders. Let prayer be our passion. Let prayer be our practice.

Robert E. Lee 1807-1872 Civil War Confederate General

HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #12

http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_prayer.html

The men who have guided the destiny of the United States have found the strength for their tasks by going to their knees. This private unity of public men and their God is an enduring source of reassurance for the people of America.

Lyndon B. Johnson 36^th President of United States

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “History of the National Day of Prayer”

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/aboutndp/A0000010.html

Because of the faith of many of our founding fathers, public prayer and national days of prayer have a long-standing and significant history in American tradition. The Supreme Court affirmed the right of state legislatures to open their sessions with prayer in Marsh vs. Chambers (1983).

The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln's proclamation of a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “The Proven Pathway to Freedom”

A personal testimony by Oliver North CAN OMIT IF SHORT ON TIME

The 2004 Honorary Chairman, The National Day of Prayer.

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/articles/A0000052.html

(This article was excerpted from the 2004 National Day of Prayer Theme Book, True Freedom by Oliver North and Brian Smith from Multnomah Publishers)

By 1978, I had known Lieutenant Colonel John Grinalds for about three years. He was on the fast track through the ranks. Top of his class at West Point and highly decorated from his two tours of duty in Vietnam, he had gone on to become a Rhodes Scholar and White House Fellow and to earn a Harvard MBA.

Oh, and there was one other characteristic that set Grinalds apart from the rest. He was one of those "born-again Christians."

Whatever that meant. Along with all the usual training and administrative manuals on his desk, he kept a Bible. Right there in plain sight. And he read it.

Grinalds was assigned as a battalion commander to the Second Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, and he honored me by asking me to come along as his operations officer. I was happy to hitch my wagon to his rapidly rising star. In my new role, I was third in command, responsible for the training and preparation of a 2,000-man unit for deployment to the Mediterranean.

One morning, about two weeks before we were due to deploy, our battalion was conducting a training exercise. I had just adjusted the antenna on an armored amphibious vehicle and, spurning the ladder on the side, jumped to the ground. Big mistake.

Instant memories of the 1964 car accident flashed through my pain-racked mind. I had re-injured my back in exactly the same place. Aside from the wish for unconsciousness, my one overriding thought was, I just blew my chance to deploy with these men. I knew from having experienced a similar re-injury in a 1973 parachute accident that I was due for at least two weeks of hospitalization and bed rest.

I lay writhing on the ground. Couldn’t feel my legs. Lost control of my bladder.

Before a medic could arrive, John Grinalds showed up. Next thing I knew, he was putting his hands on my legs and saying, "I’m going to pray for you."

Pray? I thought. I’m lying here in agony, and you want to pray!

But what I said aloud was, "Uh, Colonel, don’t you think we could just do this the usual way? You know, get the helicopter, go to the hospital...?"

But Grinalds ignored me. He called out, "Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Great Physician. Heal this man."

In that very instant the pain disappeared. Soon the feeling returned to my legs. When I was ready, Grinalds helped me to my feet.

Astonished, I came out with one of the most inane utterances of my life. I said, "Thank you, sir."

At that, Grinalds grabbed me by my jacket and pulled me up to his face. "Don’t thank me," he said. "Thank your Lord and Savior. He is the Great Physician. You have to turn to Him."

That incident was the two-by-four God used to break through my thick-skulled resistance. I had it in my head that freedom meant taking care of myself, forging my own path through the jungle of life’s challenges. I knew that God was there to help, but I expected Him to follow my lead. What I came to realize was that He had been leading all along — and that I had not done well at following. I had been placing my faith in myself, yet He had been telling me over and over, "You’ll only be truly free when you know and trust Me."

This realization profoundly humbled me. During the six months of our Mediterranean deployment, I participated in Bible studies with Grinalds and managed to read the Bible cover to cover. I learned that I had known a lot about God, but I had not known Him personally. I had sent a lot of orders in His direction, and He had even deigned to "obey" some of them. But I had been living in servitude to self; now I was discovering true freedom, living as I was designed to live — in relationship with God.

I had grown up believing in the vending machine concept of prayer — you put in your quarter, and you get back your selection, all neatly wrapped and sealed. But now I’ve come to understand that prayer is freely flowing, two-way conversation with a Person. In fact, prayer doesn’t even require words.

When I’m consciously with God, that’s prayer.

When I look to Him with an attitude of dependence, that’s prayer.

Prayer at its best involves intimate, heart-to-heart communion with God, with or without words.

LEADER: The National Day of Prayer asks for five minutes a day:

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/prayfor/A0000020.html

If you knew five minutes a day could impact and change America, would you be willing to set aside time in your car, during your coffee break or before bedtime to make that happen?

Though the National Day of Prayer focuses most of its efforts promoting the annual day of prayer, we realize that true life-altering, world-changing prayer cannot happen in a single day. It must become a discipline. Freedom Five is an initiative that challenges you to commit to prayer for our country on a daily basis. It involves praying for five minutes a day about five centers of power. By targeting these specific areas, America can experience the freedom that accompanies God’s power. Pray for these “The Freedom Five”.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Pray for our Government”

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/prayfor/A0000020.html
The government establishes and implements policies that have far-reaching consequences. Pray that the Lord would grant wisdom, discernment and boldness to those who serve in authority over us, from city council members at the local level to the President of the United States. It also encompasses appointed officials such as judges, cabinet members, and agency heads, as well as the men and women in our military – all of whom need an added measure of prayer covering during this tumultuous period in our nation’s history.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Pray for the Media”

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/prayfor/A0000020.html
Whether it’s news broadcasts, movies, television sitcoms or Internet sites, the media is the most influential center of power in America. Pray for journalists to be fair and accurate and for entertainers to conduct themselves in a responsible manner. We can also pray for the Christian individuals in the news and entertainment industries, asking the Lord to grant them strength and perseverance as they endeavor to let their lights shine in what is often an environment hostile to those who voice their belief in Christ.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Pray for Education”

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/prayfor/A0000020.html
Many of our schools and universities are minimizing traditional subjects such as history and math, and are instead promoting a radical social agenda. For example, some schools begin teaching homosexual propaganda to kindergartners. As a result, our children are entering the "real world" knowing more about politically correct ideas than they do about reading or science! Pray that your schools will get "back to basics" when it comes to educating our children, instilling the leaders of tomorrow with a respect for the Judeo-Christian values upon which our nation was founded.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Pray for the Church”

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/prayfor/A0000020.html
The Church is in a position to impact communities for eternity as well as influence social change. Pray for your churches and their leaders, asking God to grant us the wisdom and vision to make the Church a vessel for healing and revival in America.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Pray for the American Family”

http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/prayfor/A0000020.html
The traditional family is the most immediate of the five centers of power and is truly one of America’s greatest assets. Pray daily, not only for the institution of the family as a whole, but for individual families within your circle of influence that may be struggling.

HAVE SOMEONE READ: 2 Chronicles 7:14

and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

LEADER READ: 1 Timothy 2:1-2

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

LEADER: PASS OUT:

· LIST OF LEADERS TO PRAY FOR

· NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER PENS

· “PRAYER FOR OUR NATION”

PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISES:

LEADER INCLUDE IN PRAYER: “Prayer for the Nation 2004”
By Dr. Barry Black, Chaplain of the United States Senate
http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/articles/A0000043.html
As a sign of unity, we are asking people to pray the Prayer for the Nation at noon on May 6, wherever they are. Some will be at a public prayer observance at that time, while others will be sitting in front of their desks at work. Regardless of his or her location, it is important that His people, who are called by His name, seek Him in unity. If people participate in this form of corporate prayer, it will be like a wave of prayer flowing across our country.

Gracious God,
You have been good to us beyond our deserving, making our Nation a land of liberty. Help us to protect our freedoms with diligence and integrity.

Lord, bless our military as it advances freedom’s cause around the world. Bless also the institutions of power and influence in our society – the government, the churches, the media, the schools and the families. May each bring glory to Your name.

Forgive us when we stray from right paths. We place our trust in You, O Lord, believing that Your hand will sustain America. Let no shadows obscure the pathways which we should tread.

We pray in Your holy name. Amen.

CUT AND DISTRIBUTE FOR READING:

QUOTE #1

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1809-1892 Poet Laureate in 1850

“Blanketed in White”

“The Lord’s Cattle”

“Power of Prayer” In July 1990, I was in a car accident. I don’t remember anything about the accident or my stay in the hospital, but I have learned a great deal about the power of prayer from my family and friends.

My mother-in-law asked what this was, and Robert’s aunt said,

“It’s where someone plays the part of Laura and lies on a table, and then everyone goes around laying their hands on “Laura’s” head saying a prayer of healing”.

“Physicians Believe in the Power of Prayer”

In a recent survey of 269 doctors, a remarkable 99% said they were convinced that religious belief can heal. In fact, that’s 20% higher than the figure for the general public.

“Praying for Success”

QUOTE #2

George Mueller, 1805-1898 Started over 117 schools & orphanages

“Striking Nine”

He turned about, sought his room, cried out to God for mercy, and was saved. He is today one of the leading merchants in Edinburgh. Decision of character was the means of his salvation.

“Battlefield of Heartbreak Ridge”

During the Korean war, one man was hurt badly on the battlefield of Heartbreak Ridge. His buddies were in a foxhole about 50 yards away when the man was hit by sniper fire in an ambush.

QUOTE #3

"There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as prayer for him.”

William Law 1686-1761 English Writer

“Faithful Prayer”

“Hudson Taylor’s Tract”

“Praying for Conversion”

George Muller, the great Victorian Christian and social reformer, tells a story of persistent prayer in his diary:

“Power of Prayer in Salvation”

After the girl died, a prayer list with the names of 56 people was found under her pillow. All had put their faith in Christ—the last one on the night before her death.

Such is the power of definite, specific, fervent prayer. Do you have a prayer list?

QUOTE #4

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865, Sixteenth President of the USA

QUOTE #5

Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers!

William Culbertson 1905-1971 Pastor

“Hudson Taylor”

"I will," said Taylor, "provided you set your sail to catch the breeze."

The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling sails in a dead calm.

Taylor said, "I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails."

And it was done. The missionary retired to his stateroom to pray. While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at his door.

"Who is there?"

The captain's voice responded, "Are you still praying for wind?"

"Yes."

"Well," said the captain, "you'd better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can well manage."

And, sure enough, when but a hundred yards from shore, a strong wind struck the sails of the boat, so that the inhabitants of the island were cheated out of their human prey.

“Trouble Praying”

Romans 8:26-29

Psalm 66:18

1 John 3:22-23

James 4:3

Philippians 4:6

Mark 11:22-24

John 15:7

Luke 11:9

Ephesians 6:18

Mark 11:25

1 John 5:14-15

“Surrender”

“I Asked/ He Gave”

An unknown Confederate soldier.

QUOTE #6

“Three Prayers”

When our children were small and we were trying to teach them to pray, we had three kinds of prayer: "Please prayers," Thank you prayers," and "Sorry prayers."

QUOTE #7

He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.

John Bunyan 1628-1688 Author Pilgrim’s Progress

“Rely on Prayer”

QUOTE #8

When thou prayest, rather let thy heart be without words than thy words without heart.

John Bunyon

QUOTE #9

You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.

John Bunyon

“God Says”

“Prodigals and Those Who Love”

When we pray, remember:

1. The love of God that wants the best for us.
2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.
3. The power of God that can accomplish it.

QUOTE #10

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.

Westminster Shorter Catechism.

“Intimacy with God”

“John Newton’s Prayer”

May the grace of Christ our Savior

And the Father's boundless love,

With the Holy Spirit's favor,

Rest upon us from above.

Thus may we abide in union

With each other and the Lord,

And possess, in sweet communion,

Joys which earth cannot afford.

John Newton.

“St. Francis’ Prayer”

Francis of Assisi.

“Bishop Andrewes Prayer”

Lord,

Be Thou within me, to strengthen me;

Without me, to keep me;

Above me, to protect me;

Beneath me, to uphold me;

Before me, to direct me;

Behind me, to keep me from straying;

Round about me, to defend me.

Blessed be Thou, O Lord, our Father,

for ever and ever.

Lancelot Andrewes (1555 - 1626).

“The Lord’s Prayer” Matthew 6:6-13

“John Hyde’s Prayers”

QUOTE #11

Robert E. Lee 1807-1872 Civil War Confederate General

QUOTE #12

Lyndon B. Johnson 36^th President of United States

“History of the National Day of Prayer”

“Pray for the American Family”

The traditional family is the most immediate of the five centers of power and is truly one of America’s greatest assets. Pray daily, not only for the institution of the family as a whole, but for individual families within your circle of influence that may be struggling.

2 Chronicles 7:14

“The Proven Pathway to Freedom” By Oliver North Honorary Chair NDP 2004