The Importance Of Prayer

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest" (Matt. 9:37-38).

Prayer is essential in the Christian's life. Without it, your witness will be far less effective, and you will be far more vulnerable to the enemy. When you witness, you need the blessing and support of the Lord. You need to be in fellowship with Him.

Prayer makes this all possible. When you witness you plant the seeds of the Gospel, but it is God who causes the growth.

(1 Cor. 3:6-7).

In prayer you ask God to give that growth. In prayer you ask God to convict the unrepentant of their sin and by that awaken in them the need for salvation.

In prayer you, "...let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6). Think back to your own conversion. Were there people praying and requesting your salvation?

Jesus prayed frequently (Matt. 14:23; 26:36; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; John 17).

Paul prayed (Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16). Stephen prayed (Acts 7:55-60). You must pray. God wants you to pray to Him and have fellowship with Him (John 1:1-4).

Why? One reason is that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against powers and the spiritual forces of darkness (Eph. 6:12). That is where the real battle is, in the spiritual realm.

You need prayer. Prayer is one of God's ordained means for you to do spiritual warfare and sharing the Gospel is definitely spiritual warfare.

Another reason to pray is that you can actually influence God with your prayers. If you are doubtful, then look at 2 Kings 20:1-7. King Hezekiah was told by the prophet Amoz that he should set his house in order because he was surely going to die (v. 1). Hezekiah prayed earnestly (v. 2,3). The Lord heard his prayers and said, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add fifteen years to your life" (v. 5). Hezekiah's prayer made a difference.

That is why you, as a Christian, can be an effective witness, because you have influence with God and because you can ask God to save. Prayer is a vital part of witnessing.

What should you pray for?

Pray for more people to witness. Jesus specifically asked you to pray to the Father and ask Him to send workers into the field (Matt. 9:37-38). What is the field? It is the world of sinners.

Who are the workers? They are people like you. Jesus wants people to find salvation and enjoy eternal fellowship with Him.

He wants you to preach the Gospel. He has given this command "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matt. 28:19). Your witness for God may or may not be verbal. But either way, you need to pray and ask God to give you strength, love, and insight.

Pray for compassion for the lost. Compassion is a necessary element in witnessing. It motivates you to speak, to teach, and to pray for others to come into the kingdom of God. Compassion helps you to cry over the lost and to come to God in humble request for their salvation. Paul said, "Brethren, my heart's desire and by prayer to God for them is for their salvation" (Rom. 10:1).

Pray for the desire to witness. Pray this regularly and watch the Lord change you and give you a desire to reach out and tell people about Jesus. God will grant your prayers and joy will fill your heart as you fulfill the command of God by witnessing.

Pray for boldness. Pray for the courage to step out in faith and speak up when needed. Many Christians are timid because speaking a word for the sake of the Lord can be risky and frightening. Boldness gives you the courage to risk ridicule and to endure the scorn. Ask God for it. "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord" (2 Tim. 1:7-8).

Pray to the Lord to bind Satan and his angels. There is a hierarchy of demons seeking to hinder your witness and steal the seeds of the Gospel that you plant. You cannot fight spirits with reason or flesh and blood, but you can ask the Lord to fight. With prayer you can assault the camp of the enemy and weaken his false kingdom.

Prayer is a mighty tool, a powerful tool. You need it if you are going to witness.

Pray for your needs. Do you have a close walk with God? Do you need a deeper fellowship with Him? Do you have sins you need to confess and forsake? If so, then pray. Enjoy your privilege of coming to the Creator of the universe who meets your every need. He loves you. He wants to hear from you and He wants you to make your needs known to Him.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6).

When You Speak, God Hears

Just had to share this from Max Lucado! You can receive these in your email also, just once a week or a daily devotional by going here

When You Speak, God Hears by Max Lucado

Those who pray keep alive the watch fires of faith. For the most part we don’t even know their names. Such is the case of someone who prayed on a day long ago. His name is not important. He is important not because of who he was, but because of what he did.

He went to Jesus on behalf of a friend. His friend was sick, and Jesus could help, and someone needed to go to Jesus, so someone went. Others cared for the sick man in other ways. Some brought food; others provided treatment; still others comforted the family. Each role was crucial. Each person was helpful, but no one was more vital than the one who went to Jesus.

John writes: “So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick’” (John 11:3, emphasis mine).

Someone carried the request. Someone walked the trail. Someone went to Jesus on behalf of Lazarus. And because someone went, Jesus responded.

In the economy of heaven, the prayers of saints are a valued commodity. John the apostle would agree. He wrote the story of Lazarus and was careful to show the sequence: The healing began when the request was made.

The phrase the friend of Lazarus used is worth noting. When he told Jesus of the illness, he said, “The one you love is sick.” The power of the prayer, in other words, does not depend on the one who makes the prayer but on the one who hears the prayer.

We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. “The one you love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed.” The words of the prayer vary, but the response never changes. The Savior hears the prayer. He silences heaven so he won’t miss a word. The Master heard the request. Jesus stopped whatever he was doing and took note of the man’s words. This anonymous courier was heard by God.

John’s message is critical. You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter his presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. No need to fear that you will be ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God—and he listens.

Intently. Carefully. The prayers are honored as precious jewels. Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord. “The smoke from the incense went up from the angel’s hand to God” (Rev. 8:4). Incredible. Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God.

One call and heaven’s fleet appears. Your prayer on earth activates God’s power in heaven.

You are the someone of God’s kingdom. Your prayers move God to change the world. You may not understand the mystery of prayer. You don’t need to. But this much is clear: Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth. What an amazing thought!

When you speak, Jesus hears.

And when Jesus hears, the world is changed. All because someone prayed.

From 
For These Tough Times: 
Reaching Toward Heaven for Hope and Healing
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006) Max Lucado

-

· Learning to Live Loved

 

Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for these words from Max Lucado! Change the world, LORD...starting with me.

Hear my prayer. Hear the prayers offered here. This is what the Lighthouse of Prayer is ALL about! It's ALL about YOU, Almighty. Not us. Not even our prayers. Keep prayer ALIVE!

Stir the fires in each and every heart to speak to You! Thank You that You hear and do not turn a deafened ear to our many cries and pleas. Even the quiet, whispered prayer, You hear.

Thank You for those who have prayed for me. Thank You for the covering of those prayers. I know that without those prayers, I would be nothing. I am helpless. I am one in the great battle.

But when you join two or more together in Your all Powerful Name, there is strength. Demons will tremble. Thank You Lord...that it is not by my power or words or might, but YOURS!

Praise You most Holy and Awesome God that You listen! Such an aMazing thought as I enter into Your Presence. Thank You that one call goes up and You release the fleet of Heaven! Hear us, O LORD. Hear us from Heaven as we humbly bow before You, and exalt Your Holiness!

Thank You for answered prayers! Thank You for using us as Your vessels to bring light in any storm or any praise that brings You all the glory, honor & power is always YOURS alone!

Thank You for hearing and listening! You bless my heart and overwhelm me with tears!

Majesty, King of kings, and sweet Lord of my life. I come. I come to bless You & sing my praises and give You thanks. I adore You, LORD! Thank You sweet Jesus, there is none like You!

CALL TO PRAY in ONE ACCORD

My 2009 Daily Bible Reading Guide from the American Bible Society is "Called to Be Free".

For the month of January, my readings were "Called to Be Free to Follow Jesus", which has me now reading in ACTS. For February it will be "Called to be Free to Share God's Love."

A.C.T.S. is the prayer pattern that guides us in how to pray besides the model of the "Lord's Prayer" - "The Our Father" taken from Jesus Himself. To read about this you can check with Beth's post on The Power of Your Love - A Quiet Time with God. My point here is that from the first churches in Acts until this day, we, the body of Christ, need to ACT together. Jesus Christ came and is waiting still for us to UNITE and pray as ONE - United in one accord!

The week of January 18th to the 25th was "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity"... an ecumenical movement to join churches in the northern hemisphere together to PRAY! The southern hemisphere will do this around the day of Pentecost. So it's flexible, as to when we PRAY.

In the year 2009, Christians around the world will pray for unity: “that they may be one in your hand” (Ezekiel 37: 17).

Ezekiel – the name meaning “God makes him strong” – was called upon to give his people HOPE in the desperate religious and political situation following the fall and occupation of Israel, and the exile of many of its people. Korea chose the theme based on UNITY because of their own situation within a divided country and the parellels with Ezekiel. It is these biblical themes - unity as God’s intention for God’s people; unity as God’s gift, but requiring conversion and renewal; unity as a new creation; and the hope that God’s people may yet be one - which have inspired the Korean churches for this Week of Prayer.

So it is my desire to CALL US TOGETHER from the various blogs to JOIN TOGETHER from our diverse backgrounds and desires of our hearts to PRAY AS ONE ACCORD!

That is one of the reason that the LIGHTHOUSE of PRAYER was formed. To free us up and share our prayers and prayer needs together in one place interactively. Many of us have PRAYER as a burden or goal for ourselves this year along with scripture memorization and Bible reading!

These are 3 worthwhile and intertwined steps to build our Christian walk. But if each of us do it apart from others and not together, we lose the entire purpose. We intend to pray more for one another, we may even say that we'll pray for someone, but here is the place to bring that person's prayer petition and hold them up together. We do not want to create another list of the many needs, though that is so wonderful, we want you to come here and actually pray for that person as you read of their need.

Tell them that you are bringing it to PRAYER at the LIGHTHOUSE of PRAYER and JUST DO IT! Perhaps you may want to ask them or invite them to share it here. It is up to you how you choose to handle and pray but be assured that others here will lift them with you. We respect each person's privacy and that's why you can pray anonymously. If people are writing their need on their post, that is making it public to be lifted to Our Lord. We must unite because there is power in UNITY!

There is POWER in prayer. There is POWER in the Word of GOD. When we combine these two dynamic sources with the POWER of the Holy Spirit in UNITY, an explosive spiritual energy is unleashed in any believer's life which results in renewed faith, victory and answered prayer.

The Bible assures us in *James 5:16, praying the Word is effectual and it avails much in the believer's life because PRAYING builds faith in each believer's heart. This UNITY & PRAYING scripture activates God's supernatural POWER.

Matthew 18:18-20

"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

Today, we'd like to try something different: a fill-in style of prayer but you are free to pray as you would like.

Heavenly Father,

Today I come before Your Throne for my friend_______________and

ask that You ___________________________in Jesus' precious Name.

Thank You......(if you are able, choose a verse and PRAY it)

Your loving friend and daughter of the King,

Peggy

Heavenly Father,

Today I come before Your Throne for my friend BETH and ask that YOU heal her from her illness and give her REST in Jesus' precious Name. Thank You for in Isaiah 53:5 it says:

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed

.

so Jesus was wounded for Beth's trangressions & He was bruised for Beth's iniquities, the chastisement for our peace, for Beth's peace was upon Jesus and by His Stripes Beth is healed. Thank You for Your Word! Amen.

Breathing Our Thanks

If you haven't visited "The Lighthouse of Prayer" before, please visit the introduction to this blog so you can learn and understand what we are all about.

I've posted on "The Power of Your Love" this morning about beginning to pray, realizing that some people don't know where to begin. How do I know this? Because I was in that very place at one time. So, you might want to stop by there and learn about beginning a prayer life. This is basically where I started in my prayer life, simply offering my thanks to God for what He has done in my life.

Please feel free to leave a praise, a request, a thank you to God. You can leave this with your name or anonymously. Others will be behind to join you in prayer, so either stop back to view your prayers or make sure that you have follow up comments e-mailed to you so that you can read what others are praying about for you.

I'll open this morning with my own morning prayer:

My Father in Heaven,

You truly are My Father, breathing the very life into me. I thank you for the power of prayer, the ability to communicate with You, the creator of all the universe.

I know that You are there, waiting to hear from Your children, just as I was waiting to hear my own children speak. How thrilled You must be when we speak to you! You are holy and mighty and have the power to do all things--in us, through us, the power to change us.

Change me, Lord, in whatever ways You see necessary so that I may day by day, moment by moment become more Christ-like in my ways, my words, my actions, my showing love to others. Help me especially with those that I consider to be unlovable, to see them as You see them. We are all Your children, and You love each and every one of us. Help me to see others as You see them, not as I perceive them.

I thank you, Lord, for your healing process in me. I was down and out for two day with an infection. Thank you for beginning the healing process in me and for the doctors that treated me with Your wisdom to guide them.

I pray today for Leslie, a young girl with 8 more treatments to treat her cancer. Help her to withstand these treatments easily with minimal side effects. I ask that You heal this young woman, Lord, again guiding her doctors and all that treat her with Your wisdom and guidance.

Thank You, Lord, for the talents You have bestowed upon me--talents that I am able to use to help others. Lead me to where the need is the greatest. Give me the energy, the strength, the time, the resources to follow You on this mission.

I thank You for Denise, Peggy and Kathy--all Your servants, Lord, each of them looking to You for the direction and guidance in their lives--giving You all the glory in even difficult circumstances. Still, even in the difficulties, we praise you, knowing that you will use these difficulties to further our relationship with You and point others towards You.

I ask that You guide me though my day at work today, utilizing me in every way possible to lead others to You. I know that You want all to come to You, Lord. Please help every person today to plant a seed in someone else so that they may come to know and love You, Your joy, Your great mercy and grace towards us, Your peace, and most of all Your great sacrifice of Your son, Jesus Christ, so that we may have forgiveness of our sins and spend an eternity with You.

All of this I pray in Jesus' name,

Amen

Welcome to Our New Home!

First, I want to welcome everyone to our new home!! This blog is devoted to prayer and prayer alone. If you're a new visitor, you might want to stop by here and read the introduction so you can learn what is happening here! You'll also see the prayer requests and responses that others have left. You do not need to leave your prayer request in the form of a prayer, but others will respond to whatever you have in your heart or on your mind in prayer to Our Father.

I'm very excited about this new venture that God has set me and the others involved upon--interactively praying for others, interceding with them to God on their behalf.

Also, if you don't feel comfortable leaving a prayer request with your name, this blog has been set up so that you can leave anonymous requests. Feel free to leave your request without your name. Everyone is in the need of prayer--praises to God, requests for themselves and for others. So, please feel free to leave your request in whatever form you feel comfortable, knowing that others will follow you in prayer.

We, here at "The Lighthouse of Prayer" firmly believe that God does hear our prayers and does answer them according to His Will in our lives. His love for us goes beyond any concept we can even begin to grasp.

I will open today with my own morning prayer:

My Father,

You truly are my Father, the one I come to with my joys, my sorrows, how I'm feeling at any particular time. I know that even if I think that something on my mind is small and trivial, that this is still important to You. You care about moment of my life, every thought that I have, every movement I make.

I lift my praises to You for the unconditional love You have shown me. Your love is greater than anything this world has to offer. I can do nothing, be nothing without Your strength, power, might, and love guiding me and directing me.

I ask that you lead me through this day with Your Will for me firmly implanted in my heart and mind. Let me show Your love to others by my actions and my words. Keep the enemy far from me. I have put on Your armor, God, as I do every morning of my life. Protect me from the stinging darts of others with Your armor of protection.

Again, draw me from those who will gossip at my place of work. I know that You do not want me participating in this downgrading of others. Help me to just walk away when I hear this happening and not be involved.

I pray that You will pour out your blessings on this venture that you have set me upon. Bring people who are in need of prayer so that we can continue to be a comfort to them in their times of distress or pain, join them in their praises, in their joyful moments, and most of all, share Your love for each and everyone of us--Your love which is the greatest gift of all--the sacrifice of You own Son so that we may have a closer relationship with You, forgiveness of our sins, salvation and an eternal life spent with You.

I place my children in Your hands this day, God, knowing that You know what is best for them. Lead them and guide them through this day. Today I surrender my control of them for Your control. Let Your Will be done in each of my 3 children.

Thank you, God, for this day--a new day to start afresh in You.

In Jesus' most precious Name I pray,

Amen

The Lighthouse of Prayer--Second Posting

This is a second posting of the original introduction to "The Lighthouse of Prayer". Please visit the previous post to view others' prayer requests and prayer responses here.

If you've already visited and read the introduction, the prayer requests, praises and responses. please scroll down to January 24, 2009.

First, I want to share with you a little, so bear with me:

When I see a lighthouse, I think of God--standing tall, firm, faithful, always there, never failing in His love for us. He is a never wavering fortress in our lives--the good times when the seas are calm and also when the storms coming beating down upon us.

He is guiding the light for us to follow, even through the fog and mist when we cannot see or hear Him clearly.

How do we communicate with our God? Through prayer.

How many times do we say to others, "I'll keep you in my prayers".

Do you have people in your life who are actively praying for you--for your needs, for your requests to God, rejoicing with you in your praises to God?

Jesus came to this earth not only to show us how to lead and conduct our lives, to sacrifice Himself so that we could have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with Him, but to bridge the gap between man and God. He intercedes for us with God. His ministry on this earth lasted only 3 short years, but He is still interceding for us some 2000+ years later!!

Praying is our means of talking with God-- just like we talk with our friends--telling them what is going on in our life--what we're joyful about, what we're sorrowful about, what's happening with our friend that we're concerned about.

God is the source of change in our lives--only He has the power, might and strength to change the future. He is the sole history maker. But, we can be an active part of this history change through prayer to God. He hears us. He is just waiting for us to come to Him, to talk to Him.

This is going to be an interactive prayer request-comment conversation with God.

All you need to do is post a comment with a prayer request--something that is pressing in your life, whatever has been imprinted upon your heart that you feel the need or want others to pray along with you, a praise of whatever has made you joyful that you would like to share so that others can rejoice with you, an answer from God for something that you have been praying about.

Now, here's the really important part--those who stop by and read your prayer request will leave a PRAYER for you--not a comment--the specific PRAYER that they have said for you. And you have the opportunity to leave a comment as a PRAYER for others.

Jesus intercedes for us, and we will be interceding for others!!

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about this!!

January 24, 2009

I received a gift yesterday in the mail--one that I didn't see until this morning because I forgot to pick up the mail. This was sitting on my dining room table when I awoke this morning. This is a deck of Scripture playing cards that was gifted to me through a friend by someone I don't even know.

I randomly picked a card this morning, and here is the verse displayed on the jack of diamonds:

And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."........Matthew 22:37-39

I have to ask myself, what better way is there to show our love for God and for others than through prayer? Please continue to leave your prayer requests, praises and responses in the form of a prayer. Let's lift up our praises to God and intercede for others!

Abba,

As I begin my day, I lift up my praises to You--You are my King, my all. I worship You for being who You are, the great I AM. I realize that I can do nothing, be nothing in this life on earth without You by my side, guiding and directing me. Help me to always hear Your voice clearly so that I may know and follow Your will and plans for me this day.

I again lift up my children to You asking that You bring them to You so that they may know the full extent of Your love, Your sacrifice for us and accept You as their Savior. I ask this with full confidence that this is Your will for them, trusting and knowing that You will use others in their lives to plant the seeds of life in them. Help me to always be a living example of You to them by my daily words and actions.

I thank you for the opportunity this afternoon to gather with two close friends for conversation, lunch and laughter. How much we need laughter in our lives!! Thank you, God, for laughter and placing this emotion into us during our creation.

Thank you for my tears of joy, tears that I could not cry for so many years. Now they flow freely, not in sadness but in my joy of knowing You, knowing of Your love for me and Your great sacrifice for me. Am I deserving of this sacrifice? Are any of us? We are still sinners, Lord, still in our sinful ways . And yet You still urge us to come to You, to seek forgiveness.

I come to you this morning asking forgiveness of my sins--some that I have committed knowingly and others that I have committed unknowingly. Please forgive me of gossiping. How easy it is to get caught up in the talking about others when we are more than likely doing the same thing. Help me to stand tall and walk away from conversations that are degrading to others, Abba, and instead seek Your attitude in loving them.

Show me how to love the "unlovable".

I thank you, Lord, for all you have provided for me on a daily basis. I have my job while others have none. I have food while others have none. I have a place to live while others are homeless.

You have given me a mission, Abba, a mission to help others who have less than me. Please guide and direct me and the others involved in this mission so that we may bring Your mission to fulfillment to help those in need.

All of this I bring to You in the Name of Your Son, my Savior--Jesus Christ.

Amen.

THE LIGHTHOUSE OF PRAYER

We're introducing a new segment to "The Power of Your Love" today!!

First, I want to share with you a little, so bear with me;

When I see a lighthouse, I think of God--standing tall, firm, faithful, always there, never failing in His love for us. He is a never wavering fortress in our lifes--the good times and when the storms coming beating down upon us.

He is guiding the light for us to follow, even through the fog and mist when we cannot see or hear Him clearly.

How do we communicate with our God? Through prayer.

How many times do we say to others, "I'll keep you in my prayers".

Do you have people in your life who are actively praying for you--for your needs, for your requests to God, rejoicing with you in your praises to God?

Jesus came to this earth not only to show us how to lead and conduct our lives, to sacrifice Himself so that we could have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with Him, but to bridge the gap between man and God. He intercedes for us with God. His ministry on this earth lasted only 3 short years, but He is still interceding for us some 2000+ years later!!

Praying is our means of talking with God-- just like we talk with our friends--telling them what is going on in our life--what we're joyful about, what we're sorrowful about, what's happening with our friend that we're concerned about.

God is the source of change in our lives--only He has the power, might and strength to change the future. He is the sole history maker. But, we can be an active part of this history change through prayer to God. He hears us. He is just waiting for us to come to Him, to talk to Him.

This is going to be an interactive prayer request-comment conversation with God.

All you need to do is post a comment with a prayer request--something that is pressing in your life, whatever has been imprinted upon your heart that you feel the need or want others to pray along with you, a praise of whatever has made you joyful that you would like to share so that others can rejoice with you, an answer from God for something that you have been praying about.

Now, here's the really important part--those who stop by and read your prayer request will leave a PRAYER for you--not a comment--the specific PRAYER that they have said for you. And you have the opportunity to leave a comment as a PRAYER for others.

Jesus intercedes for us, and we will be interceding for others!!

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about this!!

I can't think of anything that would be more appropriate than to start this with my prayer:

Abba,

I love you and praise Your Name always. You are the most high, always there for us, never wavering in Your love for us.

There are many issues upon my own heart as well as the hearts of others. Please lead us in prayer to You for You are the sole source of our hope in this life. Let us learn to depend upon You more and more until we are totally dependent and fully surrendered to You.

Today I come to you with my children upon my heart. They know You, Lord, but they have not accepted You as their Savior. I pray that You bring them to You, show them the full extent of our love and be a life-changing force for them.

My work situation is also on my mind. You know how overwhelmed and stressed I feel there. Is this the place You want me to be? Lead me in Your wisdom, guide me through my day no matter what the situation is. Let me lay my stress upon You for Your shoulders are much broader than mine and able to bear the weight of this.

I thank you for always being there for me, always loving me even when I don't feel deserving of this love.

I humbly ask that You bless this day--each and every moment. Let us feel Your presence in our lives and be a shining light to others to guide them to You.

In Jesus' most precious name,

Amen.