Are You a person of Prayer

"The sheep are never so safe from the wolf as when they are near the shepherd." -
How is your prayer life?

If you are like me, it has seasons, and sometimes lacks consistency.
I cannot think of anything more important than intimacy with our Heavenly Father. "It is good to be near God." (Psalm 73:28)

Nearly fourteen hundred verses in the Bible talk about prayer. A rich and fulfilling prayer life is essential to our spiritual growth.

This is not a "how to" on prayer. These are simply some ideas that have benefitted me in my time with God. I encourage you to give them a try to see which ones work for you.

1. Find Your Ideal Time. Are you a morning person or a night person? When are you most alert? "Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." (1 Peter 4:7)
Identify your "best prayer time." How many times have you fallen asleep while praying? For me, morning works out best. It is a great way to start the day. Make it a regular part of your schedule - and stick with it! "Be faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

Why is it when we get busy our time with God is often the first thing to go? Make it a priority! Even a few minutes each day is better than none at all. It will hardly affect your schedule, and it's easy. I started with just a few minutes, and I now have a powerful extended prayer time every day. If you are not a consistent pray-er, here is an experiment: For thirty days, set aside a few minutes each day for a regular time with God. Give it a try and see what happens. It will make a difference!

2. Isolate Yourself Somewhere Private, Quiet and without Distractions. "But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father." (Matthew 6:6) This will be your "refuge," your place of retreat. I have what we call the Upper Room that is my refuge from the distractions from the world outside. I turn off phones and anything that will disrupt my prayer time, and close the door to get it really quiet. How else will you hear that "still, small voice?" Naturally, you can pray anywhere, such as in the car, at work or around the house. However, true "quiet time" is the key to a powerful, effective prayer life.

3. Be Quiet and Listen. "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) Consider His presence. Take a moment to realize that Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, is waiting to hear from you! "God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer." (Psalm 66:19) Anyone who knows me will tell you I like to talk, especially about God. So you can imagine what it is like when I talk to God. He patiently listens to my prayers, and waits for His chance to speak. Finally, as I wind down my prayer time, He gets ready to share some wisdom or guidance with me (which I just requested). Then I say "Amen," and I am done. "Bobby," He says to Himself, "I have so much to share with you, if you would only listen." Let God speak to you. While you are praying, pause, be quiet and allow Him to respond. Many times you will not get an answer, but sometimes you will. You must learn to recognize His voice. It may be a thought or a feeling, but you will sense His leading. "Listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God." (Exodus 15:26)

4. Talk with Your Best Friend. Be yourself. Remember you are relating to a real Person. You don’t have to be formal or ritualistic. A friend once explained how he talks with God in a casual, friendly way, and encouraged me to try it. I had always prayed something like "Thanks Lord, forgive me Lord, I want this and I want that." It was quick, and always the same, except my wish list at the end. Having a casual conversation with God was foreign to me. It was awkward at first, but it quickly became natural and rewarding. I just realize Jesus is there with me and talk to Him. This has had a tremendous impact on my spiritual growth. It has given me an incredible intimacy with God, and I am much more aware of His presence. He is your best friend. You can share anything with Him! Are you angry? Tell Him. If you do not feel close to Him, say so. Laugh, cry or scream if you need to; He is there for you.

5. Talk with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. When you pray, to whom are you praying? Speak to all three members of the Trinity. Tell God you want to be His man. Tell Jesus you want to be more like Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with God's power. Ask Him to open your spiritual eyes to see and your spiritual ears to hear what God is saying.

6. Pray with A.C.T.S. - A.C.T.S. is an easy way to remember key elements of prayer. My prayer time has improved dramatically since I started using it. It's simply prayer in four parts:

Adoration - "Praise be to God!" (Psalm 68:35). Tell God how much you appreciate Him. Express your love for Him. Praise His power and majesty. This is a great way to begin your prayer time. Sometimes I watch the sun rise, and praise God for the beauty of His creation. You should never run out of praise. "How awesome are your deeds!" (Psalm 66:3)

Confession - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Tell Him where you have fallen short. Be specific. I thank Him for the forgiveness I have in Christ, and ask for help and strength to turn away from future temptations.

Thanksgiving - Always "glorify him with thanksgiving" (Psalm 69:30) You have plenty of reasons to be thankful. Thank God for His love, His faithfulness, His patience and a million other things. Express gratitude for what He's doing in your life. Thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you. Thank the Holy Spirit for indwelling you, and never leaving. Thank Him for being your conscience, your counselor and that "still small voice."

Supplication - "Make your requests known to God." (Philippians 4:7) Tell God what you want, no matter how small it seems to you. Do you really think any of your requests are big to God the Creator? You should have lots of intercessory prayer here. Remember: As a true Christian, you are committed to pray for your pastor and your church every day.

Ideas for a More Fulfilling Prayer Life:

1. Have a "Mini Worship Time." Often I listen to praise music before beginning my quiet time. Try singing without music. I do this sometimes before or after praying, and it is very uplifting. "Sing to God, sing praise to His name." (Psalm 68:4) (Thank God no one hears me singing but God!!)

2. Begin with a Bible Reading or Devotional. Even a short reading can help get your mind focused on God. I love to read the Psalms and the Gospels. I start with a devotional, and then spend time in God's Word. He often uses this time to speak to me

3. Use a Prayer Journal. A prayer journal is simply a list of people and things to pray for. It keeps you focused and consistent in your time with God. How many times have you forgotten to pray for someone? Once it is in the journal, you will not forget. (Tip: To get it into the journal, jot it down on a piece of paper or in your planner right away.) "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)

4.Get Out of the Rut. "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition." (Matthew 6:7 NASB) Occasionally, your prayer time may get stale.
Change it! If you usually sit in a chair, get on your knees, or stand up. Ask God to restore you. Read something. Listen to some music. Sing something. Go to a different place.

Often you may not feel like praying or maybe you may forget, but remember, God never forgets to listen to your prayers if they are from a heart that is sincerly seeking Him!

"But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray . . . " (Jude 1:20)

Prayer for this Night!

Lord, I worship You as the Creator of heaven and earth. All things were made by You and everything Your created is good. I praise You for all of Your beautiful creation. Your placed the earth on its foundation so that it can never be moved (Psalm 104:5). Your right hand stretched out the heavens. Thank You that You have blessed us with the light and dark, sun and rain, food and water, land and sea, trees and flowers, days and seasons. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them.

When I consider your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Your him a little lower that the heavenly beings and crowed them with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; You put everything under his feet. I know that both men and women come from You God, their Creator. How many are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth if full of your creatures.

Oh Lord, thank You that You created me and gave me life. You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mothers womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. I praise You for every breath I take and thank You that I was created for good things. Help me to be renewed in the image of You, my Creator. I know You made me to be so much more than I am now and that You will help me become all You created me to be.

I praise You for the people You have created, each one unique and valuable and carrying in their spiritual DNA a purpose that is distinctive and priceless within each one. Help me to value others as Your creation and see them the way you do. Thank You, Jesus, that You are the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

I praise You for every breath I take and thank You that I was created for good things. Help me to be renewed in the image of You, my Creator. I know You made me to be so much more than I am now and that You will help me become all You created me to be.

You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created. I worship You as my Creator and I praise You for all You have created.

Lord as I serve You, please guide me to the places you have created for me to go, I will go in Jesus name.

Amen.

Sins of Omission

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. (John 15:1-4a NIV)

In the parable of the Vine and the Branches as told by Jesus, we are taught that a branch that produces no fruit is of little use. As believers in Christ, we are given the power of the Holy Spirit to produce fruit which is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control". (Gal 5:22b-23 NIV)

If fruit of the spirit is not evident in our lives, we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us, and we are failing to recognize God's divine presence that dwells within us and is eager to reveal Himself to the world.

In producing fruit in our lives, we need not master all that God has commanded us to do at once. Just as a new baby struggles in its first attempts to crawl, when we are born again in Christ, our ability may not match our desire to be fruitful. But as the parable is told by Jesus, we learn that if we are persistent in our efforts, God will prune away the sins which hinder us so we may become even more fruitful, revealing the glory, power and love that is found in Jesus to those around us.

Our relationship with God is not only one of being aware of what evil we do, but also being aware of the good we don't do. The good things we are called to do are not to be done only when it is convenient for us, but at all times. Just as we are called to be constantly aware of temptations and sin in our lives, we are also called to pursue the fruits of the spirit.

The sin of omission is just as harmful to our spiritual well being as the sins we know not to do.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, ..." (Matt 5:14-16a NIV)

Once we have accepted Christ into our lives, our salvation is complete. We can be confident that a time will come when we will enjoy an eternity in paradise. We are called to let the joy that we have found in Christ shine upon the world. As a radiant point of light, the fruits of the spirit should be most visible by those who are closest to us and should be seen by all who look our way.