A Powerful Prayer Life
For the past 3 weeks I have been in Bible Study with my Student Worship group from First Baptist Church Indian Trail. As we prepare to go to Syracuse, New York in a few weeks we are learning what the backbone of Student Worship is, which is Worship, Discipleship, and Prayer. If we are going to lead anyone to Christ we need to have these 3 things firm in our hearts and lives. The main thing I want to hit on is prayer because that is what has spoken to me most. In the meantime, I would like to share with you what else we have been learning, because what we have learned is not just for Student Worship but for any believer.
WORSHIP:
Worship isn't about music, or how you do it, or what songs we sing. It is about our hearts. It's about what and who we love more than anything.
If we were to question ourselves as to what we spend the most of our time and money on, or what we are most passionate about it will lead us to what gods are prominent in our lives. Isaac Watts said:
"The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it: The Lord sees and judges the heart; He has no regard to outward forms of Worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heart engaged steadfastly for God."
Our worship has to be constant. When we lead worship, what is the state of our heart when we sing? We are always worshiping because we are created with the ability and need to worship. The fact of the matter is, if God is not our focus, then we begin to worship something else. As a worshiper we must worship both in private and in public. Worship should be something that is between God and the person giving the worship, He is our audience of one. It should also be reaching outward to the people around us, they should be able to see our faith shining in us. We have to opportunity to minister to one another, and declare God's holiness and righteousness. Inward worship provides a verbal expression of the feelings our heart is feeling. If you are a Christian you are a Worship leader. Whether you sing on a stage, in the choir, in the congregation, in your car, you are a worship leader.
DISCIPLESHIP:
Changing the world for Christ! If you have read this blog for any length of time you will know how passionate I am about changing the world. I want to change the world, I want to create a Revolution in my generation who are leaving church and to a world who have forgotten who it's maker is. Leo Tolstoy, a Russian author, essayist, and philosopher once said, "Everybody thinks of changing the world and no thinks of changing himself." I find myself always going back to what is says in Romans 12:1-2,
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Becoming a disciple requires you to be disciplined in spiritual habits, as well as disciplined in purpose. Spiritual habits would include, prayer, Bible reading, ministry, worship, and personal reflection. Three principles of discipleship is sacrificial. We have to submit fully to Jesus and His will. No matter the cost we have to follow the instruction of God in our lives. Discipleship is relational. If we love God, then we will want to spend time with Him and others in the body of Christ. We were saved to SERVE. It is important that we care for one another, and also caring for the people who do not know Christ. Check out Hebrews 10:24-25, "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Finally, discipleship is transformational. We exist to bring God glory, that is our purpose above all else. The purpose of spiritual growth is directed toward becoming like Christ in word, thought, attitude, and action.
PRAYER:
I think a lot of people struggle with prayer. I have talked some about prayer on this blog. Prayer is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus. It is the heart and soul of every successful relationship with God. Jesus prayed a lot as we read about Him in the gospels of the Bible. So if Jesus prayed as much as he did because he needed it, shouldn't we as Christians need prayer that much more!? Jesus cried out "Daddy" (Abba) before he was crucified in the garden. He asked his daddy to take the cup of suffering from Him, if it was God's will. Jesus wanted to be in the will of His daddy, and we need to be that way too. Three foundations to a powerful prayer life starts with the fact that you must view your daily prayer time as a relationship with God and not just something you have to do out of obligation. It should be a sincere time, and not just another thing to check off the list. We as Christians have the privilege to go to the very throne of God whenever we want to. It's how we communicate with Him. The difference in our lives that sets us apart from the world begins with our prayer life. It is something a non-Christian has not experienced or know is available to them. It says in Matthew 22:37 that "You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." If we love God with all the we are and have in us then our love for prayer shouldn't be hard to do. We need Him to fill these parts of us so we can be all we need to be in our relationships. The second foundation is that we must make an absolute commitment to consistently spend significant time, and place alone with God in uninterrupted prayer. Some of us might need to turn our cell phones off, and our computer off. The last foundation to a powerful prayer life requires the "balanced practice" of all five types of prayer.
1. Praise, thanksgiving, and worship. This is acknowledging all he has given us. The Psalms is something you can pray back to God. Just thank Him. Thank him for His creation, for who He is, for who He has blessed you with, for all the blessings He showers on you. Recognize what He has done.
2. Confession and repentance. This is a way we can receive God's forgiveness and maintain a Spirit-filled life. We've got to bow our head and swallow our pride fullness and die to our sin. He is the lifter of our heads, but sometimes He can't lift our heads because we haven't bowed it yet. God can't have anything to do with sin, so if you have unconfessed sin in your life you need to deal with it before you go to the next type.
3. Petition and supply. This is the way we present our individual needs and desires to God. What are you desperate for God to do in your life?
4. Intercession. This type of prayer focuses on the needs of others. Just as Jesus intercedes for us in prayer to the Father, we need to do that for others. I find myself praying for others more than I do praying for myself. Even though I love the people I pray for, I am coming to realize if I don't pray for myself I won't be all or maybe have all the needs I have met. I won't be the friend, daughter, niece, or sister I need to be if I don't ask God for what I desire and need. Praying for others is good, just don't overlook yourself.
5. Meditation. The act of reflecting on God's Word and quietly listening for His still small voice. I have found this part of prayer in my prayer to be the most moving times where I feel Him most near. Pray to feel His presence, and change your point of view of whatever circumstance you are facing. I have experienced the most healing, and renewing time when I meditate. Sometimes in this point of prayer, I find myself having to go back and hit on confession and praise.
A verse found in Ephesians 5:13-14 "But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
This wasn't apart of the study, but I have interpreted this verse that lines up with the types of prayer. I might be way off in my interpretation, but as I was meditating on The Word a few years ago I believe God revealed to me what this verse means. The light is Jesus. "Awake, O sleeper" is recognizing, or acknowledging Him. "Rise up from the dead" that would be repenting. Like I said above, to die to your sin, and pride fullness. "and Christ will give you light" Jesus renews us. In our time of meditation Christ give us His light to shine before a lost world.
All this talk of prayer has made me want to pray! So lets pray!!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for blessing us for this day, thank you for the sunshine that makes us smile. Thank you for how you love us, and give us people in life to love. Thank you that you always keep pursuing us, and never give up on us. You are our healer, our lover, our sustainer, and hope; without you we are nothing. Thank you for making us something. Father, we proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, and your faithfulness in the evening. How refreshed we are by your power.
If there is anything you find offensive in us please show us, search us. We fail so many times in a single day. We hurt you in our thoughts and actions. When we make even reading our Bible and praying a chore, or something to check off the list we offend you. Help us to make you the center of our lives, and that we would desire to spend time with you. Thank you for your forgiveness, and for the sacrifice of your Son so many years ago that Saved us so that we may be in your presence, and be seen through His blood as faultless.
I pray for myself, Father, that you would continue to work in my life and heal me. I pray that you would give me the boldness to keep proclaiming you. That you would control my every decision and action, so they will be pleasing to you. Fill me with your love so that I may love the people you have placed in my life like you love. I pray that I would be the person they need me to be, that I would be sensitive to their needs and thoughts.
For everyone reading this prayer and blog, thank you for them. I pray you would bless them in a special way today. I pray that they would be filled with your presence, and whatever challenge they face today they would feel you near. Keep them unspotted from the world. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort when discouraged or sorrowful. In their heart may your peace always fill them.
As we all face this day guide us with your light, and shine through us to all we come in contact with. Renew us. Help us to see whatever challenge or circumstance that comes up today through your eyes. We are still and listening for your voice. Speak to us Lord. We need to hear your voice. You are a God who answers prayer. We love you our Savior and King. In Jesus' name we pray.
AMEN
WORSHIP:
Worship isn't about music, or how you do it, or what songs we sing. It is about our hearts. It's about what and who we love more than anything.
If we were to question ourselves as to what we spend the most of our time and money on, or what we are most passionate about it will lead us to what gods are prominent in our lives. Isaac Watts said:
"The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it: The Lord sees and judges the heart; He has no regard to outward forms of Worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heart engaged steadfastly for God."
Our worship has to be constant. When we lead worship, what is the state of our heart when we sing? We are always worshiping because we are created with the ability and need to worship. The fact of the matter is, if God is not our focus, then we begin to worship something else. As a worshiper we must worship both in private and in public. Worship should be something that is between God and the person giving the worship, He is our audience of one. It should also be reaching outward to the people around us, they should be able to see our faith shining in us. We have to opportunity to minister to one another, and declare God's holiness and righteousness. Inward worship provides a verbal expression of the feelings our heart is feeling. If you are a Christian you are a Worship leader. Whether you sing on a stage, in the choir, in the congregation, in your car, you are a worship leader.
DISCIPLESHIP:
Changing the world for Christ! If you have read this blog for any length of time you will know how passionate I am about changing the world. I want to change the world, I want to create a Revolution in my generation who are leaving church and to a world who have forgotten who it's maker is. Leo Tolstoy, a Russian author, essayist, and philosopher once said, "Everybody thinks of changing the world and no thinks of changing himself." I find myself always going back to what is says in Romans 12:1-2,
"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Becoming a disciple requires you to be disciplined in spiritual habits, as well as disciplined in purpose. Spiritual habits would include, prayer, Bible reading, ministry, worship, and personal reflection. Three principles of discipleship is sacrificial. We have to submit fully to Jesus and His will. No matter the cost we have to follow the instruction of God in our lives. Discipleship is relational. If we love God, then we will want to spend time with Him and others in the body of Christ. We were saved to SERVE. It is important that we care for one another, and also caring for the people who do not know Christ. Check out Hebrews 10:24-25, "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Finally, discipleship is transformational. We exist to bring God glory, that is our purpose above all else. The purpose of spiritual growth is directed toward becoming like Christ in word, thought, attitude, and action.
PRAYER:
I think a lot of people struggle with prayer. I have talked some about prayer on this blog. Prayer is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus. It is the heart and soul of every successful relationship with God. Jesus prayed a lot as we read about Him in the gospels of the Bible. So if Jesus prayed as much as he did because he needed it, shouldn't we as Christians need prayer that much more!? Jesus cried out "Daddy" (Abba) before he was crucified in the garden. He asked his daddy to take the cup of suffering from Him, if it was God's will. Jesus wanted to be in the will of His daddy, and we need to be that way too. Three foundations to a powerful prayer life starts with the fact that you must view your daily prayer time as a relationship with God and not just something you have to do out of obligation. It should be a sincere time, and not just another thing to check off the list. We as Christians have the privilege to go to the very throne of God whenever we want to. It's how we communicate with Him. The difference in our lives that sets us apart from the world begins with our prayer life. It is something a non-Christian has not experienced or know is available to them. It says in Matthew 22:37 that "You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." If we love God with all the we are and have in us then our love for prayer shouldn't be hard to do. We need Him to fill these parts of us so we can be all we need to be in our relationships. The second foundation is that we must make an absolute commitment to consistently spend significant time, and place alone with God in uninterrupted prayer. Some of us might need to turn our cell phones off, and our computer off. The last foundation to a powerful prayer life requires the "balanced practice" of all five types of prayer.
1. Praise, thanksgiving, and worship. This is acknowledging all he has given us. The Psalms is something you can pray back to God. Just thank Him. Thank him for His creation, for who He is, for who He has blessed you with, for all the blessings He showers on you. Recognize what He has done.
2. Confession and repentance. This is a way we can receive God's forgiveness and maintain a Spirit-filled life. We've got to bow our head and swallow our pride fullness and die to our sin. He is the lifter of our heads, but sometimes He can't lift our heads because we haven't bowed it yet. God can't have anything to do with sin, so if you have unconfessed sin in your life you need to deal with it before you go to the next type.
3. Petition and supply. This is the way we present our individual needs and desires to God. What are you desperate for God to do in your life?
4. Intercession. This type of prayer focuses on the needs of others. Just as Jesus intercedes for us in prayer to the Father, we need to do that for others. I find myself praying for others more than I do praying for myself. Even though I love the people I pray for, I am coming to realize if I don't pray for myself I won't be all or maybe have all the needs I have met. I won't be the friend, daughter, niece, or sister I need to be if I don't ask God for what I desire and need. Praying for others is good, just don't overlook yourself.
5. Meditation. The act of reflecting on God's Word and quietly listening for His still small voice. I have found this part of prayer in my prayer to be the most moving times where I feel Him most near. Pray to feel His presence, and change your point of view of whatever circumstance you are facing. I have experienced the most healing, and renewing time when I meditate. Sometimes in this point of prayer, I find myself having to go back and hit on confession and praise.
A verse found in Ephesians 5:13-14 "But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
This wasn't apart of the study, but I have interpreted this verse that lines up with the types of prayer. I might be way off in my interpretation, but as I was meditating on The Word a few years ago I believe God revealed to me what this verse means. The light is Jesus. "Awake, O sleeper" is recognizing, or acknowledging Him. "Rise up from the dead" that would be repenting. Like I said above, to die to your sin, and pride fullness. "and Christ will give you light" Jesus renews us. In our time of meditation Christ give us His light to shine before a lost world.
All this talk of prayer has made me want to pray! So lets pray!!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for blessing us for this day, thank you for the sunshine that makes us smile. Thank you for how you love us, and give us people in life to love. Thank you that you always keep pursuing us, and never give up on us. You are our healer, our lover, our sustainer, and hope; without you we are nothing. Thank you for making us something. Father, we proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, and your faithfulness in the evening. How refreshed we are by your power.
If there is anything you find offensive in us please show us, search us. We fail so many times in a single day. We hurt you in our thoughts and actions. When we make even reading our Bible and praying a chore, or something to check off the list we offend you. Help us to make you the center of our lives, and that we would desire to spend time with you. Thank you for your forgiveness, and for the sacrifice of your Son so many years ago that Saved us so that we may be in your presence, and be seen through His blood as faultless.
I pray for myself, Father, that you would continue to work in my life and heal me. I pray that you would give me the boldness to keep proclaiming you. That you would control my every decision and action, so they will be pleasing to you. Fill me with your love so that I may love the people you have placed in my life like you love. I pray that I would be the person they need me to be, that I would be sensitive to their needs and thoughts.
For everyone reading this prayer and blog, thank you for them. I pray you would bless them in a special way today. I pray that they would be filled with your presence, and whatever challenge they face today they would feel you near. Keep them unspotted from the world. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort when discouraged or sorrowful. In their heart may your peace always fill them.
As we all face this day guide us with your light, and shine through us to all we come in contact with. Renew us. Help us to see whatever challenge or circumstance that comes up today through your eyes. We are still and listening for your voice. Speak to us Lord. We need to hear your voice. You are a God who answers prayer. We love you our Savior and King. In Jesus' name we pray.
AMEN
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Hi. I just happened to find this through Holly Furtick's blog... and I thought it was interesting because I live in Syracuse, New York!
ReplyDeleteCool! We're really excited about coming to Syracuse. Our host church is Northside Baptist. We will sing there Sunday Morning, and we'll be around town so if you hear about a church from North Carolina thats us!! :)
ReplyDelete