Chapter 1
1. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Ps. 50:15, NKJV). God’s message is clear: if you are in trouble, call for Him. He will help you. Interestingly enough, God even tells us why He will hear and rescue us. It is for His glory. Since giving God glory should be the goal of our lives, we find in this verse the silver lining to every dark cloud we may encounter in this life. Even in our most desperate circumstances, we can glorify God simply by calling out to Him.
2. “Remember, never pray to or swear by any other gods. Do not even mention their names” (Ex. 23:13, NLT). God wants to have a relationship with you, but He’s very concerned that this be an exclusive relationship! God must be your one and only when it comes to praise and prayer.
3. “Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I will never pray to anyone but you” (Ps. 5:2, NLT). Honor God in your heart by making Him the first one you turn to, whether you are sharing your turmoil, your sorrows, your stresses, your suffering, your disappointments, your frustrations—or your triumphs, your thankfulness, your joy, your excitement, your success, or your contentment.
4. “Then men began to call on the name of the Lord” (Gen. 4:26, NKJV). People began to pray.
5. If you truly believe something, your actions will prove it. What you believe affects your choices, decisions, actions. Are you neglecting your prayer life? Is God still waiting for you to turn towards Him and share your heart? Make your first prayer one for faith! Ask God to bolster your belief so prayer can begin to flow to your Father.
6. “I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray” (Ps. 17:6, NLT). It would be pointless to pray to a god who could do nothing. It would be foolish to pray to a god who could not hear your words. David shows some logic, and a bit of common sense here, in praising God for His ability to answer.
7. “Through each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing His songs, praying to God who gives me life” (Ps. 42:8, NLT). God gives us life. God pours out His love on us. God is unfailing. Such blessings were enough to inspire David’s rich prayer life, and the composition of the many psalms—his songs—that he put to music and sang in worship.
8. “Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live” (Ps. 116:2, NKJV). God’s faithfulness has given a firm foundation for faith. Trust is built, and the psalmist pledges lifelong loyalty to God. For as long as he has breath, God will receive his prayers and his praise.
Chapter 2
1. We know from the Gospels that God is our Father, who loves us, provides for us, and has made a way for our salvation. When we consider these things, it is easy to understand God is Love, and our hearts respond to His call. Yet God is unchanging, and so the same Heavenly Father we pray to now is just as much the God of the Old Testament. In His presence, men fell—crumpling in the dirt, cowering in fear, hiding their faces. God is sinless, just, and jealous. This is a God we dare not cross. He is to be acknowledged, obeyed, and given proper respect. So, necessarily, our prayers are a blend of the familiarity of friendship, and respect for the Divine.
2. “Let the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” (Ps. 33:8, NKJV). Scripture tells us of the awe and fearful respect that He is due. In fact, throughout the Old Testament, God’s followers are not called “believers” or “Christians” or “disciples” as they are now. Instead, those who live in obedience to God were called a people who feared God. The only people who did not fear God were those who did not know about Him!
3. “You believe there is one God. Good! But the demons believe that, too, and they tremble with fear” (James 2:19, NCV). Though it may be grudging, even the demons have a healthy respect for our Heavenly Father. The very thought of Him sets their knees to knocking.
4. “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 10:12, NKJV). This fear—a mingling of respect, obedience, awe, love, and loyalty—should remain in our hearts as well!
5. “I prayed, ‘O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens’ ” (Ezra 9:6, NLT). Those who rightly fear God have a good grasp on the reality of sin. Ezra came to God, but he needed to begin with confession.
6. “Turn from your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive your evil thoughts” (Acts 8:22, NLT). We must confess our sins to our Father. We must ask for His forgiveness. We must turn from sin.
7. Second Chronicles 7:14 lays out God’s expectations for contrite hearts: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land” (NKJV). The pattern is simple: humbling, praying, seeking, and turning. In response to such an earnest confession, God promises to listen. As it says in 1 Kings 8:30, “Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive” (NKJV).
8. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16, NKJV). God has promised to give us His mercy, His grace, and the help we need. These are the kinds of things we are welcome to bring before His throne, and these are the kinds of things God has promised to provide.
9. You can come to God with boldness because He has given you every reason to do so. He has removed your sins (Ps. 103:12). He has clothed you in righteousness (Ps. 32:1). He has adopted you into His own family, calling you His child (Rom. 8:15). He has also called you His friend (John 15:15). Jesus is your advocate, praying even now on your behalf (Heb. 7:25). And the Spirit is helping you to pray, even when you aren’t sure what to say (Rom. 8:26). With all these assurances, why not be bold!
Chapter 3
2. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess’ ” (Luke 18:11–12, NKJV). The Pharisee seems to be commending himself to heaven—listing his accomplishments and polishing up his assets. He compares himself to “worse” sinners, and gloats over his superiority to them. But the Pharisee’s prayer never even reaches heaven. Jesus even makes the point of saying he “prayed thus with himself.” In contrast, the tax collector comes before God, sorrowing over his sins. Ashamed, he doesn’t lift his eyes. Humbled, he drops to his knees and beats his chest. Here is a man who knows he has sinned, knows he is unworthy, and knows he needs mercy. This is the man who is forgiven.
3. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again” (Matt. 6:7). This is not to say that persistent prayer is a no-no. When our hearts are heavy over some matter, we can continue to bring it before the Lord in prayer. Even Jesus prayed about the same things over and over (Matt. 26:44). It is the mindless prattling, and the superstitious belief that the words of the prayer themselves are powerful which brings a reprimand from our Lord. There is nothing magical in chanting some phrase that will ensure God’s response to your prayer.
4. The matching should line up like so: g, k, d, a, f, h, e, l, c, b, j, and i.
5. “God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God” (Rom. 1:9, NLT). The letters of Paul are filled with such encouragements. “They will pray for you with deep affection because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you” (2 Cor. 9:14, NLT). He let his friends know they were in his heart and in his prayers—“night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith” (1 Thess. 3:10, NKJV).
6. Colossians 4:4 gives the request, “Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should” (NLT). Take time each week to pray for your pastor—for his wisdom, his words, and his weekly message. 1 Timothy 2:1 brings us to our knees for all of the non-believers of the world: “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them” (NLT). And Colossians 4:3 offers a plea for the opportunity to tell others about Jesus: “Praying for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ” (NKJV).
7. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done” (Phil. 4:6, NLT). Nothing is too insignificant for God. Nothing is beneath His interest. He welcomes you to bring everything to Him.
8. “The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words” (Rom. 8:26, NLT). The Spirit comes alongside, and communicates to the Father for us, giving utterance to the groaning of our hearts.
9. “I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs” (Luke 11:8, NKJV). According to Jesus, persistence gets results.
10. Jesus promises answers. Ask, and you will get an answer. Seek, and you will find what you need. Knock, and the doors will open before you. What’s more, Jesus gives us an assurance that we will not be unpleasantly surprised by God’s answers. God knows how to give good gifts to His children. And Jesus tells His disciples here the first gift will be the best of all—the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 4
1. Though our prayers will be heard no matter when or where we whisper them, having a regular time of private prayer each day is so important. Do you value your relationship with your Savior enough to put Him into your schedule? Does your busy day include a timeslot blocked off just for Him? Give God the highest priority. Give Him your time and attention. He will reward you greatly for it.
2. Here are some brief descriptions of the prayer habits of these faithful followers of God: Daniel 6:10—Daniel would go to an upstairs window in his home—the one that faced towards Jerusalem—and kneel to pray three times every day. Mark 1:35—Jesus would get up very early in the morning and go for a walk in the countryside to pray. Luke 6:12—Jesus would sometimes go up into the mountains to pray, and His prayer vigils could extend right on through the night. Acts 10:2—Cornelius was a devout man, given to regular times of prayer to God, even though he was a Gentile. Acts 16:25—Paul and Silas were up until midnight, mingling their urgent prayers to God with songs of praise. 1 Thessalonians 3:10—Paul and his companions came together in prayer for their many friends in the faith day and night.
3. “May these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before Him constantly, day and night” (1 Kin. 8:59, NLT). Solomon wanted the words of his prayer to linger on in the ears of God. He didn’t want God to forget what he’d pleaded for, as king of God’s people. He was trusting God to uphold His own people, and provide for their daily needs. Solomon wanted his prayer to be constantly before God, an ongoing call for His aid and protection.
4. “Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere” (Eph. 6:18, NLT). According to Paul, prayer should be Spirit-led, persistent, all-encompassing, and constant.
5. Do you have a family member who doesn’t know Jesus? Are you on your knees for a rebellious child? Are you dedicating yourself to prayer for a missionary who is serving overseas? Does your Sunday school class generate a prayer list every week so you can be lifting each other up in prayer? Who does God bring to your mind whenever you pray—your neighbors, your daughter’s roommate at college, the nice man at the post office, the young girl who serves tables at your favorite restaurant, the coworker who is going through a messy divorce, the boy who delivers your newspapers?
6. Those who wanted to find God found a place in which to pray. Here are the examples we found in the Bible: Jonah 2:1—Jonah was very alone in the fish’s belly! Don’t wait so long to get alone with God that He needs to use such drastic measures to get your attention! Matthew 14:23—Jesus sent the crowds away so He could be alone. Mark 6:46—Jesus went into the hills by Himself. Luke 5:16—Jesus withdrew into the wilderness to pray. Luke 18:10—The Jews would go to the Temple in order to pray. Luke 22:41—Jesus went a short distance from the others to be alone. Acts 10:9—Peter spent some time in prayer up on the rooftop patio. Revelation 1:9–10—John took some time away from prison life to spend his Sunday in prayer.
7. Some of us have a favorite chair. Some of us pray while we wash our hair in the shower. Some of us make use of a long commute to communicate with God. Is it at the kitchen table, where you sip your first cup of coffee every morning? Is it in your office, before the routine of the day begins? Is it under the covers of your bed, before you drift off to sleep each night, or before you rise up in the morning? Though God is always with us, no matter where we are, we are creatures of habit. When we establish a meeting place with God, He draws us there, waits for us there, touches us there. He honors our choice of time and place, and He keeps the appointment faithfully.
8. “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Matt. 6:5, NKJV). The hypocrite prays in order to call attention to himself. He purposely seeks out the spotlight, standing where many people will notice his righteousness, craving the admiration of other men. God does not hear his prayers.
9. Do hypocrites get a reward? You bet they do! But it isn’t one which will last. They trade God’s listening ear for the attention of men. They trade God’s blessing for the good opinion of their neighbors. They trade God’s glory for the admiration of their friends. And sometimes, we are a little jealous of all the attention they receive. Do you sometimes want to call attention to your faithfulness too? Are you occasionally tempted to point out your own devotion? Jesus warns us not to fall into this trap.
10. “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:6, NKJV). When it comes to your personal relationship with God, prayer is a private matter. You don’t need to tell others about it, or prove yourself, or explain yourself to anyone else. With God you can be your most vulnerable, your most honest, your most private. Keep your trysts with Him in a precious, secret place. You may never be acclaimed as a prayer warrior in your church, or receive special respect from others in your congregation, but it doesn’t matter. Jesus’ promise is clear. Your Father will make sure your faithfulness is rewarded.
Chapter 5
1. “And they belong to the world, so what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. But those who are not from God do not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit that is true and the spirit that is false” (1 John 4:5–6, NCV). If you are not keeping your ear tuned to your Father’s leading, then you leave yourself open to the very persuasive influences of the world.
2. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Rom. 8:14, NKJV). Very few people will try to tell you that God speaks to them in an audible voice. But the Holy Spirit which indwells us is an effective communicator. Call it what you will—urging, influencing, prompting, leading, drawing, impressing, compelling—the Spirit lets us know when we should or shouldn’t be doing something.
3. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17, NKJV). There’s a very good reason that a time of personal devotion— one’s quiet time—consists of prayer and Scripture reading. Therein lie the two elements of conversation with God: talking to God and listening to His Word.
4. The Bible is not an ordinary book. God’s Word is not some outdated antiquity. Hebrews 4:12 declares, “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword . . . and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (NKJV). The truth of the Scriptures uncovers our hearts, convicts us of sin, and shows us the path to redemption. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4, NKJV). We could not live without God’s Word any more than our bodies could live without food. Though we might spend our entire lifetimes plumbing the depths of the Scriptures, we will always discover something new our Heavenly Father wants to teach us. In our conversations with God, He takes the lead. He has already spoken. We are merely picking up the thread when we read His Word. Prayer is our response to Him.
5. “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13, NKJV). God’s Word—our Bibles—are truth. And when we spend time reading, absorbing, and being influenced by God’s true words, we are effectively changed by it.
6. David in Psalm 102:18—“This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord” (NKJV). John in John 20:31—“These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (NKJV). Paul in Romans 15:4—“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (NKJV). John again in 1 John 5:13—“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (NKJV). God’s Word was preserved for us so we too would praise God, so we would believe in Jesus Christ, so we could have eternal life, and to give us hope.
7. “Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed” (Josh. 1:8, NLT). The same holds true for each of us as well.
8. No wonder the Word of God is living. No wonder the Word of God is powerful. No wonder it is eternal. According to Revelation 19:13, “His name is called The Word of God” (NKJV). Jesus is Himself the Living Word.
Chapter 6
1. When we write something down, we are less likely to forget it.
2. Psalm 63:6—We can meditate in bed, throughout the night. Psalm 77:12—We can meditate on the things that God has done in our lives, or throughout the pages of our Bibles. Psalm 119:48—We can meditate on God’s commandments, becoming so familiar with them that we love them. Psalm 119:148—Sometimes, God wakes us in the night, just so we have a chance to meditate over His Word and works. Psalm 143:5—We meditate on God’s care of us in the past, and on the beauty of His creation in which we have a special place.
3. “Finally brethren whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8, NKJV). Does the activity of your spare time fit into this criteria? Before you pick up a book, flip through a magazine, pop in an audio tape, or turn on your television, consider these words of Paul. Perhaps turning to your prayer closet, your Bible, and your prayer journal would be more pleasing to your Lord.
4. Progress. “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all” (1 Tim. 4:15, NKJV). When we focus our attention on our relationship with God, His input in our lives, His will for our daily walk, on continued prayer, and on written meditation—we grow. God changes us, and we will mature and bear fruit for His glory.
5. Paul asks Timothy to serve as a pattern of blameless living for his fellow Christians. He should be loving, pure, and strong in his faith. Paul tells Timothy to use his spiritual gifts. He is to meditate, making his spiritual life the focus of his days. Paul urges Timothy to keep his guard up, checking both himself and his teaching to make sure he is remaining true to the Lord. Such should be our prayer as well.
6. “My God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember your kindness” (Ps. 42:6, NKJV). Pondering God’s hand in our lives as we look over His days, months, and years of care, deepens our trust in His continued faithfulness.
7. Though it may not seem quite reverent to write in your Holy Bible, it really is okay. What is the purpose of reading after all? As we read and reread the Scriptures, our notes help to remind us the lessons we have learned before. Repetition is a good teacher.
8. For some of us, prayer puts us in a place as familiar and comfortable as an old shoe. Peace and joy are our companions. For others of us, the familiarity described sounds wonderful. Our hearts long for such a nearness, such a friendship, but we cannot honestly say we have ever experienced it. Perhaps even now, the Lord is calling you to take up a pen and begin to record the journey to His side as you seek Him.
9. “Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again” (Deut. 6:7, NLT). The story of your growing experience, of God’s faithfulness to you, and of the prayers He has answered, may be an inspiration to your closest friends and family when you are gone.
10. “When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need” (Ps. 138:3, NLT). As you consider the answers you have seen, and the unexpected ways in which God has worked in your life, you can be encouraged to keep praying.
Chapter 7
There are no wrong answers here! Going through the five Scriptures listed, encourage the members of your group to share what they learned as they meditated and prayed through those Scriptures. Encourage them and discuss their insights as a group.
Chapter 8
1. It’s speech class all over again—stage fright. Also, we don’t always know what to say, how to say it, or the right words to use.
2. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:19–20). Though we have a personal relationship with our Savior, and our relationship with Him is cultivated in the privacy of our prayer closets, Christianity is not for hermits. We are a congregation, a community, a body of believers. It is through our love for one another that the world can see the love of God. In a similar way, our prayers, when joined with those of our sisters, reach our Lord and urge Him to answer.
3. “Jesus took Peter, James, and went up on a mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28, NKJV). Though the twelve traveled with Him everywhere, Jesus seems to have taken Peter, James, and John into His special confidence. These three were closest to Him, and He prayed together with them on occasion.
4. “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (Acts 12:5, NKJV). The Christian church in Jerusalem organized themselves to pray, even though Peter’s situation seemed hopeless. He was in prison, chained between two soldiers, guarded by four squads of soldiers, and scheduled for execution in just a few days. But even while they were gathered together, praying for Peter, God was answering their prayers. An angel releases Peter’s bonds, whisks him through the prison, and leads him right through locked gates. When Peter pinches himself to see if he’s dreaming, he realizes he’s standing in front of the house of a Christian family, and goes up to knock on the door. What astonishment and joy there was for the believers gathered there that night, for God had performed a miracle in response to their pleas for help.
5. “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed” (Acts 16:25–26, NKJV). While two men praised God and prayed, in the hearing of all the other prisoners, God miraculously set them free. This display of divine power must have been convincing, and surely brought glory to God. Many were saved that night (Acts 16:32–34).
6. “Pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for [God], as I should” (Eph. 6:20, NKJV). The mighty man of God, planter of churches and teacher of theology, sends out a humble request for prayer. “Pray that I will be bold enough to say what I should say, when I should say it.” We all need prayer.
7. “Speaking the truth with love, we will grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body depends on Christ, and all the parts of the body are joined and held together. Each part does its own work to make the whole body grow and be strong with love” (Eph. 4:15–16, NCV). The imagery is beautiful in the New King James Version: “The whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” We need one another. We are irrevocably intertwined. We are called to encourage and support one another—and we can do this in part through prayer.
8. “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Rom. 12:10, NKJV). Paul exhorts Christians to put the needs of one another ahead of our own. When we are praying for one another in a group setting, we need not fear how our words come out. The circle of united prayer is filled with kindness, affection, and love. No one will criticize your plain words to the Lord.
9. Even if you lack the confidence to pray out loud in a group setting, it doesn’t mean you cannot participate in the prayer. Keep your mind alert, and follow the flow of the intercessions. Agree with the prayers being spoken. Add your own thoughts. Though they remain unspoken, God hears the prayers of your heart.
Chapter 9
1. A prayer warrior is anyone, man or woman, who is exercising the gift of intercessory prayer.
2. In Luke 2:37, we find the old widow woman, Anna, who blessed Jesus on the day he was taken to the temple to be dedicated. Luke says that at the age of eighty-four, Anna never left the temple. Night and day she worshiped God there, lifting up prayers and fasting. According to Acts 1:14, Mary the mother of Jesus and several other women met together continually for prayer (NLT). And in 1 Timothy 5:5, Paul declares that a true widow spends much time in prayer throughout her days and nights.
3. “He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people’s prayers for our safety have been answered” (2 Cor. 1:11, NLT). Though our individual prayers may not seem like much, when the manifold prayers of believers are sent up on behalf of something, God responds. Someone I know calls this “blanketing” someone with prayer. And these prayers do help.
4. God gives each of us some little confirmation of His power and love. Whether the miracles are large or small, they serve to remind us of His availability, His nearness, and His willingness to act in our behalf. By doing so, He coaxes us away from relying so much on ourselves. He is teaching us to lean on Him for our every need.
5. “Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes” (2 Thess. 3:1, NLT). “Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send out more workers for His fields” (Matt. 9:38, NLT). We do not pray simply for our own health and comfort. Do you pray for the lost? Have you ever prayed that God will be glorified everywhere? Do you ever pray for the boys and girls who will one day be the leaders of the church? Do you pray for the Lord to call more young people into missions? Try broadening your horizons, and including these people in your prayers. You may never meet them on this side of heaven, but your prayers on their behalf are heard by God.
6. “Continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20, NLT). When we come to God in prayer, we should always follow the Spirit’s leading. Sitting in quietness, He brings to mind the people and places we should pray for. Someone will come to mind, “out of the blue,” and this is your invitation to intercede for them.
7. “All night long I pray, with hands lifted toward heaven, pleading. There can be no joy for me until He acts . . . You don’t let me sleep. I am too distressed even to pray” (Ps. 77:2, 4, NLT). When the Spirit lays a burden to pray on your heart, it is impossible to ignore. David, in his fervency, couldn’t even sleep nights. The New King James Version says “You hold my eyelids open.”
8. We are not off the hook! Of course we should pray. We are urged to constant prayer, fervent prayer, earnest prayer. Three times in Matthew 6:5–7, Jesus says, “When you pray . . .” It’s not if or should you find time to, but when you pray. Prayer is a given in our Savior’s mind. You may feel cautious, uncertain, or caught up in busyness right now, but who’s to say God will not lead you into the gift of intercession as you reach some new season of life. He’s full of surprises!
Chapter 10
1. For many churches, the following adjectives could sum up a room full of praying Christians: hesitant, repetitive, rambling, trite, limited, dry. Where there could be power, the prayers are filled with religious jargon and meaningless platitudes. On the other hand, many churches are filled with Christians whose prayers reach right to the throne of God—plain-speaking, Spirit-led, honest, reverent, persistent, bold.
2. First Kings 8:30 says, “May You hear the humble and earnest requests from me and Your people when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where You live, and when You hear, forgive” (NKJV). Through the Scriptures, effective prayer is described as earnest, fervent, and humble.
3. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16, NLT). The New King James Version puts it this way: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” And the New Century Version simply says, “When a believing person prays, great things happen.”
4. Yes. In a way, it does. Praying without ceasing involves putting our Heavenly Father at the forefront of our thoughts throughout our days. In the same way, living life in an attitude of prayer assumes we are in constant communication with God. His concerns, His glory, and His will have priority in our behavior, our choices, and our conversations. Both provide a basis for our relationship with God and with those around us.
5. Ezra 10:1—weeping and rolling around on the ground. Psalm 77:2—with hands lifted towards heaven. Mark 14:35—falling face down on the ground. Jonah 3:8—in sackcloth and ashes. Acts 6:6—laying on hands. Acts 9:40—kneeling. Acts 13:3—fasting, and laying on of hands. Acts 20:36—knelt down. 1 Timothy 2:8—assembled in a group, lifting up hands together.
6. We kneel in reverence and humility. We are servants, making petitions of our King, and we kneel to affirm His Lordship and our respect. We raise our hands in surrender. With open hands, we signal our neediness, our willingness, our expectation of His answer. We bow our heads in the presence of holiness. We are sinful, flawed, unworthy. We acknowledge the Father’s preeminent place, and honor Him with our very posture.
7. I admit, there are times when we bow our heads for the closing prayer at church, and my mind drifts immediately to lunch plans. Even in the quiet of my home, wandering thoughts can interrupt prayer times. Though we might assume the proper pose, and count the minutes, a time of prayer is hardly worthwhile if our inner attitude is one of restlessness or distraction. Give the Lord your full attention.
8. “O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from an honest heart” (Ps. 17:1, NKJV). We rush to the side of our loving Heavenly Father, saying, “Look at me! I have something I need to ask you! Pay attention to my request! It is so important!” And our loving Father always hears us out.
9. “For these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay any attention to the Lord’s instructions” (Is. 30:9, NLT). Be sure your attitude of prayer maintains a balance of speaking and listening. God wants to hear from you, but He also wants you to hear Him!
Chapter 11
1. “I am praying to you because I know you will answer” (Ps. 17:6, NLT). We may not like to wait, and we may not like the answer when it comes—we may not even understand why we received the answer we did—but God will answer us.
2. “As I was praying, Gabriel . . . came swiftly to me . . . ‘The moment you began praying, a command was given’ ” (Dan. 9:21–23, NLT). Even as Daniel was praying, a command rang out in heaven and the angel Gabriel was sent to speak with him.
3. “I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me, freeing me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4, NLT). The God who can drive away our fears can do anything—anything at all. Though your trial may seem small and trivial compared to somebody else’s, God will listen and He can answer. He may want to show you in a special way just how much He loves you.
4. “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24, NKJV). This goes right along with the statement Gabriel made to Mary, “With God, nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37, NKJV).
5. “For I know that as you pray for me and as the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will all turn out for my deliverance” (Phil. 1:19, NLT). Paul’s words echo that familiar verse in Romans: “All things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28, NKJV). No matter what our situations might be, through our prayers for one another and the Spirit’s working, no situation we live through will ever go to waste. God will use it to His glory somehow.
6. Receiving a “no” to the things we so desperately want can leave us hurt and confused. At the time, we wonder what God could be thinking. His refusal to give us what we want stings. But sometimes, later in life, we look back at that “no” and see it as a turning point. Though we could not know it, God’s negative answer put us on a path rich with blessings. Through the outcomes, our faith was built up, and our Lord was glorified.
7. “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Ps. 27:14, NKJV). The answer will come in God’s own good timing. Take courage, for you know whatever comes, it will be for your good and His glory.
8. “Those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Is. 40:31, NKJV). Even as our souls wait, God’s Word gives us hope. God’s Word has promised when we wait on the Lord, He will strengthen us. We need not feel hopeless, restless, or unsettled when we do not know all the answers.
9. “My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him” (Ps. 62:5, NKJV). Silently, quietly, patiently, without murmuring or grumbling. Trusting, patient, relying on His sovereign plan.
10. “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam. 3:25–26, NKJV). Seek God, hope in Him, wait quietly for His answer, and the Lord will be good to you.
Chapter 12
2. Paul says, “How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for considering me trustworthy and appointing me to serve Him” (1 Tim. 1:12, NLT). In Ephesians, Paul declares, “When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father” (Eph. 3:14). Though we may pray often for our own needs, for the needs of others, and for God’s glory to be revealed throughout the earth—we must never forget our manners, and say “Thank You” to God.
3. So often throughout his letters, Paul will say something like: “I have never stopped thanking God for you” (Eph. 1:16, NKJV). His love for his fellow believers is evident, and Paul’s prayers are filled with thanksgiving for the friends and fellowship God has provided. Whenever Paul would pray for someone dear to his heart, he would couple his intercession with gratitude. “I always thank God when I pray for you, Philemon” (Philem. 1:4, NLT).
4. “Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord” (James 5:13, NKJV). Our hearts are moved by the pains of others, and we join together in prayer for them. But seeing the struggles of our sisters in Christ can also serve to make us grateful for God’s blessings in our lives.
5. The prayer of thanksgiving, made into a song for all to hear, brings glory to God because His wonderful works are shared with all who hear: “I will praise the name of God with a son. I will magnify Him with thanksgiving” (Ps. 69:30, NKJV). When we begin praying, thanksgiving is the place to start—opening our quiet times with a song of praise. “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving” (Ps. 95:2, NKJV). How many of the praise choruses we love to sing in church are simply thank you notes set to music? Start collecting a list of them to keep in your Bible or prayer journal. “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises on the harp to our God” (Ps. 147:7, NKJV). When God works in our lives, they are transformed. Our wildernesses become gardens, and our sorrows are turned into joy. In our hearts, there will be “thanksgiving and the voice of melody” (Is. 51:3, NKJV).
6. “I raise my voice in praise and tell of all the miracles you have done” (Ps. 26:7, NCV). When we share our little stories of God’s faithfulness, we encourage one another. For some of us, it changes our perspective—opening our eyes to how God really is showing us His love every day.
7. “As God’s grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory” (2 Cor. 4:15, NLT). Those who have become Christians, saved by God’s grace, are so grateful for their salvation, they cannot help but share their excitement with others. In their gratitude, they tell everyone they know about their experiences—and God is glorified in the telling. When we tell others about God’s work in our lives, He is glorified.
8. Well, back in David’s time, literal sacrifices could be made in the Temple by those wishing to show God their thanks for His blessings. So when David says “I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving” (Ps. 116:17, NKJV), he is referring to the usual practice of showing proper gratitude by bringing an animal to sacrifice on the altar. But what about us? Have you ever considered thanksgiving to be a sacrifice? Consider this: Giving God the credit and the praise for the outcome of a situation in your life means acknowledging that you didn’t do it on your own. Everything we have is a gift from God, and we sacrifice both our self-reliance and our self-congratulations when we tell Him thank you.
9. “Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 2:7, NKJV). See how Paul describes our spiritual lives? Rooted in Christ. Built up in Christ. Established in the faith. And abounding with thanksgiving over all of it. Do you catch the note of enthusiasm there? Do you appreciate every facet of the Lord’s work in your life? I hope I do.
10. “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Our grateful hearts will never cease to sing the praises of our God. Amen!