| Today's Word June 3, 2009 |
|
| |
Today's Word for Wednesday June 3, 2009
Prayer
Defined by Webster:
A devout petition to God; a spiritual communion with God; giving thanksgiving to God; giving adoration to God.
|
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving let your requests be made to God."
Philippians 4:6.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,
"Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge
my territory, that your hand would be with me, and
that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he had requested.
I Chronicles 4:10.
"The effective fervent prayer of a
righteous man avails much."James 5:16.
"Pray for those who spitefully
use you and persecute you."
Matthew 5:44. |
 |
I can remember years ago when I was active with Youth for Christ, as a teenager, the Russian evangelist Peter Deyneka saying in so many meetings: NO PRAYER! NO POWER! And down through the years we have seen the reality of that statement. How important is prayer in your life? Sometimes we pray and we feel nothing is happening. But God has proven over and over again that He will respond to our prayers in due time - His time.
A friend just last week reminded us of the story we had heard many times about the prayer life of the famous George Mueller. God had laid on his heart to pray daily for five of his friends who did not know Jesus. He prayed daily for the five to come to a personal relationship with God through his Son. For years he prayed daily and nothing happened. Then after five years one of them came to the Lord. He prayed for ten more years and another one found Christ. It took another ten years for the third one to find the Lord. He continued to pray daily for forty five years and the fourth man made his decision for Christ and finally after praying for fifty five years at George Mueller's funeral the fifth friend came to the Lord. You see - that was God's perfect timing and God honored the daily prayers of this man. Even though his prayers seemed to be unanswered or at best partially answered, he continued to pray. God is listening when it seems He is not.
We urge you to pray daily for your own spiritual growth and the growth of your family, your friends and your neighbors. You also need to pray for your country, your leaders, your Church and for those that are sick and hurting in your world. One may say that the list is just too long. But we encourage you to make prayer an important event in your life each and every day. The scripture tells us that the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. That verse alone should challenge us to take a new look at our prayer life.
The Prayer of Jabez, [above under GODS WORD}, is one of the most famous prayer accounts in the Bible. Read it carefully and you will see that first he called on God. Secondly he asked God to bless him. Thirdly he made his requests. And finally it is written that God granted him his request. Do you have that kind of prayer life today?
The famous evangelist and our good friend, Dr. Billy Graham once said: "Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one ever bothered to ask." "You do not have, because you do not ask God." James 4:2.
|
 |
I praise you for who you are. I thank you for my salvation. Give me this day the encouragement I need to pray regularly for those that you put on my heart to pray for. Give me a new burden for those that do not know you personally. Help my family today to commit to the same burden that you are giving me for those they know who are hurting and in need of a special blessing from the Lord.
|
Your Friends,
Ken and Dottie Phillips
"Today's Word" is sent to you free
to encourage you to commit today to
serve and honor God as a family.
These Family Devotional Thoughts are written by Dr.Ken Phillips, ministry director for World Bible Society, and his wife Dottie. Ken has had ministry positions with The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, World Vision, Youth For Christ, World Opportunities International, and World Bible Society. He also has consulted for more than 20 Christian ministries in management and stewardship development. Ken and Dottie have been married for 52 years, and have 6 children and 21 grandchildren. Come back regularly to enjoy their Family Devotional as they share their thoughts about living in God's Word!
|
|
| | | | | | Quick Links... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
1:19 Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, |
|
Follow this blog
