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For Those With Ears - Entries tagged "Prayer"

WedWednesdayAprApril24th2013

Prayer Walk

Posted Wednesday, April 24 2013 @ 1 PM byMike Armstrong Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

I want to take a moment to let you know about a really great night that we have coming up - our annual prayer walk. This has been something that we've done several times with our students at Harvest Youth in the Spring. We've found it to be a great way to rub shoulders with what's happening with our city and get a face to face encounter with what God's doing. The essential purpose of prayer walking is to seek God's blessing, mercy and transforming power - both for the community, and for ourselves as God's servants in the community. Here's a taste of how we pray as we walk:

· Pray for discernment -- seek the gift of seeing the community through God's eyes, and to discern what God is already doing among the people; ask God to reveal what you need to know to inform your prayers for the people, events, and places in the community. Be bold to pray out what God puts on your heart.

· Pray for blessing -- over every person, home and business you encounter; for God's intervention in each life, so that each one can be fruitful in God's kingdom; for God's will to be done in this community "as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10)

· Pray with empathy -- see and feel what residents live with every day; offer intercession for those things that express brokenness and grieve God's spirit, and give thanks to God for the blessings and gifts that exist in the community.

· Pray from Scripture – pray from God’s Word, prayers based directly on God's Word can be especially powerful. You may want to bring a Bible with key passages highlighted, or copy verses onto note cards.

· Pray in God's power -- allow times of silence for God's spirit to speak to you, or for you (Romans 8:26). Ask with confidence in the power of Jesus' name (John 14:12-14).

· Pray for the Lord to send labourers into the harvest.

· Pray for God’s greater glory to be revealed in our city.

· Pray for leaders: Pray for people responsible in any position of authority - for politicians, teachers, police, administrators and parents.

· Pray for peace: Cry out for the godliness and holiness of God’s people to increase to substantial peace. Pray for new churches to be established.

· Pray for illumination of truth: Celebrate the faithful revelation of his truth to all peoples through ordinary people. Pray that the eyes of minds would cease to be blinded by Satan so that they could come to knowledge of the truth.

· Pray for salvation: Praise God for his heart’s desire that all people be saved. Name specific people to be saved. Pray for club and bar owners to come to Jesus Christ and for God to tear down the immorality and raise up godliness in Barrie.

· Pray for the homeless and needy: You will see evidences of homelessness and brokenness as you walk. People caught in addiction, mental illness, abuse and other bondages need Jesus to set them free. Pray for agencies, such as the Barrie Food Bank, the Salvation Army, The Busby Centre, and the Out of the Cold Program and various youth centers.

· Pray for the church: Ask for healing in relationships, that there be no wrath or dissension among God’s people. Ask that God would make his people, men and women alike, bold in faith, expressive in worship and passionate for holiness.

· Pray for our schools: Pray that Christian teachers and students would stand boldly for Jesus Christ and that salvation would come to our schools. Pray for the downtown schools such as Barrie North Collegiate, Central and Prince of Wales

· Pray for businesses: Pray that Barrie’s businesses would be successful and that our Christian business leaders would shine for Christ, stand for righteousness and integrity and be a model to the business world in our city.

· For sin to be exposed and cleaned up: Pray that God will illuminate himself in the face of drugs, alcoholism and prostitution, bringing redemption to people caught in these sins (bars, clubs, strip clubs, etc)

We would love you to join Harvest Youth as we pray for our city. It's all happening Tuesday, May 7 from 7-9 p.m. and we'll be meeting at Memorial Square downtown Barrie. Our youth small groups will be walking around praying together and you're free to make up groups of your own and do the same. We meet together at Casa Cappuccino at about 8 p.m. for hot drinks. If you have any questions, contact me at marmstrong@harvestbarrie.ca.

Mike

WedWednesdayJanJanuary16th2013

Worship and Prayer

Posted Wednesday, January 16 2013 @ 8 AM byJordan Donald Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

What an amazing night last night...

Those of you that were able to make it out to our prayer night would surely agree. We gathered together as the body of Christ, young and old lifting high the name of Jesus in worship and prayer. We went through Ephesians 3:14-21.

We started off with quiet individual prayer as the worship team sang a song over everyone. We then moved on to more worship and an open mic time where we heard so many stories of people stepping out in faith to talk to strangers about Jesus, trusting in him to provide them with a job against the odds, trusting him through anxiety and depression.

So great to hear the testimonies of students who were impacted so heavily this past weekend by the saving power of Jesus Christ. Their eyes were open to idols they had set before him, things they needed to get rid of in their lives and taking a stand for Jesus despite what others may think. It was such a blessing to have the privilege of leading worship for the students last weekend and seeing the Lord move like that.

We closed off the night praying with the different generations in the room. We had the students break into their small groups and the adults joining them. We encouraged everybody to pray out loud, calling out the the Lord! Such an amazing sound to hear.

I was just so blessed last night by everything. Really want to encourage you to make it out to our next worship and prayer night if you haven't before.

Before then, I want to encourage you to come out to our 24 hours of prayer starting this Saturday at 1 p.m. Sign up for a spot HERE and join us as we call out to God together!

You Are Loved.

WedWednesdaySepSeptember5th2012

Without prayer nothing else matters

Posted Wednesday, September 05 2012 @ 8 AM byJeannie Coros Tagged Prayer 2 comments Add comment

Without prayer nothing else matters!

Here’s what I heard in the car on the way home from prayer and praise night (from teenagers);

“That was the best prayer night EVER; it was so great to pray with my friends and do it on our own time”.

“I really liked the list, it helped me think of other things I could pray for AND I prayed out loud for the first time”.

“What a sweet time with our church family”.

So if you missed it – Jordan led us as we lifted high the name of Jesus in worship (in the lobby); then we prayed vertical prayers collectively and praised our great God for who he is. We were then free to travel to nine different prayer stations where we praised God for what he is doing in and through our church and offered up prayers for the various ministries at Harvest Barrie.

If you weren’t able to join us, spend some time today praying through these nine key areas, because….without prayer nothing else matters!

Awana

Please pray:
- For more volunteers to serve in this valuable ministry
- For salvation for unsaved children and family members
- For unity within our Awana team and hearts ready to serve
- For God to be glorified through this club
- For those who are teaching lessons to be granted wisdom and strength
- For families to feel welcomed and loved each week

Elders/Deacons

Please pray:
- to have courage to proclaim the authority of God’s Word without apology (2 Tim. 4:2)
- to have as their first and most fervent focus the adoration of God’s Son – lifting high the name of Jesus in worship(John 4:24)
- to believe firmly in the power of prayer and that God would uphold them as they seek him daily (Eph. 6:18)
- to stand for Christ in this world as they seek to keep our church’s focus on sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness(Eph. 6:19-20)
- to daily experience significant growth and personal sanctification as they walk with Christ (Col. 1:28)
- to hold firm to the doctrine of the Word, teaching others correctly, and rebuking those who contradict it (Titus 1:9)
- to have a strong marriage and family that is glorifying to God, pure, and free from temptation (Eph. 5:22-27)
- to have godly wisdom, unity, and spiritual protection as they oversee the direction of our church (Prov. 2:6-9)

Global

Please pray for the following partners:
- Harvest Bible Fellowship
- Pastor Scott Hamilton and Harvest Glasgow
- Barrie Food Bank
- Children of Promise Orphanage, Nigeria
- Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre
- Timothy Christian School
- Walk in the Word
- Time to Change radio

Harvest Kids

Please pray:
- For God to provide more volunteers in this ministry
- For children to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ; that they would be attentive to his Word
- For families to be strengthened and encouraged as we support them in training up their children
- For boldness and wisdom for those teaching; that God would speak through them
- For ministry workers to be blessed as they strive to impact children and bring God glory
- For Jeannie: to remain Christ focused and God honouring at all times

Small Groups

Please pray:
- That people would be obedient in baptism
- That people’s baptism testimonies would bring much glory to God and be used to bring others into a life changing relationship with Christ
- That guests would feel loved and welcome, that they'd be excited about Harvest and want to learn more about who we are
- For connections made at Welcome@Harvest and that people would want to be part of the thing that God is doing at Harvest Barrie
- For small group leaders and apprentices that they would lead out of the overflow in their lives
- That more people would join small groups and experience community, love and accountability in a new way
- That small groups would multiply and that we would celebrate this growth in the small group ministry
- That people would want to belong to Harvest Barrie and get under the leadership and protection of our elders. That they would be committed to being involved and supporting this ministry.

Preaching

Please pray for:
- Our theme for this year: “First Things” Matthew 6:33; that we would all have biblical priorities in every area of our lives
- For seven separate preaching series for 2012-2013; that they would be high impact
- Pastor Todd: to have focused studying time, to hear from God and to preach God’s Word each week unapologetically
- For people to respond to the Spirit’s work in their lives through the preaching
- For Harvest to be growing into a Vertical Church in every way

Support Ministries

For all the different ministry areas:
- Parking Ministry
- Welcome! Team
- Connections
- Guest Reception
- Coffee
- Bookstore
- That those serving would serve with joyful hearts and be excited to be used by God in their ministry area
- That everyone who comes to Harvest on a Sunday morning would feel loved and welcome
- That as a church we would grow in love and community

Worship

Please pray for:
- Team unity
- Church to grow in worship (corporately and privately)
- For those who serve by setting up and tearing down each week
- For our technical ministries
- For the Lord to bless us with more and more volunteers
- That Christ would be seen through the music week after week
- That the freedom we have to worship would be felt and would grow on Sunday mornings
- For small group worship leaders behind the scenes
- For the team to grow in skill and strive harder and harder to raise the bar, so we can serve the Lord better than we could imagine

Harvest Youth

- That Jesus would be the focus and passion of our lives this year at Harvest Youth
- That students would come each week with hearts longing for God's glory in their lives, the lives of their friends, families and those their lives touch (Vertical Youth Group)
- For leaders as they prepare to play a huge role in the lives of students
- For Mike as he preps and plans out the year - that his heart would be soft and pliable in the Lord's hands
- That new students in our church and community would be reached out to and impacted by the Gospel
- That all involved with Harvest Youth would be open to anything the Lord wants to do in and through us

Harvest Young Adults

- For Christ-like unity and rich community as a group
- That we would be committed to reaching out to those in need in the church and beyond
- For new HYA's to get connected to what God's doing at Harvest
- That we would use this crucial time in our lives to serve the church
- That Jesus Christ would be worshiped in all we do
- That our hearts would long to see God's glory (Vertical)
- That our HYA's would grow in to strong leaders who are passionate about discipleship

TueTuesdayMayMay8th2012

Prayer Walk

Posted Tuesday, May 08 2012 @ 8 AM byRoger Freeman Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

The goal: To pray for every household and business in Barrie.

The Method: Having believers prayer walk the streets of Barrie.

The Day: This Saturday, May 12

We are actually kicking off our prayer walk this year tonight! Our youth are prayer walking the downtown core. These prayer walks in downtown Barrie have been incredible and our youth will be meeting to lift up the needs of our city in prayer. They’ll walk around in their small groups with their leaders and pray, then meet up for coffee after. And it's not just for the youth. If you would like to join in, you are very welcome. Details here.

This Saturday is the day followers of Jesus from all over the city will be walking the streets of Barrie, individually or in small groups, praying for the people in the homes, apartments and businesses they pass. It happens at various times throughout the day. Last year we were able to cover approximately 60% of the streets in Barrie with some wards fully covered. This year our goal is 100% in all wards.

In addition, there is a celebration worship service at Unity Christian High School, 25 Burton Avenue, at 2 p.m. on May 12. The vision is to provide an opportunity for those who prayed to come together and encourage one another by lifting their voices in praise.

How can I get involved? Start by registering on line. Here is the link. Select the streets you will commit to prayer walking. Check out the guidelines suggested on the web site. Then pray!

ThuThursdayMarMarch15th2012

Praise and Prayer Night

Posted Thursday, March 15 2012 @ 8 AM byRoger Freeman Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

What an incredible effect praying together has! I know it transforms couples, and families – and churches. I know saying “grace” before the meal can turn into a little ritual devoid of true meaning. But it doesn’t have to! And it does have an effect on the conversation and attitudes around the table. Praying together as the last thing before falling asleep changes the focus from “me and you” to “us before God.” Over time, that does make a difference. And finally, to borrow a book title off my shelf, “Something happens when churches pray!”

So when we pray together as a church we are changed. We - are - changed! So lets get at it this Tuesday at Timothy Christian School at 7 p.m. Our youth will join us and we can expect more of this:

"All I can say is, the prayer time on Sunday night was amazing. The prayers in our group were passionate prayers for our pastors, elders, staff and for our church, the prayers for the lost were spoken with tears being shed as we lifted each name up to the Lord. Each time we do this it seems they get better and better - this one, without a doubt, was the best. To God be the glory!"

"I REALLY enjoyed it and was blessed by how the night went. I wouldn't change a thing!! Seriously it was perfect. The Holy Spirit was in the house. I look forward to the next one and left feeling pumped and very encouraged to go out and live my life with complete boldness in front of my unsaved family and friends! Still working on it big time, I need lots of help Lord."

"It was an amazing night for me! I could really feel God working in me, and his presence around me. My prayer life before had been lacking, and I wasn't feeling much change in my life lately. I had been praying for God to soften my heart and I really felt that tonight. I think that I had never really realized power of prayer before tonight, and I feel drawn closer to the Lord."

"I was so blessed by all that God did tonight!! I wasn't sure what to expect and I actually didn't really want to go. The whole idea of having to "pray around a circle" with a group of 8-10 strangers, ... seemed really intimidating. It shocked me when someone said that prayer meetings only happen four times a year. Whatever! We should do it every Sunday! So glad we didn't have to pray around the circle! Was really blessed by the prayers at the end … such great testimonies to the work of God. So very glad and thankful to be part of Harvest and even more glad to know such a great Saviour!"

So here is a great idea:

"I loved having my whole small group there too and how we met up before hand at Williams!"

The best is to hear things like this:

· "I personally have issues with praying out loud and in groups but I was able to overcome that fear and to exercise my faith!!"

· "Seriously, I have never been to a prayer night before, but that was what I always envisioned one to be like."

· "I can't wait for the next one!!!! It was so wonderful to gather with my brothers and sisters in Christ and have a focused prayer time. Prayer is so powerful!!! Praise God."

· "Last night had me in tears almost the whole night ( and I RARELY EVER cry so that was a miracle in itself.)"

· "God's presence was truly there."

TueTuesdayFebFebruary7th2012

The Fields are White for Harvest

Posted Tuesday, February 07 2012 @ 9 AM byJeannie Coros Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

If you weren’t able to attend the night of prayer on January 29 – you missed out! Seriously!

As Pastor Todd followed author Daniel Henderson’s lead (Transforming Prayer); we enjoyed sweet times of worship, singing praises to our heavenly Father and also heard a strong word from John 4. Our focus was on the lost and our fourth pillar – sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with boldness. We spent time in groups of four or five praying specifically for those in need of Christ’s forgiveness and the strength to share with them.

Not only was I encouraged by standing corporately with brothers and sisters in Christ, but I was beyond blessed to pray with some of our high school students and hear them pour out their hearts to Jesus. These teenagers, who are regularly persecuted for their faith, were praying for the souls of those who torment them and for the strength to stand for Christ. Wow!

I know that God has used Transforming Prayer to change my prayer life and allow me to truly seek his face; and it was amazing for me to see this play out practically, in our church family. What a gift it is to be able to spend time adoring our awesome God and pray back to him, the words he gave us.

Being a visual learner – I love the picture that God paints in Ephesians 6:13-18…”Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

Prayer night allowed me to polish up my armor, tighten my belt and raise my sword even higher– ready for battle; after all, “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35b).

WedWednesdayNovNovember23rd2011

Unlearning Prayer

Posted Wednesday, November 23 2011 @ 7 AM byAmy Fotherby Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

Did you love the book "Transforming Prayer" as much as I did!?! I hope so! I LOVE that book because it really shaped/changed my personal prayer life…it was challenging and I’ve by no means arrived when it comes to prayer but I feel further along than I was six months ago and that excites me! And I’m for sure further along than my childhood mealtime blessing of: “God is great, God is good. Let us thank him for this food. Amen.”

Daniel Henderson talked about the idea of "unlearning prayer" – it seems like a weird concept but I get it. All of us have had people in our lives who have shaped our idea of prayer – what it is, what it should sound like, why we do it…but there’s potential that what we’ve been taught doesn’t quite line up with what Scripture says about prayer.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ve learned about prayer over the years and I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned in the past few months is not coming to God with a "grocery list" but taking really intentional time to magnify his name, pray through Scriptures, pray according to his will the best I can, confessing areas of weakness and sin where I need help and forgiveness…but still bringing him my requests before him…in such a way that I think beyond “heal this person (because that would be nice)” to asking for healing but recognizing that God is using the thing for his glory.

The following quote really helped focus me when it comes to bringing my request to God:

“...Jesus is not like a genie in a bottle whom we can command by invoking His name. When we pray, we should be doing more than looking heavenward, believing with all our might that our wish will come true, and instead of repeating, "Star light, star bright, bring the wish I wish tonight," saying, "In Jesus' name, amen."

Two problems immediately arise when we treat prayer like a surefire wishing star. First, we limit God by the wisdom of our wishes. If God were really obligated to do what we think should happen, then God would be tethered to the leash of our understanding. Our wishes would fence God's omniscience within the limits of our brain and restrict His plans to the extent of our insight. But if our wisdom defines the limits of God's, then our world will inevitably unravel. The job we may want for extra income may take us from the family that God knows needs us more. The immediate cure for our sickness may deny doctors an insight that would save millions or may deprive us of the patience that God will use to bring Jesus into the hearts of our children. We must trust God more than our wishes or concede that our world will be controlled by billions of competing wishes that we have neither the power nor the wisdom to control.

The second problem with making prayer a wishing well is forcing the conclusion that prayers, like wishing wells, are fantasies. Everyone suffers. We live in a fallen world. Biblical prayer does not solve all our earthly problems, and God never promised that it would. Jesus did not even promise His disciples a perpetual bed of roses. Instead, He said, "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33).

Prayer does not relieve all suffering, but it assures us that no difficulty comes without a purpose. When we pray "in Jesus' name," we have God's assurance that He will answer our prayer in a way that brings glory to Jesus and furthers His kingdom…You cannot avoid trials; you can have confidence of their purpose. You cannot bind God by your prayers; you can guarantee His blessing. You cannot direct the will of God; you can pray according to His will and rest in the assurance of His love. You can pray knowing that God will marshal the powers of heaven to accomplish on earth all He knows is best for your eternity.
~Bryan Chapell in "Praying Backwards"

WedWednesdayOctOctober19th2011

Prayer for your Pastors

Posted Wednesday, October 19 2011 @ 7 AM byRoger Freeman Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

Every once in a while I get an e-mail that stops me in my tracks. Perhaps you can tell why this one did!

Good Morning:

I will be using the scriptures below as I pray for you and our church this year.

Ps 31:23..........Father, I thank you that our pastors are faithful,
Ps 31:23..........and that you preserve them.
Prov 28:20......That they abound with blessings,
Gal 6:9............and do not grow weary of doing good.
Phil 1:6...........That you who began a good work in them will complete it.
Eph 2:10.........Your workmanship created in Christ Jesus,
Heb 13:21........and equipped with everything good to do your will.
Heb 13:21........Work in them that which is pleasing in your sight.
2 Cor 9:8..........Let all grace abound toward them, having all sufficiency in all things,
2 Cor 9:8..........and abounding in every good work.
2 Cor 9:6..........Because they have sowed bountifully, they will reap bountifully,
1 Cor 3:6..........and whether they plant or water, Father, you give the growth. I pray for the growth Lord, bless our church
2 Cor 2:14.........I pray that they continually triumph in Christ,
2 Cor 2:14.........diffusing the fragrance of the knowledge of you in every place.
Heb 12:1-3…....laying aside every weight, enduring, keeping their eyes on Jesus and not growing weary or fainthearted,
Deut 28:2..........That all blessings come upon them and overtake them,
Deut 28:2..........because they obey the voice of their God.
Ps 32:8..............Instruct them and teach them in the way they should go;
1 Cor 2:10.........reveal the deeper things of God to them by your Spirit.
2 Tim 2:21.........Let them be vessels of honour, set apart as holy and useful for the Master.
2 Tim 2:21.........prepare them for every good work.
1 Pet 5:2, 3.........Shepherding the flock willingly, eagerly, and being an example to them.
1 Cor 2:4............Their speech and preaching is in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
2 Tim 4:2...........And they are instant in season and out of season to preach the Word.
Josh 1:3..............Every place the soles of their feet tread upon has been given to them.
Deut 31:6...........They are strong and of good courage for you, Lord, go with them.
Ps 27:14.............They wait on you, and let their heart take courage.
Titus 1:5.............Help them set in order things that are lacking,
Titus 1:5.............and appoint elders in every city.
2 Cor 10:4...........I tear down the strongholds over the pulpit.
Ex 17:11..............I lift up my pastors arms
Heb 12:24.......... and cover them with the blood of Jesus.
Deut 28:1-14.......Blessing will be on them,
Gal 3:13..............for they are redeemed from the curse of the law.
Isa 54:17.............I say that no weapon formed against them will prosper,
Isa 54:17.............and every tongue rising against them shall be shown to be in the wrong.
1 Cor 12:11.........Father, let the gifts and anointing on their lives come forth.
Acts 6:4..............Bless them as they continually give themselves to prayer
Acts 6:4..............and the ministry of the Word.
I love you and I am praying for you.

We appreciate your prayers and support! We need you to pray all these things for us; and more. Thank you for praying!

Roger

TueTuesdaySepSeptember27th2011

Liberating Prayer

Posted Tuesday, September 27 2011 @ 7 AM byTodd Dugard Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

We have the banner hanging in our foyer: “Believing firmly in the power of prayer”. We may believe in that power, but are we experiencing that power when we pray? My sense is that prayer still remains a bit flat for us. A bit of a mystery. A bit…boring even. At our last Night of Prayer I shared a number of “rules” regarding praying in a group that I hope will liberate people from the awkwardness and boredom that so many feel in that kind of setting. I suspect that some do not participate in these prayer gatherings because of some fears they have. I’m hoping these simple suggestions will address these things and help us have vibrant, Spirit-filled prayer gatherings.

1. We don’t pray around the circle. Ever. I have never been a fan of “praying around the circle”. The fact that we may sit in a circle is mere pragmatism…so we can face each other hear what’s being prayed. The shape of the gathering shouldn’t dictate the order. I find it to be presumptuous on what the Spirit may be doing in the lives of those in the group. The circle, not the Spirit, dictates the order of things. Seems wrong to me.

2. We don’t expect everyone to pray aloud. Last week in our elders meeting, I didn’t pray. I had not had the best day and felt like I wasn’t in the best place. I was in a bit of a wrestling match with the Lord and it would have been a bit hypocritical to pray, in my estimation. I added my “amen” to the prayers of the other elders, but remained silent. Some people don’t feel like they’re ready to pray aloud because they’re new in the faith. I remember the first time I was in such a situation. I was maybe sixteen years old and a new follower of Christ. I had no idea what to say or how to say it. All I know is that as prayer moved around the circle toward me, I didn’t hear a single word of any of the previous prayers and my anxiety level was increasing. I survived. Having said that, there should come a time in every believer’s life, where his or her maturity level leads him or her to pray aloud within a group. If you are growing in your walk with Christ, you should not remain silent forever.

3. You can pray more than once. Among the problems of praying around the circle is the reality that I only get one shot at praying, and so you feel like you need to get out a good one. This is what adds incredible pressure to people who have little experience with this. If the circle-thing is abolished, then people are freed up to pray shorter, more meaningful prayers as things come to their mind and heart. As an added bonus, what you will notice in time is that your prayers become more conversational with the Lord and your intimacy with him will increase.

4. Silence is more than okay. Some of the most memorable and impactful prayer times I have been a part of have included long periods of silence. Most groups consider these to be “awkward silences” as if just sitting in the presence of the Lord is a problem. In prayer, God can often speak to us especially if we are using his Word as the basis for our praying. Don’t feel like you have to jump in when no one is praying. Enjoy the quiet (we get so little of it), and let God speak for a minute or two or more.

5. Find your prayer list in the Bible. Having mentioned using God’s Word as our basis for praying, let me say further that doing this opens up to us an amazing treasure of things to pray about. What I appreciate so much about praying the Scriptures is that you know without a doubt that you’re praying God’s will. When I bring my list, I’m never really sure about that. Having our Bibles open when we pray brings the conversation with the Lord to life. A great resource to have on this kind of praying is Daniel Henderson’s Transforming Prayer, which is the focus of all of our small group studies right now.

6. Don’t share requests beforehand. We have all been part of prayer meetings that were 75% sharing requests and 25% praying. God knows what’s on your heart and the people in your prayer group will know when you pray it. They can agree with your prayer and say “amen” …or not…after you pray it. Spend your time talking to God and not each other.

7. Change your posture. I sit at a desk a lot. When I pray, I really do like to change that up. What we find though is that the standard prayer posture of most Christ-followers is to be in a sitting position, hunched over. I suspect that chiropractors would tell us that we are wrecking ourselves by doing that. I strongly encourage mixing it up. Stand during prayer even if others continue to sit. Walk around the room if that works. Kneel. Lay flat out on the floor. I have been part of group prayer meetings with all of these postures being practiced. Don’t be shy about it and don’t worry about what anyone else is doing.

8. Take notes during prayer. One of the most frustrating things that happens to me in prayer is having my mind wander away to what I have to do later. To help with that, I keep a piece of paper in my Bible or use my iPhone to make a quick note. That way I can stop thinking about it until later and get back to prayer. Keeping notes can also be helpful when something someone else is praying prompts me. Maybe I want to pray further about that later, or do something to encourage someone. Jot down a quick note about it and get back to praying.

9. Whoever opens the prayer time, closes it. This is simply a practical suggestion to again help with that problem of praying around the circle. With the circle, it was easy to know when the time of prayer was done, but without that order in place, how do you know? Simply have the one who opens the prayer time with his or her prayer also be the one to close it off.

I’m hoping that these suggestions will help liberate our church during our group prayer times, but if you look back, you’ll find some great ideas for making your personal time of prayer each day more vital as well. We can’t afford to not grow in this area of our lives personally and corporately knowing that Ephesians 6:18 makes it so clear that we are to be, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert, with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

ThuThursdayJulJuly21st2011

Blessed

Posted Thursday, July 21 2011 @ 10 AM byJoel Dugard Tagged Prayer Relationships 0 comments Add comment

Blessed.

If I were to sum up how I’ve felt over the past few days in just one word, that would probably be the one. Just…incredibly blessed. I’ve already had an action packed summer, between working at Harvest as an intern and connecting with friends and family before going back to school in Lynchburg, Virginia. But a few very special things have happened to me of late that have just caused me to go “Wow, thank you God!”

I hope that your summer has been filled with plenty of blessings, too. Be they special times with your family while on vacation, or just finding time to relax and rest up before the fall, there are plenty of blessings that come from our heavenly Father each and every day. It’s important to recognize, too, that God often uses other people to pass on his blessings to us. Personally, I can think of several people that helped me feel God’s deep love and care for me through the ways that they were able to bless me this week. Their generosity, be it through their finances, time, or energy, was used tremendously by God to fill my heart with joy for who he is, how he loves me, and how he continues to bless me.

But my challenge to you today is this: Consider the blessings that are happening in your life right now, and think and pray about the ways that God wants to use you to bless others. This was something that God challenged me on this week big time, and let me tell you, the payoff was enormous. After being able to give generously to someone else through a series of circumstances, my heart instantly was filled with joy, knowing that God had just used me to bless another. I say this, not to boast in my giving, but instead to encourage you as a testimony of the amazing joy that comes from a life of generosity. As I mentioned before, generosity doesn’t have to come through money. Your willingness to just spend time with someone or help them through a problem can be used by God to bless them in a big way and, in turn, bless you as well. In Proverbs 3:9-10, it says,

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 
then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

That verse pretty much says it all. God gives generously to those who give generously. Think about that, pray about that, and then act upon that this week.

God bless.

ThuThursdayOctOctober28th2010

Prayer and Fasting

Posted Thursday, October 28 2010 @ 8 AM byTodd Dugard Tagged Prayer 0 comments Add comment

It has been a good week as many have been setting aside time to pray while fasting in various ways. The primary focus of the fast, as Pastor Roger explained on Sunday, was to give attention to the selection and affirmation of new elders.

It is the pattern we see in the Bible in such passages as Acts 14:19-23…

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

We had set aside Sunday through Wednesday for this time of fasting and prayer. Some are continuing beyond that time frame. I will be concluding my fast on Friday with a time of prayer at 7:30 a.m. at the office (112 Caplan Avenue). Anyone is invited to join me for that.
Let’s continue to pray that God would show us his will and that we will be found to be obedient to him in all things.

Todd