Watch and pray!

"My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." And Jesus came to His disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:38-41

While I was reading this passage today, I was reminded of the importance of watching and praying. Jesus encouraged His disciples to watch and pray with Him before He was taken from them to be crucified. As I read that passage, I wonder, "if Peter had watched and prayed that night, would he still have denied Christ three times? Would Peter had the strength of God to overcome his fear that caused him to deny Christ?"

Ephesians 6:10-12 says, "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." 

After reading these passages, I have to confess that I have depended on my own strength to fight against sin far too often. As a result, I have doubly failed. First, I do not have sufficient strength to fight against sin. Second, I have declared independence from God the moment I depend on my own strength. Instead, I should acknowledge my total dependence on God. In Matthew 26, Jesus did not ask Peter struggle harder in his strength. Instead, He called Peter to watch and pray! Oh how we need to just let our guards down and allow the Spirit to work within us!

1 Corinthians 15:50-57 says, "I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the persishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The string of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! HE gives us Victory through OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

"Father, forgive us when we depend on ourselves for strength. We acknowledge our desperate need for You. Far too often have we depended on ourselves--in our struggle against sin, in our ministry to honor you.. You have said in 1 Peter 4:11 that we should depend on you for strength and for words. Forgive us Father! We let our guards down in Your presence, and acknowledge our total dependency on You! Fill us with the Spirit. Stir within us a sense of dependency on You every moment! Father, we praise You for You give us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Breathe upon us O God! We pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus! Amen!"

Keep Praying!!

If you quit before the call, you'll never get the reward you were intended to have. I recently started working at the Liberty University Prayer Center and realized that the 4-6 hours a week were actually making an impact on my own time. With all of the homework and other groups that I'm involved in, I began to wonder if God had me in the right place. Sadly, I started feeling like maybe I needed to focus on my own needs rather than others- a convicting thought. But today I realized that God has me in the exact place He wants me to be. I received a prayer request and responded with an email and prayer. Surprisingly, the requester asked me if there was anything he/she could pray for me about. I responded and thanked him/her for his/her kind effort! Within 2 hours I received a fantastic email and prayer from him/her that encouraged me beyond what I could have imagined. Breaking down in tears I realized that praying with the Prayer Center team has been more of a blessing than an hindrance as I thought at first. This simple prayer changed my night and my perspective of God's sovereignty. Prayer WORKS as proven by my experience tonight. So I challenge you...Who can you reach out to and pray for today? Take 5 minutes to truly listen to and to pray for someone else's need, not your own. Maybe you're interested in praying for others in the Prayer Center and seeing the change in your own life? If so, stop by/email us and tell us you want to volunteer! Or maybe you need prayer? Let us help by emailing us at prayercenter@liberty.edu, texting us at (434) 515-1854, or coming to visit us on the first floor of dorm 17 on the hill! May God work in your lives as He just worked in mine!

By Liz Kemmerer

Prayer Center Minister

"Where Are the Men and Women of Prayer?"

Paul writes in Ephesians 5:16, “[Redeem] the time for the days are evil.” We live in exciting times. More people are alive today than any previous generation. The opportunity to impact our world for Christ has never been greater. We have all the resources we need. But there’s one disturbing question, “Where are the workers?”

Jesus said that the solution to enough workers for the harvest is found in prayer (Mt. 9:37-38). But that presents another problem. Where are the men and women of prayer?

Too many of us have become so busy that we have no time for God. It’s impossible to have an intimate relationship with anyone without sufficient time with that person. How much more true is that with God? We long to spend time with those we love. Therefore, if you truly love God, you will desire to spend time alone with Him sharing your heart and allowing Him to share His heart with you.

This may be the greatest hindrance of this generation of pastors. We have become “professional” ministers and learned well how to produce “quality” programs. But we’ve forgotten the secret chamber of prayer. We often entertain but seldom convict. We draw crowds to our buildings but few to our Savior. We’ve learned the art of developing partnerships, but lost the passion to know the one Partner that really matters.

The Father longs to spend time with His children. He calls to us. Steal away and make time to meet with Him. If there is any hindrance to your intimacy with God, identify it, confess it, and repent of it. Determine in your heart that you long to know Him, really know Him, more than anything in life. He will come to you. He will meet with you. Don’t allow any obstacle to keep you from such intimacy with God.

–Adapted from Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry (Chapter 37, Hindrances to Effective Prayer by Sammy Tippit).

"A Renewed Mind"

We may say a person has an ulterior motive, there are strings attached, they are in it for the money, they have a hidden agenda, it is not what it seems, or it seems too good to be true. We are naturally skeptical people when it comes to changing our mind about someone or something we do not trust. Have you ever attempted to help someone only to have them skeptically turn down your offer? Have you ever doubted a salesman’s pitch as you were determining to make a major purchase? Have you ever needed to change your mind about someone who proved to be more trustworthy than you initially thought? Have you noticed that it is nearly impossible to fully appreciate the value of someone or something until you understand and trust them/it? For this to occur we typically must change the way in which we view them or think about it.

Pastor Fred Luter shared a message in Convocation on Wednesday about “The Importance of Having a Renewed Mind”. Using Philippians 2:5-8, he reminded all of us that we are being tempted to sin every day by the enemy who has many effective tactics in his bag of tricks. The only way we can stand against his attacks is to have a mind like Jesus. With a renewed mind I am capable of realizing the over-whelming value of what Jesus has accomplished for me through His death. My response should be nothing short of sacrificing my life for Him and living every day for His purposes. Just as Jesus humbly chose to become one of us, my choices should be those that make my Father in heaven pleased. A renewed mind allows me to realize that there are consequences connected to every choice I make. The Cross meant suffering and shame for Jesus. With a renewed mind, I am able to reflect on the message of the Cross unlike those whose minds are still darkened. Many of us Christians fail to appreciate how blessed we are to have access to a renewed mind. We attempt life through our own understanding.

So if you are a Christ-follower, yet find your spiritual walk somewhat dry and passionless, you may need to renew your mind. If you will change your mind, Jesus will change your heart. It is a heart problem! Did Jesus have an ulterior motive; does His message seem too good to be true? Until one renews their mind about who He is and what He has done, Jesus cannot be fully appreciated as Lord and Savior! If you want to grow in your worship and appreciation of Jesus Christ, simply learn more about Him through studying the Bible and then meditate on what you learn…”A Renewed Mind”! Spend some time in prayer right now, asking God to help you renew your mind.

"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had." Phil. 2:5 NLT

"When God Calls"

Imagine you get a personal phone call from Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. asking you for a favor. Let’s say he asks you to come to his office right away so that he can talk to you about something very important. He tells you not to worry about your class schedule; he can have his secretary take care of that for the rest of the day. He is adamant about needing you there immediately because the window of opportunity is small. Do you drop everything and go? Are you excited about the possibility of sitting in his office and visiting with him about how you can help him? Or do you share with him that you are busy and do not have any free time until tomorrow afternoon? What about simply not showing up at his office and ignoring his request? What if he called you personally every day for a week…would you go meet with him?

Ken Davis brought us a challenge on Monday during Convocation (watch it online if you missed it! Ken Davis). If God clearly and miraculously revealed Himself to you and called on you to do something for Him…how long would it take you obey? We were reminded that God speaks to us every day. When God comes near and speaks to us we are standing on holy ground. God promises to build His Kingdom but He chooses to use our lives to do the work. Moses was a less than capable ordinary guy empowered by an extraordinary God. For every excuse Moses gave as to why he could not do the job, God reminded him that it wasn’t about his abilities…it was all about God’s abilities! “God will never ask you to do anything He hasn’t first prepared you to do.”

God wants us to experience live to its fullest. Full life is directly connected to our level of obedience when God calls. We cannot do our own thing, ignore God’s call, and assume we should enjoy the blessings of being fully alive. How often do we believe we should be given more blessings than we already have? Is God loving when He tells us “NO”? Is it right for God to withhold from me when I refuse to obey His call? Which excuse am I using to ignore God’s call to me? “Who am I?; How should I explain who You are God?; What if they don’t believe me?; What if they won’t listen?; What if they doubt me?; What if…?” God tells us “You can’t…but I can!” Will you trust Him?

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” John 14:21 NLT

"Steven Furtick: How to Approach God"

It’s common practice to teach your kids to say "please" and then "thank you" when they have requests. It’s considered proper protocol. And when talking to adults, it is. But with God, things are a little bit different.

God has a protocol for how He wants to be approached. And it starts with thanksgiving:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5

With God, "thank you" should always come before "please." The first thing that needs to come out of my mouth in prayer and worship needs to be praise for who God is and what He has done. Not just instructions for what I want or even need Him to do.

Thank you is the key that opens the door to God’s house. There’s a lot of reasons for this, but more than anything, it’s about perspective.

If you thank God for everything before you ask Him for anything, it makes you realize you deserve nothing. It gives you the worldview that but for the grace of God, you would be in hell. And in turn, it makes you even more thankful because you’re not. And because God still answers your prayers.

Additionally, starting with "thank you" is just practical. When we start with praise, we establish the goodness and greatness of God right off the bat. Now all of our subsequent prayers and complaints can be answered by a good and great God who can both respond to us and who wants to.

It’s impossible to be self-absorbed and God-conscious at the same time. Realign your perspective in prayer today.

Start with "thank you." And then move on to "please."

by Steven Furtick

"Understanding Prayer = Effective Prayer"

I continue to meet people who honestly admit that they do not fully understand the game of football. Now most of us would be surprised at this revelation, thinking that clearly everyone understands such a well-known popular past-time! Yet the reality is that some people watch the game without: really making sense out of all of the plays or the penalties; knowing what the individual referees are responsible for (why do they need so many?); knowing why there are so many coaches among the players; or why so many players stand around on the sideline dressed in their jerseys, without pads on, but don't look injured! There may also be some confusion about the various rules: is it the knee or elbow on the ground...or both, that stops the play; how many feet need to touch before it is a catch; does a touch-back come out to the 20 or 25 yard line...is that on a punt or kick-off; why can some guys grab with their hands but others try it and get a yellow hankie thrown at them; why do they call a safety when a safety tackles the QB in the end-zone; what about downs, conversions, PAT's, illegal touching?, huddle, snap, flea-flicker, swing-pass; and the list could continue...

I believe that prayer is similar in a way to football. It is easy to listen to it, talk about it, watch it, participate in it, and even like it, without understanding it. When we do not understand something well, we are at a distinct disadvantage when trying to explain it to others, enjoy it fully, engage in it, teach it, lead it, improve it, or simplify it. In other words, what does it take for our prayers to be more effective? Is it possible that many people who pray or those who would like to pray more than they do, might not understand what they should about prayer? Like football, is it simply easier not to ask the questions because we might be embarrassed for not knowing the answer? Could it be though, that the answers would actually lead one to a greater understanding of prayer or football, which would also open up greater enjoyment and appreciation on our part? I imagine the difficulty in recruiting for a class on "Becoming a Better Fan - Understanding Football Better"...would anyone attend? I have discovered that when people hang out with those who truly know the game of football and humbly share what they know, knowledge of the game is passed along, understanding increases, and appreciation for the game grows. Is it possible that it would be the same for prayer? Let's talk about prayer....

Ascribe Glory to the LORD

Ever been in a situation where you just don't seem to have the desire to worship God anymore? Simple solution: don't try. As human beings, we are given the privilege of free will--to act and respond. Hence, we simply cannot outwardly express our worship to God if it does not exist inwardly. For example, if a water bottle is empty, one cannot pour a single drop of water from it unless he first refills it. Therefore, instead of trying to muster "water" from your "empty bottle," try to fill your empty bottle with His Word and let worship overflow as a natural response to Him!

Psalm 29 centers on calling the Israelites to ascribe glory to the Lord. In efforts of leading the Israelites to worship, David provides a context in which the Israelites can respond. Verses 3-9 are an account of the power and awesomeness of God's voice. The voice of the Lord is over the waters, thunders, is powerful, is full of majesty, breaks the cedars, makes Lebanon skip like a calf, flashes forth flames of fire, shakes the wilderness, makes the deer give birth, and strips the forest bare (Ps. 29:3-9). In essence, David is trying to remind the Israelites that God is and will forever be enthroned over all things because He is the King of all kings. By His voice alone, God is able to make His will come true!

In response to God's omnipotence and God's sovereignty as revealed in His Word, let us meditate upon His majesty and allow worship to naturally flow out of us--to ascribe glory and strength to Him, to ascribe to the Lord glory due his name! 

(Revelation 4:11) “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Thoughts on Prayer

We all realize that as Christians, we are supposed to pray. We know that somehow prayer moves God to action. Many of us have heard that we are to P.U.S.H. when we pray (pray until something happens). I do not always know how hard or how long I should keep pushing. One of the challenges I experience is having the proper perspective when I pray. At times for me there is a gap between knowing that I should pray and how I should go about praying for people's needs and for God's will. Are we supposed to say, "If it is your will Lord..." or does that cancel our request made in faith? Are we supposed to pray for 5 minutes or 3 hours? Should we read the Bible first and then pray or is it the other way around? Do we have to follow the acronym A.C.T.S. (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession) as a proper outline for prayer or can we speak randomly? Are we to speak in King James English or can we use something that sounds more like "The Message"? Should we close our eyes, sit or stand, speak out loud, repeat the entire request again after it has been shared, remind God who the person is that we are praying for and all the details of their need, repeat the name God or Jesus over and over...?

I do not know about you, but I truly enjoy having conversations with people when we simply allow the conversation to move as subjects come up. I enjoy the visit more when the other person is relaxed and comfortable, when they appear able to share what is on their heart freely, when time does not appear to be an issue, when we talk about things that matter, when we trust one another completely, and when our conversations are shared with others who are able to learn something from them. I find that I enjoy "texting" a short thought without needing a lengthy communication at the time, making a quick phone call to inform someone I am thinking about them at the moment, or leaving a note that someone may find find later in the day. 

Could it be that prayer might be used more often if we did not over-think it so much? Let's simply understand it to be conversation with our Daddy in heaven who loves to hear about how our day is going, whose needs we are thinking about, fears or concerns we may have, the joys we experience, or that we might be feeling overwhelmed. Every-time we pray from our heart to an all-powerful loving God, we are changed for the better! Keep praying.

Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Wholly Holy

(I Thess. 5:23)

Now may the God of peace himself sanctfu you completely, and may your whole spirit and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

" ....for the disparity beween Jesus' beauty and my brokeness is overwhelming to me at times.

But as the God of peace, you're making me wholly holy, changing me through and through.

And I will actively surrender to the very active ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whom I'm sealed, with whom I'm indwelt, and through whom I will be safely delivered into your presence. I pray in your faithful name. Amen."

Everyday Prayers

Scotty Smith

Lord, help us learn to be Holy !

Dr. Charles Hughes
Pastor for Prayer

Trust God

After listening to the message given in Convocation today by Dr. Wheeler I am fascinated by the thought of college students applying what was said in a real way - in real life. Some very difficult situations were mentioned by Dr. Wheeler where he has had to trust God with his life or with the life of one he loves deeply. He also shared about some of his students who have needed to trust God while facing difficult circumstances.

What about you? What about those trials in your life when things did not work out in the way you had prayed for God to help? What about the person who seems to always have things work out and they don't seem to pray at all! What are some of the situations where you have struggled to trust God? How did you get through the struggle? If you are still wrestling with something, how are you facing it on a daily basis? What do you do when you want to simply quit trying? We would love to hear some of your thoughts in response to Trusting God! Please let us know what you are thinking.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." --Romans 15:13

Panic or Pray

Today as I was waiting for my friend to be done with her medical check up, I was reading 2 Chronicles and this verse was very encouraging.

Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. 2 Chronicles 14:11

No doubt, there will be time when we will face giants in our life. And that will be the time we either panic, or we pray. I thank God that He allows me to find peace through prayers. And not only I found peace, I also know that He will listen to me and get me through the giants of my life.

God is faithful today. And I hope He does great things in your life too!

Joey
Prayer Manager
Prayer Center @ Dorm 13

Bring Everything to God in Prayer

Today I was reading through Psalm 5, and as I read through the Psalm two things struck me: 

David’s bold approach to bring everything to God, and his constant insistence on going to God in prayer in good times and in times of need. Over and over again David repeats, as in verse 2, “Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray.” David was very blessed in his life; he was king of Israel, he killed Goliath and was a mighty warrior. However, he also spent a good deal of his life on the run from King Saul and his own son who both tried to usurp the kingdom that was rightfully his, and he committed sins that he suffered the consequences of for the rest of his life. Yet despite all this, he was known as a “man after God’s own heart.” This is obvious in the Psalms. David is open and honest and brings everything to God, the good, the bad and the ugly. He was a man after God’s heart because he always sought communion with God and always turned to Him in really rough times and in times of blessing. I think we can be a people after God’s heart if we follow in David’s footsteps.

Prayer is such a great gift, we can talk to the Almighty God of the Universe anytime we want, and He will listen, and He cares, and He will answer! That is so comforting to me and it’s very encouraging that God knows and understands my situation, and He will always be there to walk me through it! I encourage you to read through the Psalms as a model of a life that is centered on prayer to God and seeking after His heart.

--Allison Tallman

Everyday Prayers

Even though I have never met most of you, I was praying for you as I read Scotty Smith’s (1999) Everyday Prayers for March 16.  He concludes his thoughts by praying:

 

“Father, because of past grace, present grace, and future grace, I want to live with bowed knees and palms up toward you. I seek to worship other things less by loving you more. I pray in Jesus' exalted name. Amen."

I pray that each of you might adopt this worshipful attitude in all aspects of your life and ministry.

--Dr. Charles Hughes and Luke Earley

Meditations on Prayer

Prayer Journey Bible --Towns, Destiny, c. 2011.—Proverbs 12 :25 "Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad." Prayer Principle 487 Tongue –Disciplined Prayer, James 3:8 --"Lord, I love to learn the good principles of life."

My Utmost For his Highest—Oswald Chambers , March 12 – "Total Surrender" – Mark 10:28 – "See, we have left all and followed you." Our motive for surrender should not be for any personal gain at all. 

Teach Me To Pray -365 Readings – Andrew Murray, March 12, "The Life That Can Pray" – "I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit so that the Father will give you whatsoever you ask for, using my name."– What life must one live to bear fruit? What must a person be in order to pray with results? What must one do to receive what he or she asks? The answer is simple. Live as a branch depending on the vine for strength. The source of power in prayer is the vine.

Seize The Day by Dietrich Bonhoeffer {whose faith –driven resistance to the Nazis during World War II resulted in his execution.} March 12 – "Being Thankful for the Small Things" – Ephesians 5:20 –"Lord, grant that in the small things I may be thankful. And in the big things I may not lose my appreciation of what you do. Amen."

Grace For The Moment – Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year – Max Lucado , c. 2000., March 12- "Slaves to Goodness." Romans 6:22, "Now you are free from sin and have become slaves of God." We didn’t even know we were slobs until we met him. Then he moved in. Things began to change. What we threw around we began putting away. What we neglected we cleaned up. What had been clutter became order.

Strategic Prayer –Eddie Smith , -Applying The Power of Targeted Prayer – Essential Prayer Strategy – “the incremental execution of a singular realistic {achievable} objective, under unified command, with verifiable results."

Everyday Prayers, 365 Days to a Gospel–Centered Faith, Scotty Smith, Baker Books , c. 2011. “All of us are just as capable and culpable of crushing the spirits of others--Melt the madness of meanness with the grandeur of your grace. I pray in your near and healing name. Amen."

--Dr. Hughes

Meditations on Prayer

Prayer Journey Bible, Towns, Destiny, c.2011 -- March 8, 2012
Principle of prayer - 286 - Listen-Prayer, Matt 18:19
Proverbs 8:33 - "Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not."
"Lord, I will always put you first in my life. You love those who follow wisdom's principles, and I will love wisdom to become smarter. I want godly character, inner peace, and Your happiness. Amen."

My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers c. 1935. -- March 8 - "The Surrendered Life -- Galatians 2:20 -- "I have been crucified with Christ...If you have faced the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And the God will equip you to do all that He requires of you."

Teach Me To Pray -- Andrew Murray --365 readings -- "Difficult Prayer" --Luke 22:44 "He prayed more fervently..." All nature has been so arranged by God that nothing is found without work and effort.

Strategic Prayer -- Applying The Power of Targeted Prayer --Eddie Smith - Bethany House, c. 2007. Principle 6 -- Targeting Supply -- Pray against the Devil's tactics that rob us and others of our time. Ask God to supply the financial resources necessary to expand His kingdom through our lives. Pray that Christians would properly evaluate their use of money and would begin to give, by faith, toward that which brings the greatest return.

Grace For The Moment --Max Lucado --Inspirational thoughts for Each Day of the Year -- c. 2000--- Led by the Spirit -- Romans 8:14 -- The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them...but when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we are confused at best and frightened at worst.

Everyday Prayers --365 Days to a Gospel Centered Faith -- Scotty Smith --Baker Books , c. 2011. - "Blessed Are the Refreshers" ---Proverbs 11:24-25 --- "One person gives freely, yet gains even more: another witholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." And as grace runs downhill to the needy, so it flows to others. To whom would you send us today--to whom would you send me? Freely I receive; freely I will give. I pray in your most generous name Amen.

Seize The Day - with Dietrich Bonhoeffer - March 8 - No Regrets - II Timothy 4:7 -- "To have no regrets is to have made good choices and to have exercised the mnistry of forgiveness."

--Dr. Charles Hughes

Meditations on Prayer

Seize The Day -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- Participating in Life: "Preparation for heaven is not withdrawal and passivity, but a strenuous participation in the challenges of life."

Prayer Journey Bible –Towns – Proverbs 5:7 "..depart not from the words of my mouth." {Prayer Principle 207 Guidance – Prayer, Rom. 12:1-2}

Teach Me To Pray – 365 Readings – Andrew Murray – Deuteronomy 3:28 "Commission Joshua and encourage him." Let us confess before God our lack of prayer. Lack of prayer is the proof of the lack of faith.

Strategic Prayer – Applying the Power of Targeted Prayer, Eddie Smith. –Principle 2 – Targeting The Power Grid – "The Devil’s power grid is deception. God’s power grid is truth. We must speak the truth in love."
Everyday Prayers - 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith – Scotty Smith, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, c. 2011. – March 5 – A Prayer about All-Weather Friendship – "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." {Proverbs 17:17}

Grace For The Moment – Inspirational Thoughts For Each Day of the Year – Max Lucado – March 5 – Sole Provider, Sole Comforter – "Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest." -- Matthew 11:28. As long as Jesus is one of many options, he is no option.

"Gracious Lord , give us fire and faith for loving as all-weather friends. What do we do next? Do we get in our cars, buy an airline ticket, call up, show up? How can we best come alongside our hurting friends? Show us, Jesus; lead us. We pray in your faithful and compassionate name. Amen."

--Dr. Charles Hughes

Freedom Prayer

A Prayer for More Freedom -- I am learning to pray with Chambers, Ravenhill, Murray, Prayer Journey Bible, Bonhoeffer, Lucado. Today is Scotty Smith.

"Dear Jesus, I’m still not as free as you intend. Please free me so I can be less irritated, and less often, with fewer people. Please turn my hair–trigger reactions into slower, wiser responses. Please help me use fewer words and more listening when engaging others. Please unshackle me from the illusion of control and my commitment to a pain free heart.
Lord Jesus, please liberate me from thinking about the next thing, so I can be present in the current moment. Please help me make better eye contact and heart connection with others. Please help me be more intrigued with people I don’t know and less timid around strangers.
Lord, please free me for greater spontaneity, louder laughter, saltier tears, and quicker repentances.
I pray in your most compassionate name. Amen."

--Dr. Charles Hughes

Unexpected Blessings

I never thought when God called me to serve at the Prayer Center what a blessing it would turn out to be in my life.

Ever since I was little, encouragement has always been one of my spiritual gifts. I can remember compiling a list of encouraging scripture verses on Microsoft Word, printing them out, cutting them up, and taping them all over the house. From computer monitors to headboards to picture frames, nothing was safe from my little strips of white. I never dreamed that one day I would get to pray for others and write notes of encouragement as a job. What a privelege!

Through my service at the Prayer Center, I have learned compassion and how to bear the burdens of my brothers and sisters-in-Christ. I have learned sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and how to follow His leading when sharing scripture and administering comfort to hurting hearts. I have gained endurance and self-discipline in my personal prayer life as well. Before I came here, 15-minute prayers were a struggle. Now I can spend two hours in prayer without breaking a spiritual sweat. But most importantly, I have learned the importance of prayer in maintaining unity within the body of Christ.

In Galatians 6:1-4, Paul calls us to bear one another's burdens in love and humility. And what better way to do this than through prayer?

--Catherine Wilson

Intense Prayer

"When we learn to come to God with an intensity that wrings the soul, then shall we know a power in prayer that most of us do not know" --R. A. Torrey

Having this sort of intensity is not something that comes very naturally for me. However, the Bible seems to show that God responds more powerfully to prayers offered up out of desperation, out of longing, out of anguish. Very often, my little soul is content to remain un-wrung and comfortable. But I've found that when I give up this selfish desire out of love, when I can allow love for someone else to break my heart to pieces and pray from that place, God answers with power. I encourage you today to not pray just as a habit or for your job or for CSER, but to cry out to God on behalf of a hurting world who needs the love of a Savior more than anything else.