The Most Effective Prayer Approach - Handing-over Prayer

In your prayer and daily devotion, learn to accept all the thoughts and issues that you have subconsciously or consciously been gathering in your mind. 

Yes, you have not read wrong – learn to accept all these thoughts. Whether they be good, negative, lustful or holy, welcome them. However, you are not the reservoir for all these thoughts, but you are a clear channel. 

This means that nothing stays in you and everything flows out through you to the hands of God.

Take time to hand over gently all your comforting or troubling thoughts during this quiet moment with the Father. Whisper to Him every thought that runs through your mind. Do not fight the thoughts or treat them as unwelcomed issues. Just receive and let go.

There is no condemnation, stress, or demand on your part. Just come confidently before your Father in heaven, let go and let God handle all your thoughts and struggles. Despite your difficulties, God has given you the assurance that He is most willing to carry your burdens.

Tell God that “this thought I give to you” or “this thought I surrender to you”. If the thought comes back many times, simply hand it over again and again. Do not resist it – just hand it over to God.

Some of you may never experience this permanent love of God the Father. However, this is a good new adventure for you. Until and unless, you take time to have a solitary moment with the Father, you will never have a chance to know Him more and more.

God has said in Jeremiah 31:3 - “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.” The reason why this assurance of an everlasting love is because we are created to be everlasting. We all experienced this eternity within our souls because of the sense of this everlasting life cries out from within us.

Moreover, it is God who first loves us (1 John 4:19). We are not an afterthought. We are the apples of His eyes. Therefore, we should learn to lean upon God for this “perfect love” instead of leaning upon the people around us. God is a permanent God and our relationship with God is permanent. We can safely place our lives in the hands of God and we will never need to be afraid.

Albert Kang

Please read the first part of this article, "How To Experience God's Perfect Love"

https://faith2ndhalf.blogspot.com/2020/08/learning-how-to-give-everything-to-god.html

How To Experience God’s Perfect Love

As Christians, many are calling God as their Father, but somehow, they do not experience Him like a real father. God, to them, is like a detached parent and an unfamiliar relative. This lack of intimacy with God has caused many to seek for his “perfect love” elsewhere. Thousands of songs and ballads have been written seeking for this “perfect love”. But sadly, none of these songwriters or singers has ever discovered it or lived it out in their life. The music industry continues to serve as an aimless prophetic voice of the generations, seeking an elusive dream.

The effort to find this “perfect love” in people around ends up in disappointment. This creates a sense of loneliness in the soul and many have discarded this pursuit as an impossible goal. Even those who are married, if you are not careful, you would be seeking for this “perfect love” in your spouse. You may end up putting a lot of burden upon the spouse because this is an unrealistic expectation. Your spouse has no capacity to respond as to how God can respond. If these unworkable demands persist in your family, then you will encounter relational problems, tensions, disagreements and conflicts.

Another reason why this internal struggle continues within you is because your soulish self is seeking soulish solutions for spiritual requirements. This will never do. It is like trying to plug a square peg into a round hole. Many people are already so exhausted searching for the answer.

Nothing can fill that spiritual emptiness within you except a personal encounter with God the Father. Even though you are a Christian, that deep spiritual vacuum will continue to be there because you have never taken this journey to encounter the heart of God. A cognitively generated image of God is usually just a god of your imagination.

That is the reason why some Christians left Christianity because they could not find the fulfilment deep within. No matter what slogans the churches may use, what clichés they may apply or what scripture verses they may share about God loving mankind, the person simply says, “I don’t experience God and I really don’t know God.”

Little did most people realise that this encounter and experience with God can only happen when they take a definite journey inward. This is a journey of carrying your own cross – a journey whereby you deny yourself (Luke 9:23).

You may think that it is very difficult to carry your cross or deny yourself. Now, exactly, what are you trying to deny in yourself and how are you going to deny yourself? To put it simply, it is your soulish self that you need to let go of and go for the spiritual self that God has prepared for you. Once you understand that within yourself there is a soulish self and a spiritual self, then it will become a lot easier for you to make your decisions and choices daily.

The soulish self has to do with your self-will, a constant desire to promote yourself, a sensitive attitude that can be hurt easily, and a spirit of comparison and competition that challenges anyone whom you see as a threat. This is the part of you that is taken from the Adamic nature of self-will and self-rule. This is the part of you where you sit on the throne and that you are king.

The spiritual self has to do with your spirit fully surrendered to Jesus. In this spiritual self, God is the King of your life and you function fully under His rule, power and authority. What do you need to do to surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ? You need to let go of all the external trappings and status that you have depended on all your life. You need to have a clear understanding that your identity does not come from other people or in the things that you do or have. This is your first step of liberation – seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Albert Kang

Please read the second part of this article in "The Most Effective Prayer Approach - Handing-over Prayer"

https://faith2ndhalf.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-most-effective-prayer-approach.html

 

How to pray? What is the proper way to pray?

Is it best to pray standing up, sitting down, kneeling, or bowing down? Should our hands be open, closed, or lifted up to God? Do our eyes need to be closed when we pray? Is it better to pray in a church building or out in nature? Should we pray in the morning when we get up or at night before we go to bed? Are there certain words we need to say in our prayers? How do we begin our prayers? What is the proper way to close a prayer? These questions, and others, are common questions asked about prayer. What is the proper way to pray? Do any of the above things even matter?

Far too often, prayer is viewed as a “magic formula.” Some believe that if we do not say exactly the right things, or pray in the right position, God will not hear and answer our prayer. This is completely unbiblical. God does not answer our prayers based on when we pray, where we are, what position our body is in, or in what order we word our prayers. We are told in 1 John 5:14-15 to have confidence when we come to God in prayer, knowing He hears us and will grant whatever we ask as long as it is in His will. Similarly, John 14:13-14 declares, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” According to these and many other Scriptures, God answers prayer requests based on whether they are asked according to His will and in the name of Jesus (to bring glory to Jesus).

So, what is the proper way to pray? Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to pray without being anxious, to pray about everything, and to pray with thankful hearts. God will answer all such prayers with the gift of His peace in our hearts. The proper way to pray is to pour out our hearts to God, being honest and open with God, as He already knows us better than we know ourselves. We are to present our requests to God, keeping in mind that God knows what is best and will not grant a request that is not His will for us. We are to express our love, gratitude, and worship to God in prayer without worrying about having just the right words to say. God is more interested in the content of our hearts than the eloquence of our words.

The closest the Bible comes to giving a “pattern” for prayer is the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Please understand that the Lord’s Prayer is not a prayer we are to memorize and recite to God. It is an example of the things that should go into a prayer—worship, trust in God, requests, confession, and submission. We are to pray for the things the Lord’s Prayer talks about, using our own words and “customizing” it to our own journey with God. The proper way to pray is to express our hearts to God. Sitting, standing, or kneeling; hands open or closed; eyes opened or closed; in a church, at home, or outside; in the morning or at night—these are all side issues, subject to personal preference, conviction, and appropriateness. God’s desire is for prayer to be a real and personal connection between Himself and us.

GotQuestions.org

What To Do When God Does Not Answer Your Prayer?

Today, I just want to share to you Pastor Bill Hybels' interesting experience after a baptism service in their church.

He writes: "I bumped into a woman in the stairwell who was crying. I thought this was a little odd, since the service was so joyful. I asked her if she was all right.

She said, 'No, I'm struggling.'

She said, 'My mom was baptized today. I prayed for her every day for almost 20 years. The reason I'm crying is because I came this close to giving up on her.

At the 5-year mark I said, "Who needs this? God isn't listening."

At the 10-year mark I said, "Why am I wasting my breath?"

At the 15-year mark I said, "This is absurd." At the 19-year mark

I said, "I'm just a fool." But I just kept trying, kept praying. Even with weak faith I kept praying.

Then she gave her life to Christ, and she was baptized today. I will never doubt the power of prayer again."

Sometimes when we pray and pray we feel like we are experiencing the law of diminished returns -- so we stop praying.

We correspondingly diminish our desires and dreams.

We stop believing that God cares and that he will act -- that he is indeed a God who wants us to ask. I hope that you will trust God's love and concern for you, and his ability as well.

I hope that you will continue to be persistent in prayer, no matter how discouraging the circumstances seem. 

Don and Dawn

GLORIFYING GOD IN OUR TRIALS

Paul and Silas glorified God in their trial by getting the jailer saved

When we are going through trials and sufferings, we know that God will be able to bring out much good from them. However, we must remember that we are NOT TO GLORIFY OUR TRIALS but GLORIFY GOD IN OUR TRIALS. 


We are also instructed not to enjoy our trials and like them so much. We are to pray for deliverance from evil as found in The Lord's Prayer. Even our Lord prayed that the cup of suffering be passed from Him. 


The 'cross' is only for a season but we must look forward to the 'resurrection'.  While waiting for deliverance, anxiety should not be our portion because we have made our supplications known to God. We now can rest in the sweet assurance that God's will in heaven is done on Earth. 
Rev Albert Kang

Are You Telling God What To Do?

A Unique Way to Pray 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."1


Terry tells how she "was in the habit of praying very specifically for what she wanted. She told God in great detail about the kind of job, the kind of husband, the kind of life that she envisioned for herself. And Terry was frequently frustrated. But one day, Terry's friend suggested that she try a different tack. 'Give God a blank sheet of paper,' the friend suggested, 'and let God give you his list for your life.'


"Not long afterwards, Terry went back to school—something she hadn't anticipated doing. And she met a wonderful new man, whom she eventually married. He didn't fit the criteria of her earlier lists, but he was everything she wanted in a husband. When Terry turned her life over to God's will, God provided for her needs in ways she couldn't have imagined."2


Another excellent way to pray is, taking off on the famous quote by JFK: "Ask not what God can do for you but rather, what can you do for God—today?"


Suggested Prayer: "Dear God, in light of all that you have done for me, what can I do for you today? Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen." 


1. Philippians 4:6 (NKJV).
2. Terry Fitzgerald Sieck, found in Stories of God's Abundance for a More Joyful Life (Lancaster, PA: Starburst Publishers, 1999), pp. 196-198. 


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He Did Not Pray To Win

My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time.  During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all to "dad".

That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do.  Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son.  But Gilbert tried.  Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young, eager son.  The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed.

Finally, mom stepped in to see if I could figure this all out.  The project began.  Having no carpentry skills, I decided it would be best if I simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work.  And he did.  I read aloud the measurements, the rules of what we could do and what we couldn't do.

Within days his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car.  A little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of mom).  Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids cars and was feeling pretty proud of his "Blue Lightning", the pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own.

Then the big night came.  With his blue pinewood derby in his hand and pride in his heart we headed to the big race.  Once there my little one's pride turned to humility.  Gilbert's car was obviously the only car made entirely on his own.  All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed.

A few of the boys giggled as they looked at Gilbert's, lopsided, wobbly, unattractive vehicle.  To add to the humility Gilbert was the only boy without a man at his side.  A couple of the boys who were from single parent homes at least had an uncle or grandfather by their side, Gilbert had "mom".

As the race began it was done in elimination fashion.  You kept racing as long as you were the winner.  One by one the cars raced down the finely sanded ramp.  Finally it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there.

As the last race was about to begin, my wide eyed, shy eight year old ask if they could stop the race for a minute, because he wanted to pray.  The race stopped.

Gilbert hit his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands.  With a wrinkled brow he set to converse with his Father.  He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half.

Then he stood, smile on his face and announced, 'Okay, I am ready."

As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp.  Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed and rushed over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy's car.

Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud "Thank you" as the crowd roared in approval.  The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, "So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?"

To which my young son answered, "Oh, no sir.  That wouldn't be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else.  I just asked Him to make it so I don't cry when I lose."

Children seem to have a wisdom far beyond us.  Gilbert didn't ask God to win the race, he didn't ask God to fix the out come, Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome.  When Gilbert first saw the other cars he didn't cry out to God, "No fair, they had a fathers help".

No, he went to his Father for strength.  Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one, or too much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to get through the struggle.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Gilbert's simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request.  He didn't pray to win, thus hurt someone else, he prayed that God supply the grace to lose with dignity. 

Gilbert, by his stopping the race to speak to his Father also showed the crowd that he wasn't there without a "dad", but His Father was most definitely there with him.

Yes, Gilbert walked away a winner that night, with his Father at his side.

By Peggy Porter

Live Your Prayers

I knelt to pray when day was done
And prayed, "O Lord, bless everyone,
Lift from each saddened heart the pain
And let the sick be well again."

And then I woke another day
And carelessly went on my way,
The whole day long I did not try
To wipe a tear from any eye.

I did not try to share the load
Of any brother on the road.
I did not even go to see
The sick man just next door to me.

Yet once again when day was done
I prayed, "O Lord, bless everyone."
But as I prayed, into my ear
there came a voice that whispered clear,

"Pause now, my child, before you pray.
Whom have you tried to bless today?
God's sweetest blessings always go
by hands that serve him here below."

And then I hid my face and cried,
"Forgive me, God, I have not tried,
But let me live another day
and I will live the way I pray."

- Author Unknown

Prayer To See Jesus

Jesus, I want to see You, for no other face can show me the Father, and no other light can reveal His image. I want to know what it fully means to have the eyes of my heart opened to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to be in awe of Your glory. Reveal to me the grace upon Your countenance, the joy within Your spirit, and the love that moves Your heart toward mine.

Lord, I seek to move closer, to see clearer, and to be drawn nearer to You—where there are gaps in my understanding of who You are, close them; where there are blanks, fill them in; where there is a lack of clarity, bring things into sharper focus.

Jesus, I know that in You there is no lack, for I am complete in You; there is no emptiness, for I am made full in You; there is no fragmentation, for I am made whole in You. Thank You for being the image of God that I can see, the provision of God I can receive, and the light of God that I can follow.

May You find in me a faith that is growing, a trust that is building, and a love that is deepening day by day. Jesus, I wait upon You, come to me; I listen for You, speak to me; I look to You, show me; I lean on You, keep me. I thank You for being the hope of my heart, the joy of my life, and the reason why I live.

Roy Lessin

Scriptures: Revelation 4:11, John 1:3, Ephesians 1, Colossians 2:9-10, Hebrews 1, 12:2, Philippians 3:8-13

Pray Intelligently

 by John E. Haggai

A certain man spent six hours in prayer each day. To prevent himself from falling asleep, he would stand up and lean against a rope. If he fell asleep, he would fall.

What sort of prayer did he speak? 

He kept on repeating, “There is no God, but God. There is no God, but God.” He repeated the same thing over and over again. He did not plead with God to give him anything; he simply repeated the words like a mantra.

In spite of his dedication, that was not prayer. If you get on your knees and simply repeat a certain formula, you are only speaking words. You are not praying.

Protestants have sometimes criticized Christians from other traditions for using written books or prayers or rosaries. But there are many Protestants who have reduced prayer to something entirely formulaic. They say prayers as did the farmer who each night prayed, “O Lord, bless me, my wife, my son John, his wife, us four, no more. Amen.”

God does not hear you for your much speaking.

On Mount Carmel, the wild-eyed prophets of Baal cut their flesh and chanted repetitiously, “O Baal, hear us!” They were not praying. The Bible tells us to make our requests known to God.

So get alone with God and tell Him what you want. Pour out your heart before Him. He does not care for high-flown language. Study the prayers of the Bible and you will be impressed by their unadorned directness. People simply spoke to God. So go to God as you go to your mother, your father, or your friend.

And don't assume God will dissipate your worries just because you get on your knees for a spell every morning and night. Pray intelligently. Tell God your problem. Tell Him that you have sinned, that you have worried. Tell Him that you want victory over it.

Does Prayer Change Things?

They say that prayer changes things, but does it REALLY change anything?

Oh yes! It really does!

Does prayer change your present situation or sudden circumstances?

No, not always, but it does change the way you look at those events.

Does prayer change your financial future?

No, not always, but it does change who you look to for meeting your daily needs.

Does prayer change shattered hearts or broken bodies?

No, not always, but it will change your source of strength and comfort.

Does prayer change your wants and desires?

No, not always, but it will change your wants into what God desires!

Does prayer change how you view the world?

No, not always, but it will change whose eyes you see the world through.

Does prayer change your regrets from the past?

No, not always, but it will change your hopes for the future!

Does prayer change the people around you?

No, not always, but it will change you - the problem isn't always in others.

Does prayer change your life in ways you can't explain?

Oh, yes, always! And it will change you from the inside out!

So does prayer REALLY change ANYTHING?

Yes! It REALLY does change EVERYTHING!

- Teressa Vowell

The Grail Prayer

 

Lord Jesus,

I give you my hands to do your work.

I give you my feet to go your way.

I give you my eyes to see as you do.

I give you my tongue to speak your words.

I give you my mind that you may think in me.

I give you my spirit that you may pray in me.

Above all,
I give you my heart that you may love in me your Father and all humanity.

I give you my whole self that you may grow in me, so that it is you, Lord Jesus, who live and work and pray in me.