EKBC Thirty Day Prayer Challenge! November 2016

Welcome to EKBC Thirty Day Prayer Challenge! If you have not been a part of a "Prayer Challenge" with us before, Welcome! So what is a Thirty Day Prayer Challenge? First, it is an intentional effort on the part of our church to increase our volume of prayer. We ask everyone in our congregation to consider the amount of time they spend praying daily, weekly, or monthly and make an increase. Dee Duke says that we 'count' the things that are important to us. That is certainly true in my life. I count lots of stuff. From pennies to pounds, I watch and count carefully, forever trying to increase both. Oh you thought I was talking about weight! No, I quit counting bowls of ice cream consumed years ago. I am very careful however to count every pound of honey my bees produce....704 to be exact in 2016. We at EKBC think Prayer is important and minutes in prayer are worth counting because of what they produce in blessing from our heavenly father. God's blessings just seem to follow those who pray! Asking, seeking and knocking are met with receiving, finding, and open doors. (Mt. 7:7-8) Dee Duke also says, Much prayer, Much blessing, Little prayer, Little blessing, No prayer, No blessing. No doubt there is much in our Christian journey that we will cheat ourselves out of if we fail to pray. (Mark 9:17-29) So let's count! Estimate how many minutes you spend in prayer daily or weekly or monthly. Would it be possible for you to double that for thirty days? I know, some of you PRAY A LOT! However, we would really like for everyone to try to make an increase. Maybe you could increase say 10% for the next thirty days. The idea is to realistically challenge yourself. Don't make a goal impossible for you to fulfill or one so wimpy that it is no sacrifice at all. For thirty days we challenge you to join us in offering to God the sacrifice of prayer. Give God something that cost you something....Your time. Ps 141:1-2 O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. 2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. NIV Can't imagine adding another second to your busy schedule....Well how about fasting and praying? If you have no medical, health or other reasons to divert you from this agenda, it is worth considering. The Bible certainly puts those two together. Most Americans eat three meals a day.....wow!...You just found several hours that are available. You could, by fasting, redirect some of that time to prayer. Even fasting one meal a day and giving it to prayer would create 30 HOURS of additional prayer in your life this next month. If ten people at EKBC chose to seek God in this fashion during the "Thirty Day Prayer Challenge".....That would be 300 Hours of prayer! 300 hours spent humbling ourselves before God, seeking His face and dealing with our sin, would likely change our world. (2 Chron. 7:14) Prayer and fasting is a powerful combination. Anna who served in the temple even modeled this as her lifestyle. (Luke 2:36-38). Fasting doesn't have to be food. This of course is what the Bible is speaking of when talking of fasting; however, one could fast from other things and possibly find time to redirect toward prayer for thirty days. Consider your media or social media input, leisure or recreational activities, sleeping patterns, any place in your life you can find down time that could be redirected...could all or some of this be given to prayer in the next 30 days? Okay, It is time to do some soul searching. Do some counting and consider how you will seek God in prayer over the next thirty days with your time. Once you have set a goal, write it down in the Journal section of this booklet and start today making that goal a reality. You will be asked to share it later with your prayer forum. You have just completed Day One and Step One of the "Thirty Day Prayer Challenge". Thanks again for making this journey with us!

Thirty Day Prayer Challenge! Welcome, to Day Two! So what is a Thirty Day Prayer Challenge? First, it is an intentional effort on the part of our church to increase our volume of prayer. (See Day 1) Second, it involves an intentional focus of our minds for thirty days on the topic of prayer. Generally speaking we can only keep three or four things on the burner at one time. When I am going through a "Growing Kid's God's Way" course I give intense scrutiny to my parenting skills. If it is a Financial Course by Dave Ramsey, I am pouring over the financial books in my household counting every penny and making changes. As my wife and I went through Neil Anderson's "Christ Centered Marriage" course, we put our marriage relationship under the microscope. Walking through "Steps to freedom in Christ" caused me to put my personal holiness in the light of God's holiness. As I have journeyed through each of these courses with others of you at the church over the years, I have walked away changed....with new insights and with new habits. I believe that my life is better because of the time I have invested in each of these classes and the changes they brought in my lifestyle. But this kind of investment takes time and commitment. If I had tried to take even two of these courses at the same time I am sure what I would have invested and taken away from the course would have been minimized. I am pretty much a four burner person. Burner #1 is my job, #2 would be my hobby/recreation which I try to turn into a family investment, #3 is nurturing my love relationship with God through daily disciplines, #4 generally floats from one thing to another as noted in the studies I have been involved in listed above. Obviously life is not quite this simple or this easy to compartmentalize but the point is this....intense focus in some area for a structured period of time generally produces something lasting, habitual and valuable to ones life. It is our prayer that this thirty day challenge will be just that for you! To help us make an intentional mental investment into our prayer journey several members of our congregation have put together the daily devotions that will follow in this Journal. We believe that they will be a valuable springboard for discussion in your forum which will cause you to give intense scrutiny to your prayer life and it's effect upon your relationship to God and others. This discussion of course cannot happen if you are not reading this devotional and interacting with your forum daily. If this is something you feel you cannot do at this time, then perhaps you need to save this adventure for another time in your life. Like I said, we are usually only good for three or four burners at a time. Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV To interact with the Word of God by the Spirit of God with the people of God, I have found to be a powerful way to renew the mind. This is the objective we hope to immerse ourselves in for the next thirty days as we explore the topic of prayer from God's word. At the end of this Devotional guide you will find blank pages for journaling. As God will certainly show you things worth remembering....write them down. If you question the concepts you read in this journal write those matters down and make it a topic of discussion in your forum. If you are challenged by God to a new level of commitment or toward the formation of a new habit...write it down. Read, Discuss, Journal, that is the Commitment we believe will make this Thirty Day Prayer Challenge most beneficial for you and those you share the journey with. You can begin today! Evaluate what burners are turned on in your life today? Do you need to shut something off for the next thirty days to get the most from this study? Start the writing process now, record your answer to these questions in your prayer journal today. Thanks Again for being involved in this Event with your church family!

Thirty Day Prayer Challenge! Day Three! So what is a Thirty Day Prayer Challenge? It is an intentional effort on the part of our church to increase our volume of prayer.(Discussed in Day 1) It involves an intentional focus of our minds for thirty days on the topic of prayer. (Discussed in Day 2) It is an effort to facilitate growth in our prayer life through interaction with other members of the body of Christ. We have discovered that 'on-line' Forums can be very useful for this. Prov 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. NIV Theology built in a vacuum is dangerous. Left alone with our own thoughts and ideas we can end up in some strange places theologically. Even the Apostle Paul after having spent time in a relational vacuum came out and submitted his doctrine to the church to be sure he was not running the race in vain. (Gal.1:132:5) In the end we will all be responsible for how we have interpreted God's word and worked that understanding of His word through our lives. We cannot relinquish that responsibility to any commentator. That however does not mean that we are to abandon dialogue with our brothers and sisters in Christ or never read a commentator. This is the crucible for our greatest growth. Finding a vibrant alive growing saint that is disconnected from the community of faith is rare indeed. We grow best in fellowship with the saints. Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. NIV Do you ever feel like quitting? Weary in well doing, planting and never seeming to harvest, perseverance can be challenging. Have you ever set a goal and then never seem to reach it? Have you ever fallen into that sin which so easily besets you for the hundredth time and just feel that you can't get back up? Let me let you in on a secret I have discovered. Life is about relationship, first with God and second with each other. When we are in proper relationship with God and in edifying encouraging healthy relationships with others......LIFE IS A JOY! Given a task I loath and dread, if done with the right person, it turns into laughter and joy. Engaging in my favorite recreation with the wrong person can turn into misery quickly. Relationships, they will bring you joy when you feel like quitting. Relationships turn that weary task into precious time shared with a brother. Relationships give us the accountability and encouragement we need to reach that goal. Relationships give us the strength we need for the one hundred and first time to get up and become that over-comer we so desire to be. (Eccl 4:9-12) Relationships....With God through Jesus Christ first and with the Saints second, this is the mandate for abundant life. For the next thirty days we are asking each of you to join an "on-line forum" and be that encouraging, uplifting, edifying brother and sister in Christ. Share from the storehouse of wisdom that is yours to dip into which God has given to you through age, study, and experience. Approach each other with love and humility and see where God takes you. I believe you will be pleasingly surprised! Okay, this may become tedious for some of you who are about as tech savy as myself. But it is really not as difficult as it seems. Just visit the following link and follow the very detailed directions or if worse comes to worse....do not give up.... Just Call Kari and she will guide you through the process. Join a forum and start engaging! http://Www.eastkelsobaptistchurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03Online-Forum-How-To-for-website-1.pdf

Below is a list of forum Hosts that would love to have you join them. Please be advised that we will limit the number of members in each forum in order to facilitate the best interaction possible. Sign up quick if you have a strong preference! Forum Host: Ed & Genia Nelson Owen & Blair Wilson

Mike & Suzanne Croy Rickey & Lori Fyffe

Chad & Cathy Fyffe Dave & Carol Annonen

Thirty Day Prayer Challenge! Day Four! I have heard it said that a short pencil is better than a long memory. I don't know if that is true but I know that a short pencil is better than a short memory! My own experience has taught me that! So what is the value of writing something down? Well here is what I have discovered: First, when I write something down I generally process the thought better. When I work it through my mind and out my fingertips I generally have a better grasp on some significant thought. If I leave it there though, the value of journaling is very minimal. This brings me to the second and most important reason for Journaling. Review! By Reviewing what I have journaled, the thought or request I had is worked through the crucible of time. I am amazed at how quickly I will often cast a thought aside or rewrite a request that I had before seen as written in stone. The beautiful part of this is that I do not "lose" a thought but rather "trash" it. The difference is extreme. Time however, also serves to solidify some thoughts and requests in my mind and heart in a more permanent fashion as I review them. Those pearls that change your life when worn properly, through journaling and review, are welded into your life. For me personally, to journal and not review is very inefficient. It is the review and continual prayer on a matter that moves it to my answered prayer page or the trash pile. I don't stay with things in prayer over the long haul that are not important to me, and neither will you. Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. NIV Being watchful in prayer according to the Wycliffe Bible Commentary is to engage in prayer that is marked by concern and sobriety. I don't believe I would be very watchful or devoted to prayer without my Prayer Journal. My prayers would be scattered, random, and inconsistent as they were before I started journaling, reviewing and recording things in my prayer journal. My final step in journaling is to move things from the journal to the prayer book. Thoughts to be reviewed go on my affirmation page. Pearls of truth that I want to wear daily go on my "I choose today to..." page. Things I want to be diligent in continually crying out to the Lord over, these will go on the appropriate prayer page as well. A resource I find very helpful is a free app called "Prayer Mate". It handles all of my Prayer Journal needs conveniently on my phone. Since my phone is with me always...so is my Prayer Journal. Obviously you see the advantage in this; because, I am able to capitalize on down time for prayer quickly and easily. One final thought, I see much written and debated about the relationship between faith and prayer. This seems to create a lot of issues for people and much conjecture as to why prayers are or are not answered. I think most of the questions concerning unanswered prayer are summed up in James 4:2-3. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives..NIV Journaling and a good Prayer Book keep me constantly asking and examining motives. Prayer is work, a discipline that demands time. But what a tragedy to come to the end of life and have the veil removed to reveal all that we "had not" because we failed to simply ask!!! It is an even harder work to examine our motives! Truly this must be done on our knees with a Bible in hand. In that place it is amazing how the Holy Spirit can speak into our hearts concerning "our" motives verses His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. That is what works for me. What works for you? Share with your forum the organizational structure of your prayer life. So you don't have an organized prayer life....no better time than the present to start organizing. May God help you today to create a plan that will take your prayer life to the next level and then give you the discipline to work the plan.

God Can and I Love!

Day 5

Bro. Rickey Acts 12:15 "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Faith is a simultaneous believing and acting. Faith is to acquiesce to a certain body of truth in such a way that it affects ones lifestyle. In Acts 12, King Herod has the church in his sights. He put the apostle James to death and seized Peter. The Church began to pray, earnestly pray to God for Peter. They were praying deep into the night. Their brother was in dire straights. In prison! Bound between soldiers, with chains on his wrists confining him! By all appearances he was to be the next to follow in the footsteps of James. Nothing in their frame of reference would have caused them to even consider the miraculous escape that God was planning. Within themselves they were as powerless to help Peter as they had been to help James. In desperation and helplessness they prayed. Their view of God included a rich Jewish history filled with rescues. None more striking than their Exodus from Egypt. They knew their GOD WAS ABLE TO SAVE! This was an integral part of their theology. So they prayed. Not surprising really. This alone however will rarely get folks motivated enough to pray all night. To do this the threat must be personal and immanent or against someone that we have a great deal of love and concern for. So the magic combination came together on this night of Peter's escape. They prayed into the night because they believed God could drastically transform the situation, and they loved and cared for Peter. Think about it, is there anyone that you love enough to give a whole night of intercessory prayer on their behalf? I believed they prayed this night based on what they believed....GOD COULD!....and what they felt .... LOVE FOR PETER. They didn't have a lot of faith but they had a good theology and a lot of love. Check this out....So the angel of the Lord breaks the chains and walks Peter out of prison. He show up at the prayer meeting! And this is how the tale unfolds....Acts 12:12... Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" 15 "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. NIV That doesn't sound like mountain moving faith to me. That sounds like the faith of a mustard seed... maybe? I love the last word in verse 16, they were ASTONISHED! Their prayer was answered "immeasurably more" than they dreamed or expected. I pray a lot of prayers because I know GOD CAN and I love somebody. Even though the disease seems hopeless, God Can and I love. Even though that prodigal seems beyond reach, God Can and I love. Even though that handicap seems insurmountable, God Can and I love. Even though it seems the persecution will never end, God Can and I love. Even though I may think salvation will never come to that soul, God Can and I love. Maybe they are little prayers when measured by those who require much faith, but they are consistent and fervent because I know God Can and I Love....who knows, I might wake up one day to be "astonished" as I experience God's immeasurably more. Never am I hopeless in prayer, because God Can and I love! How big is your God? How Big is your Love? Big enough to keep you praying all night? I hope as you love and pray that you too find many moments to be ASTONISHED!

Enlarge Your World....Pray!

Day 6

Bro. Rickey

2 Thess 1:11-12 11 .......we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. NIV I believe that I become a fundamental part of every life and ministry I pray for. I have a few pastor friends that I pray for regularly along with the churches they serve. I don't know many missionaries personally but I know a few and I pray for them and their ministries. Paul uses a word in the passage above that has always stretched my thinking....."Constantly". As you noted above I pray regularly, but not constantly. The greek word in that passage is pantote (pan'-tot-eh) and has the idea of being "at all times" or always. Now I don't know this for sure, but I don't believe that Paul had a prayer journal. I think He accomplished this continual prayer pattern because interceding for the people of God and the work of God dominated his thinking. As the work of God went into the lives of people and into the world so did the heart and prayers of Paul. Thus I believe Paul had a large work, ministry and world. So here is the dilemma for most American Christians, how do we move from the cares of our very small world to the work of God in a very big world? Age has a way of making ones world small. Can't drive, can barely walk down the stairs....the fortunate ones among us are able to shuffle around the house while the family takes care of our every need. Tied by a short leash to the bathroom and medicines, we become more and more reclusive until our world becomes Television 24/7. We pity these poor souls and dread the day it is our turn and yet......do we not often tie ourselves on a short leash to the cares of our small world prematurely? Driving here and there, running up and down stairs, shuffling around the house demanding others meet our lifestyle's busy needs? We become oblivious to what is happening around us except for the buzz line we are being fed on the daily news. Do you have any idea how hard it is to live in that small world when you are spending hours every week praying for others? It is impossible! I walk by folks at church and I have a myriad of questions for them because I am praying for them and their ministry in the world. With every one of God's good purposes I see fulfilled in their lives, I praise the Lord together with them! My world expands and I am now a part of someone else's incredible journey with God. In prayer we quit looking in and start looking for Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We look for it not only in our own lives but in the lives of others. We become a fundamental part of the ministry of this person and that person and that person and that person etc... We start bearing one another's burdens. Our hurts become secondary and theirs primary. The lost people that burden their soul begin to burden our soul. Our prayers and our world get bigger and bigger and bigger until the distractions of the world are pushed to a small corner of our life. And all of this just because we pray. Prayer is our connection to each other, and to God and His ever expanding work in this world. To accomplish this intercessory task I find I cannot rely on my memory alone or my passion for seeing the will of God accomplished in the lives of others. I do not want to forget people that God puts on my heart to pray for. So I cheat....I have a prayer book. A book filled with names and specific prayers and answered prayers. It has ideas and thoughts that I believe are from the Lord as I have heard Him in prayer. Thoughts that I dare not forget and end up no longer lifting up in prayer. It is the key to my ever expanding world of prayer...perhaps a journal might be as beneficial for you. How small is your world? Expand it today...Pray!

Be Responsible...Pray!

Day 7

Bro. Rickey

1 Sam 12:19-25 19 The people all said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king." 20 "Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away." NIV I believe that I have an obligation to pray for every person that God holds me responsible for as a Parent, Pastor, Church member, Family Member, US Citizen, and Friend. Yes, that is a very long list! Here are my prayer objectives on a weekly basis: Pray for my immediate family daily, Pray for my prayer partners daily, Pray for my unsaved friends daily, Pray for every member of the church weekly, Pray for my city and nation weekly (more often in an election year), Pray for my extended family weekly, Pray for my pastor friends and others weekly or as requested. I of course do this with the help of my Prayer Journal. It would be an impossible task for me without it. Someone questioned me a while back concerning the size of the church I serve as pastor and ask, "How big do you want this church to grow to be?" I responded, "I want no more people than I can lift up in prayer weekly." So it still has some room to Grow! I just do not consider myself a very responsible pastor if I am not praying for my church family. In fact, I think of it as sinning against the people that God has put in my care if I fail to pray for them. Samuel set the bar high, and I see his words as a personal charge for myself to be praying for and teaching what is good and right to those I am called to serve. So who are you called to serve? Who has God placed under your teaching and care? Are you a Sunday School Teacher with a group of students that are counting on your prayers? Do you have friends who need your prayers? Are there folks that work with you and for you that should be covered by your prayers? Has God strategically placed some unsaved folks in your life that need your prayers? Now you have a List that you can get busy with! WooHoo! Get ready to see things happen that will leave you amazed and glorifying God. Before I leave this topic there is another area of service that I want you to consider. The service that we provide to those that God has put in charge of our care. I have an Administrative Council that is charged with my care as pastor. I answer to them and they give guidance and protection to me. They are my equals and yet they are not by virtue of the position that God has given them in my life. I pray for them as well. They are important to my success and happiness. Without their guidance and support I would step out of that place of peace and protection that God has provided for me through them. So I pray for them as those who must give a report to the Lord concerning me. Heb 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. NIV I want to make that role easy for them. It is the same way I hope all of the folks I serve as pastor feel about me! I would hope they are praying at least weekly for me as well. Prayer, it is more than a Privilege...It is a responsibility! Who is counting on you to be responsible and pray for them Today? Don't let them down...Be Responsible...Pray!

Praying in Babylon!

Day 8

Bro. Rickey

Jer 29:4-7 4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." NIV Disappointment in our government and our leaders can cause us to want to pray against our city or nation instead of for it. We may find ourselves as Habakkuk did crying out to God, "How Long!" as we watch as he did the violence, injustice and decadence of our times. The command here however is very clear to those living in captivity in Babylon. Seek the Peace and Prosperity of the city in which God has placed you! Pray To the Lord for the city in which God has placed you! Maybe you do not yet feel, as I, that you are living in Babylon. Perhaps seeking the peace and prosperity of the city in which God has placed you in and praying for it, is easy for you. To you, all I can say is.... press on. Some of us are old however and we long for a simpler, purer time that seems long ago and far away. Maybe it was never truly as we imagined or remember, but there was a day when doors were not locked, Sunday was respected as the Lord's day, and women were treated and respected as ladies and didn't mind that treatment. It was a day not so long ago where life was seen as something precious and abortions didn't top 1.5 million annually. In this distant land of make believe, marriage was a sacred union between a man and a woman and home was a place were children played and love flourished. It was a world where hard work was combined with faith, and prosperity grew, and unity abound. In this "make believe" land Christmas and Easter were not offenses but celebrations. The spirit of the time was Love, Gratitude, Unity and Peace. Certainly it could be debated as to whether or not this world ever existed as this old man remembers. Perhaps it was just the sheltering from reality that came with growing up in a Christian home. Maybe it was the illusion created being nurtured in a little church full of love and hope. But I can't help but believe that this was not the same sort of illusion which was shared by those in Babylon who thought back on Jerusalem. True or not, I believe I share with these people spoken of in Jeremiah a longing which left them seeking a different time and place; not the peace and prosperity of where they were planted. To do this I must change my thinking as they were challenged to do. I must serve my community as God directs me to. Could it be that prayer for that place where God has planted us, might serve them as it serves to bring His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven? Could prayer cause us to leave our longing for yesterday and long not for what was, but for what is to be? Might it cause us in looking to God, to set our affections on our eternal hope and home? Could it possibly draw us as it did our Savior to seek and to save that which is lost, lost not from a historical position but from a spiritual position? To seek the peace and prosperity of the place we live surely must include an attempt to introduce our city to the Savior without whom there is not peace or prosperity eternally for anyone. To pray for the city in which we live truly must include the lifting of the names of every lost person we know that resides there to our Lord in prayer. I would think it would include as well, praying for our city and national leaders. So is your prayer list growing? Are you feeling the need for that prayer journal yet? Let's join together today to ask the Lord for the peace and prosperity of our community. Let's ask Him how we individually and as a church could serve our community. Share with your forum any revelation you receive in this area. Let's pray for our city officials today and consider the salvation of the lost souls around us by name as we long for the coming of our heavenly estate with God on high.

Praying your way to Peace!

Day 9

Lori Fyffe

Our family has been blessed with four girls. Two of these daughters are following The Lord (and their hearts) into marriage. Now, here's the challenge: They are marrying within two months of each other. You're chuckling aren't you? As you can imagine, the Fyffe house is abuzz with wedding planning. In the midst of wedding planning, I am caregiver for my 87 year old deaf Uncle. Also tagging on to the time constraints (and stress) is my brother undergoing a bone-marrow transplant. Truly, I am not being transparent for your sympathy or empathy, but rather setting the stage for a recent bout with despair. Life had gotten so demanding that I hit the floor running at 6:00 a.m.(to fix breakfast for my Uncle). Every day was packed solid until I would fall into bed....exhausted, at some horrible hour. I looked less and less forward to meeting the demands of each new day. With introspection, I questioned my despair. I was still having devotional times (although rushed, at best). My prayer time included, 'pray-as-you-go'. Whatever attempts I was making, was just NOT 'cutting' it. Remembering the scriptures.... “When you seek Me with your whole heart you will find Me” (Jer. 29:13). “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33)......brought Conviction...CONVICTION!!!! In reality, a very SMALL portion of my life was being spent on my relationship with my Heavenly Father. A couple of quotes from the past also came to mind: “If you're too busy to pray, then you're just too busy”. And, “ If you have too much to do that you don't have time to pray, THEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO PRAY”. I thank God for new days and new beginnings. Lamentations 3:22-23 states an incredible promise: “Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Desperate, I jumped out of bed in the morning to begin my day in fellowship with The Lord. Can you guess what I was met with? Immediate PEACE....JOY!!!! My HEAVY burdens instantaneously became LIGHT as I surrendered them to my Master. Believe you, me......I AM A BELIEVER!!!!! Philippians 4:6-7 says, “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Dee Duke said, “How do you know if you've prayed enough? When you're at peace.” Are you presently at peace in your life? Remember, PEACE IS ONLY A PRAYER AWAY.

-Six Prayer Devotions on The Prayer Of Faith Day 10 Cathy Connors James 5:13-18 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain , and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 13

The Prayer of Faith Devotion #1 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. James 5:13a Trouble & Prayer My son relayed an interesting, if not somewhat humorous story to me recently. He lives in a dorm on campus along with thousands of other kids living in dorms, away from home for the first time. Before I begin, you should know I've been known to accuse my kids of not having a clue how to call someone on a phone. Seriously! You'd think I had suggested an unplanned visit to the dentist! That being said, let me ask, honestly, if you need help what do you do? Most people would scream, call for help, or dial 911, right? Well, the events of this particular night would argue otherwise, proving my point of course. It was the middle of the night, and all was quiet, until a young man fell off his bunk and landed on the floor somehow breaking both arms. In a flash of panic, his roommate flew out of bed, ran down the hall, passed the R.A. (who had come out of his room to see what all the ruckus was), finally stopping at the top of the stairs to heroically pull the fire alarm...REALLY?! Well, the medics did come, of course, but not before the entire dorm had been evacuated! Point proven, right? Unfortunately, when it comes to calling on the right person, the right way, at the right time, we may have more in common with this young man and his generation than we care to realize. What might you or I tend to do in our own emergencies? Drop to our knees and pray? More likely we stop, drop, and roll... right into the filth and mire of our own mess. I have always had the tendency to run to people with skin on; or in other words, to human beings who I can physically see, touch, and hear. This can be helpful, and it is good to seek help from the right person/people. But all too often, I fail to run to God FIRST. God says in His Word that we simply need to call on Him. He asks, “Is any one of you in trouble?” A simple yes or no is the required answer. Then He says, “He [the person in trouble] should pray.” It's just as simple as that. Now (more often, at least), if I can identify the fact that I'm in trouble, I will call on God, “Lord, I'm in trouble, help!” And He does. He loves to respond to our needs, and He loves it when we ask. Our God loves it when we run right past everything and everyone else and make a beeline for Him! The thief on the cross found this to be true. Hanging there for the crimes he had committed, he feared God, and he called on the name of the Lord. “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43) “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:21) Next time, call on Him first!

The Prayer of Faith

Day 11 Cathy Connors

Prayer Devotion #2 Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. James 5:13b Praise in Prayer The term 'happy' has been defined by Webster’s Dictionary as a feeling of well-being or good luck. Well, luck is for leprechauns wearing green spandex and weird shoes, in my opinion. I also believe no human being can be truly happy without a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do I dare challenge old Webster with an alternate and expanded definition of this word? My experiences in the few miles of life I have walked so far will testify to the true meaning of happiness. Happiness is what it means to know God and live the abundant life He wants for each of us. Happiness is living now in my eternal life here with Christ before heaven! Happiness is to know and experience God's love for me through His Son Jesus Christ and the blood He shed for me on the cross to pay for my sins. Happiness is to believe in my heart and head that Jesus is who He says He is. It is to acknowledge and confess my sins to the only One who can save me from the sting of death they require and demand. And happiness is what it means to receive the gift God sent for me in His Son Jesus Christ. The gift of salvation. I received this gift of salvation when I prayed. I simply talked to God, confessing my sins, asking Him for forgiveness and asking Him to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. This prayer began my relationship with God. Relationships can be hard work. They take investment, sacrifice, and time. They take love -unconditional, sacrificial love. My husband and I have been good friends since we were 12. But there was something that changed when we got married at 21. We didn't have to say good-bye. We got to be together all the time. There was a joy and an intimacy that we shared when we got married that wasn't there before. It is a blessing and a privilege to get to live and share life with this man. Because of this, I am motivated to work hard on this relationship. Marriage has been the most challenging relationship I have ever had. It has also been, second only to my relationship with Christ, the best and most rewarding relationship I have ever had. I made a covenant with my husband before God 25 years ago. Every day I wake up and invest in this relationship and walk in this covenant. I do this purposely and methodically. I set goals. I communicate with him daily or hourly. I choose to do this. It doesn't always flow out. I make a conscious choice to invest in this relationship. The same is true with my relationship with Christ. Just as a prayer began my relationship with Christ, prayer is what continues and strengthens that relationship. Walking and communing with God is my greatest joy. It is an unmerited privilege. Just being a child of God makes me want to sing and shout my deep gratitude and love for Him. This most precious of relationships is priceless to me, so I work hard at it as well. There is joy that wells up in my soul when I talk to God. So I have a goal to begin my communion with Him in praise and thanksgiving. I don't always have the feeling of joy and thanksgiving when I come before Him. Sometimes I'm tired, or other things are pressing and stressing me. But when I praise Him and delight in Him I always end up singing songs of praise in my heart to Him; often these songs become verbal expressions because I can't help praising Him and rejoicing in His love. Often my behavior must precede my attitude until my attitude catches up to match a chosen behavior. This is true with prayer too. Because of who Christ is and what He has done for me, I have a deeply dug bubbling brook of praise. When I pray, I also praise. In the same manner, when I don't pray I don't praise. There is no better place to be than in God's presence in prayer and praise. The return is so much greater than anything I could give. And so, I am happy in Christ always. He is my joy and my salvation, so I will give Him my praise. How can I keep from singing His praise?! Lord, may your song well up inside me as I offer You my first fruits of praise! Why not try it out? Take a prayer challenge.... First of all, pray, then begin your prayer with praise. Just see what happens...

The Prayer of Faith

Day 12 Cathy Connors

Prayer Devotion #3 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed James 5:14-16a Healing Prayer This passage of scripture is pretty cut and dry. Sick? Call Elders. Sin? Confess. Put it all together and pray. I have personally responded to this specific type of call to prayer twice in my life. There are a bountiful number of people who will take these verses and twist and distort them to their liking until they are unrecognizable. Being someone who has had a lifetime of illnesses, I have heard so many opinions wrapped up neatly with pride, topped with the blingy bow of “thus saith the Lord”, that I looked upon these precious verses with fear, and even sadness, rather than joy. I now know that was from the enemy, not the Lord. I learned that God's Word draws me closer to Him. It does not repel me from Him. The first time I responded to this Word, I was in my younger married years. My husband and I had wanted and tried to have children for about five years. Due to an internal bleeding problem that could not be diagnosed, I was not able to get pregnant. A very elderly man approached me after a prayer meeting one evening where we had shared our dilemma. He asked me if I had considered the passage in James 5:14 and then went on his way. I went home, read the passage, and knew that's what I needed to do. We met with the elders of our church, had a time of confession, and I was anointed with oil and prayed over. A year later, the same month, we had our first child, a son. God said, “Yes!” The second time I sought the elders for prayer according to this scripture was about ten years later. I had been diagnosed with a neurological disease for which there is no cure. Again, I felt in my heart the need to respond. So again I met with the elders of my church. I confessed sin, they laid hands on me, anointed me with oil, and they prayed. This time, God said, “No,” and I was not healed. However, I believe that due to their prayers God began working and moving in my heart and life in a deeper and more powerful way than I had ever experienced before. His answer to my physical healing may have been a “no,” but He had better plans in mind for me. God has used my illness as a tool and a vehicle to draw me even closer to Himself. The benefit of the spiritual lessons God has taught me, and the work He has done in my heart and life, far outweigh the sufferings I may experience in my temporary, earthly tent. I don't understand why sometimes God says “yes,” and sometimes He says “no.” But He is God, and I am not. Maybe that's why this passage of Scripture is called “The Prayer of Faith.” And faith means that even when I cannot see or understand, I still must trust Him. These two experiences that I have had with this type of prayer have taught me to seek Him, trust Him, and obey Him. I have found Him to be faithful. You will too.

The Prayer of Faith

Day 13 Cathy Connors

Prayer Devotion #4 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective James 5:16b Righteous Prayer First of all, let's deal with the elephant in the room - the term “righteous man” sends people running. I can already hear the protests and disclaimers: “You can count me out because I'm not righteous.” etc. Let's take a quick look at this term. Biblical righteousness is the state of moral perfection required by God to enter heaven (see Rom 3:20). So we are right not to claim this perfection by our own means. We claim righteousness through Jesus Christ, by His sinless broken body and spilled blood for our sins. If you are a Christian and you state otherwise, you are implying that in all actuality, you won't pray because you don't believe Christ's blood was enough to pay for your sins, therefore you will never be righteous. Our own lack of righteousness is the whole reason God sent His Son! The atoning blood of Christ is enough to cover all sins. Don't dare attempt to stand on your own here. You can stand in Christ. Believe it, brother and sister, and kneel in His righteousness. If you do, you will find yourself kneeling on Holy Ground. When you pray on Holy ground, you will want to remain on Holy ground, because it is here where prayer is answered. You will want to be there more often. The result will be more prayer. The more you pray and fellowship with God and soak in His presence, the stronger you will become. Righteous people are those who are strong believers. They are the ones who stand strengthened in the Lord because they spend much time with the Lord. They stand in the righteousness of Christ and are therefore made strong. The Christian who is often in God's presence becomes strong and empowered in Christ. The energetic, empowered prayer of a righteous man is going to have a tremendous impact. His prayers will be empowered. If I am standing in the righteousness of Christ, my heart will want to be right with Him and free from the bondage of sin. Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” To be quite honest, I'm not overly fond of this verse; however, I desperately want God to hear my prayers! I want to be right with God so that my prayers are heard. One way to do this is to keep a short account of sin. Go before God often, and examine your heart. Ask Him to show you any sin in your life, and ask Him to help you be free from its bondage. Be someone who takes lots of spiritual showers in the holiness of Christ. Seek Him first, and seek Him often. You want to be close to Him, familiar with His heart, and often in His fellowship, so that you are strengthened and empowered to pray for, and strengthen others. It is Christ who makes us righteous, and in His presence we are made strong. What an incredible prayer ministry we could have if we invested more in the closet of prayer. “Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease in prayer.” (John Bunyon)

The Prayer of Faith

Day 14 Cathy Connors

Prayer Devotion #5 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. James 5:17 Earnest Prayer

17

Earnest prayer comes from the deepest, fiercest groanings of the heart. I have found that my heart is most often in this state during severe trials; not that it must be, but it seems this is when my spirit is the most humble, and my heart is broken and tender. The prophet Elijah was persecuted, hunted, despised, and slandered. The good news? Elijah was a powerful prayer warrior! The better news? Elijah was a human being, just like us! I'm so glad James put that little piece of information in there. Sometimes I forget that the people who seem like spiritual super heroes are just as human as you and I. The super hero part comes from God. “The power of prayer is proven in the history of Elijah. In prayer we must not look to the merit of man, but to the grace of God. It is not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer. Thoughts must be fixed, desires must be firm and ardent, and graces exercised. This instance of power of prayer, encourages every Christian to be earnest in prayer.” (James 5:17 Matthew Henry Commentary) There is a period of my life in which I can look back and say, “this is where I came to a much fuller understanding and practice of earnest prayer.” I can also see now that it was a place in which I died to myself. I'm not sure that “earnest prayer” is meant to be a place where you feel good. I've been told by a dying man that dying in the flesh is hard work. We should not be surprised then when we find that dying to ourselves spiritually is also painful and a lot of hard work. Earnest prayer requires the heart and soul. It expects repentance and forgiveness. It is the lowest, yet mightiest, act of warfare. Lowest - meaning a state of complete humility and brokenness. Mightiest - meaning a place where the greatest and toughest spiritual battle is fought through to victory. I don't fully understand how that works, but I can say confidently that it certainly does. And when you have personally witnessed and experienced this kind of spiritual victory, you won't ever want to turn back to mundane praying again, even though the cost is high. I believe this place of earnest prayer is personal. I don't have a formula or rote prayer to give you. All I can do is encourage you to ask God to teach you this kind of praying in prayer. You have to be the one to approach God's throne and stay there. Seek Him, with every ounce of your being, seek Him. Ask Him to give you His heart, and be sure to give Him yours. Finally, armor up and pray! He is faithful.

The Prayer of Faith

Day 15 Cathy Connors

Prayer Devotion #6 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. James 5:18 Persistent Prayer Elijah prayed earnestly in verse 17, and Elijah prayed persistently in verse 18. These two aspects of prayer really go hand-in-hand. It's the place where you dig your knees in deep, intending to stay there until your request is given to you. I'm not talking about a spoiled nagging child... However, we could take some lessons from their persistence for sure! I'm talking about God-inspired prayer. (1 Kings 18:19-40). God told Elijah that rain would come. This is the reason he prayed so persistently. And it’s the reason he went to the mountain to pray. Not only does he pray, but he continuously tells his servant to look toward the sea for any sign of rain. Elijah actively looked for results, expecting to receive what God had promised. He prays and looks and prays and looks. How often do we come to prayer and expect nothing? We also must actively look for change as we pray. “If you are praying for a situation to change, you must first make sure your prayer lines up with the word of God. Is it His will? Is it what He promised? Is it in agreement with what the Bible says?” (The Best Life.net) When you know you are praying according to God's Word and His will, you can pray confidently, earnestly, and persistently, expecting and looking for the answer. The answer may even seem small at first, but if you keep looking and keep praying, the torrents will come in full, just as they did for Elijah. What started out as a tiny cloud in the distance became a downpour all over the land. “Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” (James 5:18) Our attitude in prayer is significant too. Are you bitter, angry, resentful, selfish, or unbelieving? God most likely will work on your heart before He works on your request. When you pray with an earnest persistence as if you were clutching the robe of Christ without letting go, He will answer according to His will. This is the kind of prayer you will not easily forget. I had been praying earnestly and persistently with a pleading heart of anguish. I knew God was the only one who could help. And I knew I was praying in line with His Word and His will. This sort of praying is like Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord in Gen. 32:22-31. He wrestled with God until he prevailed. Wrestling with God in prayer is quite a spiritual workout. I also wrestled with God. And my answer came not a moment too soon or a second too late. It came on August 17th 2012. When God answers the prayer wrought in anguish and earnestness of heart, you will remember the date. It is that significant. My friend, do you have something worth wrestling God Almighty for? Have you searched His Word and will in the matter? If so, then be encouraged and challenged to approach God humbly and hold on tight to His robes. Don't let go until His heavenly rains come to water your pleading, parched soul.

The 113-Year-Old Light Bulb Day 16

Ed Nelson

The following was found on an internet site called “Priceonomics” with the subtitle “In Data We Trust.” In the United States, the average incandescent light bulb (that is, a bulb heated with a wire filament) has a lifespan of about 1,000 to 2,000 hours. Light emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which are increasingly replacing incandescent bulbs, are said to last between 25,000 and 50,000 hours -- an incredible bump. But dangling from the ceiling of a California firehouse is a bulb that’s burned for 989,000 hours -- nearly 113 years. Since its first installation in 1901, it has rarely been turned off, has outlived every firefighter from the era, and has been proclaimed the “Eternal Light” (emphasis mine) by General Electric experts and physicists around the world. Tracing the origins of the bulb -- known as the Centennial Light -- raises questions as to whether it is a miracle of physics, or a sign that new bulbs are weaker. Its longevity still remains a mystery. How fascinating that a light bulb would be called the eternal light. It is electricity that keeps the bulb going. The power comes from elsewhere, not the bulb itself. Similarly, prayer is our source of power. As we struggle with problems, illness, financial worries, or relationship failures, it is prayer that settles our fears. However, the power to overcome those troubles is from God. Prayer is the vehicle; God is the power source. Jesus told us that He is the “light of the world.” Cameron Thompson, in a booklet titled Master Secrets of Prayer, gives an illustration that I find perfect. He writes: Trams and trolleys and some buses have long poles which reach up and bring electricity and power to the motors from overhead wires. The pole may be within an inch of the wire, yet no power can pass; the bus or trolley stays in the same place. The people inside can sing and shout and preach and hold a great meeting, but when they get out they are still in the same place. This is the secret of prayer - connection to the power that God provides moves us from where we were to where He wants us. We have to make that connection, not falling within an inch of it, but totally, completely, reaching up and grasping through prayer onto the power that is the Living God. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Revelation 21:23

Compost Bins Day 17

Ed Nelson

In our backyard, we have a compost bin. Food scraps and plant cuttings, what is generically called garbage, fills the bins. Over time, all this trash and waste turns into a rich soil. In the spring, we usually sift the pile to remove all the big chunks that have not yet become useful. These we put back into the pile, and maybe next time they will have broken down to the degree that they are beneficial. Seeds planted in the end result seem to thrive. They take root, and soon a seedling sprouts. The seedling grows into a flower with incredible blooms, deep color, and fragrance which seems to hang heavy in the warmth of a spring morning. Prayer is like that. In prayer, we take all the garbage of our life to God and lay it down in a heap. All the sins we confess, the hurts we have suffered, the desires we seek, God turns into a rich soil that He then uses to plant seeds of change. Through prayer, God takes those scraps of garbage in our lives and produces something of beauty bearing fruit. However, the first step is ours – repentance. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come The old has gone, the new is here. 2 Cor 5:17

Of Equal or Greater Value... Day 18

Ed Nelson

Ruth Bell Graham once said, “How often has God said no to my earnest prayers that He might answer my deepest longings, to give me something more, something better.” Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Isaiah 46:10 KJV A number of years ago, we wanted to order some items by mail. On the order form was a check box and a disclaimer that went something like this: “If what you have ordered is not in stock, can we send something of equal or greater value in its place?” Something similar occurs when we bring a petition to God. We want this or that, and we pray for a certain outcome because we think that what we want is exactly what we need or desire, either for ourselves or someone else. God, on the other hand, tells us through Isaiah that He knows the end from the beginning, and that He does all for His good pleasure, which most often works out for our good pleasure as well. God does know what is best for us. He may, at His pleasure, substitute something of equal or greater value. In my experience, the substitution is always of greater value and often has little to do with what my original requests were. Forgive me, Lord, when I pray for what I don't need and become disappointed when the answer is no. Forgive me also when that “something of greater value” appears, and I do not immediately understand that it is from you. ...since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:40

Persistent Prayer Day 19

Ed Nelson

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. Genesis 25:21 Isaac’s prayer on behalf of his childless wife seems fairly straightforward. The verse tells us that Isaac prayed, and then God answered his prayers, and Rebekah became pregnant. Ahh...but not so fast... This wasn’t the first time that Isaac had prayed for children, not the second, not even the third. Isaac and Rebekah had been praying that same prayer for over 19 years. So after nearly 20 years of waiting, 20 years of ceaseless, persistent prayer, their petition was now answered. Paul tells us to “Pray without ceasing.” Here is proof. Stay at it. Don’t give up. Have faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” If hope is the result of faith, then prayer is the conduit. I encourage us all to keep praying, no matter how long we’ve been at it already or how impossible our situation might seem. Pray and pray again. Thank you, Lord, for being patient with us. Help us to understand that you want for us the best life we can have, and often that is different from the prayers we lift to you.

Unanswered Prayers Day 20

Ed Nelson

“His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.”— Exodus 2:4 Prayer, as we well know, is talking to God, asking Him for things that He already knows we want – health, job, salvation for a family member. There are three outcomes: Yes, No, or not now. So what if God answered every prayer with a reverberating “YES”? Would the world be a better, more contented place or a worse one? Think for a moment. What if God had answered Miriam’s prayer after launching the basket with Moses in it into the Nile River, watching as baby brother Moses floated in a basket designed to protect him as he drifted along in the water? Remember the story. Miriam and her mother, in an effort to save Moses, put him in a basket hoping to keep him from Pharaoh. The Egyptians had resolved to kill every single Hebrew baby boy. Miriam and her mother hoped that a non-Egyptian would find the infant and have mercy on him. Miriam was watching to find out her baby brother’s fate. Do you think she prayed, “God, please watch him, and make sure no Egyptian official finds him”? Then, who should come along but the daughter of Pharaoh himself. The daughter of the very man who proclaimed: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile” (Exodus 1:22). I imagine Miriam prayed: “God, please don’t let her see him!” But Pharaoh’s daughter does see him, and she pulls the basket with Moses in it from the river... Miriam must have felt panic and wanted to cry out, begging God to protect Moses from harm. We know from the story that Pharaoh’s daughter took Moses for her son and later brought Moses' own mother as the boys nurse. God must have revealed to Miriam something like “Good thing I didn’t answer your prayer. Had I done what you asked, Moses would have drifted off and drowned. Instead I have great plans for him. He will grow up in Pharaoh’s household where he will become a noble, a leader. Later still, I will use him to redeem Israel, releasing them from bondage under Pharaoh.” Like Miriam, we don’t always get what we pray for. But we always get what we need, and that makes all the difference. When we pray for one thing and we don’t get what we asked for, it feels as though one of two things has happened. Either God didn’t hear our prayers, or He has chosen not to grant the request. But neither is true. God hears every one of our prayers. Sometimes He says “yes,” and other times He says “no.” But when God says “no,” it’s not because He doesn’t want us to have good things or the requests we place before Him. When God says “no,” it’s because He has something even better in store. When your prayers seem to go unanswered, think of Miriam standing urgently in the Nile. Thank God for your unanswered prayers because those are often the greatest gifts of all.

Yellow socks

Day 21

Ed Nelson

On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation. Luke 22:4 Recently, my wife took a spill and ended up in the hospital for a day and a night. Everyone was very nice to her, watching out for her well being and checking on her comfort and pain levels. I sometimes look for a spiritual truth in things that make little sense to others, and I contemplated what might be a spiritual truth in this unfortunate situation. Thinking about it tonight, the answer came to me --- yellow socks. Yep, yellow socks. What in the world, you ask, do yellow socks have to do with spiritual truth, or prayer, or anything for that matter? After she was admitted and placed in a room, a nurse arrived with a pair of yellow socks, the kind with little rubber grippy things all over. “If for any reason you get out of bed, you must first press the red call button for the on-duty nurse. The call button will summon assistance for you so that someone will be there holding onto you, since you are a fall risk.” Yellow socks indicated a patient who might totter over if not held onto, and the bright color of the socks alerted staff to that very thing. I was right there, and the bed was two feet from the potty, but the rule was, “if you get up you have to call, because you are a fall risk.” Someone had to know that the patient in the yellow socks was moving about. Considering the term “fall risk,” I figure we all should be wearing yellow socks every day. Constantly, we come under the lure of temptation. I struggle with it, and I suspect you do also. We can try to fool ourselves into thinking that we are beyond the need to be propped up. The truth of the matter is that no one is exempt from the struggle that comes from sin. In his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us of his struggle with sin: For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18 God is with us, regardless. Knowing that we are all fall risks, that we all should be wearing yellow socks, He gave us prayer. We struggle with temptation, fall into it, seek forgiveness, repent, and then start the process over. There is nothing new in this process. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The preceding verse declares: If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall. Our enemy the devil seeks to kill, steal and destroy without mercy or compassion. 1 Corinthians 10:12 Will we stand against his attacks in the full armor of God, with bright yellow socks on our feet, fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace? So then, put on your yellow socks, pray, and wait for God. Sin first came into this world because someone wasn't wearing yellow sock and thought that he wasn't a fall risk.

Dear God... Day 22

Ed Nelson

Psalm 54:2 Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Prayer is talking to God about whatever is on your mind, whatever troubles your heart. It’s about things you don’t understand, and for wisdom, for discernment or direction. Prayer is coming before the creator of the universe in His throne room, and being granted the privilege of petitions or requests being heard and filtered by the Lord through His sovereign will. Jesus even prayed, “not my will but yours” ,as he petitioned the Father. Recently I came across children’s letters to God. All of them begin with “Dear God”

I read the Bible. What does 'begat' mean? Nobody will tell me. Love, Alison Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his bowling words in the house? (Anita) Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't You just keep the ones You have now? (Jane) I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that okay? (Neil) My Sunday School teacher says you always love me. Is that true? Even after what I did to Sara yesterday or do you know about that? I really am sorry so I wish you would still love me. Did you really mean "do unto others as they do unto you"? Because if you did, then I'm going to fix my brother. (Darla) My grandma is dying. She says you want her back with you, but I want her to stay here with me. You can have anyone you want. She's all I have, so please let her get better and stay. Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. (Joyce) If we come back as something - please don't let me be Jennifer Horton because I hate her. (Denise) If You give me a genie lamp like Aladdin, I will give you anything you want, except my money or my chess set. (Raphael) My brother is a rat. You should give him a tail. Ha ha. (Danny) If You watch me in church Sunday, I'll show You my new shoes. (Mickey D.) Some of the letters are quite funny. Some are searching for understanding or clarification. Some are petitions for things or circumstance. Some, like the Aladdin lamp, cut to our greed. God...I want this or that and in return I will give you anything except this part of my life. My favorite however are the following two: I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool! (Eugene) And this one; I think about You sometimes even when I'm not praying. (Elliott) Prayer is talking to God, thanking Him for what He has done, orange and purple sunsets, meeting with Him and speaking your heart. Go continually to the throne room asking Dear God...and then thinking about Him even when you aren’t praying.

Thank you God for the privilege of prayer. Allowing us to seek your face, forgiving our sin all the while we, in our feeble attempt, try to understand and share your heart and do your will. Call to Me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things which you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:2

Habits

Day 23 Kari Rushmer “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” - Daniel 6:10 Daniel was in the habit of praying. He was so in the habit of praying, that his enemies knew exactly when and where he would be praying, in spite of the fact that he did it privately, and they used that information against him. His habit was such that he prayed not just when he thought of it, not just once a day, but three times a day, at specific times. Habits are our autopilot. We brush our teeth, tie our shoes, make our beds (some people do that, right?) usually without thinking. We don't have to relearn how to do these things each day. Science tells us that repetition leaves an imprint on your brain allowing you to perform an action without consciously thinking about it. That said, good habits don't happen by chance. They are the result of discipline. Scientists now say that it takes 66 days to form a new habit. Furthermore, you can’t “think” your way into a new habit, you must take action. In general, a new habit takes effort, planning, and accountability. After all, if it was easy, it would probably already be a habit. Daniel was 85 at the time of this passage, and he was a man of power and authority - the head of 120 governing princes. He was a busy man, important in his kingdom, and let’s face it, a little past his prime. Developing a prayer habit was probably a difficult task. He must've gotten tired; his schedule must’ve been full. Yet he prayed…morning, noon, and night. Daniel was on autopilot. So when the decree had been issued forbidding everyone to pray to any god but the king, Daniel continued to do what he had always done, regardless of the potentially fatal results. It is worth noting that Daniel didn’t begin praying three times a day after his enemies devised a plot against him and he was in danger. It was already his habit. When he then came under attack, he was already in the habit of communing with God, of bringing his requests to Him, of being thankful in every circumstance. In the same way that a well-conditioned muscle responds to sudden stress, Daniel faced this trial with the unshakeable faith of a man who knew his position in Christ because he spoke with him three times a day, every day. Jon Courson points out in his commentary that “if the source of Daniel’s success was the Holy Spirit, the secret of His success was consistent prayer.” Few good habits begin on their own. Each day I get up in the morning and brush my teeth. I don’t have to write myself a reminder. I don’t need to remember how much toothpaste to use or how long to brush my teeth. But, it didn’t start that way. At some point, I had to be taught. For some period of time, I had to consciously choose to brush twice a day, to take 30 extra seconds to floss. And I had to enforce that habit over and over before it became unconscious action. Daniel must’ve been the same way. At some point, he began the habit of thrice daily prayer. At times, it must have been inconvenient. Perhaps on some days he forgot. But eventually, prayer became like reflex. We must develop the habit of prayer because we don’t know what trial or crisis we may face tomorrow or the day after. When we consistently take everything to the Lord in prayer, we are promised a “peace that transcends understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) Write a goal, make a plan, find some accountability, make prayer a habit, and see how the Lord helps you face down the lions in your life. “As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:16,17

Persistence

Day 24

Kari Rushmer

The Olympic Peninsula is home to some of the last wild, undeveloped beaches in the continental United States. The ferocity of the ocean here, the ragged geography of the underwater landscape, the mist and fog and weather, have made it a place famous for its tragic shipwrecks. Wind and wave hammered, isolated, strewn with massive logs and tangles of kelp, these wilderness beaches remain virtually untouched by man. This coastline is riddled with an ever-changing landscape of sea stacks, arches, caves and tide pools. Jagged fingers of stone point to the sky, the last vestiges of massive headlands and sea cliffs that were, over time, worn away by the persistence of water on rock. These coastal areas are a testament instead to the relentless power of water to undo stone – the power of persistence. Water, often thought of as soothing, refreshing, cooling - has enormous power. A cubic yard of water, filling a seemingly modest volume of 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, weighs nearly 1700 pounds. When it is moving at 30 or 40 miles an hour, as it does in a tsunami, the heaviness of water is monumentally destructive. Not a mere cubic yard of water, but a wall of water, an ocean of water, deceptively fluid yet solid as a hammer. Persistence is defined as a firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. In Luke 18, Jesus uses the Parable of the Persistent Widow to show his disciples that they “should always pray and not give up“(v.1). In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!' Luke 18:2-5 Jesus’ point was, in contrast to that unjust judge, how much more will God, our good judge and father,” bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?” Of particular notice here is the phrase “who cry out to him day and night” - this was no brief, one-time-only prayer request. This was not a once-a-week during corporate prayer time on Sunday prayer. This was a heartfelt, persistently repeated cry for help. Also of note is the fact that Jesus wants to encourage his disciples to “not give up”, because the desire to give up is exactly what we experience in waiting. With no quick answers, with no convenient reply, there is a strong temptation to abandon our prayers and look for answers elsewhere. Persistence requires us to adopt a firm and obstinate continuance in our course of action despite opposition. With so many avenues of my life lacking this quality of persistence, I wonder at how negatively my prayer life is affected by a lack of persistence. How often do I check off an item on my prayer list, feeling I’ve done my part and then walk away from it? How often do I give up on an issue of prayer too soon, believing that God would have answered it by now had He wanted to? How often do I commit to pray daily or weekly for a topic of concern, and then fizzle out within a month? How often do I face difficulty or opposition towards even finding the time or space to pray, and give up before I’ve even begun? I am struck by the thought of what water can do to stone. With unrelenting persistence, the powerful moving of the water can bring down a mountain. Persistence. Perseverance. Consistency. Constancy. And I wonder about my quickly spoken prayers. My shopping list of requests, checked off dutifully, and laid aside with the sense that I’ve done my part. I wonder about my expectations and hopes for immediate answers. If we prayed with the unrelenting persistence of those ocean waves, what mountains could we bring down? What barriers could stand in the way?

Your First Job

Day 25

Kari Rushmer

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 I sympathize with Martha. I like to think her heart was in the right place. I truly believe she wanted to serve Jesus. I imagine her feeling total adoration and awe for her beloved guest, unfortunately mixed with a selfish desire to impress, to show her worthiness by her own effort. I bet she was at least faintly aware of the undercurrent of pride in her own labors. I wonder even if she lashed out at those around her as they inadvertently blocked her goals for a perfectly ordered house, an impressively prepared meal. How much effort did she exert justifying her own irritation, mentally playing out the arguments that made her out to be the hero of the day while Mary was the slacker? (Wait…are we talking about Martha, or me?) Even so, His gentle chastisement must have hit home. Like many others, my day begins with a full to-do list, the clamor of breakfast-making, a baby that needs to be held, older children that need to be heard, dishes to be washed, laundry to be folded, a myriad of tasks that beg to be checked off. Good and worthy tasks. And then there’s other less notable, but more tempting things clamoring for my attention, the Facebook page, my email inbox, the long-neglected book on my night stand, the Netflix series I’d love to be absorbed in. There are birthdays to shop for, bills to pay, shopping lists to write, coupons to clip, phone calls to make…the list is virtually endless and nearly always overwhelming. I am the master to, and the slave to my to-do list. In the midst of my efforts, I relate strongly to Martha, and I forget that “few things are needed – or indeed only one.” v.42

–

“The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in and out of the wind.” C.S. Lewis

Too often, prayer is a footnote in our day. Throughout the day we may offer up quick requests and immediate needs given in the heat of a frantic moment. After a full day of rushing about, we offer up the last worn-out pleadings of a spent day. How different would our day look if instead we began it by meeting with our Savior? How would the morning progress if, before our feet hit the floor (or even immediately after, with a cup of coffee in our hand) we cozied up to the Lord in prayer, offering words of praise and Thanksgiving, sharing heartfelt needs and quiet musings, aligning our purpose and vision with His own? By getting out of bed a mere 15 minutes earlier, you could, as C.S. Lewis suggested, make your first job to simply shove back the rush of the day and start with that other, quieter, stronger point of view, the one that comes from fixing your freshly-opened eyes on the Author of your day. Don’t neglect those footnote prayers, or urgent, immediate prayers…but start today a new habit of beginning the day by “fixing your eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith.”(Hebrews 12:2)

Travail

Day 26 Jamie Rushmer

36

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” - Matthew 26:36-39 Prayer, like conversation, occurs at different levels. On some days, it may be cursory or brief. Other days, more in depth. It has an ebb and flow. Sometimes, in the midst of a hectic season, it is brief and perfunctory. Sometimes, when we are faced with trials and suffering, it takes on a knee-buckling, faceto-the-ground quality, one that, while painful, brings us a nearness to our Savior that couldn’t be experienced any other way. Deep tissue massage is a massage technique that aims at specific muscles or networks of muscles. Its aim is to realign deep layers of connective and muscle tissue, release stored pain by breaking down scar tissue and muscle adhesions, and lengthen fascia, the tough, connective tissue that runs throughout the whole body. When a person is battling chronic physical muscle or joint pain, a light massage might feel good for the moment, but ultimately does little to ease the pain or solve the problem. When that same person receives a deep tissue massage, it can be painful at first, it may bring tears to your eyes, there may even be a release of deep-seated emotional tension, but when it’s over, you feel better. Those muscles hurt less. We need prayer in all of its forms. We are called to pray constantly, “in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18) But at times, as with muscle pain, circumstances lead us to travail in prayer. Face-to-face with our own overwhelming need and insufficiency, we are lead to pray with an intensity and for a duration that goes deeper. We throw ourselves down, transparent before the Lord. The process, like deep tissue massage, may be uncomfortable, painful even. It may require time, depth and desperation. Yet on the other side, we find that God graciously aligns our will with His own. We feel relief. Peace. Thanks to Jesus’ work on the cross, none of us will ever have to endure suffering in our lives that even begins to touch that which Jesus underwent in His journey to the cross. When Jesus prayed at Gethsemane, he was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” He wasn’t just going to his death, he was taking on darkness, separation, and all the forces of hell, and He knew it. Certainly, in His flesh, even in His perfection, He wanted God to take “this cup” from Him. He fell on his face, He endured unbelievable pain, He sweat “great drops of blood,” He travailed in prayer. But even in this, He did not run from God's will, but aligned His own will with His Father's, saying “nevertheless, not what I will, but as you will and desire.” When He was done praying, He rose to his feet, faced his enemies, (he even worked a miracle of healing in touching the ear of the slave of the high priest). He was able to finish the task. At times we all will face difficult, even terrible trials. The kinds of hurts that bring us to our knees. The kinds of fear that lays us on our faces. We are even told to expect these. We may not have the omniscience of the Lord Jesus to travail as He did in anticipation of the agony that would be His in following God's Will to the cross. We more likely find our travailing in the midst of life's trials. In either case however, as in every other aspect of our spiritual life, there is no better example for us to follow than that of Jesus. As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice…Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. - Psalms 55:16-17,22

Seeing

Day 27

Brenda Smith

I know there is a much bigger picture than my little world I work and live in. I know all your children are part of that picture, but I tend to only see a tiny part that is--me. Help me see past me. Help me look past my needs, wants and my weaknesses. Help me forget about me and see what You see. I can see the multitude of kind works you do toward your children and this unbelieving world. You have a future for your children. It is reality to You and a dream; a hope, for us. I desire Your reality be obvious to my little mind. I want to see your vision for the world and I want to be a part of doing your work in the world. I need a supernatural touch from you to be able to see the work and do the work. Give me I pray, stamina to pray for more workers and the lost children that are yours.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 NASV I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

Jonah 2:7 NASV “While I was fainting away,I remembered the LORD,And my prayer came to You,Into Your holy temple.

Psalms 138:2 NASV I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;for your promises are backedby all the honor of your name

The Blessings of Prayer in a Local Church

Day 28 Bro. Rickey

From Dee Duke - Conference @ Jefferson City 2009. Twelve Blessing of Prayer in a Local Church. 1. The more praying that is done by a church the more unity and singleness of purpose will exist. 2. The more praying that is done by a church the more genuine love the people will have for God, for each other, and for the world. 3. The more praying that a church does the more people in the church will “Know” God, and the greater the sense of His Presence will be in their lives, especially as they gather corporately. 4. The more praying that is done by a church the more joy, confidence, security, faith and peace they will experience. 5. The more praying that is done by a church the more God will work through the preaching of the Pastor. He will become a powerful preacher. 6. The more praying that is done by a church the more the people will grow spiritually. 7. The more praying that is done by a church the more boldness, courage and passion the people will have to reach their lost friends, neighbors, and relatives for Christ. 8. The more praying that is done by a church the more desire there will be in the hearts of people in the church to do the work of the ministry. 9. The more praying that is done by a church the less influence Satan will have on the people in the church, and for those being prayed for outside the church. 10. The more praying that is done by a church the more opportunities there will be to serve the Lord, and be used by Him to advance the Kingdom of God. 11. The more praying that is done by a church the stronger the marriages and families in the church will become. 12. The more praying that is done by a church the more money the people will give. Wow! I personally want these things to be ever increasing at EKBC! That sounds like a good church to me. I really like the part about the preaching being better! Those are definitely things I want, so I suppose I need to make prayer a bigger priority and put feet to my desires by praying. Is that the church you want? Will you Pray with us? If everyone prayed as you do....what would EKBC look like? Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. NIV

Looking for Jesus?

Day 29

Bro. Rickey

Matt 28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary

went to look at the tomb......5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. If tomorrow you could get up and do whatever you wanted first thing in the morning, what would it be? Would it be....sitting on a river bank with pole in hand.....climbing up in a tree stand, muzzleloader in hand....watching a bee hive with binoculars and a cup of coffee....take a walk hand in hand with your spouse? Those are some of my favorite mornings. Yours of course would be different because of what floats your boat. Your particular set of wants and desires are no doubt unique to you. In Matthew 28:1we find Mary and Mary Magdalene at first dawn going to the tomb of Jesus. They were looking for Jesus. As things worked out, they found Him and it was probably the best day of their life! My best days are the ones where I get out of bed before everyone else and have my first cup of coffee with God. When I start my day looking for Him....I find Him and it is often more than expected. This is what I want, and I would choose this above all other agendas for my life. I love it so much I want to do this with repetition every single day I can. You probably feel the same way. The Psalmist express it this way....... Ps 42:1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? NIV I think as this Thirty Day Prayer Challenge is quickly approaching an end, it would be a good time to stop and examine our “want to”. Matthew Henry said, "Those that know how to value God's gracious presence, will be the more fervent in their prayers." I hope this Prayer Challenge has stirred up a deeper desire for God in your life, a desire that will lead you into a new and different lifestyle once this Thirty Day Prayer challenge is completed. Continuing to be Fervent in prayer would be a great place to close this study.

Dee Duke says, “It is Healthy to want....to want really bad...to want so much it hurts. You are most spiritually healthy when you want God so much that you are totally consumed. Getting out of bed is easy. Giving yourself away fills you with satisfaction not self-pity. You accomplish as much life as you can in a day. And at Day's end, you don't think, Poor me, but rather, this is living! Bring on more...tomorrow!” (Dee Duke "Prayer Quest" Page 83.)

Creating a desire in our life for God comes in part from our experience with Him. We experience His Salvation, His Joy, His Power, His Presence, His Provision and we want more...and it is always a good thing to want more of God. Wanting God, will never leave us empty or disappointed, as we will find ourselves if our 'want' is something other than God. Before you return to old prayer habits that were yours before this Thirty Day Prayer Challenge, ask yourself if they are going to be enough? Will they be enough to feed that healthy hunger you have for God? If not, you should begin now considering how to modify your prayer life after this Thirty Day Prayer Challenge is completed. Put together a sustainable goal and share it with your forum. Write it in your journal and work it through the crucible of time and see if it truly is enough. My prayer is that as this thirty day challenge comes to an end, that this will not be the end, but the beginning of something incredible and life changing for you. Be intentional in your investments! Some things are worth 'counting' and 'planning'.

A House of Prayer

Day 30 Bro. Rickey

Matt 21:13 "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' NIV In 2009 our Church made a decision and put in place a plan to become a house of prayer. We altered our purpose statement to accommodate this desire and keep this objective ever before us. It now reads.... East Kelso Baptist Church a House of Prayer, committed to loving Jesus, building families, and walking in spiritual freedom. In the seven years we have pursued this vision our concepts on prayer have changed and grown. I think at first we were looking at how to make our church building a place of prayer. This was a natural thing to do as we examined the passage of scripture above that had brought us to this place. The objective early on was that our church building would become a place where people could come to pray 'privately' or with someone who would be willing to pray 'with them' or 'for them'. We incorporated prayer into our worship services in ever increasing measure to try to achieve this. We built Prayer Benches so people could comfortably kneel. We created a Prayer Table where requests for prayer could be submitted in writing. Slowly, without even really realizing it the vision began to change. It became more and more about becoming a 'people' of prayer instead of a 'place' of prayer. As we continued praying more and more, we found ourselves becoming a 'Family' of Prayer and Faith. Still progressing, we are this people, this family of faith that prays. Intercession flourishes here as transparency and humility abound. Unity is valued and praying as one, we stay on track with our vision and purpose. Service is sacrificial as we reach for that immeasurably more that God can give to those who love and spend time on their knees, first in prayer and on their feet, second in service. Our dreams are big!! Presenting the gospel to at least a million people is no small charge, even in this day and age. But these dreams were born in prayer; and, over time molded and shaped and remolded. Slowly we are learning what it is to be a People of Prayer, a Family of Faith dedicated to one another in love and prayer. As our faith and vision grow together it becomes less and less about our individual needs and more and more about the Glory of God and His Kingdom come, His Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We find purpose not only individually, but purpose collectively as we are set on mission by God. We have discovered that those who step into this world stop church hopping and plant themselves in these purposes of God with tenacity and sacrifice as a people set on fire with a mission from God. We have become more and more a people edifying and encouraging each other onward as we prayerfully fulfill all God has called us to. As your Pastor, it is amazing to watch this happen and a joy to be a part. I want to close this Thirty Day Prayer Challenge with an invitation. An invitation to be a part of something bigger than life itself, something eternal and lasting. Will you help us become more and more the House of Prayer that God desires us to be? If so, be intentional. Take that next step, make that investment in prayer, write it down and let's move forward together. Thank you So Much for Taking the Thirty Day Prayer Challenge! Love You All!

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