Archive for Prayer – Page 3

Prayer is Powerful

By Dr. Warren Haynes · Comments (0)
Wednesday, August 7th, 2019

What makes prayer powerful? Once, I found myself in the front yard of a big burly intimidating man who couldn’t contain his emotion as we gathered around him to pray for him and his family. It was a truly powerful encounter that none of us were expecting, especially him. He broke down in an ugly cry with tears streaming, snot running, and chest heaving as we spent just a moment in prayer. This man was so shaken and undone that he removed himself as soon as the “Amen” was spoken. What makes these powerful moments happen?

Is it using the right words? Some people pray beautiful prayers. Their words are like listening to a well written song or poem. When they say, “Amen”, you might think, “I wish I could pray like that”. I can’t recall any of the words that were prayed for this man. Is it the length of time spent praying that packs a prayer with power? The encounter we had with this man was a brief encounter. Was it the emotional response? No, His emotion was a response to the power not the source of the power.

It’s not our words, length of time, or emotion that makes our prayers powerful, it is the presence of GOD. “…the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? (Deuteronomy 4:7) This man found himself in the presence of GOD and he was overwhelmed. When we intercede for people the goal is to connect them with GOD through prayer. When we connect them with GOD, He brings the power.

 

Dr. Warren Haynes
Author of Discipleship Uncomplicated
www.warrentalks.com

Comments (0)
Categories : Prayer, Sunday School

Prayer is Paramount

By Dr. Warren Haynes · Comments (0)
Tuesday, August 6th, 2019

There are some things that can only be accomplished through prayer. While Peter, James, and John were coming down from the mount of Transfiguration with Jesus they found the other disciples embroiled in an argument. When Jesus asked, what was going on? A man spoke up and said that he had brought his son to his disciples to drive out the demon but, they could not do it. When we try to do the work of the Spirit without the Spirit we reach the same conclusion, we cannot do it.

The disciples had tried and failed to help a father free his son from an evil spirit. Their spiritual futility became the source of a growing frustration, proclamation without power. “You say Jesus is great, but you couldn’t help me.” This sounds all too familiar.  How can we be spiritually helpful when our work with people seems to be going nowhere?

“This kind can only come out by prayer.” (Mark 9:29) Jesus tells us straight up that when we are dealing with people who need deliverance there is only one thing to do, Intercede! Do you want to loosen Satan’s grip on a family member, Bring their name to the Father! Do you want to see a friend delivered from demonic forces, Ask GOD to do it! Do you want to move the forces of hell out of the lives of the people you love? Pray until it’s done! Prayer is Paramount!

Get started: Create what I call a Reach List and start with your family.  Write down the first names of 3 family members who need to encounter Jesus and prayer for them out loud by name until they do.

Comments (0)
Categories : Prayer

Who’s Your ONE!

By Allan Taylor · Comments (0)
Thursday, August 1st, 2019

God’s Method of Evangelism, A Personal Witness

How has personal evangelism become so ignored, so forgotten? How has it gotten left behind in the church’s priority? How has the burden for lost souls escaped our attention? When was the last time we shed tears for a lost family member or friend?

Enter Who’s Your One (a national emphasis by Southern Baptists). Three words that can awaken our sleepy souls. Three words that can warm our cold hearts.

Who. Who do you know that does not know God? What relative, friend, neighbor, work associate, or schoolmate is headed to Hell? Who is it that lies within your circle of influence that desperately needs you to talk with them about Jesus?

Your. This is personal. We are not talking about the preacher, the deacons, etc. We are talking about you. It is God’s will and His command for every believer to be a witness. In the Great Commission Jesus said, “Go ye,” not, “Go y’all.” Are you satisfied with living in disobedience to the command of Jesus? Isn’t disobedience sin?

One. The challenge is not for you and I to become another Billy Graham winning ten of thousands to Christ. The challenge is to win one. Each one of us to care enough about one lost soul to pray for them, love them, and witness to them of God’s salvation.

In Luke 16, the rich man in Hell lifted up his eyes being in torment and made a request of Abraham, “I pray you, father, that you would send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.” (vs. 27-28) Fact: People in Hell are interested in soul-winning but can’t “testify.” It’s time we, as God’s ambassadors, got interested in soul-winning because we can testify! Who’s Your One?

Comments (0)
Categories : Disciplemaking, Evangelism, Ministry, Outreach/Evangelism, Prayer

The Disciple and Prayer

By Steve Bradshaw · Comments (0)
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018

Why would we ever separate prayer from discipleship? Before we are too quick to marry the two, let’s consider their individual meanings.

Prayer is simply communication with God. It is an opportunity to not only talk with God, but to listen to Him. I already know how to talk with God because I am in the habit of asking Him for things. But my communication part of prayer is so much more than making requests. It is adoration for who God is. It is my confession of sin. It is thanksgiving for what He has done. It is supplication or petitioning my and other’s needs to Him. So, what about God’s side of the communication? Henry Blackaby says, “God speaks to us through His Word, His Holy Spirit, through His body, and through our circumstances.”

Discipleship is simply being a learner, a student, a follower of Jesus Christ. So, as I study Jesus, I want to be more like Him in my faith journey. I want to think like Him, talk like Him, act like Him, love like Him, serve like Him, etc… In other words, I want imitate Jesus. Not so much WWJD, “what would Jesus do?”, but rather, WDJD, “what did Jesus do?” and do the same.

So then, it would stand to reason, if I want to be a better disciple of Jesus, then I will need to spend disciplined, quality time with Him -in conversation with Him. And it would also stand to reason that if I want to be a better disciple of Jesus, I will model my life after His. How could I ever expect to be like Jesus, unless I spend time with Him?

So, prayer and discipleship go hand in hand. If you don’t believe it, then consider this: Jesus prayed, He taught us to pray and how to pray.

1. Jesus modeled the need to retreat to pray
He gave the instruction in His sermon on the mount (Matthew 6:5-6)
He modeled finding a quiet place to pray alone. (Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23, Luke 5:16)
2. Jesus modeled just a simple prayer is enough
The Heavenly Father already knows our needs and intercedes on our behalf (Matthew 6:8; Romans 8:26-27)
Many words are not necessary (Matthew 6:7)
3. Jesus modeled the prayer
His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray and He did (Luke 11:1, 5-10)

You see, if I desire to be a true disciple of Christ, if I want to become more like Him, then I must be intentional in spending quiet time with Him in prayer and follow His model of prayer. I don’t think I can be a disciple of Jesus without prayer – or at least not a good one.

Comments (0)
Categories : Disciplemaking, Prayer, Sunday School

Emphasize Reaching People with Your Group

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)
Saturday, October 22nd, 2016

reachingWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The first book that I ever read about Sunday School was Basic Sunday School Work.  The author wrote about the Six Tasks of Sunday School.  Task number one was to reach people for Bible study.  That’s right: Reaching People for Bible Study was the first task.  Teach People the Bible was the second task. Many churches are plateaued and declining because the classes and groups are ignoring the first task of Sunday School.  We must get outreach and evangelism back into Sunday School.

WHAT DO I DO? Here are three practical ideas to emphasize reaching people with your group:

Challenge your members to…

  1. Pray for three lost People
  2. Learn a Gospel Presentation
  3. Invite five unchurched People to the group
  4. Share the Gospel at least one time each month

Challenge your group to…

  1. Enroll three New Members this year
  2. Conduct regular fellowships (invite every member and every prospect)
  3. Plan two Missions Activities in the Community
  4. Sponsor an Evangelistic Bible Study in the Community where lost people live and work
  5. Adopt a People Group
  6. Adopt a Harvest Field in your community, such as a school, subdivision, factory.

Conduct an Evangelistic Activity every time the group meets, such as:

  1. Have a member share their story
  2. Pray for lost people (have an evangelistic prayer list)
  3. Plan an outreach event
  4. Teach the Gospel
  5. Practice a Gospel presentation
  6. Memorize an evangelistic verse
  7. Model sharing the Gospel

Just in case you are curious.  The other tasks were witness to persons about Christ and lead them into church membership, minister to persons in need, lead members to worship, and interpret and undergird the work of the church and the denomination.

Comments (0)
Categories : 100 Small Changes, Enrollment, Evangelism, Outreach/Evangelism, Prayer
Tags : , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »