Prayer Network | Women Alive

Pray the Word

“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” John 10:10
Pray with expectancy; pray God’s Word.

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Pattern for PRAYer…
Here is an acronym for focusing our prayers… P.R.A.Y.P (praise, adoration)

Psalm 145:1-3 “I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name forever. Everyday I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great are You, Lord, and most worthy of praise; Your greatness is unsearchable.”
John 1:3-4 “O Christ, through You all things were made, and without You nothing was made that has been made. In You was life and the life was our light.”
Rev. 3:7 ” Lord Jesus, You are holy and true; You hold the key of David. What You open no one can shut and what you shut no one can open.”

R (repentance, confession, renewal)

Isaiah 30:15 “This is what You, the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel have said: “In repentance and rest is your salvation; In quietness and trust is your strength.”
1 Chron. 14:2 “May I do what is good and right in your sight, O Lord my God.”
Psalm 51:6 “Surely You desire truth in the inner parts, and in the hidden part You make me know wisdom.”

A (ask God, intercede for others, bring your needs to Him)

2 Tim. 4:7-8 “May I fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith, so that there will be laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which You, Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for Christ’s appearing.”
Matt. 6:11-13 “I look to You for my daily bread, to forgive me my debts as I have forgiven my debtors. Do not lead me into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and power and the glory forever.”
Acts 26:18 “Use me, O God, to open the eyes of others and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to You, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Jesus.”

Y (yield yourself, your day, your circumstances, your loved ones)

Psalm 16: 8,9,11 “I have set You, Lord, always before me. Because You are at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my body also will rest in hope. You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand are pleasures forever.”
Col. 3:12-14 “As one of Your chosen people, holy and dearly loved, may I put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with others and forgiving others even as You, Lord, forgave me; and above all these things may I put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
Eph. 3: 20-21 “O God, You are able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to Your power that is at work within us. To You be glory, in the church and Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever.”

Relational Prayer
Our Divine Advocate
by Ruth Bauman Code

We have responded to the gracious invitation to come into the presence of God, our Father. We have been honest in our confession and confident of our forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Now we come with our hearts full, wanting to express ourselves in prayer.

Where do we begin? How do we channel our tumbling thoughts, deep longings and heavy concerns? Are we only able to pray when our thoughts and expressions are coherent and orderly? What if we cannot articulate the burdens on our hearts and can only sit speechless in His presence? Does God hear? Does God care?

How reassuring to know that, not only God the Father, but also the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are intimately involved and interested in our prayers. They are standing by compassionately, willing and able to assist as we struggle to express what is on our hearts.

We are told that the Lord Jesus is able to identify with every trial and temptation that we are encountering. In his human body, He lived on earth with all its perplexities and challenges. He knows what it is to be tired, to be misunderstood, to suffer and to be rejected. He is able to understand deeply what we are presently experiencing.

Hebrews 4:15 reassures us.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet without sin.”

Not content to merely identify with us, He stands on our behalf before His Father with our name and circumstances on His lips. He lovingly discusses us, lifting us up before the Father and presenting our case. What an advocate He is for us. Even when we sleep, He continues to intercede with our well being on his heart.

We can rest in the fact that His intercession is effective and eternal.

“… because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24,25)

There are times when we are too weak or too perplexed to pray. We do not know how or what to pray. We can only groan. Even then, we are not ignored. This is when the Holy Spirit undertakes on our behalf to interpret our cries and line them up with the Father’s will.

He takes our groans and intertwines then with his own.

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:26,27)

We need not approach the throne fearing that we are inadequate, tongue tied and feeble. We just come in our need, resting in the fact that we are surrounded by a gracious Trinity and gladly responding to this invitation.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Teach Us To Pray
Prayer: Communicating with God
by Grace Fox

How would you define prayer? Pick the answer that most closely represents your thoughts. Prayer is..

a liturgical formality to be endured in church on Sunday mornings
a cry for help when a crisis strikes (“Help! My husband needs a job and my teenager’s doing drugs! Do something, quick!”)
a tradition, like the bedtime prayer many youngsters repeat: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.”
honest communication with God as a result of a personal relationship with Him

The latter definition receives my vote. Mother Theresa would agree. She defined prayer as union with God, “a union as vital as that of the vine and the branches, which is the illustration Jesus gives in the Gospel of John. We need prayer. We need that union to produce good fruit.”

In other words, prayer is a life-giving connection between God and those who love Him. Just as the vine and the branches must be connected in order to produce grapes, so we must maintain communication with God if our lives are to accomplish the purpose He has planned for us.

Prayer – communicating with God – is a skill that can be learned with time and practice. Sometimes it’s helpful to follow a template such as ACTS. By spending few minutes in each of the four sections, we learn vital elements of effective prayer and our minds stay focused.

A – ADORATION - God wants us to adore Him for who He is. Why? Because acknowledging His character brings hope and peace. He’s bigger than any problem we face. He’s wiser than the world’s greatest counsellor. He’s able to provide everything we need. Adoring Him strengthens our faith and renews our courage. (Psalm 150:6)

C – CONFESSION – Sin is like a concrete wall between God and us. If we have sin in our hearts (this includes wrong attitudes such as bitterness, gossip, lust, envy), He won’t hear us. Therefore, we must ask Him to forgive our sins. He has promised to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

T – THANKSGIVING – While adoration focuses on who God is, thanksgiving expresses gratitude for His kindness and love. It acknowledges His deeds and the answers to prayer we’ve already received. (1 Thess. 5:18)

S – SUPPLICATION – Now it’s time to give God our specific requests. We don’t have to restrain ourselves here – He already knows our thoughts! (Phil. 4:6)

If I were to follow the ACTS template, here’s how it might sound:

“Father, I praise You for being the all-powerful God. Your mighty hand created the heavens and the earth. Even the stars are named! Nothing is too difficult for You.
“Because You are a holy God, I confess my sins to You. Forgive me for criticizing my husband to my friends. Forgive me for being jealous of Suzy’s career success. Cleanse me from all sin and wash me whiter than snow.”

“Thank you for forgiveness. And thank you for being a faithful provider for my family. Thank you for the warm house, nutritious food, and for a good education for my children. Thank you for friends, for freedom, and for giving me opportunities to show Your love to those less fortunate.”

“Father, I pray for those families affected by the tsunami, the hurricanes, and the earthquake in Asia. Please supply their need for food and shelter. Comfort them in their sorrow. Wrap your arms around them and help them understand that You love them. Show me how I can help in practical ways. And open my eyes to recognize those around me who are hurting. Make me an intrument of Your peace and love to them. I pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Does that example help? The specifics will vary with circumstances, but following the general pattern helps us remain attentive and focused as we pray.

Enjoy your prayer journey! Remember, it’s not a drudgery. It’s a joy-filled conversation with the living God who wants a vibrant relationship with you!