"I give myself unto prayer." - Psalm 109:4

"I give myself unto prayer." - Psalm 109:4

The "ABC"s of Prayer - W is for Worship

My most sincere hope is that these posts on the subject of prayer will stimulate a desire in you to learn to pray more passionately, effectively and consistently. The Lord's disciples had that desire. In Luke chapter eleven they were recorded as asking Jesus: "Lord, teach us to pray." His response was what we now have come to know as "The Lord's Prayer". It is important to note that the very first part of His response was focused on worshipping God the Father. He highlighted not only His position of omnipotence ("which art in heaven"), but also His holiness ("hallowed be thy name") and His supreme dominion over all creation. ("Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,as in heaven, so in earth." - Luke 11:1-2) If worship of the Heavenly Father was of primary importance to our Savior, should it not also be our priority? One of the best patterns for prayer ever devised by man, actually mirrors the Lord's Prayer. It is called the "ACTS" approach to prayer. Each letter in this acronym stands for a different component of Biblical prayer. The very first letter "A" stands for "Adoration" or worship! The other three letters stand for Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication respectively. But once again first; and foremost, is worship. Remember the words of the Psalmist David? "Enter into. . . His courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4)So when we enter the throne room of God, we are to do so with adoration, praise and WORSHIP!

The "ABC"s of Prayer. "V" is for Vision

Vision is so critical to the success of any endeavor. The book of Proverbs warns us that "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18) One of my favorite quotes about vision says : "Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision is making a positive difference." That should be the goal of every believer. . . “making a  difference.” (Jude 1:22) If we think in terms of eternal value, there is no endeavor that can make a more positive difference than in the area of prayer. And to be successful, prayer requires vision as well. I am currently reading “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson. It is probably the most thought provoking, vision and goal setting book on prayer I have ever read. Listen to Mark’s thoughts on prayer and vision and how he explains that the two are virtually inseparable : “We need different miracles during different seasons of life. We pursue different dreams during different stages of life. We stake claim to different promises in different situations. It’s a moving target, but you have to start somewhere. Why not right here right now? Don’t just read the Bible. Start circling the promises. Don’t just make a wish. Write down a list of God-glorifying life goals. Don’t just pray. Keep a prayer journal. Define your dream. Claim your promise. Spell your miracle!”