Conversations with God…40 Day Prayer Adventure
Week 3
Praying for the Lost First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for everyone…This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth. 1 Timothy 2:1, 3-4 (NRSV)
I once heard Tom Wolfe give a lecture at Golden Gate Theological Seminary on a Christian’s world of influence. He said that each person is the center of a world filled with persons connected to us by a web of relationships. These persons are our F.R.A.N.s (Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors). Many of these people are not yet followers of Christ. When we consider this and the fact that every stranger is a possible new friend then we can see how God has positioned us as missionaries to seek and save those who are lost. We do this by investing in them and inviting them to trust Christ. Prayer is one of the key ways we invest in those not yet Christian. Begin your prayer time today praying for your unsaved F.R.A.N.s.
Intercession for the Lost is a Battle The god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4
I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and form the power of Satan to God. Acts 26: 17-18 (NIV)
When we share the message of God’s love with our F.R.A.N.s we are entering enemy held territory. We must wrestle in prayer if we are going to see our community turn to Christ. In his book, Prayer Evangelism: How to Change the Spiritual Climate Over Your Home, Neighborhood, and City, Eduardo Silvoso encouraged the churches of North America. He said, “You may be down, but Satan is down, too. The one who gets up first will win your city.” Get up! Pray! We have victory in Jesus. As Stanley Grenz noted our prayers affect both angels and demons. Make a list of F.R.A.N.s and pray for them today. The heavens will be stirred.
Day 17 – Praying in the Name of Jesus I assure you:
The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:12-13 (HCSB)
Praying in Jesus’ name has very little to do with the words we say in closing a time of prayer and very much to do with our relationship with Christ. . “In Jesus name” is not a magical formula. The biblical concept of the name is roughly equivalent to the modern notion of authority. When we pray and minister in the name or authority of Christ we are praying and ministering as Jesus would. In relation to this Charles Kraft of Fuller Theological Seminary wrote, “Our task is to get our wills lined up with the will of Jesus and the Father, and on that basis exercise the authority he has given us. This comes for us, as it did with Jesus, from spending time in prayer and fellowship with God in private, listening to Him to get His instructions and to line up our wills with His. Then we receive the necessary power and authority for the specific task ahead.” Spend time with God today. Listen to his instruction and do what he calls you to do.
According to His Will Go and bear fruit…then the father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:16
Experiencing the joy of answered prayer is contingent upon our hearing from God. When we know God’s will on a matter then we can pray with absolute confidence. Barry Landrum has noted that we can know God’s will through two sources. The first is though the biblical promises. God’s Word is His will. The second way we know the will of God is through the direct witness of the Holy Spirit or in Landrum’s words, “inner illumination.” In reflecting on the necessity of hearing from God Jim Goll wrote in his book, Kneeling on the Promises: Birthing God’s Purposes through Prophetic Intercession, “The wonderful revelatory presence of the Holy Spirit is not something that can be earned. Rather, it is something that can be cultivated through intimacy with Christ and by walking in the normal spiritual disciplines of the Christian life.” Take some time today to cultivate your relationship with God and then pray in response to the time spent in His revealing presence.
Day 19 – The Prayer Life of Jesus:
The Atmosphere of His Life He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” Luke 11:1 (NRSV)
Jesus is the pioneer of our faith. He showed us how to live in full dependence on the Holy Spirit and in obedience to the Father. Barry Landrum wrote of him, “Over and over again, the gospels convince us that prayer was not an important part of his life, it was his life, the very breath of his being. Read Mark 1:35; 6:46 and Luke 6:12. Notice the things that Jesus did to make prayer the breath of his being. What changes do you need to make to make prayer your life as well?
Day 20 – The Prayer Life of Jesus:
What Hinders Us Did Not Hinder Him …how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Luke 11:13b (HCSB)
Jesus’ prayer life was not hindered by business or a lack of persistence. He created the space necessary to commune with the Father in prayer. He did this because he loved the Father and the Father loved him. A product of this time spent in persistent prayer was a life fully empowered by the Holy Spirit. Do you want more of God in your life? You will have to create the space necessary to meet with God. He will not withhold his presence if you make room for him. Day 21 – The Prayer Life of Jesus: Praying During Crisis …he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God. Luke 6:12 (The Message)
Day 21 – The Prayer Life of Jesus:
Praying During Crisis …he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God. Luke 6:12 (The Message)
Jesus spent considerable time in solitary prayer during all of the major turning points in his life and mission. Extraordinary challenges and opportunities call for extraordinary seasons of prayer. Prayer was not Jesus’ last resort but was integral to every aspect of his life experience. The amazing thing about this is that he has made the type of intimacy he had with the Father available to all us who are his followers. Are you experiencing an extraordinary challenge in your life? Climb a mountain – go to the garden – hide! You need the time alone with God, He wants to speak to you and give you his strength.