Pray for Others

                                  Pray for others

"There is no power like that of prevailing prayer, of Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow, David heartbroken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat of blood.  Add to this list from the records of the church your personal observation and experience, and always there is the cost of passion unto blood.  Such prayer prevails.  It turns ordinary mortals into men of power.  It brings power.  It brings fire.  It brings rain.  It brings life.  It brings God."  Samuel Chadwick

Take time to pray for other, Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and go to His presence with a intercession attitude in your heart.

How to prepare for Prayer

Schedule your quiet time at the same time every day
The best time to have a quiet time is different for different individuals. For some it may be in the evening; for most it will be in the morning.

Many characters in the Bible rose early to meet with God. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Hannah, Job, Hezekiah, David, Daniel, Ezekiel and Jesus — all chose to begin the day with prayer. It is logical to begin the day with prayer. Beginning every day with prayer demonstrates that meeting with God is the first priority of your day.

Emphasize the quality of your time with God. You can start with 15 minutes and allow your time to grow as you develop the habit. Resist the impulse to watch the clock and measure your prayer progress. Instead, enjoy the time you spend. As you continue the habit, you will find yourself spending more time each day.

Have your quiet time in the same place every day
Choose a special place where you pray each day. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives often for His prayer time (see Luke 22:39). It was a habit for Him. You need a place where you can be alone, without interruption, it may be a room at the church or even a closet in their home. Select a place that becomes your special place for fellowship with the Father.

Gather the resources you will need
The following is a simple checklist:

• A Bible with a comfortably readable print

• A notebook to write down everything you feel the Lord is speaking to you and to record your prayer list

• A songbook or praise CD. Worship and singing is a wonderful way to spend time with God. Praise and worship music creates a wonderful atmosphere for devotions.

Begin with the right attitude
Three attitudes will make your quiet time effective:

1. Reverence. You cannot rush into God’s presence. Prepare your heart. Psalm 46:10 records God’s instruction: “Be still, and know that I am God” (KJV).

2. Expectancy. Expect God to speak to you each day. The Psalmist prayed, “Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word” (Psalm 119:18, The Living Bible).

3. Willingness to obey. God will reveal things to you. You must be willing to obey His directions. Jesus said, “If any of you really determines to do God’s will, then you will certainly know” (John 7:17).

There is no formula that must be followed for your quiet time. However, you will find your time to be more effective if you develop a plan for your time. The following simple, 15-minute plan can serve as an example.

Relax (1 minute). Be still and be quiet. Slow down. Prepare your heart. Prepare to wait on God. Get comfortable and forget the pressures of the day so that you can focus on God for the next 14 minutes.

Read (4 minutes). Read systematically. Begin reading where you left off the day before. Read until you feel God emphasizing something to you. Then stop and think about it. Do not worry about the number of chapters or verses you read each day. Instead, resolve to learn something each day. Reading with a set goal in mind often reduces your comprehension level.

Reflect (4 minutes). Begin to meditate on the Scripture verses you have read. Meditation is the key to discovering how to apply Scripture to your life. Meditation is essentially thought digestion. You take a thought God gives you, put it in your mind, and think on it over and over again. Scriptural meditation is reading a passage in the Bible, then concentrating on it in different ways. Pick out one passage or verse you feel God is trying to teach you and do these five things:

1. Picture it. Visualize the scene in your mind. Imagine yourself in the historical context. What would you have done in the situation? How would you have responded? What emotions would you have experienced if you had been there?

2. Pronounce it. Say the verse aloud, each time emphasizing a different word (see Philippians 4:13). Each emphasis gives you a slightly different impression.

3. Paraphrase it. Rewrite the verse in your own words.

4. Personalize it. Replace the pronouns or people in the verse with your own name.

5. Pray it. Turn the verse into a prayer and pray it back to God.1

Record (2 minutes). Write a personal application statement that is practical, possible and measurable. Ask yourself, What did this verse mean to the original hearers? What is the underlying, timeless principle? Where or how could I practice that principle? Record your thoughts, reflections and responses in a journal. It will become a personal record of your spiritual journey.

Request (4 minutes). Conclude your quiet time by talking to God about what He has shown you and making requests from your prayer list.

This plan is just one example of how you can structure your quiet time. 

Rick Warren, Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, Scripture Press, 1989), 34-36.
Sermons by Alton Garrison, Mike Goldsmith, Mike Murdock and Rick Warren.
From The 360º Disciple by Alton Garrison, et al. Gospel Publishing House, 2009).