The Quest To Find The 10 Most Effective Prayers- Prayer #2

There is a prayer that is so powerful, so effective, that it will rock the very core of who you are. It is a prayer that can change the course of life. One so powerful, that it can bring a life back from the dead!

I know what you are thinking, and it's okay. We all tend to be a 'doubting Thomas' every now and then. It's hard to wrap your mind around something so incredible, something so unbelievable isn't it? Can you imagine speaking words that brought someone back from the dead? But, what if....

I may not have actually laid my hands on a lifeless body and said, “get up and walk!” But, I do believe that I have saved a life or two that would have ended if I hadn't prayed. I clearly remember getting a phone call from a friend while I was on the road doing women's ministry events. Her message was desperate; her boyfriend's childhood best friend had gotten in a serious accident. It did not look good. Matter of fact, immediately the doctors called the entire group of family and friends to the hospital, because they did not expect him to live. She said, “I'm calling you because I know you are the praying type. I just was hoping that you would pray for him, please.”

At that moment I realized, that I may have been the only Christ fearing believer praying for that man. And though I was over one thousand miles away from him, I was given the opportunity to change his life, whether my hands could touch him or not.

Today, I cannot even remember what his name was. I had never met him, and I had no idea what he even looked like. However, emotion built up in me until I burst into tears! And, I mean, I was weeping uncontrollably! I pleaded for this man through my sobs. I begged God, “GOD! FATHER GOD! I do not know this man, but YOU do! And, Lord, he is dying. But what looks like death to man is life to you. Lord God, as you raised Lazarus from the dead, Lord God I pray now in the name of JESUS that you would raise this man. COME OUT of there!” I cried. “Take up your mat and walk!” I asked that the Lord would be glorified and that the doctors and people would be amazed and come to know Him. AMEN.

I did not hear from my friend the rest of the day. Frankly I am not sure if I thought about him again later. I felt the Lord give me peace, and I literally felt like I had done what God had asked me to do.

As with all our effective prayers, God shows up when we come to Him with the right heart and motives. I did get a message on my phone the next day from Nikki. She said, “I don't know what you did, but our friend is moving out of ICU and is expected to be home in two days!”

I know what I did.....I PRAYED-I prayed a desperate prayer from the heart.

EFFECTIVE PRAYER #2

Today's most effective prayer that I have found in my Bible, is the prayer that Jesus prayed when he raised Lazarus from the dead. He could have just walked up to the tomb, never looking at another person, never saying a word. He could have walked in grabbed Lazarus by the hand and walked away. But instead we see our King moved to emotion.

John 11:33-38

Therefore, when Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He Said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “see how He loved him!”

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.

Once again, Jesus displays the power of belief, (of believing what you ask for and believing in the unseen) when he says to Mary in verse 40, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

THE PRAYER: John 11:41-42

And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.

With groaning, pleading and yes, even tears, Jesus came to the place where his friend whom he loved, was lying dead in a tomb. He looked to the Lord and thanked Him for hearing His prayers-that God ALWAYS heard His prayers, and asked that the Lord be glorified and that the people would believe that He had sent Jesus.

TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER:

Here are the tools I have found so far that will help us make our prayers the most powerful. I will keep adding to this as I continue my quest for the 10 most effective prayers in the Bible.

1. Believe. Believe what you have asked for and it will be done.
2. Pray that GOD would be glorified and that He would stretch out His hand to heal. For it is not by your hand that the healing comes, but by His power.
3. Be moved to emotion. Be passionate about the prayer that you ask for. If it means something to you, it means something to God.

I pray that our prayers become more powerful and more effective by the lessons we learn. Use these tools! Change a life today, and share what God is doing with others so that they may see that our prayers do work, and that God does hear us.

Blessings

Rhonda

The Quest To Find The 10 Most Effective Prayers

Standing in the grocery line I have learned that for every dilemma, organizational catastrophe, and personal issue, there are AT LEAST 10 sure fire ways to fix them. Matter of fact, I am waiting for the Top 10 Ways to Fix Every Single Thing In Your Life So You'll Never Have Another Problem-EVER article.

I read Acts 4:29-31 yesterday and it got me thinking on effective prayers. Now, I'm not a Bible scholar (I just play one on TV), but I am pretty sure that given time, I can (and will) find the Top 10 Most Effective Prayers, according to Scripture.  I hope you are up for the journey!  My goal is for us to see how prayers were offered up to God in the Bible-prayers that were powerful, life-changing, and effective prayers, that changed the course of history.  When I pray for healing, I want to see that person healed, when I pray for blessings, I want to receive the blessings!  When I pray for favor, I want to have favor! It's official-no more empty, selfish, wordless prayers, that make us look like believers, but really prove that we ourselves lacking in the faith department.  (ouch)

Acts 4:29-31 (NKJV)
"Now look on their threats and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your Word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness. 

Peter and John had just been released from prison. They were placed there for doing a good deed to a helpless man; a man who was over forty years old who had been lame since birth. Peter grabbed the man's hand and said (Acts 3:6) "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 

The people were in awe of the miracle that they had seen. Matter of fact, about 5,000 came to believe in the Word of God that day! When the rulers of Israel gathered to determine what to make of all this, they realized that they had nothing against Peter and John. They had seen the miracle for themselves; not one could not deny what they had seen! However, they commanded them (Acts 4:18) not to speak at all NOR teach in the name of Jesus.  (Acts 4:19-20) But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

The leaders could not keep them, too many people were praising God for this miracle, so Peter and John were sent home.

Read Acts 4:23-28.  In these verses we see that the first thing to took place before the prayer went up is that Peter and John and their companions raised their voices in one accord (v.24) and exalted the Lord-they gave Him the honor and glory due His name!  But even more powerful in these few lines is verse 28.  "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done."

The effectiveness of our prayers comes from the Accomplisher of the request- simply meaning that the prayers we pray must be directed toward the One who will actually answer them!  It is not OUR power, but by GOD's power that a prayer is answered.  And, notice that verse 28 says, whatever YOUR hand and YOUR purpose determined BEFORE....We must understand that God already knows what He is going to do-before we even ask for it.  But, He expects us to ask properly.

Effective prayer #1

Now re-read Acts 4:29-31

This is a great choice as an effective prayer.  The disciples didn't just assume they had power, they asked God FOR it saying, "to speak YOUR Word" and "to stretch out YOUR hand to heal."  They did not ask for their own words to be effective, but God's.  And, they did not ask for their own hands to heal, but instead asked for God Himself to stretch out His mighty hand.

When they prayed in this way, God showed up.  Verse 31 says, "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." 

Make your prayers effective today.  Exalt the Lord, ask for His power, and speak with boldness!  He will show up.  I cannot wait to hear the results-so feel free to share away!

Lord, we come to You today asking for boldness.  God we ask that You show us how to pray effectively, with Your purposes and Your plan in mind.  Stretch out Your hand to heal today God, and may signs and wonders be performed in the name of your holy Servant Jesus! AMEN!!!

Have a great day!
Rhonda

Pondering Ink-Yes, Ink

It has been more than two decades since I have even thought about an erasable ink pen.  I remember when the ingenious invention was released, making their way into our offices, schools and homes.  Up until then we were not allowed to do homework in ink (only final drafts), because frankly all the mistakes were messy.  All the scribbles, the arrows pointing around the page, and the ink splats made it difficult for the teacher to read our work. Not to mention that all the wrong answers (scribbled out) made it hard to find the RIGHT answers that were on the page.  They were there, but finding them was like trying to find Waldo in a stadium full of people with red and white knit hats.

Last week my daughter's school list required that we purchase two erasable ink pens.  I had completely forgotten about their existence actually.  Delighted by the reunion (of erasable ink and me), I have found myself several times writing myself notes and doodling  with the pen just so I can erase it and start all over.  I fear I will most likely run out of eraser before ink-and that I'll most likely have to go purchase a stash of pink pearls.

On the way to church today I grabbed my Bible, my Life Journal, and a pen.  As it turns out, the pen was erasable which stopped me in my tracks.  "I cannot use erasable ink in my journal," I thought.  No, I needed permanent ink.  And this thought has continued to consume my day-so here I am writing to you wondering if you will even be as passionate about your ink pen today?

My journal is messy.  My LIFE is messy.  In this thought however, I can't help but think how God writes the story of our life using two types of pens.  He uses permanent ink to write down the foundation of our lives. He writes the joys, and even the pains of the lessons we have learned so they will never be forgotten. 

But our mistakes, our sins, or blunders-now, He writes those in erasable ink! I am pretty sure God is in love with His PaperMate Eraser-Mate Pen.  Jesus gave it to Him.  The ink is a special formula, much like our earthly pen, except this one is filled with the blood of the Lamb.  It is the most important and powerful pen used to write in the Book of Life. I love how God chooses to use this pen!! Where my journal is marked up, God's is beautiful and clean.  I have marks that I can't change, but He has writing that is clean and perfect, with an occasional gap where He has erased sins or mistakes of our past. Sins erased so well that one cannot even begin to make out the words that used to live on the page.
They have been erased by Jesus, by His sacrifice. The minute we admit our guilt, our shame, and our sin to God, He walks over to The Book Of Life and carefully turns to our page.  Smiling, He begins to erase the things that have kept us from fully seeing what is on the page-the fullness of Him.

There is one more thing that has come to mind as I ponder ink, (yes, I am pondering ink), and that is that we should live our lives boldly, being careful to write our daily story in permanent ink as opposed to invisible ink, as invisible ink is a book that no one can read.

With all that said, live Jesus out loud in your life today.  Do not be afraid of the scribbles in your journal but NOTICE them...PLEASE notice them.  These are the very things that God wants to erase for you today.

2 Corinthians 3:3(NIV) You show that you are a letter from Christ....written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. 


Rhonda

It's the Belief of the Prayer

(Mark 11:23-24 NIV) If anyone says to this mountain, "Go throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen it will be done for him.  Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.


Miracles.  They happen around us every day.  People are praying and are on their faces before God day and night asking Him to intercede and move mountains. But, why is it some mountains move, while some don't?

Beside the obvious that God's timing is always perfect, sometimes, and I stress some times, it is possible that our own words may get in the way.  The verse above clearly states that if you believe you have received it then it will be yours!

The other day I was involved in a group prayer where someone prayed "Dear Lord, we pray for a complete miraculous healing.  But, if you choose not to do it, we pray for a quick recovery from surgery."

Is it possible that we pray without expectation-that we pray 'ho-hum' prayers that say, if you do it, you do it, but if you don't, oh well?  Immediately when the prayer went up I heard a voice asking me, "What?"

There is one simple problem I can see with this prayer.  Six seemingly harmless words that may have simply taken the 'miracle' out of the prayer.  They are, "But, if you choose not to." I think any time I ask the Lord to do something followed by the words, "but, if you choose not to," I have relinquished my belief and traded it for mere words.  I might as well say, "Lord, please give me a healing, but because I believe that you might not answer me, I'll take the quick recovery."

The Bible says:

(Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV) "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." 

(1 John 5:14-15 NKJV) Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And, if we know that He hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.


Because we can have confidence that He hears us (1 John 5:14) and that if we call to Him He will answer (Jeremiah 33:3), then we can be certain that He will move mountains if we believe and do not doubt! (Mark 11:23).

I'm not making this up...I'm just passing it on... Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24).

What a promise!

Blessings
Rhonda