Prayer For a Friend

Prayer For a Friend - Casting Crowns

Lord I lift my friend to You.
I've done all that I know to do.
I lift my friend, to You.
Complicated circumstances have clouded his view.
Lord I lift my friend up to You.

I fear that I won't have the words that he needs to hear.
I pray for Your wisdom , oh God.
And a heart that's sincere.
And Lord I lift my friend up to You.

Lord I lift my friend to You.
My best friend in the world,
I know he means much more to You.
I want so much to help him,
but this is something he has to do.
Lord I lift my friend up to You.

There's a way that seems so right to him.
But You know where that leads.
He's becoming a puppet of the world.
Too blind to see the strings.
And Lord I lift my friend up to You.

Lord I lift my friend to You.
I've done all that I know to do.
I lift my friend, to You.

© 2007 Reunion Records


1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

In moments of s i l e n c e s . . . (Part I)

Romans 8:18-27

Romans 8:18-19
Romans 8:20-21
Romans 8:22-23
Romans 8:24-25
Romans 8:26-27

There are definitely times of silences that each one of us will face. Two aspects of prayers when moments of silences could be experienced.

1) when you don't know what to pray
From the scripture reading for this entry, what does Romans 8:26-27 tells us?

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us.
Intercession means the prayer of one person for another.
We ought to intercede for one another as well.
Just like in the Old Testament times, people interceding for each other is prevalent. Read 1 Kings 8:22-61. These verses record Solomon's prayer of dedication. In verses 33-34 particularly, it shows Solomon praying for the people of Israel, interceding for them through prayers. How earnest is Solomon in his plead with God!
Another Old Testament scripture in Daniel 9 show's Daniel's prayer from his heart and confession of his sins and the sins of the people of Jerusalem. Daniel fervently asked God to listen to the pleas and the petitions, and to look with favor upon him and his people (v.17). How desperate his prayers and requests! Are we as desperate when we pray and ask God for answers? Daniel's prayer shows his intimate relationship with God. This is most likely the result of constant and consistent prayers (talking to God). Do we have this intimate relationship with God like Daniel? Why not?

We have read about the old times showing people interceding for each other. How about now?
James 5:13-17 talks about the prayer of faith. This kind of prayer offered by Elijah, who is a man just like us. James 5:16 "commands" us to intercede on each other's behalf. However, take note that we do not use what's being entrusted to us for prayers to judge another. For Romans 2:1-2 speaks plainly that we who pass judgment do so ourselves what we judge others. There will be wrath and anger poured out upon those who seek selfish gains (Romans 2:8).



Reflect: What is something you can intercede through prayer on behalf of someone today? Ask five friends for their prayer requests.


Prayer: Dearest heavenly Father, the Creator of all that's on earth, of us all. We thank you for the life You have given and provided for us. This day i want to lift up my friend, ______, to You. I want to pray for...

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

FORT PEACE

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

What if His people prayed

What if His people prayed - Casting Crowns



What if the armies of the Lord Picked up and dusted off their swords Vowed to set the captive free And not let satan have one more What if the Church, for heaven's sake Finally stepped up to the plate Took a stand upon God's promise And stormed hell's rusty gates What if His people prayed And those who bear His name Would humbly seek His faith, yeah And turn from their old ways And what would happen if we prayed For those raised up to lead the way Then maybe kids in school could pray And unborn children see light of day What if the life that we pursue Came from a hunger for the truth What if the family turned to Jesus Stopped asking Oprah what to do What if His people prayed And those who bear His name Would humbly seek His face yeah And turn from their own way He said that He would hear His promise has been made He'll answer loud and clear, yeah If only we would pray If My people called by My name If they'll humble themselves and pray If My people called by My name If they'll humble themselves and pray What if His people prayed And those who bear His name Would humbly seek His face, yeah And turn from their old ways He said that He would hear His promise has been made He'll answer loud and clear yeah If only we would pray

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

Prayer FIR

Matthew 26:36-46

Matthew 26:36-37
Matthew 26:38-39
Matthew 26:40-41
Matthew 26:42
Matthew 26:43-44
Matthew 26:45-46

Why is Prayer so great?
(Reasons why all the more we should pray! F-I-R)


1) Prayer helps you to focus on God.
When you pray, it helps you to know God better. Like the Psalmist in Psalm 105:4 said, we should seek God at all times, keep looking to Him. And when you pray, you "unplug" your mind from the TVs, computers, and CD players and "plug in" to God.


2) Prayer is intimacy with God.
When you pray, you discover what it means to be intimate with God. The bible says in Exodus 33:11 when Moses entered the tabernacle: "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend."
This is what happens in prayers. You become friends with God and He becomes a deep, intimate, personal friend who loves you unconditionally.


3) Prayer is a vital weapon in making right choices.
If you want to stop lying, pray! Praying will add God's power to your desire.
If you want to be more loving toward your brother, pray! This will add God's help to your good intentions.
If you need more patience, more compassion, or more self-control, pray! Prayer will add God's energy to your efforts.


Jesus is the most appropriate example to illustrate these points. Matthew 26:36-46 shows how we ought to be - persistent and fervent in prayer. There are more examples in the Bible that tells us about Prayers: Famous sermon on the Mount, the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6) and Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

When we pray, God takes action! So, PRAY. Pray for yourself. Pray for your family. Pray for your friends. And watch God work.


Reflect: Are you anxious this day over something beyond your control? Are you fretting over something unresolved by human ability? What does God promise in Philippians 4:6-7? So what should you be doing with the problems now?


Prayer: Father in heaven, I thank You for Your providence of an avenue to direct our thoughts and requests before You. Thank You for Jesus who has torn the veil so that we may now have direct access to You through the Holy Spirit that You have given to each one of us who believes. Lord, thank You for constantly hearing us out as we pray to You. Father Lord, thank You for Your teaching and reminder this day that there is nothing too impossible for me that You and i cannot handle together. Because of Your great power O Lord, that i may have peace in times of anxiety. Lord, thank You for reminding me that all i have to do is to pray and to petition before You in my troubled times and You will, by Your grace, provide peace that transcends all understanding, to guard our faith. Thank You Lord once again for Your promises. Help me to remember them and to live by them, with faith. All because i want to please You in my living, and without faith, it is impossible to please You. In Jesus' name, i pray for Your children to look to You. Amen!

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

Prayer and Thanksgiving

2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

Read (scroll over):
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
2 Thessalonians 1:5-6
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8
2 Thessalonians 1:9-10
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12


From this portion of the Scripture, what do you gather about 'Prayer'?
Some points we can note are:

• We ought to be in prayer with each other, for each other.
• Thanksgiving and Prayer goes hand in hand.
• We pray for God's power to work through prayers in order to glorify Jesus Christ by the grace of God.
  

All of us can never make right choices without prayers. Regular prayers. Real prayers.

WAIT! Please don't panic. All of us, at some point in time, may think that prayer is a real drag. We may even have thoughts of prayers as hard or boring. These understandings of prayer may arise from one's childhood or from listening to grown-ups talk to God in thee's and thou's or six-syllable theological words one never heard of. But hey, chill.
Prayer, in its simplest form, is talking to God about your thoughts, feelings and concerns. God really does understand modern English (even the most bizarre languages spoken by your younger brother or sister). You can be totally confident that God hears you when you pray. In fact, God eagerly waits for you to go to Him in prayer. You are His own creation, you are His child, and He values every minute you spend with Him!


Reflect: Convinced of prayer yet? It's actually not that tough right? Can you imagine people who constantly say they don't know what to pray, but always have so much to talk about to other people. Are you one of them? This day, have you spent time praying? If you really have nothing to pray for, why not, just simply thank God? (After all, He's the one who took away those troubles and problems thus you have none...)



1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.