Prayer Archives - philressler.com

June 9, 2017 By Phil Ressler 1 Comment

From Prayer Worrier to Warrior

This morning I was reminded that prayer is about more than asking God for our needs. There are other elements of prayer that are important to pray. There are adoration and thanksgiving. It is to speak to God in a loving and adoring way. It is to thank him for the many blessings he has poured into our lives.

The starting point of our prayers is God. When God is the starting point of our prayers, it leads us to approach our needs with a different mindset. We look at those needs in a different way when we see God for who he is. Through directing our thoughts to God, we are built up to pray for our needs and concerns.

This is how Jesus taught us to pray. Think about the Lord’s Prayer. He teaches us to address God as Father. Then we ask for God’s name to be hallowed. Then his kingdom to come. Then his will to be done. It’s only after we have asked for those things that we turn to our needs. We ask for daily bread, forgiveness of sins, overcoming temptation, and deliverance from evil. Even at the end of the prayer, we turn our thoughts back to God as we acclaim him with the kingdom, glory, power, and dominion.

Something that was said to me today struck me. You are not a prayer worrier. You are a prayer warrior. It is a confidence in God that moves you from the former to the later. Start and end with God. Let God work confidence and faith in you.

Reflection

Do you need to reflect more on God in your prayers and less on yourself?
Do you see yourself as a prayer worrier or prayer warrior?

Prayer

Lord, you are almighty. You are God. You are king over all. Nothing is impossible with you. You are the Savior. You are the creator. You inspire. You heal. You make whole. You calm the seas. You defeat mighty armies. Nothing is impossible with you. When I have you, there is nothing else I need. Amen.

April 4, 2017 By Phil Ressler Leave a Comment

40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 30.Prayer

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1–2, ESV)

It might seem obvious that prayer is not something to give up for Lent. Lent is a season to focus on the spiritual disciplines. But as we think about the theme of serving this week, we consider a specific focus of prayer. It is offering prayer as intercession on behalf of others.

Paul tells young Timothy to pray for all people. This includes offering prayer on our behalf, but also on behalf of others. Sometimes we may tell people that we can at least pray for them. But that statement is wrong. Prayer is not the least we can do for someone. It is the most we can do for someone.

Martin Luther would say that when he got especially busy, he would devote the 3 or 4 most productive hours of his day to prayer. It says much about his belief in the power of prayer. God can do more in those 3 or 4 hours than we could ever do.

Something happens in us when we intentionally pray for others. Our perspective on the world changes. The way we look at other people is different. The people you were once angry towards, you now feel compassion. It might even happen that as you begin to pray that God will also move you to action in an area you once held apathy.

Many of us are not good at carving time out for prayer. When we do make time for prayer, our prayers are often focused on ourselves. But there is no end to the various groups of people for whom we can pray. Consider the list of 40 people for whom you could pray:

Your spouse
Your children
Your parents
Your friends
Brothers and sisters in Christ at your local church
Your pastor and his family
People who serve and protect you (first responders and military)
Those who govern (local, state, and national)
Your enemies and those who would do you harm
Those who have offended you
The hungry
The homeless
Those in prison
Educators
Missionaries serving in foreign countries
Those experiencing divorce (especially children)
Medical workers
The addicted
The lonely and depressed
Those who have suffered the loss of a loved one and live in grief
Those facing cancer or illness
Those who are living as refugees from war or persecution
The persecuted church
The sex-trafficked
Victims of racial discrimination and violence
Those who suffer from domestic abuse
Those facing their last days on earth
The next generation and challenges/temptations they face
Entrepreneurs and Small Business owners
Creatives, artists, and designers who make the world a more beautiful place
Volunteers who serve the need of others with the expectation of nothing in return.
Those who have wandered from the faith or have a lukewarm faith.
People who live apart from the grace of God and have not received the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

I did not complete the list. I left a few blank. There are certainly of other people and situations for whom we can pray. This is where I need your help. Help me fill in the blanks. Share additional people groups for whom we can pray in the comments section of this post. I am sure you have some great ideas.

Finally, my church will be doing a 24-hour prayer vigil on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday next week. We will be praying around the clock. If you have a prayer request to share with us, fill out the form greaterthings.today/prayer. We will be glad to pray for you.

Reflection

Pray for others
Add additional groups of people for whom we can pray in the comments section.
Share your prayer request.

October 2, 2016 By Phil Ressler 2 Comments

The Most Important Thing You Can Do For This Election

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1–2, ESV)

If you did not know, this is an election year. We will elect the next President of the United States in November. This year is like no other. As much as we have complained about candidates of the past, I cannot remember anything like this. What I would like to share with you is the most important thing you can do for this election. It is not voting. Voting is important, but there is something even more important.

Whoever is elected, this is what I know. We are called to pray for them. Whether we disagree or agree with them, God’s Word instructs us to lift them in prayer. The President of the United States is the most powerful position in the world. There is no human alive who needs our prayers more. The President shoulders a tremendous weight that very few of us could even begin to grasp.

If you look the Scriptures, you will recognize that God often used ungodly kings and other rulers to accomplish his will. If God can use the Pharaoh, Nebachudnezzer, Julius Caesar, King Herod, and Pontius Pilate – he can certainly use Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Flawed rulers are nothing new to God.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, the government was outright hostile towards the church. Persecution was widespread. Yet, Paul tells Timothy to pray for the people in high position even in the face of this persecution.

The welfare of our leaders is our welfare. In praying for our leaders, we are praying for the welfare of our nation. As we look at the landscape of America, our country needs the prayers of Christian believers like never before. We need leaders who are guided by the hand of God.

Instead of posting that next Facebook post about the election – Pray!!! Instead of making a joke about the next debate – Pray!!! Before you cast that ballot – Pray!!! Your prayer is critical for this next election and the future of America. The most important thing you can do for this election is pray.

I live in New Jersey. New Jersey is a solidly blue state. It is not a battleground state. Because of the electoral college, my vote, whoever I vote for, will have little consequence on Election Day. But what matters more than my vote is my prayer. Even if you live in a battleground state, your prayer matters much more than your vote. Join me in praying during the next month leading up to the election that God’s will is accomplished through this election for the good of all Americans.

November 6, 2015 By Jim Buckman 1 Comment

Starting a New Chapter in Life

Today’s post is a guest post from Pastor Jim Buckman. Pastor Buckman serves as an urban missionary in New Jersey and is the author of iPray. His latest project is ahouseofprayer.net – an online web app to help you find a church to pray with you. You can also download the iPrayU app on your iPhone or Android.

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” (Genesis 12:4)

Somebody first said, “The only constant in life is change.” As you back over your life, you will see the truth of this observation. There has been a never ending stream of change in technology, sports, entertainment, public values, cost of living, the ethnic makeup of communities, and so much more.

Today people in America are living longer than ever before; meaning that on average, we will see more change than anyone who has come before us. In 2013, there were 571,612 patent applications, compare this with 1963 (just 50 years earlier) when there were 85,869 patent applications. This is almost a seven-fold increase! And the trend line shows no slow down.

Change can be challenging for anyone, old and young alike. A first born child is both a blessing and a big change. Your second employer will be a place to put to work lessons learned while at the same time having your eyes more open to the reality of how fluid and unsettled the labor force can be. Getting your AARP card comes at the ridiculously early age of fifty, but it is never too early to be reminded that tomorrow is promised to no person.

When Jesus sent out His disciples He said these words, “As you are going…” (Matthew 10:7) The first Christians were called followers of “the Way” which speaks to the journey of following Jesus who describes Himself as “the Way”.

And as great as this creation is, we need to remember the Apostle Paul’s words:

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens… So we are always of good courage. (2 Corinthians 5:1-9).

Martin Luther said that God left space between our fingers so that money would more easily pass through our hands and we would not hold onto it so tightly.

It is interesting to read in Genesis 11 that Abraham’s father, Terah had started out for Canaan, but never got there, choosing to settle down in Haran instead. The idea of going to Canaan was not new to Abraham; he had grown up hearing his dad talk about his own hopes as a young man. At the age of seventy-five, Abraham could have chosen to finish his life – like his father had – and been buried in Haran also.

What dreams did you have as a child? What were your hopes as a young adult? Where did you and your spouse talk about visiting when you first married? What burnt bridges have you always wanted to repair? What needs have you felt called to help? What do you admire most about your parent’s faith?

Who do you know that is going through challenging changes? Add them to your prayer list. Change is constant, be constant in prayer; God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is our rock and fortress – a strong tower you can run to when the change is too much.

God is bringing change in your life; embrace it, trust Him and enjoy the trip with Him.

November 5, 2015 By Jim Buckman Leave a Comment

When We Ignore God’s Advice Regarding Marriage

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. (Genesis 6:1-2)

In our culture today, most young people believe that marriage is a completely personal decision. Even on the topic of same-gender relationships, many young Christians feel that this is a personal decision that everyone makes for themselves.

This is not new.

After Cain killed Able, the Bible records in the end of Genesis chapter four that Cain’s descendants grew progressively more and more sinful until they boasted that their sins would incur eleven times the wrath from God that their forefather Cain had (see Genesis 4:24).

After Able was murdered, God blessed Adam and Eve with another son, his name was Seth. Genesis 4:25 begins the account of Seth’s descendants and takes up all of chapter five; what is really important to catch is this- it is regarding Seth’s branch of Adam & Eve’s family tree that Scripture says, “At this time people began to call on the Name of the Lord.” The nine generations between Seth and Noah initially had a healthy relationship with God.

We don’t know the exact year. Scripture simply says, “When man began to multiply… they took as their wives any they chose.” (Genesis 6:1-2) What was wrong with marrying anyone you wanted? In this case, it was wrong because the people they were marrying did not walk in the fear of the Lord. In the New Testament, this is called being “unequally yoked” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Usually, when we look at the storms that come into a marriage we find that there is a Spiritual conflict underneath it. When neither spouse is a Christian, then there is a complete absence of God’s Word; they are walking in total darkness without the benefit of God’s word which is given to us as the lamp unto our feet and the light for our path (Psalm 119:105).

When one spouse is a Christian, but the other is not; the spouse who is an unbeliever will typically say when they are in an argument, “Don’t try to force your ideas on me. Who are you to judge?” If God’s Word is not the foundation for the entire house; the house won’t be much good when half of it breaks apart in the storms of life.

Being married to an unbeliever does not alter the sacredness of their marriage; and God’s word specifically teaches Christians not to think their faith gives them a God-pleasing reason to walk away:

If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. (1 Cor 7:12-13)

Two wrongs don’t make a right and the ends do not justify the means in God’s mind.

For the marriage between two Christians there will still be difficulties, but if these couples will mutually submit to God’s word as authoritative for their relationship; then there is hope. Prayer is such a tremendous blessing for Christian couples in marriage difficulty.

Jesus’ disciples did not know how to pray, so they asked Jesus and He taught them the Lord’s Prayer. Scripture tells us that we must be in agreement when we pray, but when we are on the verge of a heated argument even prayer can be difficult. At times like this, the Lord’s Prayer is a very practical tool God has given us; two Christian spouses may feel like there is absolutely nothing they could agree on with their spouse, but neither will say that they don’t agree with how Jesus taught His disciples to pray. And what a blessing that Jesus taught us to pray, “… Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…” What a blessing for two Christian spouses trying to control the burning fire in their tongues (James 3:6)!

Where have you strayed outside of God’s plan for marriage? Come to Him in the sure and certain name of His Son, Jesus. Confess your sin, ask for forgiveness, pray for His word to guide you in paths of righteousness. Whose marriage do you know that needs prayer? Lift them up in your prayer time, your Father sees what you do in your prayer closet.