I began this study as I always begin a study with prayer, my Bible, and a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. To these I added the book "The Power of a Praying Parent" by Stormie O’Martian. I use the KJV for many reasons but have found that I can use a book as a reference that uses another vesion of the Bible, I just read all scripture in my KJV. When I do a study, whatever resource books I use are only a jumping off place. The Bible is my final authority and my prayer is for Holy Spirit guidance and insight.

As we begin this new series of lessons I want to share my heart with you. I covet for each of you a prayer life that is so deep and personal that missing prayer time will be like living with an irregular heartbeat.

Science has harnessed the power of the mighty rivers, using dams to produce electrical power. Nuclear scientists have split the atom and produced atomic and nuclear bombs. Surgeons preform surgery on unborn babies. Genetists have found DNA and can often detect birth defects by prenatal chromosome studies. Explorations of space continue...men on the moon...rocket to Mars...cameras to Venus...outer space satelite stations.

As born again Christians we have a gift that no other religious group knows, a privilege more powerful then anything the scientist can even dream. The God of our salvation created everything the scientist have ‘discovered’! Think about it for a minute. On our knees in prayer, we have access to all of the power of the God who created our universe. The more we pray, the more power we have in our life.

Luke 11:9 "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Some of you may not have read my ‘Becoming a Praying Wife’ study so we are going to review some basic princples of prayer. When we say pray or prayer we tend to think, bow your head, close your eyes, and talk to God.  "God bless me and mine, and all the missionaries." The Bible has 9 Hebrew words and 3 Greek words that are interpreted as pray, prayer or praying. We had those words hanging on the walls in this room for several months. Do any of you remember what some of them were? Ask, beg, beseech, burn, desire, excitement, hymn, if, intercede, interrogate, intreat, judge, meditation, petition, put to pain, request, seek, sore, sorry, supplication, worship, would God

God commands us to pray; yet I personally believe that many Christians do not know how to pray, nor do they understand the power we have in prayer.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

God Commands ~

God Hears ~

God Leads ~

God Answers ~

Some of you are thinking, but you don’t understand, I pray and nothing happens.  Then we need to ask some questions and find Bible answers.

Are you a born again Christian? Does Jesus live in your heart or are you just playing church? John 14:1, 10, 11, 12, 17 --- 20 All of these verses tell us we must believe in Christ. The first prayer that God will hear is a prayer of repentance, accepting Christ as your personal Savior. If you do not know the LORD as your Savior, your prayers are a ‘feel-good’ religious exercise but GOD cannot hear them. The first step to answered prayer is relationship.

The second step is un-broken fellowship. Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." In other words, if you have un-confessed sin in your life, God can’t hear you. If you know there is un-confessed sin in your life your prayer needs to begin with "God forgive me". Confession needs to be specific...name the sin and recognize it is what Christ hated so much He was willing to die to rid you of it.

Then we need to spend time in prayer allowing God to show us our faults. Psalm 139:23 & 24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

When we have a right relationship and un-broken fellowship then prayer, talking to God, becomes dynamic. The word dynamic comes from the same root word as dynamite. Prayer has the power to blow your pre-concieved ideas apart and change your life. Real prayer is never boring...in fact it is stimulating.

Where can you pray?  On a mountain, in a temple (church), in a closet, in the desert, in a boat, in the belly of a whale, under a vine, in a garden, on a cross. Pray in the quiet. Noise is probably Satan’s greatest tool to prevent you from praying. Get rid of of the noise!

Why should you pray?  That God might be glorified. John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

When should you pray?  Morning, Noon, Night. I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing." No, I don’t mean you should spend your life on your knees beside your bed but we should always be in an attitude of prayer. As we go about our daily lives, we should be aware of God’s presence. He is always waiting for us to speak his name.

Now I was never a great English student but I remember a little about verbs being active or passive. I’ve heard preacher’s say that the Greek language has other voices then just active and passive. That Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" is written in the active progressive voice. Ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking.

My prayer as we begin this new series of lessons is that each one of us will find a deeper intimacy with God. A closer walk, an over powering desire to talk to God knowing that He hears and answers our prayers. I pray that as we direct our prayers into all areas of our children’s lives, God’s power will be released and Satan will be bound.

Jas 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

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