Prayer

Theme… Praying along with Jesus.

Click the link above to download this week’s prayer guide.

C.S. Lewis… “In silence and in meditation on the
eternal truths, I hear the voice of God which excites
our hearts to greater love.”

Today we focus our prayer on growing in
hearing God’s voice through daily Bible
engagement.

Reality…
Neurologist Curt Thompson, author of Anatomy of
the Soul… “Anytime we think about changing the
course of our mind, we’re talking about
neuroplasticity. We’re talking about changing the
way our neurons are firing. One of the most
important elements of helping neuroplasticity flourish
is activating it through the use of attention…

Attention is the engine that pulls the rest of the train
of the mind. There’s nothing that we do throughout
the day that does not, in some way, shape or form,
involve a shift in attention from one thing to another
to another. That attentional change is crucial. If my
life is going to be different, I’m going to have change
the focus of my attention, and in so doing activate
neuroplasticity, then my brain and life will change.”

What captures our attention?
Engagement with media is like a constant, shaping
background influence – drawing our attention all
waking day. According to researcher Stacy Jo Dixon
(published in Statista), the average daily global
media engagement on social networking was 151
minutes per day.

Fork in the road? Choice with 2 outcomes…
Notice how the choice to give attention (meditate
and respond) in Psalm 1, shapes our life outcomes.

Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2  but his DELIGHT is in the law of the LORD,
    and on his law he MEDITATES day and night.
3  He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4  The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the
righteous;
6  for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

For greater perspective click link below…

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/psalm-1/

In order to hear the voice of Holy Spirit leading us
consistently throughout the day, we need to practice
the habit of daily Bible engagement and meditation.

Already have existing habits of daily Bible
engagement & meditation? Awesome–Go deeper

For those of us who may be newer to this habit or
who have opportunity to disciple new people in the
way of Jesus… a simple plan & process are helpful.

Simple plan…
Have a plan to read a chapter of the Bible each
day…
– The Gospel of John, the book of Acts,
Romans, Ephesians or a daily Psalm and
Proverb are all great options.

Simple process… S.O.A.P.W.
1) Scripture, read your section of the bible, and
copy in a journal 1 or 2 verses that caught your
attention.
2) Observation, jot down in your journal what you
observed or learned about God’s character,
ways, purposes, will or promises.
3) Application, ask Holy Spirit, how am I to adjust
my life to respond / join / obey what you are
saying to me through this scripture?
4) Pray, express your desire, and invite Holy Spirit
to lead and empower you in responding to
Father’s invitation.
5) Watch, be alert to how God may bring this
scripture into reality in your life today. Circle
back today in thinking of this passage and
meditating on what God is saying through it.

Click the link above to download this week’s prayer guide.

Today we come together knowing that ‘every
great move of God in the Bible and history begins
with Extraordinary Prayer & Fasting’.

Today, we invite you to spend an hour in
conversation with your Father, who loves you fully
and radically.

Prayer can be intimidating. Early on in our prayer
journey, we aren’t sure what to say, or may find
ourselves easily distracted. For some the idea of
spending an hour in prayer may seem like a
daunting challenge. BUT remember, prayer is a
journey, in a relationship, not a destination or
achievement.

Prayer is like anything else we learn how to do.
We learn and grow by doing it. We grow from just
praying… to developing a prayer life, regular
rhythms of contemplative prayer, practical prayer,
listening prayer and missional prayer.

Eventually you find yourself living a life of prayer,
where you are engaging in a conversation with
God that is running all day in the background. It’s
a part of your abiding in Jesus.

Today, we experiment with praying for an hour.
Read thru this guide in preparation, and then pick
a time when you can linger for an hour.

This framework is from Dick Eastman’s book The
Hour that Changes the World. The model has
been further developed by Zume Training, and
this guide you are reading is adapted from the KC
Underground.

In just 12 simple movements – 5 minutes each –
the Prayer Cycle guides you through 12 Biblical
ways to pray.

Look over the guide, pick a time and ENJOY. You
will be amazed how quickly the time goes by, as
you move through the Prayer Cycle.

PRAISE (5 minutes)
Start by praising the Lord for things that are on
your mind right now. Praise Him for things He has
done in your life this past week. Praise Him for
His goodness to your family. Consider playing a
favorite worship song or reflect on one of these
Psalms 145, 146, 40, 8, 65, 98, or 150.

Wait (5 minutes)
Be silent and invite God to guide your thoughts..
Consciously relax, and let the tension drain away
from your body. Breathe deeply and slowly.
Consent to God’s presence, giving Him your yes.
Just enjoy being with Him and express your love
for Him. Some might find it helpful to choose a
sacred word like “Lord”, “Abba”, or “Jesus” and
just allow your sanctified imagination to gaze
upon His face (2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:6).

Confess (5 minutes)
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you anything in your
life that may be displeasing to Him. Ask questions
like, “Where am I missing you? Not joining you?”
Listen and see if a specific incident or attitude is
highlighted. Ask the Lord to show you the root of
the behavior or attitude. Confess your unbelief,
and then confess your belief that God is good,
gracious, glorious, and great.

Read the Word (5 minutes)
Spend time in a passage on prayer.
Matthew 6:6-13;
Philippians 4:6-7;

Mark 11:22-25;
James 5:13-18;
Luke 11:9-13;
2 Kings 19:14-19; 34-35;
1 Samuel 2:1-10;
Matthew 26:38-41;
John 17:20-23;
Psalm 30 and many more

Ask ( 5 minutes)
Make requests on your behalf. What do you need
spiritually, emotionally, physically, intellectually, or
practically?

Intercession (5 minutes)
Make requests on behalf of others. Who is the
Lord laying on your heart right now? Hold them
before Jesus and make requests on their behalf.

Pray the Word (5 minutes)
Pray specific passages. Scriptural prayers and
many Psalms lend themselves well to this
practice. Consider taking the passage you chose
to read earlier and praying it back to God.

Thanks (5 minutes)
Linger in a posture of gratitude. Remember the
small simple pleasures of the last day. Notice the
1000 gifts from God you received today. As you
remember these small gifts from God, take a
moment to reflect on the gifts you gave today to
God or others. How did you offer your strengths,
sense of humor, abilities, encouragement and
patience to others today? When finished reflecting
thank God for these things.

Sing (5 minutes)
What song of worship and wonder comes to mind
as you think of Jesus? Remember and sing it or
pull it up, play it on your phone and sing along.
Make a song your gift to Jesus.

Meditate (5 minutes)
Ask the Lord, to speak to you. Ask specific
questions like Lord what do I need to know for
today, this week, this month, this situation, this
relationship? Record in a journal or a note on your
phone, impressions he gives. Always test against
God’s character, heart, purposes, and the Bible.

Listen (5 minutes)

Spend time merging the things you have read,
prayed and sung over that last 50 minutes. What
themes or insights does the Lord bring to mind?

Praise (5 minutes)
Praise the Lord for your time with Him and the
impressions he has given. Praise him for his
attributes. Communicate that you long for this
conversation to continue as the day and week
progress.

Questions to ponder on this experience.
1) Who could I share this simple tool with?
2) What could I re-arrange or stop doing to
increase my prayer life.
3) Write an “I will statement”.