Pray for Midterm Elections

At a discount store, I overheard a woman talking on her cell phone, “I am definitely going to vote. But it seems like I need to do more.”

She is right. We also need to pray about our upcoming midterm election. Please join me in praying these seven requests.

     1.  Pray believers in America will return to God. Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,” 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

2.     Pray all people realize God is sovereign over all. Daniel 2:21, “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Psalm 33:11, “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

3.     Intercede for leaders who are unfairly attacked or falsely accused. Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Isaiah 54:17, “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.”

4.     Pray Christians will vote and not submit to anxiety about possible defeat. Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

5.     Ask that we realize the fight is waged against the invisible not the visible. 2 Corinthians 10:4, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

6.     After the election, intercede that we are faithful to pray for those in authority. 1 Timothy 2:1-2, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,  thanksgiving be made for all people--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

7.     No matter what the results, pray we will continue to trust in the Lord. Habakkuk 1:5, 3:2,"Look at the nations and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

See you at the voting booth.

Teach Us to Pray

Over the years many of us have used the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:2-4 or Matthew 6:9-13 to learn or teach others how to pray.

However, I think Luke 11:1 contains some nuggets which many of us miss. The first sentence says, “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.” The best way to teach prayer is by example. Jesus’ example served as the prerequisite for the disciple to ask his Lord to teach them to pray.

I can remember my frustration at a conference. During a workshop, a presenter did an excellent job of speaking about the many aspects of prayer. He finished, and time was up. Everyone filed out. I sat alone eager to try these precepts. Then another group began coming in and I had to leave for the next session.

Luke 11:1 relates, “one of his disciples said to him.” We do not know which disciple asked Jesus to instruct them. This disciple was unselfish and asked that Jesus teach them all. Since the disciple was unnamed, he displayed humility. When we ask in prayer, we admit we do not possess the power, or we lack the answers to solve our issues.

Did you notice that only one disciple asked for instruction on prayer? Do our churches suffer the same dilemma as the Twelve? We study about prayer and watch others pray. But how many actually pray and how many earnestly seek God to teach us to pray?

SWAT Team for Your School

Some teachers are already at school organizing their rooms and materials. Parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens need to be in preparation too. School shootings have become far too common. It is time to act with a prayer SWAT team. 

SWAT―Spiritual Warfare Attack Team―prayer teams create a hedge of protection through intercession. Prayer warriors use Ephesians 6:10-18 to protect our students and staff from the enemies’ harm.

Cindy Jacobs of the Reformation Prayer Network proposes a five-point plan.

Select a School. Adopt your child’s school to cover in prayer. If your children/grandchildren attend more than one school recruit help.

Drive around or prayer walk the school. Try to do so at least once a week. 

Recruit others to pray. Form a prayer group from your church or other Christian parents.

Secure the school. Ask others to join you who know how to engage through prayer the powers and principalities of darkness. Chart and pray over every classroom, office, storage area, restroom, gym, locker room, and auditorium. Include every inch of the building(s), lawn, fields, playgrounds, and parking. Turn the spiritual climate in your school to light and love.

Volunteer at your selected school. As you serve, keep you eyes and ears open to people or situations that need prayer. 

Put your prayer for your school in the comment section.

Summer Prayers

For many of us, the summer is a slower pace and a time to reflect on our relationship with God. We take vacations to places with scenic views and fun activities. So, I created ten fun summer prayers.

As I lay on the beach, I praise You for Your countless thoughts. "How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! "Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand--when I awake, I am still with you." Psalm 139:17-18

At the top of a ride at the county fair, I reach to meet with You. "I call to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.” Psalm 3:4

Like the electric lights in fireflies, cause me to ponder the mysteries of Your creation. "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” Job 11:7

Like the birds who sing to me, Lord, speak to me. "So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.” 1 Samuel 3:9

As I fill my net with the fish I catch, fill me with Your Spirit. “Be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18

As I splash in the pool, I ask You refresh me. "A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

When the kids at the lemonade stand fill my cup, please fill my spiritual cup with joy. "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11

When I hear Your voice in the thunderstorm, help me not to fear. "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” Psalm 46:10

Like the crack of a bat in a ball game, I pray I will be alert to the enemy’s tactics. "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

In your bounty, in fields and gardens, I praise You for Your goodness. " I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

What summer activity brings a prayer to your mind?

What Could Prayer Do for Your Neighborhood?

David Fitch in his book, Seven Practices for the Church on Mission, wrote about eight people who felt called to pray for the Detroit Boulevard neighborhood in Sacramento. In 2010, it reigned as one of the most crime-ridden areas in Sacramento. Nearly every home was a place of peril.

The group of eight walked the streets and interceded for the presence of God to overcome forces of evil and harm, addiction, and strongholds of the enemy. Eventually the prayer warriors physically moved into the neighborhood and started Detroit Life Church. During 2013, the Sacramento Bee reported there were no murders, thefts, or sex crimes and only one assault in Detroit Boulevard.

What if you were to enlist a few friends to prayer walk the streets in your subdivision or neighborhood? Besides getting some exercise, maybe the number of divorces would drop. Rather than middle-schoolers vandalizing property, maybe a coach would step forward and start evening volleyball or basketball. What could prayer do for your neighborhood?

Pray for America - Unity

Have you noticed the excitement about praying for America? I cannot remember a time when there have been so many tweets, Facebook posts, blogs, magazine articles, and books about praying for America. This Thursday, May 3 will be the National Day of Prayer NDP. 

Thousands will be in Washington, D.C. interceding for our country. The main service will be in Statuary Hall in our nation’s capital. You can watch the event on Daystar or God TV at 7:30 EST or livestream with this: Embed Code.

Earlier this week, I remember standing in my hallway. I contemplated what I should do next. I was divided. Our families are split. There is divisiveness in our churches. Deadlock rules our government. We do not experience Psalm 133:1, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” 

Please join me and many others praying in our homes for unity this Thursday. Here is a sample National Prayer. Lord, help us dwell together in unity.

Writing Prayers and Bible Verses

          Years ago, I experienced problems during my prayer time. When I prayed at night, I fell asleep. When I prayed early in the morning, I could not stay focused. My mind drifted to the tasks ahead of me.   

          I resolved this by starting a prayer journal. While some hand write their prayers, I type mine in a journal. Either way works to maintain focus and attention on God.

Recently, I read an article by author Dillon Burroughs called, “How Handwriting Scripture Improves My Prayers.” His article reminded me of several things I noticed now that I journal my thoughts as I read scripture. After a time, my prayers and reflections on the passage blended together.

Although I have never met Burroughs, an avid blogger about handwriting scripture, we both concluded there are three benefits to writing prayers and scriptural phrases rather than skimming a prayer list and a passage in the Word.

Typing (me) or handwriting (Burroughs) forces us to slow down. Rather than beg or shout at our Lord to hurry and fix something, we took time to connect with God. Sometimes we need a quick prayer to resolve an issue, but prayer time should not be a panic.

Journaling causes us to be more specific in our prayers. Before typing or writing our prayers, our petitions were vague and unfocused. For example, as I prayed through a list of missionaries, I rarely got past, "Be with John and Carol in Argentina."

However, if I type, John 14:14, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” This verse reminds me of challenges several of the individuals on my list have. So, I pray specifically for that missionary and the problem they face. I finish by praising God for the answer I know is coming.

    Journaling makes our prayers more accurate. Our old prayer lives focused on what made life more convenient and comfortable. When we journaled scripture about Saul chasing David, Moses leading the Israelites, or Paul penning Philippians from prison, it brought about perspective. Our lives must center on bringing God the glory, not our own.

A Billy Graham Secret

In The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham, one of Reverend Graham’s assistants relates a story about an appearance on the Today show. When he arrived, a program producer offered to escort Graham to a private room for prayer before the broadcast. The assistant expressed thanks for the kind offer but said Graham would not need the room. The producer seemed somewhat stunned that a world-famous Christian leader would not want to pray before an interview on national television.

"Mr Graham started praying when he got up this morning, he prayed while eating breakfast, he prayed on the way over in the car, and he'll probably be praying all the way through the interview," responded the assistant.   

Authors Marshall Shelley and Harold Myra included this anecdote about unceasing prayer to serve as one example of the well-developed prayer life of Reverend Graham. Our leadership responsibilities may not reach past leading a small group or our children. However, that responsibility needs 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) power, “Pray continually.”

Many of us miss the opportunities we have. How many minutes do we usually wait for an appointment in a quiet lobby? We may get thrown out if we kneeled and prayed to a chair (which is what it could look like to an unbeliever). Instead we can pray silently for the burdens of family and friends.

Rather than get frustrated waiting for a red light to turn, could we “pray without ceasing,” (NIV or NKJV)? I would not suggest closing your eyes until horns behind you start blaring. To pray continually becomes a focus of the mind. In every situation, during every minute, we must seek God’s help. We are weak, and we do not have all the answers. Our Lord does.

After extensive interviews of Billy Graham Evangelist Association staff members and some well-known people, Myra and Shelley analyzed the leadership characteristics of Graham. A commitment to prayer was one of those important leadership traits. You can find The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham by Harold Myra and Marshall Shelley (Zondervan, 2005, 2008) here:

Amazon     Books-A-Million    Barnes & Noble  

A Quiet Place to Pray

Have we become so busy and have so many people and duties swirling around us that we can’t find a solitary place to pray? Do we want to pray but can’t because our mind is racing?

The Bible records Jesus had the same issue. In Mark 6:30-31, it states, “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'"

The Apostles and Jesus got in a boat to sail to a solitary place. However, the crowd ran along the shore and met them when they landed. Perhaps Jesus’ experience reminds us of leaving the chaos of work. Then, go home to three kids, who are jumping on the couch throwing pillows.

According to Philippians 4, the first step is to stop fighting the noise and the worry. Rather, tell God our frustrations. Pray our muddled thoughts and fears.

  ► In the doctor’s office lobby, pray about the test results.

      ► Waiting for the police, pray our fears about the accident.

      ► In the executive secretary’s office, pray about what the boss might say.

      ► Waiting on construction, pray about being late.

      ► When our coworker is yelling, pray about our response.

If our brain won’t stop buzzing, then write our concerns. Scribbling our prayers can bring our mind into alignment with his will.

John W. Peterson got it right. Remember his chorus? In Sunday school or VBS, many of us sang “Why Worry When You Can Pray?”

After we express our concerns, listen. While we are in pandemonium, God will bring peace. We will experience Philippians 4:5-7, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."