Day 40: Prayer Alphabet

Hey SIS!!!

We made it to the Finish Line of our #TagTeam 40 Day Prayer Challenge!!!!

The #TagTeam Prayer Finale will be streaming live for those who are unable to attend! This is the link you will use to view it February 21, 2014 at 7pm ( http://video.sqweekey.com/impact/live )

Wow! It’s Day 40 of the prayer challenge. We did it! It was exciting, unbelievable, good times with God. At times it may have been challenging, but we made it to the last day. Thank you Jesus! Although this is considered the end, we can view this really as a new beginning. Through our experience and the greater understanding we have gained in God, we are now seeing the world with fresh eyes…spiritual eyes. Ladies, things look a lot different! As we take on life with a fresh perspective we will continue to grow spiritually and learn more.

The focused scripture for today is Luke 11:1, which states “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”” Do you ever wonder what the disciples thought when Jesus prayed? They probably thought he was the best at praying. They knew Jesus was filled with wisdom and was their teacher. Therefore, they asked how they should pray.

I’m sure that like the disciples we all can relate to feeling like we aren’t the best at praying. Sometimes we have no idea what to pray about. But it’s ok. God is there to help us if we just ask. Batterson tells us a cute story about a grandfather who walked by his granddaughter’s bedroom one night and overheard her praying. Her prayer was literally, “Dear God, a,b,c,d,e,f,g….z” and then she said “Amen.” The grandfather asked the little girl why she was praying that way. The girl said “I didn’t know what to say so I figured I’d let God put the letters together however He saw fit.” Here are some suggestions from Batterson about praying:

1.       We need to ask God what to pray about. Batterson says “Prayer isn’t about outlining our agenda to God; it’s about getting into God’s presence and getting God’s agenda for us.” 

2.      If we aren’t sure where to start or if we get stuck, start reading the Bible. God speaks to us through his word. We might read a word or phrase that jumps off the page and propelled into prayer.

3.      Keep trying! Batterson says, “Acquiring a prayer language is as arduous as learning a foreign language.” Don’t get impatient with yourself.

4.      Be yourself. God wants to hear your words—exactly how you say it. He wants to hear your praise.

5.      Get creative. Sometimes prayer can become routine or “cliché.” Continue to explore new ways to pray that reflect you (i.e. gifts, personality, etc.)

This is the bottom line: Prayer makes all the Difference in our lives! “Prayer is the difference between the best we can do and the best God can do,” explains Batterson. It changes everything—from the way we work, feel, think, and even speak. Batterson says, “It doesn’t matter what you do; prayer is the key to your business, your practice, your career.” No matter what we do in this life—become a banker, doctor, singer, teacher—prayer opens the way for us to talk and hear from God. God is the source of our creativity and all our abilities. What better way to grow our abilities than to hear from our creator? The Holy Spirit can work inside us to give us the skills and knowledge we need to navigate this life. And that’s the BEST kind of Life…walking with God on our side!

Let’s pray as Jesus taught us to pray:

⁹ Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.

¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13

Post Written By: SIS Chelsea