Rather than focus on negative views about our young people, I invest more time now in prayer for them than I ever have. When you focus and pray the positive, positive things will result; negativity only breeds negativity. What would happen if we imagined a group of young people today as they can be instead of what others have deemed them to be? We can change statistics. We can pray.

Pray:

• That youth would see their God-given plan and purpose. Ask God to reveal the identity He wants them to have, instead of what their circumstances have dictated. (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 139:13-16; 2 Cor. 5:20; Jeremiah 1:5; John 14:13; Rom 8:28-29)
• That they will have wisdom and develop good friendships. We often become like those we hang out with. (1 Cor 15:33; Heb 10:25; 1 Thess. 5:11; 1 Sam 16:7)
• That they would develop good character, having their lives transformed by the Spirit of God, and living godly lives. (1 Tim 4:12; Rom 12:1-2; Psalm 24:4)
• That they would develop a hunger for righteousness and purity, keeping themselves from sexual immorality. (John 8:32; 1 Peter 1:5; Heb 13:4; 1 Cor 6:18; 1 John 4:4; James 1:12-14)
• That they would develop a passion for the anointing of God, and be witnesses of God’s truth and love to others. (Acts 1:8; Luke 4:18-19; 1 Peter 3:15; Matt 28:19-20; Gal 5:24)
• That they would be submissive to their leaders and God, and have accountability to mentors in their life. (Eph 6:2-3; Heb 13:17; Mk 12:17)
• That they would find hope for their lives and the world around them, and encouragement in their hard times. (Gal 6:9; Eph 6:13; Phil 4:8; 2 Tim 2:13; Heb 10:23; 1 Peter 5:8-9)
• That they would have discernment of truth to know when the enemy is trying to deceive them or alter the Word of God. (1 Tim 3:9; 2 Cor 2:11; Jn 17:17; Eph 6:14)
• That they would passionate about their spiritual growth and work in ministry. (Luke 2:52; Gal 2:20; 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 3:16)

Colleen Clabaugh
Kids & Youth Prayer Coordinator
World Network of Prayer

1. Pray for a spirit of Humility. “The willingness to submit” (James 4:10).
2. Pray for a spirit of Reverence. “The fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 9:10).
3. Pray for a spirit of Purity. “A desire to be clean” (Matthew 5:8).
4. Pray for a spirit of Purpose. “A wisdom to set goals” (Proverbs 4:25).
5. Pray for a spirit of Simplicity. “A lifestyle uncluttered” (Romans 12:8).
6. Pray for a spirit of Commitment. “A dedication to the ‘cause’ ” (Joshua 24:15).
7. Pray for a spirit of Diligence. “A willingness to work hard” (II Peter 1:5).
8. Pray for a spirit of Servanthood. “The ministry of helps” (Galatians 6:9,10).
9. Pray for a spirit of Consistency. “The quality of faithfulness” (James 1:8).
10. Pray for a spirit of Assurance. “A depth of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).
11. Pray for a spirit of Availability. “A willingness to go.” (Isa. 6:8).
12. Pray for a spirit of Loyalty. “A zeal for fidelity” (Ruth 1:16).
13. Pray for a spirit of Sensitivity. “Openness of heart” (Luke 10: 30-37).
14. Pray for a spirit of Compassion. “Love in action” (Mark 8:1,2).
15. Pray for a spirit of Tenderness. “A willingness to weep” (II Kings 22:19).
16. Pray for a spirit of Maturity. “The capacity to grow” (Hebrews 5: 12-14).
17. Pray for a spirit of Holiness. “Christ-like behaviour” (I Peter 1:16).
18. Pray for a spirit of Reliability. “A depth of dependability.” (I Corinthians 4:2).
19. Pray for a spirit of Revelation. “Learning to listen” (Ephesians 1:15,18).
20. Pray for a spirit of Denial. “A sacrifice to surrender” (Luke 9:23).
21. Pray for a spirit of Confidence. “The strength of the Lord” (Phillipians 4:13).
22. Pray for a spirit of Integrity. “The quality of truthfulness” (Romans 12:17).
23. Pray for a spirit of Repentance. “A willingness to change” (Luke 3:8).
24. Pray for a spirit of Trust. “A fearless reliance” (Psalm 125:1).
25. Pray for a spirit of Submission. “Choosing to yield” (Ephesians 5:21).
26. Pray for a spirit of Teachability. “A quality of meekness” (Titus 3:2).
27. Pray for a spirit of Prayer. “A longing to wait” (Isa. 40:31).
28. Pray for a spirit of Unity. “A respect for others” (I Corinthians 1:10).
29. Pray for a spirit of Restoration. “A ministry of healing” (Isa. 61:1,2).
30. Pray for a spirit of Authority. “A capacity to command” (Matthew 16:19).
31. Pray for a spirit of Giving. “The desire to give” (Matthew 10:8).

You’ve tried to pray but things just aren’t working out. There’s been no answer, and frankly, you are frustrated and annoyed with God.  You question yourself as to why He doesn’t care enough to take care of your need. Or perhaps you feel abandoned or depressed, wondering why you aren’t good enough for Him to pay attention to.

Your mom told you to pray. Your grandma was a prayer warrior. Your youth pastor said it would work. Your pastor preaches about it all the time… and for what? ‘Why does God pick and choose who He will answer,’ you ask? Why does He ignore you? Why can’t He understand what you need? Why keep talking to a wall and looking foolish? Why, why why?

Seriously…. why?

The questions keep going on until you aren’t just questioning why your prayers aren’t being answered, but you question God’s love for you, or perhaps, even His existence. ‘Is His Word even true?’ you ask, because He doesn’t seem to be abiding by it Himself. What’s the use? Why them and not me? Why even try? Your heart burns within you, as anger, resentment, frustration, and hopelessness suffocate you. Then you simply, walk away, and resolve that God is just not an answer for you. So many questions, and no answers.

We all face these struggles from time to time during our lives. There is frustration when we can’t seem to get the answers we need, and so we being questioning. Often our questions though are pointed toward God’s supposed fault instead of our misunderstandings. God is perfect. But we don’t really understand perfection; we understand immediate need and gratification. When God doesn’t meet that immediate gratification, we often lay the blame on Him instead of us.

As you develop your prayer life, you will have times your prayers are not being answered. Instead of getting angry at God, consider the prayer you are requesting.

Here are some things that will hinder your prayers from being answered:

(from the World Network of Prayer)

Not fellowshipping with God: Fellowship means to have a partnership, or to spend time with.  Why would God answer the prayers of someone who never speaks to Him?

Not praying in Jesus’ Name: Jesus instructed His disciples on how to pray.  He said to pray in the name of  Jesus.

Not asking or asking with the wrong motives: If you don’t ask, your prayer won’t be answered for sure.

Don’t pray selfishly.  God wants more than your grocery list.  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss  (amiss defined as WRONG)  

Not asking according to God’s will: God’s will is learned by reading His Word.  God will not answer a prayer that is against His will. Here are some examples:

          God make Sally fail her final in Biology.
          God strike Johnny in the head with lightning.
          Lord, let me get this job even though it will keep me out of church.
          God please help me pass this test I didn’t study for.
          Lord I hate my parents; they don’t understand me. Please help me run away.
          God I need money to get an abortion.

Not having God’s Word in you: John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask what you desire   and it shall be done for you.”

Doubt & Unbelief: James 1:5-8 tells you to ask God in faith without doubting for your request to be fulfilled.

Giving Up: Luke 18:1 tells us to pray and faint not.  

Not being in agreement: Matthew 18:9  – “if any two of you agree, it will be done.”

Unforgiveness: “if you forgive men their trespasses, your father will forgive yours.”

Unconfessed Sin: Psalm 66:18 – “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”

Don’t give up on prayer. God always answers, even if the answer is, ‘No.’ And when He answers, ‘No,’ remember that He knows your situation and your future… and He works all things out for our good. Pray for His understanding.

Colleen Clabaugh
WNOP Kids & Youth Prayer Coordinator

When we are angry the one thing we want is resolution or justice. Rarely do we want to be sweet and even less do we want to pray. However, prayer works and though we can find alternative ways to help our anger, prayer works best. Here are some ways that can help you pray through your anger before anger gets over on you.

Jesus gave us a great example: “In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.  Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle.  He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.  He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here!  Stop making my Father’s house a market place!” John 2:14 -16

Breathe slowly…act slowly. When Jesus became angry, he didn’t automatically start reacting. He did an activity that slowed down his actions and calmed his nerves some and gave him proper focus to teach a spiritual lesson. Often when we are angry all we can think of is immediate resolve, which can skew our rational thinking. When the adrenaline is flowing fast, it’s hard to not respond. Slow down. Think about your situation and what you are going to do before you do it.  Breathe deep and slow. Pray for God to show you how you should respond. Think about what He would do.

Be rational. If you are going to speak at that moment ask yourself if your action are rational, and can help the situation. If they will not help, then don’t do it, or say it. Many arguments and situations are made worse by the way people react in their anger. Saying hurtful words in response will not help. Hitting someone will not help. Doing abusive behavior to that person or to you will not help. Again, ask God how you should respond. Walk away, if necessary, and then come back to the situation when you can think straight.

Weigh the problem. Ask yourself if the problem is really that big in light of all of life or eternity. Too many relationships are damaged over small things that really don’t matter.

Write it down.  If you can’t discuss or address a problem calmly, try to write down your feelings and thoughts. Putting your words on paper is much better than throwing them at another individual. Writing will often release emotions and help us clarify what is bothering us. Emotional responses can be communicated wrong and often one wrong word can permanently damage. After writing down your response, pray for God to help you share what you’ve written in a calm manner.

Accept responsibility. If you are partly or fully the cause of the problem, accept responsibility; don’t try to cover it or justify your behavior. Covering your shortcomings doesn’t help anything. Responding in anger because someone addressed a wrong you did won’t fix the wrong or help you to change. We can only change when we accept our fault. Ask God to help you be true and accountable. We all make mistakes but God can help us overcome them when we ask for help.

Accept that others make mistakes. None of us are perfect. Give grace to others when they mess up, like you want them to show grace to you. Forgive them, as you want them to forgive you. If you do not forgive, God cannot forgive you. Pray for God to help you to forgive and let go of wrong doings instead of letting it become a bitter poison in you.

Tell God you are mad. It’s ok to tell God how you feel, even when you are really mad. Be honest. When we are open, and don’t hold things in, then we can heal and become more rational. Hiding anger will only cause bitterness and a revengeful spirit.

Here is a sample prayer you can pray when you are dealing with anger:

Lord, I’m really angry. Things seem unfair and things aren’t right. Right now I want to say things I shouldn’t, or do something to get revenge. I want to scream at the world or at person who hurt me, but that won’t do any good. Please, I need help to deal with this. I don’t want to think these bad thoughts; help me to dwell on the good and the positive things in my life. Help me get rid of this burning inside my heart.

Lord, I know to hold anger in my spirit is wrong. I have some bitterness and unforgiveness in me. I’ve reacted wrong to others and said some things at times that I shouldn’t have. I’ve hurt others and not just myself being this angry. I confess this, and ask You to forgive me and take this anger away. Heal any wounds that I have inflicted, through my words and actions, in others and myself. Help me to speak kind words and forgive. Help me to make things right with those that I have been angry with.

 I ask you to help me think good thoughts. I don’t need revenge; that is your job. I need peace and I want this situation to make me a better person. Help me to learn something from it that is good.

 As Your Word says; “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.” I will react right. I will make amends. I will not let my emotions control me. I will respond as You did… with love and forgiveness.

 In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Colleen Clabaugh
Kids & Youth Prayer Coordinator – World Network of Prayer

But you aren’t a failure.

Your emotions might tell you that you are. Your friends might tell you that you are. Some of your family might even say that you are. And the worse one… you tell yourself that you are. But God never agrees. 

Life is full of mistakes and failures. We measure and compare ourselves with others, living life more for each other than we do ourselves or God. When the mistakes come, we are devastated. Our inner and “other” voices tell us that we will never be good enough.

None of us like to fail, yet, failure can be positive. When we approach our failure as an opportunity to become better instead of a stamp mark of identity, we find ourselves learning from our mistakes instead of being identified by them. Failure can make us stronger, wiser, more forgiving, patient, and humble.

Successful business owners use their failures as stepping stones for change. Often, those who invest in start-up companies pick those entrepreneurs which have already failed, simply because they know the person has already learned a hard lesson that they will try not to repeat.

Though failure is generally looked at negatively, you can chose to view it positively, as God does. Even when Israel failed God repeatedly, His response was:

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool”. (Isaiah 1:18)

He took the bad and created good.

There will be times that you feel like a failure… it’s normal. You may mess up a friendship, a promise, a test, a job, a college education, a relationship with a parent, or even your walk with God. But when these times come use the following prayer helps below to help you pray through your struggle, instead of being identified by it.

• Repent and ask God’s forgiveness, if necessary, also forgiving yourself. 
• Ask God to talk to you and help you learn from your situation.
• Pray that you would see yourself as God does, instead of what your emotions are telling you.
• Pray that others, who were impacted by your mistake, would be forgiving towards you.
• If your mistake affected someone else, ask God how you can make things right with them, and then do it.
• Pray that you would be as forgiving with others in their mistakes, as you want them to be with you in yours.
• Pray for peace in your mind, and good thoughts. Don’t allow yourself to dwell on negative emotions or thoughts.
• Pray that God would help you to see your future as He does, instead of how your current situation makes you feel it will turn out.

Failure is only a true failure when we quit trying.

Colleen Clabaugh
Kids & Youth Prayer Coordinator

]]> http://prayingyouth.com/praying-through-failure/feed/ 1 http://prayingyouth.com/prayer-at-exam-time/ http://prayingyouth.com/prayer-at-exam-time/#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:53:14 +0000 http://prayingyouth.com/?p=306 STRESS!
Most teenagers know this familiar feeling that comes with subject tests, pop-quizzes, mid-terms, finals or other tests such as the SAT and ACT. The stress is even greater when you finally admit… that YOU did NOT study!

A prayer in itself generally won’t get you that A that you are drooling for, the B you might grin at, the C that makes you shrug, or the D that you are sweating to get so you don’t get grounded and the car keys taken away. And for those of you who might consider praying for an F… well… you need prayer for bigger things than that.

So why pray? If the prayer won’t get you the grade, what’s the point? The point is, though God won’t ‘make the grade’ for you, He can help you study better and relax more when taking a test. By praying before a test, you can focus better on what you’ve learned, and God can help you remember the things you studied for.

Here is a simple prayer you can say at exam time:

Ok, so… I’m totally stressed, Lord. I’m so freaked out about this test, my brain is like soggy cereal, and let’s just say I’m really glad I wore deodorant today. Seriously though, I want to do well. I have studied, but tests make me nervous and forgetful. I know it’s probably not the biggest world problem, with people starving, people turning away from you, people in wars, and more. But, Lord, it’s what I’m facing right now, and I need you in this time. So, please, help me remember the things I’ve learned and give me peace so I can focus. 

Lord, I need your help to look at this information so I can remember and apply it well on my exam. I need you to help me feel more confident going into the test and relax a bit so I can concentrate. Lord, please help the people around me to understand that I need to focus and study, so they won’t be a distraction.

Give me the peace, when it is all said and done, to know that I walked in and did my best. I pray, Lord, for your guiding hand as I take the exam, and I ask for your welcome calm when I walk out of the classroom after.

Lord, thank you for all the blessings you have placed in my life. Thank you for being here in this time when I feel a bit overwhelmed. Thank you for always being there and allowing me to rely on you. Praise your name. Amen

I’ve always been able to hold up my end of a conversation without difficulty. Except, that is, when it came to prayer, and particularly when I tried to express my praise to God. Attempting to begin and end my prayer times with praise and adoration, I often found myself flat-out speechless. I wanted to praise God with all that was within me, but I couldn’t think of one sensible thing to say.

I recently read a book called Invading the Privacy of God by Cecil “Cec” Murphey. The book describes how Cec’s prayer life was revolutionized when he settled on the practice of praying God’s attributes as praise. I began imitating that practice in my own times of praise, and over the course of a few months, I developed a “program of praise” that has proven wonderfully helpful. It has opened a door for me, and my praises to God now flow freely from my heart and lips during prayer. I focus on one attribute of my awesome God and Father each day, using the Scripture-based sentences as “praise starters.” At the end of each month, I start the list over, combining traits when the month is shorter than 31 days.

1. God the Creator. “Creator God, I praise You because ’you made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you’” (Neh. 9:6).

2. The Only God. “God, I praise You because You are ’the LORD, and there is no other; apart from [You] there is no God’” (Is. 45:5).

3. The Almighty God. “’O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you’” (Ps. 89:8).

4. The Everlasting Father, the Ancient of Days. “I praise You, Lord, as the ’Ancient of Days’ (Dan. 7:9), the ’Everlasting Father’ (Is. 9:6), who lives forever and ever.”

5. A Loving God. “I praise You because You are a loving God, whose very nature is love”(1 Jn. 4:16).

 6. A God of Justice. “Lord, I praise You and magnify You, who is ’just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus’” (Ro. 3:26).

7. A Faithful God. “Heavenly Father, I give You my praise and adoration, because You are a ’faithful God, keeping [Your] covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love [You] and keep [Your] commands’” (Dt. 7:9).

8. A Merciful God. “’You are a gracious and merciful God’ (Neh. 9:31), and I praise You for Your great mercy.”

9. God, My Refuge, My Fortress. “I praise You, Lord, for You are ’my mighty rock, my refuge’” (Ps. 62:7).

10. A Patient, Persevering God. “Father, I praise You because You are ’patient with [Your children], not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance’ (2 Pet. 3:9). Thank You for Your patience with me.”

11. Eternal, Saving God. “I give praise to You, Father, ’the only God our Savior.’ To You ’be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore’” (Jude 25).

12. The Holy One. “Holy, holy, holy [are You] Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).

13. A Personal God. “I praise You, God, because You are a personal God, who gives me the honor of knowing You personally, even inviting me to feast at Your kingdom’s table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Mt. 8:11).

14. A Giving God. “All praise and honor be Yours, O God, because You are a generous God, who did not even stop short of giving Your own Son” (Jn. 3:16).

15. A Provider God. “I praise You today, Lord, as my Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord Will Provide), who makes all grace abound in me and generously provides all I need” (2 Cor. 9:8).

16. God, My Shepherd. “I bless Your name and praise You as my Jehovah-Rohi (The Lord My Shepherd), who will shepherd me and guide me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake” (Ps. 23:1-3).

17. God, My Victory. “Praise to You, my God, because You are my Jehovah-Nissi (The Lord My Banner), God, my victory, ’who always leads [me] in triumphal procession in Christ’” (2 Cor. 2:14).

18. God, My Peace. “I praise You with all my heart, Lord, because You are my Jehovah-Shalom (The Lord Our Peace), ’the God of peace [who] will soon crush Satan under [my] feet’” (Ro. 16:20).

19. The God Who Heals. “Father, I praise You because You are the Lord who heals me” (Ex. 15:26).

20. The God of All Comfort. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3).

21. The God of Miracles. “Lord, I praise You because ’you are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples’” (Ps. 77:14).

22. A Forgiving God. “I want to bless You with praise, Father, because ’you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love’” (Neh. 9:17).

23. The Burden Bearer. “Praise be to the Lord, to God [my] Savior, who daily bears [my] burdens” (Ps. 68:19).

24. A Faithful God. “I praise You because ’your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies’ (Ps. 36:5), and ’great is your faithfulness’” (Lam. 3:23).

25. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. “All honor and praise be to You, my God, ’the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light’” (1 Tim. 6:15).

26. God the Liberator. “I will praise You because ’you are my help and my deliverer; O LORD’” (Ps. 70:5).

27. The Lifter of My Head. “Father God, I praise You because ’you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head’ when I am weary or despised” (Ps. 3:3).

28. God of Light. “I praise You, Lord, because You are ’my light and my salvation’ (Ps. 27:1), and because You know ’what lies in darkness, and light dwells with [You]’” (Dan. 2:22).

29. God of Joy. “I give You praise, O Lord, because ’you have granted [me] eternal blessings and made [me] glad with the joy of your presence’” (Ps. 21:6).

30. The God Who Answers Prayer. “I praise and honor You, Father, because You are a God who loves to answer prayer and who begins to answer even before I pray” (Is. 65:24).

31. The God of All the Earth. “I praise and adore You, Lord, as ’the Holy One of Israel . . . [my] Redeemer . . . the God of all the earth’” (Is. 54:5).

Following this “praise program” has energized my praise life, helping me to worship and adore God more plentifully and purposefully in prayer. It has also enlarged my vision and awareness of the praiseworthy God I love and serve and, I believe, increased the evidence of His godly character in my life. I pray that it may do the same for you.

]]> http://prayingyouth.com/creating-a-vocabulary-of-praise/feed/ 0 http://prayingyouth.com/levels-of-praise/ http://prayingyouth.com/levels-of-praise/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:06:34 +0000 http://prayingyouth.com/?p=245 Level One: Creation’s Praise

• Created things like trees, rocks and nature praise by keeping their order.
• This is the most basic level of praise.
• It is done unwittingly or without understanding.
• Remember: Someone or something is going to praise God – Period.

 Level Two: Angelic Praise

• Angels and heavenly hosts were created to praise God.
• They have knowledge and understanding of Who He is and how worthy He is – but they do not experience the miracle of salvation.

 Level Three: “How Great Thou Art” Praise

• Head knowledge is not the same as heart knowledge.
• One can mentally assent to the majesty and power of God and even render some sort of praise at this level.
• Some time ago, there was a cartoon character who was standing on a hill watching shooting stars. He was applauding and saying, “Yeah, God!” This is a summation of level three.
• This still holds God at a distance.

 Level Four: “Osmosis” Praise

• This kind of praise happens when someone nearby enters into the presence of God.
• As they enter into the courts of praise and their vessel becomes full, it overflows and spreads to others.

 Level Five: Praise with Understanding

• This kind of praise is born out of a heart full of thanksgiving.
• “God healed me when I had cancer.” “I was hit by a car and God spared my life.” “God delivered my father from a life of alcoholism.”
• Praise begins to focus on the goodness of God, on the great things He has done, on His mighty acts – to deliver, to save to heal.
• A thankful heart can usher one further into the courts of praise.

 Level Six: “God Focused” Praise

• At some point your mind will start to consider His goodness, His greatness – not just to you, but to us all.
• James says that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16).
• There is little doubt that the praise of a righteous man is worth something to God also.
• There are times when the praise of one is joined to the praise of another. This occurs in corporate worship.
• More is accomplished by a joint effort than could be accomplished by one alone.
• This kind of praise invites the presence of the Lord and allows it to flow like a sweet fragrance throughout the room. It begins to minister to those who came empty – to fill and bless them, ushering each one into the Holy Place where His Spirit has free course.

Level Seven: Battlefield Praise

• Fear and doubt are combated and defeated. Those who were entrapped by fear and doubt can now move into the realm of thanksgiving, and from there, into praise. Then this happens, praise is strengthened and moves into yet another level.

 Level Eight: Ordained Praise

Consider the account of the triumphal entry.

• The ministry of Jesus had crescendoed to a level which could no longer be denied. Praise had to occur.
• There is a level at which the foundations have been laid, they have been built upon and “the tower” has reached the heavens – a spiritual tension is at its climax and the result is – something has got to give praise!
• When this level of praise occurs, souls are effected for eternity’s sake. Chains of fear and doubt are loosed. The brokenhearted are healed, deliverance is preached, blind recover their sight, and the bruised are set at liberty.

 Level Nine: Perfect Praise

• Perfected praise, is praise without an agenda of any kind, praise at its most sincere, praise in its purest form, and it is high praise indeed.
• It’s the place where all thought of self is gone and no other remains but the desire to love, exalt and please God.
• It is a holy possibility.

Excerpts from the book Glorify

by Marjorie J. Kinnee

(adapted from a sermon by Rick Warren & from “Invited into His Presence” by Gene Barron)

You’ve probably had people say to you, “I tried prayer and it didn’t work. I had a need and prayed about it. After I’d prayed for a while, nothing happened and I didn’t see any results. I’m disappointed and I don’t believe in prayer.”

The fact is, there are thousands of prayers that go up every day but there are very few answers that come down. Why is that? What causes that? Is prayer a farce, a superstition, something we just con ourselves into and pretend that it works — but it really doesn’t?

Why are so many prayers unanswered? Well, the fact of the matter is — God completely ignores some people’s prayers. The Bible says: “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” (Ps 66:18)

In fact, the Bible says that God has laid out several conditions for answered prayer. Today we’re going to consider five of those conditions — because unless you meet the conditions for answered prayer, you’re wasting your breath. If you meet the conditions you have every right to expect that what you ask for in prayer will be answered.

The first condition for answered prayer is in John 15:7 …

I. You must have an honest relationship to God.

Jesus says: “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you can ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.” That’s a beautiful promise. But in Scripture every promise has a condition. An easy way to remember it is that every promise has a premise.

The promise here is, “I will give you whatever you ask in prayer.” The condition is: “If you remain in Me.”

How do you remain in Christ? The next sentence tells us. When Christ’s words remain in you. In other words, God says if we saturate our lives with Scripture, the word of God, then we will be abiding in Christ.

God requires that we listen to Him first before He listens to us. God says: “He who turns away his ear from listening to the Law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (Prov 28:9) If I don’t pay attention to what God says to me in His word, why should He pay attention to me when I talk to Him?

The starting point is to have an honest relationship to God. How? Through the word of God. That’s why Bible study is important. The more you understand the Bible, the more you know the mind of Christ, the more you’ll know how to pray effectively.

How can I know if I have an honest relationship to God? The apostle John gives us three questions that help us to evaluate whether or not we have an honest relationship to God.

The first question comes from 1 John 1. “If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. … If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.” (1 Jn 1:7, 9) Question one:

A. Am I willing to admit things that I have done wrong in the past?

If I’m going to have an honest relationship with God, it has to begin with confession. I must be willing to acknowledge and accept responsibility for my sins.

It may be an activity, an attitude, a habit. When we go our own way and do our own thing it breaks the connection between God and us. When we try to cover up things that we know are wrong then that honest relationship is broken. There’s falseness, a con, a fraud. We’re trying to live two different lives at once — live for God and live for self. So the first thing I ask if I’m really being honest with God is: Have I admitted what I’ve done wrong?

Psalm 66:18 says that if I regard or cherish or try to hide sin in my heart the Lord will not hear.

Unconfessed sin ruins our relationship with God. Isaiah 59:2 says our sins separate us from God so that He does not hear. Solomon says “He who tries to conceal his sins cannot prosper but he who admits them, confesses them, forsakes them will have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)

God says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9) What is confession? Confession is simply being honest with God. It’s saying, “God, You’re right. I was wrong. That jealousy or that impatience was wrong. Please forgive me.”

The first way we can tell if we have an honest relationship with God is that we are honest when we make mistakes. We acknowledge and accept responsibility for our sins.

A second question comes from 1 John 3.

B. Am I currently ignoring any of God’s principles?

In other words, when God tells me to do something, when I know I’m holding on to something that God wants me to let go of and I continue to hold on to it, that breaks the prayer chain, the connection with God. Listen to John:

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us we have confidence before God and we receive from Him anything we ask

[That's the promise – now here’s the condition] because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. This is His command: To believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and to love one another as He has commanded us.” (1 John 3:21-22)

You say, “How can I keep all of God’s commands. Nobody’s perfect. How am I ever going to get any answers?” God does not demand perfection. He simply demands obedience. And obedience is an attitude: I want to do what’s right.

God doesn’t expect perfection, but He does expect you to obey. For example, when our boys were young I might tell one of them, “Go clean up your room.” If I go in thirty minutes later and the room is halfway clean but not immaculate, do I get upset about it?

No. He’s only a child. He did the best he could. He’s not perfect. But if I come in a half hour later and he’s still playing games, then I get upset. Why? Because as a parent, I don’t expect perfection but I do expect obedience, an attitude of “I want to do what’s right.”

So we ask, “Am I hiding something from God in my relationship? … Am I doing what I know He wants me to do at this point?”

A third question to evaluate the honesty of my relationship with God is this …

C. Do I really want God’s will for my life?

1 John 5:14-15 says, “We can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will. And if we know He is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that He will give us what we ask for.” When we ask according to God’s will then we have confidence in prayer and we know He’s going to answer.

Most Christians make a big mistake in prayer. They go around constantly saying, “God, is it Your will that I ask for this?” over every little item. The real issue is not “God, what is Your will regarding this specific circumstance?” The real issue is “Am I in God’s will as a person?” If my life is in harmony with God, then my desires are going to be in harmony with God.

Augustine said: “Love God and do as you please.” Why did he say that? Because if you really love God with all your heart, you’re not going to want to do what displeases God. So you don’t have to constantly ask, “Is it Your will?”

“God is it Your will that I buy a brown Chevy or a gold Mercedes? God, is it Your will that I order the steak or the pork chops?” No, you don’t have to ask God’s will on every little item like that. You live your life in God’s will and say, “To the best of my knowledge, I’m trying to do what’s right, Lord. I want to live in Your will.”

Then you ask according to your desires. You live in God’s will.

How do you know if you really want God’s will for your life? It’s fairly simple. How eager are you to read the Bible? The only way you can know the will of God is by reading the word of God. God’s word tells you God’s will. If you have a desire to read it, to study it, then – obviously – you want to know God’s will.

So the first condition to answered prayer is this: You must have an honest relationship to God.

Jesus lays out another prerequisite for having your prayers answered in Mark 11:24-25.

II. You must have a forgiving attitude toward other people.

“You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it. (That’s the promise – the condition comes next) But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

Over and over again, when Jesus talks about prayer, He talks about forgiveness. Why? Because nothing will kill your prayers faster than resentment – a lack of forgiveness. When you hold a grudge, when you nurse an ill feeling, when you allow bitterness to grow in your life, it hinders your prayers.

Maybe you’re praying and not getting an answer because you’re holding a grudge against somebody. In Matthew 5, Jesus says, “If you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” (Matt 5:23-24)

Before you worship get things right with others — make harmony in the relationship — then come back and give your gift to the Lord. Why? Because God says you can’t love Him and hate your brother. One of the primary reasons why people never see answers to prayer is because they allow bitterness to spring up in their lives. They allow their relationships with people to affect their relationship with God.

The Holy Spirit warns us: “Watch out that no bitterness take root among you for as it springs up among you it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.” (Hebrews 12:15) Bitterness is like a poison — it will eat you alive. You can’t have unforgiveness in your heart and have your prayers answered.

What do you pray every time you pray the Lord’s Prayer? “Father, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” You’re saying, “God, I want You to forgive me as much as I forgive everybody else.” Do you really want to pray that? Unforgiveness is a major prayer buster.

That is true in the marriage relationship as well. I suspect that many don’t have their prayers answered because of problems in that relationship. One of the easiest places to have resentment build up is in families. Family members hurt each other’s feelings, husbands hurt wives, wives hurt husbands, parents hurt their children and vice versa. Bitterness and resentment are a common experience in family relationships.

Listen to 1 Peter 3:7 – maybe this is why you haven’t had many answers to prayer. “You husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. If you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard.”

Did you know that the Bible says that disharmony in the home blocks answers to prayer? How you treat your spouse influences your prayer life. That’s pretty strong. If your home is full of tension, your prayers will be ineffective. That’s not my idea, that’s what God says. It’s a great motivation to get harmony restored in your marriage.

So – if I want my prayers to be effective, I must have an honest relationship to God. Secondly, I must have a forgiving attitude toward other people. Next …

III. You must be willing to share God’s blessings with others.

This is the principle of generosity. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.” (2 Cor 9:6) “Give and it will be given unto you.” (Lk 6:38) If you expect God to bless your life you must be willing to bless other people’s lives with the same benefits God has given to you.

Proverbs 21:13 says it succinctly: “If one shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” That’s a fact of life. God says if you pay no attention to other people’s legitimate needs, why should He pay attention to your needs?

He wants us to be like Him. He says a pre-requisite for His blessing in our lives is that we must be a blessing to other people. If we ignore those who are in obvious difficulty around us, what right do we have to expect God to bail us out?

We’ve read the verse that says, “We receive from Him anything we ask because we obey His commands.” (1 Jn 3:22) What are His commands? The very next verse tells us: “And this is His commandment: We must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” (1 John 3:23)

One of the ways we obey His commands is by loving other people. He explains this in verse 17 of chapter three:

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” One of the ways we prove our love for others is by our generosity, our willingness to share.

God blesses us so that we may bless others. This is the principle of stewardship. It’s all through Scripture — that God blesses us in order that we might be a blessing to other people.

We are a channel. I would not presume to ask God to bless my business if I were not willing to at least return to Him a generous percentage of that with which He had blessed me. You say, “I ask God for good health.” What are you going to do with that healthy body after you’ve got it? Are you going to spend all the effort and energy on yourself or are you willing to help other people? One of the conditions for answered prayer is to be willing to help those less fortunate with the blessings which we are given.

James mentions another reason why our prayers are hindered: “You have not because you don’t ask God. When you ask you don’t receive because you ask with the wrong motive that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures.” (Jas 4:2-3)

Motive is important in prayer. Why you pray is more important than what you pray for.

Is it possible to pray for the right thing with the wrong motive? Sure. I’m not saying that you should never pray for your own personal needs. Jesus encourages us to pray for our own needs. He taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matt 6:11)

God even says it’s OK to pray for the desires of our heart. (Ps 37:4) But our motive must not be selfish. Are you willing to share your blessing with other people or are you going to hord it all to yourself? God is not interested in simply satisfying our selfishness. If you want God to bless you, you must be willing to be a channel of blessing to other people.

The fourth condition for answered prayer is …

IV. you must Pray in faith.

James writes: “But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6-8)

One day I was driving down a two-lane highway where someone had thrown garbage onto the road. Most of it had been scattered off the road except one plastic cup. This cup was positioned right in the middle of road. In fact, it was in the center of the two yellow lines.

The road was straight enough that I noticed the cup long before I got to it. Every time a car passed by the cup, it would simply roll to the opposite side without moving from the center. When another car from the other direction came by, the force of the wind would blow the cup to the other side.

When two cars passed at the same time the cup went wild. It did not know which way to go. This is an appropriate illustration of the double-minded man who constantly vacillates between faith and doubt, between belief and unbelief. His prayers are about as useless as that cup!

Inadequate faith is a real prayer buster! Do we really believe that God is all-powerful … that He “is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we as, or think?” (Eph 3:20) If you don’t own that doctrine, you might as well pitch prayer. If your prayers have clouds of doubt hanging over them, they won’t get anywhere.

The story is told of a small town in which there were no liquor stores. Eventually, however, a nightclub was built right on Main Street. Members of one of the churches in the area were so disturbed that they conducted several all-night prayer meetings, and asked the Lord to burn down that den of iniquity.

Lighting struck the tavern a short time later, and it was completely destroyed by fire. The owner, knowing how the church people had prayed, sued them for the damages. His attorney claimed that their prayers had caused the loss.

The congregation, on the other hand, hired a lawyer and fought the charges. After much deliberation the judge declared, “It’s the opinion of this court that wherever the guilt may lie, the tavern keeper is the one who really believes in prayer while the church members do not!” We may smile at this story, but it suggests how faithless we sometimes are in offering our petitions to God.

The bottom line is this: we can pray, believe, and receive – or – we can pray, doubt, and do without! If our prayers are to be effective there must be no doubting of His power, His love, His wisdom, or the integrity of His character.

E.M. Bounds writes: “Prayer is absolutely dependent upon faith. ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.’ (Heb 11:6) Before prayer ever starts toward God; before its petition is offered, before its requests are made known — faith must have gone on ahead … (and) … given its assent to the gracious truth that God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek His face.

This is the primary step in praying. It is the one great condition of prayer; the lack of faith lies at the root of all poor praying, feeble praying, little praying, unanswered praying.”

Jesus told His apostles: “Truly I say to you, if you have faith, and do not doubt, you shall … say to this mountain ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea’, it shall happen. And everything you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” (Matthew 21:21-22)

Since Jesus was not in the excavation business, His main concern was those “mountains” that we face in our lives. But His point is that the prayer of faith involves focusing on God, not on the mountain. The Bible never tells us to have faith in any other object than God or Christ. Faith verges on magic (and superstition) when we have faith in faith, or faith in prayer. Faith is to be in God — He is the one who answers prayer.

There are those today who tell us to have faith in our prayers and in our own wisdom. “Decide what you want,” they say, “and then believe that you will get it. Name it and claim it.” Then, if you don’t get it, they say it is because you didn’t believe enough that you would get it. In other words, you didn’t have enough faith in the answer to your prayers.

But our faith is not to be in the answer of prayer. It is to be in the Answerer of prayer. Faith is ever to be in God and, if our requests are not consistent with what God, in His wisdom, has revealed … then no amount of faith in our prayers will help us. Such praying — putting our faith in any object other than God — is much more foolishness than faith.

Three Korean girls were attending a Christian camp. The stream that separated the camp from the small town nearby had flooded. The girls needed to get to the town, and they knew the Bible story of Peter walking on water. So they knelt and asked God to help them walk on the water. As an evidence of their confidence, they told their friends they were going to walk on the water. They felt they must demonstrate their faith because they had asked God for a miracle.

They put their faith in their desire. When the floods subsided, three bodies were found washed ashore downstream. The newspapers printed the complete story on the front page, in essence mocking Christianity. To the Orientals, who are so concerned about “saving face,” the church was humiliated in the eyes of the unsaved.

In prayer we must never doubt or question God’s power or ability to accomplish what we’ve asked — He can do anything.

We must pray and not doubt, but our faith is not in prayer – or in the answer to prayer. It is in Him who specializes in the impossible.

So, as we consider our prayer life, there are four conditions we’ve looked at: We must have an honest relationship to God. We must have a forgiving attitude toward others. We must be willing to generously share God’s blessings with others. And, we must pray in faith.

A fifth condition we want to consider today is found frequently in Scripture …

V. You must pray in Jesus’ name.

In John 14 (v. 13-14) Jesus says: ” I will do whatever you ask in My name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name and I will do it.” What is so special about Jesus’ name?

I remember as a kid, I’d hear everybody end their prayers, “In Jesus’ name. Amen.” I thought it was a signal that the prayer was over; kind of a spiritual sign off. Like a trucker on his CB — “Ten-four, good buddy.” Or like Paul Harvey, “And now you know the rest of the story.” But praying “in Jesus’ name” is not just an addendum we use to close our prayers.

I heard a story once that illustrates what it means to pray “In Jesus’ name.” A pastor took his young son and about fourteen of his son’s friends to the carnival for a birthday party. He bought a roll of tickets and he’d stand at the front of every ride and as the kids from the party came by — he would give everybody a ticket.

They got to one ride and he realized there was a little boy that he’d never seen in his life with his hand out asking for a ticket. He stopped and said, “Are you with my son’s party?”

“No, sir.”

“Then why should I give you a ticket?”

The young boy turned around and pointed to the man’s son and said, “Your son said you’d give me one.” So he gave him one.

Here’s the point. I don’t have any right to get any answered prayers from God. What makes me think I should get my prayers answered? God doesn’t owe me anything. I owe Him a lot but He doesn’t owe me anything. When I come and pray to God for something, I don’t ask on my own merit — I come on the merit of Christ: “Father, I’m coming to You because Your Son said to. I’m coming because of what He has already done for me on the cross and because He said I can ask You anything in His name. God, I’m coming in Jesus’ name.”

Another way to illustrate it is with a banking metaphor. I can draw money from my bank only up to the amount I have on deposit there. Even though when I opened the account, I told them I wanted a joint account with someone who was rich! In my own name I can draw no more than what is in my account.

But, suppose someone who has a big account takes a liking to me and gives me a check that is far more than I have in the bank. If I take it to the bank they will cash it, because it’s not based on my puny deposit there, it’s based on his.

When I go to God in prayer — I have nothing deposited in heaven’s bank. I have no credit there. If I go in my own name I will get absolutely nothing. But Jesus has a vast storehouse of unlimited resources laid up in heaven’s bank — and He has granted us the privilege of going to God in His name to draw from His account! To pray in Jesus’ name is to approach God not on the basis of my merits but on His.

Praying “in Jesus’ name” is not a mechanical password that, if used faithfully, guarantees automatic acceptance of all our petitions. Instead, it should come from a deeply felt sense of our own unworthiness and Christ’s supreme worthiness. We can pray “in His name” without saying those words to close our prayers.

In fact, praying “in Jesus’ name” is far more than using the words. To pray ‘in His name’ is to pray in His character, as His representative sent by Him. It is to pray by His Spirit and according to His will; to have His approval in our asking; to seek what He seeks; to ask help to do what He Himself would wish to be done, and to desire to do it not for our own glorification, but for His glory alone. Self and its aims and desires must be entirely controlled by God’s Holy Spirit, so that our wills are in complete harmony with Christ’s will.

When we submit ourselves to Jesus’ Lordship, commit our way to His way, seek to do His will, and put our confidence in His death for our sins — we are “in Christ” — and, when we are “in Christ,” we offer our prayers “in His name,” for His sake, and to His glory.

Are you receiving answers to your prayers? When our prayers are not answered, most people want to know what’s wrong with God. This is a normal human response. It’s a lot easier to blame God than to look in the mirror and say, ‘Maybe I’m the problem.’ Me — my personal character — may well be the biggest hindrance to effectiveness in prayer. Maybe I am overlooking some of these conditions of answered prayer. Could that be why you haven’t been getting answers to your prayers?

Maybe you’ve been holding a grudge. Maybe you’ve been nursing a resentment and you have allowed bitterness to build up in your life. It’s no wonder you don’t have answers to prayer.

Maybe you’ve been refusing to admit some wrong in your life. You’ve known it was there but you didn’t want to go to God and say, “You’re right, God, that’s wrong. I admit it.” You are hiding unconfessed sin in your life. We think Watergate was a cover up. It’s nothing compared to some of the things we try to pull over on God. You need to be honest with Him.

Maybe you’ve prayed but you’ve never really expected God to answer. You’re not praying in faith. If you don’t believe God, you’re just wasting your time.

Maybe you’ve been unwilling to share God’s blessing with other people. Maybe you’ve been hesitant to give back to God a percentage of all the things He’s been blessing you with.

Perhaps you haven’t been abiding in Him — abiding in His word, reading the Bible, learning from Jesus, obediently seeking His will.

Have you been praying in Jesus’ name? You can’t pray in Jesus’ name unless you know Him as a friend, as your Lord, as your Savior, as the director of your life. The most important question is, “Do you have an honest relationship with God?”

I’m not talking about church membership. I’m not talking about being religious. I’m talking about a relationship. God wants me to know Him personally. That’s why He sent Christ to earth, so we could know what God is like. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn 14:6)

Let’s Pray

]]> http://prayingyouth.com/five-conditions-of-answered-prayer/feed/ 1 http://prayingyouth.com/simple-ways-to-think-about-prayer/ http://prayingyouth.com/simple-ways-to-think-about-prayer/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 05:51:32 +0000 http://prayingyouth.com/?p=173
PRAY ABOUT SOMETHING, NOT FOR SOMETHING!

Don’t tell God how big your problems are…Tell your problems how BIG GOD is!

ACTS-adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication

BEGIN WITH SILENCE-prayer begins with silence to allow the Holy Spirit to shape and form our words.

BODY PRAYER-touch your head and remember the ways you are close to God; forehead-for wisdom; mouth-to speak kindly and Christ-like; heart-be open-hearted and love generously; belly-feel deeply, belly laugh, belly cry and deep compassion; hands-service; legs-walk in the way of the lord.

CRESCENDO PRAYERS-begin your prayer in a normal tone of voice and get louder and louder until you are shouting with praise, gradually reduce the volume to a whisper.

FOXHOLE PRAYERS-those spontaneous prayers for help when we are in trouble

NAMING GOD-think of all the ways we think of God. Father, gracious Lord, Creator, Christ Jesus, tender Shepherd, heavenly King, Holy Spirit, beautiful Savior…..

PARALLEL PRAYER-while an event or activity is taking place, a parallel prayer effort is held.

Parents may gather for prayer while the youth group is on a retreat or…youth may gather for prayer while the church council is meeting.

PLEASE, SORRY, THANK YOU-an easy way to help young people in their prayer life

PRAYER AS CONVERSATION-prayer is as simple as talking with a close friend.

RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE-don’t wait for a “special occasion”, as you meet children, youth and adults at church, in the mall, at school, offer a short 10 second prayer. “Dear God, may their day be…..” or “O God, ……needs your strength, comfort, wisdom, etc. right now.”

T.R.I.P-take a prayer trip by remembering we are called to offer prayers of Thanksgiving, Repentance, Intercession and Purpose (what God wants from us)

WHISPER-for those uncomfortable or unaccustomed to prayer… a one word whisper is still a prayer.

WINK PRAYER-often used in restaurants or when others remind us of the presence of God.