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Archive for the ‘Prayer’ Category

Self-Reliance

Posted in Assurance, Curse, Explanations, Joshua, Prayer, tagged on July 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai … And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him … Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” – Joshua 7:2-3

Fresh from a great victory over Jericho, where the walls fell flat at their shouts, Israel decided life would be a piece of cake, but they were surprised and dismayed when the little town ate their lunch.

They failed because instead of asking God how to proceed they thought they could handle it themselves, unaware of circumstances within their camp that prevented success.

There are so many things we, too, simply do not see or perceive. It is always best to ask God’s guidance on every task. Proverbs puts it this way,

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!” – Proverbs 3:6 (Message Bible)

fritz@langgang.com

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Learning To Pray

Posted in Prayer, tagged on June 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Pray without ceasing. – 1st Thessalonians 5:17

Learning to pray takes time — not hour time but calendar time.

I heard a preacher tell young seminary students he would not give five (5) cents for a minister who did not spend two (2) hours a day in prayer. I thought that strange because Jesus gave his whole life for people who did not pray at all.

Prayer is not strengthened by length but regularity.

  1. Pick a time each day
    • Preferably the same time daily — Early Christians picked 9:00am and 3:00pm
    • Adjust if the unexpected happens — push it one way or the other if you can, but don’t skip it
  2. Find a place to be alone
    • Susanna Wesley, with twelve (12) children — one being John Wesley, founder of Methodism — had nowhere to go so she covered her head with her apron,  praying right there in the middle of it all
  3. Pray for fifteen (15) minutes
    • Try setting a timer
    • The world will NOT fall apart if you don’t answer the phone or reply to an e-mail for 15 minutes
  4. Prayer includes
    • Quiet singing
    • Repeating a small portion of scripture, thinking and envisioning the meaning of the few words
    • Praising
    • Sitting quietly
    • Asking
    • Thanking
    • All of the above in any combination

Those 15 minutes will eventually become so precious and sweet you will find it hard to wait for the next scheduled time  — you won’t have to.

Sound Bite: You can read a lot of books on prayer, but that isn’t prayer. Take time to rest, to seek, and to be with God.

– fritz@langgang.com

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Sometimes Worse (At First)

Posted in Deliverance, Moses, Prayer, tagged , on May 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.” … Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? – Exodus 5:17,22 (NIV)

God sends Moses to demand release and what does Pharaoh do? He makes the Hebrew’s lives harder – bricks without straw!

Sometimes deliverance begins with things getting worse – quit then and deliverance never happens!

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9

Prayer: Father, by your help I shall not lose heart nor take “No!” as the answer to my freedom! I shall not allow an apparent setback derail my confidence in you! Amen.

Sound Bite: Freedom seldom begins easily

– fritz@langgang.com

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