Prayer is one of those things that almost everyone has tried, but almost no one fully understands. That’s why our next five readings will be so helpful; they give us a picture of the greatest ‘pray-er’ the world has ever known.
When did you last feel fully alive?
Explore, Ottery St Mary Parish Church
From Essential Jesus: The disciples recognised that there was something special about the way Jesus prayed. After observing Him, one of the disciples spoke up for people throughout the ages when he said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray… ‘ (Luke 11:1). If you want to learn how to pray, watch someone who knows how to do it. And you’ll find no better
teacher than Jesus.
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From Essential Jesus: As we examine these wonderful prayers, we may want to ask ourselves an important question: Why did Jesus pray? After all, He was the Son of God; He had all the power of heaven at His disposal and could do anything He wanted. The answer to that question takes us to the heart or what prayer is all about. Jesus prayed because His relationship with His heavenly Father was the most important thing to Him. That’s why He spent so much time talking to God, listening to God and simply spending time in God’s presence.
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From Essential Jesus: Perhaps the greatest lesson we can learn is that Jesus didn’t pray just at set times or on special occasions; He prayed whenever He could (Mark 1:29-39).There’s a sense in which Jesus was constantly praying; His mind and heart were always focused on His heavenly Father – and that’s the essence of prayer. As you’re about to discover, prayer was essential for Jesus. And, if that’s so, it’s even more essential for us.
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The reading for Day 66 is Mark 1:29-39.
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I remember once, about thirty years ago, opening my eyes in a prayer meeting when one of the older young men was praying, his name was Axl Nohr. He smiled as he prayed and it was a light bulb moment for me. He wasn’t going through any motions, he truly related to God and loved Him, knew that he was loved.
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Maybe ten years later, Alec, a married man older than me, became a Christian and amazed me by crediting watching me worshipping God in Church as a landmark moment for him. He knew I couldn’t be for real and he was waiting for the mask to drop.
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From Essential Jesus Day 66: Jesus got up early to pray, ‘while it was still dark’. Prayer was the first thing on His mind for the day. What do you first think about when you get out of bed?
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From Essential Jesus Day 66: If you sometimes feel guilty because you can’t pray for long, try praying more often
throughout the day. Because Jesus’ mind and heart were always focused on doing his Father’s will, he was always praying – sometimes privately, sometimes formally and sometimes in the middle of the action. Too often we have to make time for prayer in the midst of our busy lives. For Jesus, interacting with His heavenly Father was the central task of His entire life. He made time for everything else.
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From Essential Jesus Day 66: How could you make prayer less of an activity and more of a lifestyle?
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From Essential Jesus Day 66: Experiment with a different approach to talking to Jesus today. For example, even if you are alone, pray aloud. Or try a different posture, or go outside and look at the sky as you pray, or have a ‘prayer walk’.
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“Pray in the Spirit, on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests”
Ephesians 6:18
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If you find prayer difficult maybe it’s not because you’re bad at it, maybe it’s because you haven’t found the way God made you to pray? I enjoyed taking the light-hearted ‘Prayer Personality’ Quiz that you will find here: It makes the powerful point that we’re are all different and there loads of different ways to pray, maybe some suit you better than others.
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Frank Laubach
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Try Laubach’s game with minutes. See how many minutes in a day you can become conscious of God’s presence. Come up with ways to remind yourself to think about God. Talk to Him throughout the day and look for His presence in the ordinary events. Is He trying to get your attention? What is He saying to you? Offices, universities, supermarkets, restaurants, coffee houses, planes, open spaces: God is everywhere, look for Him and listen for His whispers.
From: https://www.24-7prayer.com/prayer/prayerideas
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Richard Foster
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How did you first learn about prayer? Over the years’ have you known any ‘prayer warriors’ and what have they taught you?
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Day 67 is Luke 10:1-24.
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vv 8, 9: If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat what they give you. Heal the sick who live there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
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v16: Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever refuses to accept you refuses to accept me. And whoever refuses to accept me refuses to accept the One who sent me.
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v22: My Father has given me all things. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father. And no one knows who the Father is, except the Son and those whom the Son chooses to tell.
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From Essential Jesus Day 67: There can be an emphasis on joy in our praying. The missionaries were feeling the joy of success. They had obeyed Jesus and seen results.That principle still works today. But Jesus’ joy was more profound because he saw the deeper reality of what was happening. Verse 21 says he was ‘full of joy through the Holy Spirit’. Satan, the real enemy, was being defeated (10:18), and God’s self-revelation was becoming more clear and understandable – even to the most unlikely persons (10:21). Too often, prayer can become a solemn recitation of problems and worries. But when we really understand what God is doing in the world, it makes us want to shout for joy.
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From Essential Jesus Day 67: ‘Yes, Father, for this was Your good pleasure’ (v21). Some people think of prayer as a kind of hopeless, wishful thinking: ‘Oh well, all I can do now is pray. Maybe I’ll get lucky’. But when we really understand that God is in control of everything, we can be bold. Confidence in God’s power and will is another vital part of prayer.
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From Essential Jesus Day 67:
Praise Jesus with these words: ‘I will shout for joy when I sing praises to You. You have saved me.” (Psalm 71:23).
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Luke 11:1-13 is the reading for Day 68.
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From Essential Jesus Day 68: If someone asked you to help them develop a deeper prayer life, how would you respond? By explaining your prayer habits? By sharing a book on Prayer? By suggesting a helpful talk or teaching? Jesus begins His response by simply praying. If you want to get better at praying, He seems to say, don’t spend too much time studying it. Just pray.
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From Essential Jesus Day 68: What is one situation in your life that needs bold, persistent prayer to Jesus? ls it a need or a want?
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Are there specific things you want to persist in asking for? Try these simple ideas to help you remember to pray and not give up:
Use your hands – are there five people or situations you want to pray about. Assign a finger or thumb to each and every day spend five minutes a day holding each finger and thumb of your hand and praying for each situation
Use your mirror – is there something you look at every day like a mirror, computer screen or phone? Write a note and stick it there to act as a daily reminder to pray.
Use your clothes – do you have a favourite accessory or piece of clothing you wear often. Why not assign a prayer request to a specific item and every time you wear it make that request your prayer project for the day.
From https://www.24-7prayer.com/prayer/prayerideas.
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From Essential Jesus Day 68: Spend time talking to Jesus about the biggest current problem in your life.
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vv 9-11 So I tell you, ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened. If your children ask for a fish, which of you would give them a snake instead? Or, if your children ask for an egg, would you give them a scorpion? Even though you are bad, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
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John 17 is the reading for Day 69.
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From Essential Jesus Day 69: Wouldn’t you like to know if and what famous people prayed before their defining moments in history? Did Winston Churchill pray as he waited for D-day? How did Mother Teresa pray as she began her life’s work among the deprived of Calcutta? And what was the prayer of William Wilberforce as he waited for his bill for the abolition of slavery to be voted on? In this passage, we read what Jesus prayed just before the most significant event of his life: death on the cross.
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vv 2, 3: You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those you gave Him. And this is eternal life: that people know You, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One You sent.
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Day 70 is Mark 14:32-42.
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v36: He prayed, “Abba, Father! You can do all things. Take away this cup of suffering. But do what You want, not what I want.”
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From Essential Jesus Day 70: So how did Jesus pray when He was under such pressure? He starts by simply calling out to His Father (v36). The word ‘Abba’ literally means ‘Dad’.
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From Essential Jesus Day 70: When our grandson Noah wakes up in the middle of the night, he calls out in his dark room. Even though he’s scared, he knows his parents are nearby. That’s how Jesus starts this prayer.
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From Essential Jesus Day 70: What are the biggest obstacles to praying you face? How can you overcome these?
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From Essential Jesus Day 70: How could you develop a ‘prayer lifestyle’? What are some new and creative ways you could make prayer a more significant part of your daily life?
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