October 17: PRAYER

Believe it:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6 (NIV)

Live it:

We can learn three lessons from today’s text.
1. Ask. A famous writer has said, “It is God’s will to give us, in response to the prayer of faith, those things He would not otherwise give us, had we not asked.” The first characteristic of a prayer God answers is that is involves a specific request. By asking, we demonstrate our dependence on God, and that pleases Him.
2. Ask God. Not only is it important to ask, we need to ask the right person. Some people want to help, but can’t. Others can, but don’t want to. God not only wants to, He can. It is not only important to ask God, it is also important to ask Him first. I see many Christians going to God as a last-ditch effort, once they have tried everything else. Go to God first. I heard a pastor once say that the more you pray, the more coincidences happen in your life.
3. Ask God with faith. The third secret of answered prayer is to ask with faith. It is in this third step that many struggle. They might ask God, but when they do, they ask without faith. If you are going to go through the process of asking, ask with faith, believing that if it is God’s will, you will receive. The Bible goes even further, telling us that we should thank God in advance for answering, even before He has responded.

Share it:

If possible, today take a walk through the neighborhood where the event will take place, asking God in faith to soften the hearts of the people who live there.

My prayer today: for the conversion of the people who will attend the meetings

-Pray that God will use their struggles, pain, and problems to draw them nearer to Him.

-Pray that God will lay on their hearts the desire to return every night.

from God’s City, My City