The Most Important Prayer

The most important prayer is The Prayer for Salvation.

It isn't a particular prayer with exact words, but the prayer conveys that:

• you admit that you're a sinner
• you need Jesus to forgive you
• you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins
• you want to accept Jesus as your Savior
• you want to follow Him as Lord of your life
  

A Sample Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There is more information about Salvation at The Billy Graham site.

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” (John 3:3)

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ” (Romans 10:13)

Praying for Your Husband

31 Days of Praying for Your Husband is a list of things to pray for everyday concerning your husband's character, leadership role, struggles, and spiritual growth. You can trust God through prayer as you daily surrender your husband and marriage to the Lord.

Praying for Your Wife

31 Days of Praying for Your Wife is a list of daily prayer ideas. These ideas are centered around your wife's spiritual growth. Each one includes applicable verses, too.

How to Pray When Giving Out Tracts

Boldness - Eph 6:18,19, Phil 1:14, Acts 9:26-29
Vision - “eyes to see” Jn 4:35, Pv. 29:18
Health & safety - Jn. 9:1-3, Ps.4:8, Deut. 33:12
Discernment - 1Kings 3:9-14, Dan. 7:15-16, 1Jn 4:1-6
Open Doors - Rev. 4:1, Col. 4:3, 1Cor. 16:9, Rev. 3:8, 2Cor 2:12
Words - Eph 6:18, Ecc12:10-11,1Cor 2:4
Favor - Job 10:12, Pv 12:2, Acts 2:47, Dan 1:9
Success – 3 John 2
Encouragement - Luke 18:1
Power - Jer 23:29, Acts 1:8

This information is from the American Tract Society. They have a large variety of tracts for various people and occasions.

The Way of the Master and Custom Tract Source offer different kinds of tracts like - the gospel message printed on million dollar bills and optical allusions.

Using the ACTS Model

I’m taking a class at church. Tonight we learned about using the ACTS model when praying.

A is for Adoration.
When we begin to pray, we should focus first on God. It’s appropriate to worship Him, instead of just making prayer what we want. In the Psalms, David shows us good examples of how he exalted the Lord. Psalm 145

C is for Confession.
Now it’s time to get right with God and confess any recent sins. 1 John 1:9

T is for Thanksgiving.
We can thank Him for all He has done since the last time we have talked. There is so much that He has done for us. Let’s focus on our many blessings and show Him our appreciation.

S is for Supplication.
We’ve worshipped Him, confessed our sins to Him, and thanked Him. Now, it is time to tell Him about ourselves and ask for His help

Family Prayer Activities

Family Gratitude Circle
Go around the dinner table and have each person share something that they are thankful for. After you have gone around the table a few times, have someone lead a prayer of thanks to God. Or, each person can pray.

Fridge Prayers
As a family, make a list of things to pray for and post it on the fridge. Pray for each need, and check them off as the answers come through. This is great reminder to your kids and yourself that God does answer prayer.

Headlines
This idea will help the family remember to pray for missionaries. Cut out headlines from a newspaper and mount them on a poster board. Under each headline, write the name of a missionary who is working near that area.

Prayer - Making Hope a Habit

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Give me a deep desire for Your Word, Lord. Draw me to the source of strength and instruction that buoys and builds my faith. When I think, “I know what Scripture says,” humble my spirit and direct me to the passages written to bring me hope this very day.

During difficult times, endurance can be as basic as showing up. I’m here, Lord, with open Bible and hungry heart. I know You will do the rest. - Amen

From the Book: One-Minute Prayers for Healing

Pray! - The Magazine

NavPress puts out a magazine for adults called Pray! This magazine was created for Christians “who want to pray more powerfully and effectively” and “are hungry to see the power of God manifested in their lives through prayer.”

Some of the past articles in Pray! are called:

• Teach Us to Pray: Passing on the Legacy
• God’s Promises: Recognizing and Claiming His Plan for You
• Is This the Generation? Praying Teens Capture the World for Christ
• One Voice: Bringing Life Back to Corporate Prayer
• God’s Answers: Training Ourselves to See the Unseen
• Around the Throne: Praying for Every Tongue, Tribe, and Nation
• The Touch of Jesus: Ministering to Hearts Through Personal Prayer
• Faith: Praying with Assurance and Expectation
• Prayer at Work: A Call to the Marketplace
• Motivating Your Personal Prayer Life

Praying for Your Ministry

God desires to give us direction and vision for ministry.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Pray for:

• Funding, if money is needed
• People will come to know Jesus through your ministry
• Motivation to continue when you feel discouragement
• God’s leading in your ministry
• New ideas
• Growth in your ministry
• Success
• Humility, not becoming proud of yourself
• Help and volunteers if needed
• To have a ministry, if you don’t have one

Learning to Prayer

The free book Learning to Pray will teach you - about Prayer, the foundations of Prayer, and Prayer in action.

It is a short 59 page book that will help you improve your prayer life.

Download the free book - Learning to Pray by K.P. Yohannan

This book was written by the founder of Gospel for Asia, K. P. Yohannan. Gospel for Asia has trained and sent out 14,000 native missionaries to countries in Asia. They support all the financial needs of a missionary for only $1440 a year. A native missionary preaches about Christ to villages through out Asia and usually plants a new church within his first year of ministry.

Pray With Your Friends

If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:19-20 NLT

Prayer Mugs
Trade mugs with each other. Using a friend’s mug will help you remember to pray for him or her.

Prayer Bouquets
Your group of friends can give a bouquet of flowers to someone who needs special prayer. Have each friend write down, on a small card, how he or she will pray for that person. Hang each card, by a ribbon, to each flower.

Share a Prayer Journal
Week one: Write in a prayer journal and pray for your friend. Week two: Your friend will get the prayer journal, read what you wrote for the week, pray for you, and write in the journal. Week three: It’s your turn again.

Prayer Party
Get friends together for a Prayer Party. Bring your prayer requests, praises, and food.

The Lord's Prayer

I read an article about the Lord’s Prayer. The article explains that it was not intended for The Lords Prayer to be recited word for word as a daily prayer. It is an outline of how we are to pray. Here are my notes on what the article taught me.

Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen

Our Father in heaven - Start my prayer by addressing God in an honoring way. Focus on how powerful He is. Talk to Him about how wonderful He is. Worship Him.

Hallowed be your name - Your name, Lord God, is holy through out heaven. May your name be made holy through out earth, also.

Your kingdom come - May Jesus come quickly to Earth. Our world is so evil and there are so many problems. We need Jesus to come and bring us the new heaven and new earth that God promises to us in the Bible.

Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven - Pray that God’s plan and purpose will be done in my life, in the church, and in the world.

Give us today our daily bread - Ask God to meet my specific physical and spiritual needs, if it is in God’s will to do so.

Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors - Confess my sins to God, ask for forgiveness, thank God for sending Jesus to die for us because of our sins, and ask for His help to no longer sin. Also, ask God for help with forgiving others and not holding on to bitterness.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one - Ask for God to guide me spiritually and to rescue me from Satan’s attacks and temptation to sin.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever -
Like I started my prayer, honoring God - I end my prayer, honoring God. He is the focus of the prayer. His plan for the future will happen.

Amen - This means “so be it”. The Bible also says to pray in Jesus’ Name. I can pray to God, through Jesus.

Prayer Cards - Encourage Others to Pray

You can get Prayer Cards through Nav Press and pass them out to your Christian friends and relatives, church members, people in your Bible study or prayer group. They are the size of a bookmark.

• 18 Prayers for Higher Education
• 30 Ways to Pray for People in Authority
• 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Kids
• 31 Ways to Praise
• Life-Giving Prayers for Your Church
• A Month of Prayers for Your Wife9
• Personal Prayers from Colossians
• Partnering with God in the Struggle over Sin
• Power Packed Prayers for Public Schools
• Prayers for Prodigals
• Prayers for Our Military and Their Families
• Prayers of Hope in Times of Calamity
• Prayers of Repentance
• Prayers that Birth Revival
• Scriptural Blessings to Pray for Your Children
• Scriptural Prayers for the Seriously Ill
• Scriptural Prayers for Your Finances
• Scripture Prayers for Your Pastor
• Strategic Prayers for Marketplace Influencers
• 21 Redemptive Prayers for Hollywood
  

Pray Kids!

NavPress puts out a magazine called Pray Kids!

Each issue includes:

• A theme
• A prayer story by or about a child
• A bible-based story on prayer
• A lesson on praying scripture
• A missions focus

You can buy the magazine in packs of 10 and give them to:

Your own kids or grandchildren
The children’s ministry leader of your church
Sunday school teachers
Teachers at Christian schools
Kids in your Christian Homeschooling group

Some of the themes of the magazine issues are:

• Praise: Way to Go God
• Confession: Wash Those Hands
• Thankfulness: Don’t Worry, Be Thankful
• Spiritual Warfare: Born to Fight
• Praywalking: Steppin’ Out With Jesus
• Seeking God: Seeking and Soaking
• Petition: Take a Load Off
• The Holy Spirit: On the Right Channel
• Praying for the Lost: Road Work Ahead
• Prayer Styles: Praying in Style
• Surrender: I Surrender
• Praying to Know God’s Will

30 Day Prayer Calendar for Parents

This Prayer Calendar page lists things to pray for concerning your child - character traits, virtues, and the fruit of the Spirit in the life of your child. Each day includes a verse that applies to the topic of prayer.

1. Salvation
2. Growth in Grace
3. Love
4. Honesty and Integrity
5. Self-control
6. A Love for God’s Word
7. Justice
8. Mercy
9. Respect
10. Biblical Self-Esteem
11. Faithfulness
12. A Passion for God
13. Responsibility
14. Kindness
15. Generosity
16. Peace
17. Hope
18. Perseverance
19. Humility
20. Compassion
21. Prayfulness
22. Contentment
23. Faith
24. A Servant’s Heart
25. Purity
26. Hard Worker
27. Self-Discipline
28. A Heart for Missions
29. Joy
30. Courage

Use What You Have

“There is no point in praying for God to give you money so you can be a blessing to others if you are not being a blessing with what you already have. Satan will try to tell you that you don’t have anything to give - but don’t believe him.”
- Joyce Meyer from the Ending Your Day Right devotional book.

It has taken me a long time to understand this. I spent many years looking forward to the day that I could afford to really help others. I didn’t want to do something “small”. I wanted to do something “big”. But, I got tired of waiting around and I found ways to help that cost me nothing.

Try praying something like this: Please help me figure out how I can help others. I’d like to give of myself on a larger scale, but for now I’ll do what You want me to do with what I have.

Luke 16:10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” NLT

Here are some ideas to help others that don’t cost money:

• Tutor a neighbor kid.
• Collect canned food from your neighbors and give them to a food ministry.
• Pass out homemade Christmas cards and cookies with an invitation to your church’s Christmas event.
• Disciple another Christian by going through a bible lesson with him or her.
• Send encouraging e-mails or e-cards to relatives and friends letting them know that you are praying for them.
• Have an outdoor Bible Story Club for the neighbor kids.
• Volunteer to help out and baby-sit for a single mother that can’t afford to pay.
• Collect blankets for a homeless shelter.
• Start a Bible study at work.
• Make a friend at a nursing home and visit once a week
• Grow extra vegetables in your garden and give them to a Christian soup kitchen or share with your neighbors.
• Invite and take a non-Christian friend or neighbor to church events.
• Promote professional looking sites that explain salvation like The Flipz Site, The Alive Site, and The Seek Site.
• Be a sponsorship display volunteer for World Vision.
• Share your Christian books and magazines with both Christians and non-Christians.

Kids Can Pray for the World

World Praying
Toss an inflatable globe to the child. The child closes his or her eyes and points to a place on the globe. Type the name of the country that the child is pointing to and the word “missionary” in a search engine. Find a missionary to quickly read about. Then pray for that missionary.

World Events
Make a list of current world events and briefly explain each one to the child. Then, pray with the child for each one of the events on your list.

Prayer by Region
Get a list of missionaries. Divide the list by region. For example: Central America, Caribbean, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Spend one week on each region - praying for the missionaries that live there. You can also learn a little bit about each region - watch a DVD about the missionaries country, try foods or make recipes from that area, get a book from the library, etc.

What a Wonder You Are

Here’s a prayer that tells God how Wonderful He is.
It’s a song called In Wonder by the Newsboys. This Christian band is one of the most awesome groups I have ever heard. So, I’m glad that I have an opportunity to promote them.

In Wonder
By the Newsboys

So much wonder
Carved in Your coral seas
So much wonder
Shaded by ancient trees
I consider all that Your hands have made
Every newborn’s eyes, every new sunrise
No power can tame Your presence
No light can match Your radiance

Let all creation sing in wonder
Every sea, every creature, every star
You opened up my eyes to wonder
What a vision, what a wonder You are

Such a wonder
Ordering time and tide
Such a wonder
Bridging the great divide
I consider all that You had, all You gave
And all that You endured
From this rebel world
What a wondrous cross You chose to bear
What a wonder You would even care

Let every rock cry out
Let every knee bow down
You opened up my heart to wonder
What love, what a wonder You are

No power can tame Your presence
No light can match Your radiance
Such a wonder
Such a wonder

Evangelistic Praying

National Day of Prayer
Tell your non-Christian neighbors, family members, or co-workers that you will be taking part in the National Day of Prayer on May 3rd. Ask them if they have a prayer request that they would like you to pray for on this day. Later, send them a postcard saying that you prayed for them. Kids may enjoy making their own cards.

Pray to Evangelize
Who do you know that isn’t a Christian yet? Pray for ideas and opportunities to evangelize to that person.

Pray Others to Christ
The following suggestions were taken from the booklet Praying Your Friends to Christ.

• Ask God to open up their spiritual eyes. 2 Cor. 4:4
• Ask God to set them free from spiritual captivity. 2 Tim. 2:25-26
• Ask God to give them ears to hear Matt. 13:15, faith to believe Acts 20:21, and the will to respond. Rom. 10:9
• Ask God to send people into their lives to witness to them. Matt. 9:38
• Ask God for ways to build caring relationships. I Cor. 9:22
• Ask God for opportunities to witness. Col. 4:3
• Ask God for boldness to witness. Acts 4:29
• Ask God for an opportunity to invite them to a harvest event. Luke 14:23

Ideas for Young Kids

Here are some ideas for helping younger kids pray.

Alphabet Praying
Each day, use one letter to help you pray. For example: On the first day, pray about things that start with A - America, Adoption, and Africa. On the second day, pray about things that start with B - Bible Colleges, Babies, and Billy Graham Ministry. On the third day, pray about things that start with C - Christian Schools, Churches, and Christmas.

Praying in the Park
Take a child for a prayer walk in the park. Thank God for the wonderful things you see. You can also pray for your city, neighborhoods, schools, friends, church, pastor, and the children of the world.

Photo Album Prayer
You can help a younger child make a prayer picture album. The child can decorate the outside with craft supplies. On the inside pages: The child can draw pictures, and glue in photos and magazine pictures of what they want to pray for. The pictures can be of family members, the earth, food, clothing, a house, bike, friends, and grandparents, a church, etc.

Answered Prayers

Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly. I will praise you before all the people. - Psalm 35:18

Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. - Psalm 105: 1-2

At the Daily Guideposts site you can read answered prayers and list your own praises.

People are thanking God for:

• A friend that I have been praying for has been saved
• A friend was rescued from suicide
• My son has been accepted to a graduate school that is close to home
• Healing me
• The great success today and for the excellent income
• Safe travel
• A nice, new place to live
• Not loosing our home
• A son who is off heroin
• A successful adoption
• Getting to put a roof on our house
• The great sales this past month at work

Motivate Others to Pray

Here are some ideas for how you can motivate other Christians to pray:

• Invite people to a prayer event.
• Form a prayer-walking group.
• Start a prayer chain at your church and encourage people to join.
• Get a group together to read and discuss a book about prayer.
• Get a group together to watch a DVD program about Prayer.
• Teach children at church how to pray. Give them creative ideas.
• Send someone a subscription to Pray! Magazine
• Make a website about prayer.
• Pass out Prayer Guides.
• Promote the National Day of Prayer.
• Plan a night of prayer and singing at church.
• Pray for Israel and missionaries to Israel, show DVD, sample foods, have a speaker, play messianic worship music.
• Encourage youth group members to take part in Open Door’s Shockwave 3-Day Event to pray for persecuted Christians. Kids will pray in chat rooms, churches, homes, and other places.

An Impulse to Pray

Always respond to every impulse to pray. The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are battling with a text. I would make an absolute law of this - always obey such an impulse. –Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Have you ever had the urge to pray for someone and you tried to ignore it? Did the urge to pray just go away? Or, did you have to pray to relieve your conscience? It has happened to me. I never find out why I feel such an impulse to pray, but I figure that I am doing what God wants me to do. It’s just amazing that God thinks so highly of me that He would encourage me to pray for someone. Jesus instructs us in the Bible to prayer for others.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16
While I was writing this entry, I got the impulse to pray for my sister. But, I wanted to finish this entry first. With the second impulse, I decided to stop and say a prayer for her. (Interesting timing for a prayer impulse to happen)

Free Prayer Counseling Phone Call

Do you need someone to pray with you?

You can call 1-800-759-0700
24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The CBN Telephone Prayer Line has 350 prayer counselors that offer prayer and spiritual comfort.

Since 1963, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) has answered over 71 million calls providing prayer and biblical encouragement.

Keeping a Prayer Journal

Recording your prayers in a journal Many people like to keep a Prayer Journal. If you find that your mind wanders while you pray, writing in a prayer journal may help you concentrate better.will show you how you grow spiritually. You can also read back through your journal and see how God has answered your prayers.

There are different ways to keep a Prayer Journal. You can use a spiral notebook, a journaling book, type it in a Word document, or get journaling software.

Here are some ideas to help you get started in your prayer journal.

• What do I want to tell God right now?
• What did God teach me today?
• Write a scripture verse and tell God what the verse means to you.
• Write to God when you are feeling a strong emotion.
• Write when you are having a conflict with someone.
• Write when you have physical pain or sickness.
• Ask God for wisdom concerning a certain subject.
• List your “praises” and “thank yous”.
• Record the names and prayer requests of others.
• Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness.
• Write the lyrics of praise songs and then your response to them.
• List what you think God is telling to you or trying to teach you.
• Tell God what you learned about while reading a devotional or listening to a sermon.

Prayer Walking

Prayer walking is easy - pray while you walk. You can walk alone, with a weekly partner, or with a group.

Ideas of things to pray about while you are prayer walking:

• ways you can help the poor in your community
• local Christian ministries that help the poor
• whatever thoughts enter your mind while walking
• school children as you pass a school
• that neighborhood Children will “Just Say No” to drugs
• people you pass that are arguing with each other
• particular people that you walk by
• praise and thank God for the good things in your neighborhood
• an ambulance that goes by - pray for whoever is in need of help, the driver, and the paramedics
• the sick people and medical workers in hospitals
• against false religions, as you pass by the buildings
• government and politicians, as you pass by a government building
• churches that you pass
• the lack of churches in the neighborhood
• against immoral businesses
• a new Christian ministry moving into a neighborhood -Pray that the people’s hearts will be softened and prepared for the ministry.

Praying for Missions

You may not be able to Go, but you can pray.

Examples of what to pray about:

• churches to give generously to missions
• the Christian agencies that provide relief to those in need
• the equipping of ministries that provide food and shelter to people
• missionaries to serve in places where Jesus is not known
• missionaries will receive the proper financial support they need
• mission personnel that plan community outreach programs
• prayer warriors to faithfully pray for mission programs
• for missionaries to serve in places where Jesus is not known
• for the needs of missionaries

Pray to Know God

Some people pray just to pray and some people pray to know God. –Andrew Murray

We shouldn’t pray out of guilt or habit or to impress God. Prayer is a time to grow closer to God. It’s a time to talk through our problems and know that He is listening and caring. You may not have anyone you feel you can confide in. But, God can be trusted. He’s the one that you can tell.

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12 NIV