An Adventure in Prayer

An Opportunity to Pray

Suggested Bible Reading
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
-Colossians 1:1-14 (NRSV)
Today's Scripture
The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.-James 5:16 (TEV)


"ALL inmates get down on the ground!" The prerecorded message repeatedly blared from the guard tower. A man with a rifle scanned the compound from the tower window, ready to shoot. "Officer needs assistance!" screamed the frantic voice over the two-way radio. Like ants pouring out of the ground, prison staff came running from every direction.

In the midst of this chaos, I calmly lay face down on the ground and prayed for the safety of the prison staff running by me, the inmates fighting in the distance, and the medical personnel en route. We needed divine intervention.

Opportunities to pray for the needs of others are all around us each day. We are not powerless; our prayers can alter the outcomes of situations. Prayer is a privilege God bestows on each of us. When we pray for others, we "seek to do good to one another and to all" (1 Thess. 5:15, NRSV). Someone, somewhere needs our prayers. This is why the Bible tells us to pray for others. Who needs your prayers right now?
Jeff Matthews (Illinois, USA)
Prayer
Dear Father, help us each day to pray for others and so express our love for them and for you. Amen.

Thought for the Day
Prayer is an expression of love for God and neighbor.

Prayer Focus
Those in prison

An Adventure in Prayer
Suggested Bible Reading
"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
-John 10:1-10 (NRSV)


Today's Scripture
Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."-John 10:10 (NRSV)


I kissed my young son goodbye and prayed for him as he went for emergency surgery. However, my prayer seemed to bounce back like an echo. I was consumed with fear.

Plopping in an easy chair in the waiting room, I glanced over the magazines and picked up a small green booklet with an intriguing title, "Adventures in Prayer." Since my prayers felt lifeless, I knew I needed help. The words from author Catherine Marshall were exciting because she prayed about her everyday needs. Her relationship with God sounded personal. What did all of this mean? I had prayed for years in church. But something was missing. I began to see that my faith was based more on dutiful religion than on a growing relationship with God.

At that moment I prayed the first exciting prayer I had ever uttered. "Lord, I don't know you. Please help me." The peace and joy that came to my heart was a new experience. It helped me to understand that God had heard me.

My son's surgery was a success, but the spiritual surgery of my soul had just begun. Since I learned to see God as my friend, life has never been the same.
Lucy Neeley Adams (North Carolina, USA)

Prayer
Friend and Redeemer, thank you for those who write words of hope that lead us closer to your abundant life. Amen.

Thought for the Day
Knowing God is the key to powerful and fulfilling prayer.

Prayer Focus
Christian writers