“I feel it is far better to begin with God, to see His face first, to get my soul near Him before it is near another. In general it is best to have at least one hour alone with God before engaging in anything else.” E. M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer

A tool to help you to pray (A.C.T.S.)

A (adoration): Before thinking of anything else, focus on the person of God first. Begin your prayer with praise and admiration of our God. The Bible gives us some names that describe our great God.
Here are some examples:
• Elohim (Strong One) who created and sustains the universe
• Adonai (Master or Lord) who deserves our complete allegiance
• Yahweh (Lord or Jehovah) who has made a covenant with His people
• Ancient of Days who is above time and space (Dan 7:9)
• Yahweh Jireh who will provide (Gen 22:14)
• El Shaddai (God Almighty) who supplies comfort (Gen 17:1; Ex 6:3)
• El Elyon (Most High God) who is supreme and sovereign (Gen 14:18)
• Yahweh Shalom who gives peace to His people (Judg 6:24)

C (confession):
T (thanksgiving):
S (supplication or intercession):

Application:
• Praise God for His great character!
• Meditate on a name or two this week on the character of God.

Is there purpose in our affliction?

"Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experience that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my experience, has been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained. In other words, if it were ever possible to eliminate affliction from our earthly existence by means of some drug or other medical mumbo jumbo...the result would make it too banal and trivial to be endurable. This, of course is what the cross signifies. And it is the Cross that has called me inexorably to Christ."

- Malcolm Muggeridge

Adoring God

“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16

A tool to help you to pray (A.C.T.S.)

A (adoration): Before thinking of anything else, focus on the person of God first. Begin your prayer with praise and admiration of our God. The Bible gives us some metaphors that will help us learn more about our great God
Here are some examples:
• God is characterized as a father (Ps 103:13; Is 64:8; Matt 6:9)
• God is characterized as a mother (Is 66:13; Matt 23:37)
• God is characterized as a husband (Eph 5:22-32; Rev 19:7-9)
• God is our friend (Jer 3:4; James 2:23)
• God is our shepherd (Ps 23; Ez 34:31; Luke 15:3-7; John 10)
• God is an artist (Ps 19; Jer 18:6)
• God is our teacher (Is 2:3; Jer 31:31-34)
• God is the everlasting King (Jer 10:7-10)
• God is our judge (Acts 10:42; Heb 12:23; Rev 20:11-15)
• God is our savior and our redeemer (Ruth; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

C (confession):
T (thanksgiving):
S (supplication or intercession):

"Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still." E.M. Bounds

A tool to help you to pray (A.C.T.S.)

A (adoration): Before thinking of anything else, focus on the person of God. Begin your prayer with praise and admiration of our God. Start with some music that reflects the character of God and His goodness. Look at various Psalms that tells us about His love, goodness, faithfulness, holiness, purity, etc.
Here are some examples:
• The Lord is righteous (Ps 11)
• The Lord is strong (Ps 27; 18)
• The Lord is the Creator (Ps 8; 139)
• The Lord is good (Ps 107)
• The Lord is compassionate and gracious (Ps 103; 145)
• The Lord is holy (Ps 99)
• The Lord is forgiving (Ps 32; 103; 130)

C (confession):
T (thanksgiving):
S (supplication or intercession):

Application:
• Praise God for His great character!
• Memorize and meditate on a verse or two from the above listed Psalms. Write down the verse(s) on a sticky note. Place the note at a place that you visit often to remind throughout the day.

Why Should We Pray?

"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day."

- E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer


1) God’s Word prompts us to pray (Luke 18:1; Phil 4:6; 1 Thess 5:17).
2) God imparts wisdom to those who pray (James 1:5).
3) We assist others when we pray (Eph 6:18-20; 2 Thess 3:1-2; 1 Tim 2:1-4).
4) We have great expectations when we pray (Matt 21:22).
5) Prayer protects us from the temptation of sin (Matt 26:41).
6) Prayer develops a deeper and meaningful relationship with God (John 15).


Application:

a. Spend time this week reviewing the passages above on why we pray.
b. Get alone with God and spend a few moments everyday in prayer (in the car, at work, in your home, on your lunch break, etc.)
c. Prayer is hard work. If you have a difficulty setting time aside for God, ask Him to give you a yearning for prayer. He will do it!

To err is human, to forgive is divine!

In her memoir, Corrie Ten Boom explains the meaning of forgiveness through a powerful illustration. In a time of her life when she was struggling with anger and bitterness, she found it difficult to forgive those who hurt her. No matter what she did to forget the hurt committed against her, she continued to stew over the matters in her life until they festered into a poisonous cancer eating at her soul.

One day a Lutheran pastor helped her work through her frustrations. He told her, "Corrie, up in the church tower is a bell which is rung by pulling on a rope. When the sexton pulls the rope, the bell peals out ding-dong, ding-dong. What happens if he doesn’t pull the rope again? Slowly the sound fades away. Forgiveness is like that. When we forgive someone, we take our hand off the rope. But if we’ve been tugging at our grievances for a long time, we mustn’t be surprised if the old angry thoughts keep coming for awhile. They’re just the ding-dongs of the old bell slowing down."

Cultivating Thankfulness

F. B. Meyer asks, “God, why is your hand ALWAYS on the other person?” Notice the emphasis is on the word “always.” Why does it seem that God’s hand is always on the oppressor? Why do we as the saints of God go through suffering and pain? If the Bible is true (and it is) and it tells us that God loves His people, then why does He let us go through tribulations? What makes it worse is when you do all that you can to follow God? You live right, you pray right, you spend quality time with God, you do all that you can to follow and serve God yet it seems that you are the one who suffers the most. It seems that the more you follow God, the more you look for the other shoe to drop. Why?

As we approach Thanksgiving, Asaph helps us how to cultivate thankfulness in spite of what our circumstances and situations may tells us. First, stop walking by sight (Psalm 73:1-14). Second, start walking by faith (Psalm 73:15-21). And third, start worshipping God (Psalm 73:21-28).