Hi Trekker,
September 30, 2012 @ 5:03pm
I wanted to acknowledge your thread and request for prayer. There are many prayer request through out the world, primarly in America. Is this true? No!, there are prayer request throughout all of the US.
As Christians, we have always viewed Salvation as a gift. A gift of Grace. Yet when we were still sinners, he Jesus Died for us, for the remission of our sins. We are saved by Grace. With this gift of Grace we were given also the gift of prayer. Complete access to his throne.
When i first learned how to pray, it was NOT by reading a book!!! I read the bible and implemented what i had learned i strived to live a Christian Life, to allow his Holy Spirit to change me, to mold me into the person he willed that i be. This did to happen over night, it was a process it took, days, weeks, months, and yes even years.
Rebuked many of times, under the chastistment of the Lord.
I was in the potters hands, and as i was determined to be what he had predestined for me to be, HE was more determined, then I. I came to the realization, that he was not going to let me go, you see he was going to finish the work he had started in me.
Soooo, here i was needing to learn how to pray, not sure if i could, not sure if he would even hear my prayers. I used to hear other people pray and longed to pray with them, because i so hungered to learn. That did not come easy for me, but i was determined to persevere. During my time alone with God he taught me that if i was going to pray, or even stand in the gap for anyone, as he so longed to find someone that would, my heart had to be pure.
What does that mean? It means that i had to walk in forgiveness. I had to learn how to forgive and remind myself that just as he had forgiven me, i too had to forgive.
Now, i had to learn to hear his voice. I would ask questions to those who knew how to approach his throne in prayer and supplication, but the answers did not match what HE was trying to show me. I had to learn to hear Gods voice but i was going to have to learn to hear Satan's voice also. This is the only way you will, be able to identify who is actually speaking.
Sorry, i didn't see this thread until now. Maybe it's too late and your Christian friend died.
If what i have shared does not help you, maybe this will...
In the early days of American history, the generals who won were the generals who prayed militantly.
One day a farmer approaching the CAMP (at Valley Forge) heard an earnest voice. On coming nearer, he saw George Washington on his knees, his cheeks wet with tears, praying to God.
He returned home and said to his wife: "George Washington will succeed! The Americans will win their independence!"
"What makes you think so?" asked his wife. The farmer replied: "I heard him pray, Hannah, out in the woods today, and the Lord will surely hear his prayer. He will, Hannah; thee may rest assured He will."
Why was that farmer so sure God would hear General George Washington? Because, I am sure, he was praying militanlty. Great things depended on his prayer, and great things depend on our prayers.
Before the Battle of Gettysburg, when the fate of the nations was hanging in the balance, President Abraham Lincoln was calm and assured. His generals wanted to know why and this is what he answered.
"I spent last night in prayer before the Lord. He has given me the assurance that out cause will triumph and that the nation will be preserved"
In our time, General Eisenhower once said:
"Prayer gives you the courage to make the decisions you must make in crisis and then the confidence to leave the result to a Higher Power".
Prayer is not for the purpose of changing God's mind. He already wants us to win and to be victorious. Prayer is for changing situations, circumstances, and people's hearts. Prayer is for overcoming and defeating the demons of hell assigned to hinder Christians.
