A young lady, having committed some small offense, was made to eat dinner alone, at a little table in the corner of the kitchen. The rest of the family was paying her no attention until she began to pray in a loud voice, "I thank you, Lord, for preparing this table before me in the presence of mine enemies..."

THE BEST POSITION TO PRAY IS..
Three preachers sat discussing the best positions for prayer. A telephone repairman who was working nearby happened to overhear the conversation.
"Kneeling is definitely best," claimed the first minister.
"No," the second pastor contended. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched toward Heaven."
"You're both wrong," the third preacher insisted. "The most effective prayer position is lying prostate, face down on the floor."
The repairman could contain himself no longer.
"Hey, fellas," he interrupted, "the best prayin' I ever did was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole after my safety strap broke."

THE PROPER WAY TO PRAY - poem "Karen Earhart" <kearhart@hotmail.com>
"The proper way for a man to pray,"
Said Deacon Samuel Keys,
"And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees."

"No, I should say the way to pray,"
Said Rev. Dr. Wise,
"Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes."

"Oh, no, no, no"
Said Elmer Slow.
"Such posture's way too proud.
A man should pray with eyes fast closed and head contritely bowed."

"Seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front,
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,"
Said Rev. Dr. Blunt.

"Last year I fell in Hitchkin's well,
Headfirst," said Cyrus Brown,
"And both my heels were stickin' up
And my head was a pointin' down.

"And I made a prayer right then and there,
The best I'd ever said.
The prayin'est prayer I ever prayed
Was standin' on my head."

PRAYERS OF THE YOUNG

A five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. "Dear God, thank you for these pancakes." When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, "I thought I'd see if He was paying attention tonight."
Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer. "Fine," said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you." "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave," said Johnny. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."
A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if You can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am!"

QUOTE: Some of life’s biggest disappointments come from getting what we insisted on having.

QUOTE: Prayer - don't give God instructions - just report for duty!

THE RATTLESNAKE STORY

Once upon a time, the story goes, there was a family of wayward "church members." One day while Jim, John, and Sam were in the woods, a large rattlesnake bit Sam and he became violently ill. The doctor was summoned and did what he could, but said they would need divine help too, if Sam were to recover. So the preacher and the elders of the church were sent for and they came rushing to Sam’s bedside.

The preacher was asked to pray and did so as follows:
"Oh, wise and righteous Father, we thank Thee that in Thy wisdom Thou has sent this rattlesnake to bite Sam, in order to bring him to his senses. He has not been in the church house now for years, and it is doubtful that he has in all these years, until now, felt the need for prayer. It seems, therefore, that what our combined efforts could not do, this rattlesnake has done. We trust, O Father, that Thou wilt send another to bite John and Jim, and a big one to bite their father, for we conclude the only thing that will help this family is rattlesnakes. So send us, we pray Thee, 3 bigger and better rattlesnakes."

QUOTE: Prayer is an invitation to God to intervene in our lives, to let his will prevail in our affairs - Abraham Joshua Heschel

KIDS SPEAKING TO GOD
One little girl began her prayer like this: "Our Father, who are in heaven, hello! What be Thy name?"
A boy who thought he knew the answer to that question, prayed, "Our Father, who art in heaven, Harold be Thy name."
The prayer of another boy went like this: "Our Father who art in heaven, Hollywood be Thy name."
A girl whose visiting uncle was a horse player bowed her head with a plea that God "give us this day our daily double."
A five-year-old girl who was trying to cope with Sunday School and kindergarten at the same time came up with this charming blend of Church and State: "Give us this day our daily bread,
and liberty and justice for all."
Another kindergarten child asked God to "give us this day our jelly bread."
Then there was the little boy who prayed, "Forgive us our dentists, as we forgive our dentists."
Another boy pleaded, "Lead us not into creation."
Or the farmer's boy who said, "Deliver us from weevils."
Another boy prayed to God to "deliver us from eagles."
And a boy climaxed his prayer like this: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, Amen and F.M."

QUOTE: Mrs. Billy Graham told an audience of Minneapolis women last year (1981): "God has not always answered my heart's desires. If He had, I would have married the wrong man - several times."

QUOTE: God always answers His knee-mail

QUOTE: A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

QUOTE: He who kneels before God can stand before anyone!

QUOTE: Prayer - * Don't give God instructions - just report for duty!

QUOTE: Speak to God about your neighbors, and speak to your neighbors about God.

ASK FOR HELP 1981 Pulpit Resource

During a recent remodeling project this sign appeared in the library of a large mid-western university:

DUE TO REORGANIZATION, THE BASEMENT WILL BE ON THE 2^ND FLOOR

ONE HALF OF THE 2^ND FLOOR WILL BE ON 1^ST FLOOR

BUT ONE HALF WILL REMAIN ON THE 2^ND.

IN YOUR SEARCH FOR PARTICULAR REFERENCE MATERIALS ON THESE FLOORS WE SUGGEST YOU ASK FOR HELP

THE REDROCK PRAYER Kenneth McFarland, Eloquence in Public Speaking p. 18

Eloquence isn’t necessarily flowery language so much as heartfelt expression. Consider this prayer of a country preacher in Red Rock , Mississippi:

"Oh Lord, give Thy servant this mornin’ the eyes of the eagle and the wisdom of the owl; connect his soul with the gospel telephone in the central skies; ‘luminate his brow with the Sun of heaven; possess his mind with love for the people; turpentine his imagination, grease his lips with ‘possum oil, loosen his tongue with the sledge hammer of Thy power; ‘lectrify his brain with the lightnin’ of the word; put ‘petual motion on his arms; fill him plum full of the dynamite of Thy glory; ‘noint him all over with the kerosene oil of Thy salvation and set him on the fire. Amen!"

YARPING Stuart Brisco

Stuart Brisco came up with a great acrostic for those wanting to know how to pray

P = Praise

R = Repentance

A = Ask for others

Y = Yourself

Sometimes people get this backwards. But that isn’t praying… that’s yarping.

Lee Bracey tells of his father’s conversation with his friend Glen. "Glen," he asked, "do you pray for me every day?"

"Yes," Glen replied, "I do."
Thoughtfully, Lee’s dad paused then asked "Sometimes do you pray for me on your knees?"

A girl was running to church with her new dress. She kept on praying on the way "Don't make me late Lord. Don't make me late Lord."
As she was crossing the street she tripped and fell both ripping her dress and getting dirty. Then she prayed "Don't make me late, Lord, but don't push either!"

When everything seems to go wrong, just Push!
When the job gets you down, just Push!
When people don't react the way you think they should, just Push!
When your money looks funny and the bills are due, just Push!
When you want to curse them out for whatever the reason, just Push!
When you ask the question, when is my ship coming in? (as I often do), just Push!
When people just don't understand you, just Push!
Not to continue on and on...let me tell you what PUSH stands for.

Here is another meaning for ASAP – Always Say A Prayer

There’s work to do, deadlines to meet, you’ve got no time, but as you hurry and scurry, Always Say A Prayer. In the midst of family chaos, "quality time" is rare. Do your best, let God do the rest - , Always Say A Prayer.

It may seem like your worries are more than you can bear, slow down and take a breather. , Always Say A Prayer.

God knows how stressful life is, God wants to ease your cares and God will respond - , Always Say A Prayer.

QUOTE: The greatest undeveloped resource of our country is faith; the greatest unused power is prayer. – Roger W. Babson

QUOTE: My younger daughter Jill once said to me "If you fold your hands upside down, you get the opposite of what you pray for." Charles Shultz

QUOTE: I learned how to meditate in grade school, thanks to all the teachers who were constantly telling me to sit down and be quiet. - Ron Dentinger

AFRAID THEY WERE PRAYING

The teacher went into her classroom fifteen minutes before the class was supposed to begin and caught a bunch of boys down in a huddle on their knees in the corner of the room. She demanded of them what they were doing, and one of them hollered back, "We are shooting craps."
She said, "That's all right. I was afraid you were praying."

QUOTE: God commands you to pray, but he forbids you to WORRY. - John Vianney

HISTORICAL POWER OF PRAYER Family News from Focus on the Family May 2000

In May 1940, the political and military situation in Europe was catastrophic. Seven years earlier, Adolf Hitler had gained absolute power in Germany and immediately set about rearming his bellicose nation. On September 1, 1939, he invaded Poland and then turned his fury on the nations of Western Europe. Hitler’s "Lightening War" rumbled almost unopposed through Norway, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium. The French Army, which most military experts believed would hold its own against Germany, was humiliated in only 40 days. Nearly 500,000 British and French troops were trapped in a tiny coastal enclave called Dunkirk, where they faced certain annihilation. Hitler’s armored divisions, commanded by Generals Heinz Guderian and Karl von Rundstedt, were only 15 miles away, while Hermann Goering’s air force (the Luftwaffe), bombed and strafed the hapless armies below. What a tragic moment that was in history.

It is difficult to comprehend the panic that gripped peace-loving nations at that time, especially Britain. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (who resigned in early May 1940 and was replaced by Winston Churchill) and other political leaders were staggered by the realization that this German madman and his henchmen had not only enslaved and dominated most of Europe in less than a year, but that they would be next. The Fuhrer was never closer to his ultimate victory than during those five days, May 24-28, 1940.

The loss of the British and French armies at Dunkirk would have left them naked in response to the anticipated Nazi invasion. Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax and other leaders began talking about attempting to bribe or cut a deal with Hitler. President Franklin Roosevelt even feared that British leaders would surrender the nation’s prized fleet in return for concessions. Appeasement and cowardliness were the themes of the day. If the British had surrendered without a fight, which was plausible in those bewildering days, the Nazi reign of terror could have conceivably continued for decades. Millions more Jews, Gypsies, Poles and other "undesirables" would have been gassed or shot, and 1000 years of British history would have come to an inglorious end.

What was the United States doing at that time? It was blithely sitting on its hands and watching its friends twist in the wind. An "America First" movement, passionately articulated by Charles Lindbergh and others, lobbied to keep the U.S. out of the European conflicts. Indeed, the following year, less than 4 months before Pearl Harbor, Franklin Roosevelt, who apparently didn’t want to provoke Hitler, even refused to grant asylum to a shipload of Jewish refugees, many of whom were sent home to be executed…

Here is what influential people were saying about the European situation in the latter part of May 1940:

King Leopold III of Belgium said "The cause of the allies is lost."

Harold Nicolson, a member of the British government, wrote his wife that they might be

Stanley Bruce, High Commissioner for Australia in London, said he didn’t think Britain

What were British "commoners" saying in May 1940? Most had no clear notion of the peril they faced. Here’s a partial summary of an informal poll taken at that time by the "Housewives Union." "Some of the younger housewives… have got to the stage where they would more or less welcome Hitler here. They say it couldn’t be worse, and they’d at least have their husbands back." One worker commented on the finding: "I can see that if the morale goes on the decline so steep as it is at the moment, there won’t be much resistance to him, when he does come." Many women, in particular, admired Hitler. For some, he had become "a secret and somewhat mystical astrological figure." How could they have been so naïve! The greatest butcher of all time was being welcomed by wives and mothers whose sons and husbands would soon be required to risk their lives to stop him.

Winston Churchill stood firm during this frightening time, although privately he was also shaken by Britain’s circumstances. For once, even his legendary appetite for food and drink was gone. Still, he told the French Prime Minister, Paul Reynaud, that England would go on alone if necessary: "We would rather go down fighting than be enslaved to Germany," he said. Unfortunately Churchill didn’t yet have a firm grip on the government. Lord Halifax and other defeatists wrestled with him for the reins of power. If they had gained control at that critical juncture, the world would look very different today. Instead of offering Churchill’s policy of "blood sweat, toil and tears," they would have wrung their hand and whined, "Can’t we all just get along?" Hitler would have chewed the into pathetic little pieces by the end of the year.

… That is the predicament in which Britain and France found themselves on May 24^th, 1940. A half million of their soldiers huddled hopelessly at Dunkirk, waiting for the inevitable death or imprisonment. It was at that desperate moment that the churches of Britain called for a national day of prayer. It had been suggested during April, but the Archbishop of Canterbury had opposed it. He said he didn’t want the call to prayer to be misinterpreted, whatever that meant. But with the alarming deterioration of the military situation in France, he and many others decided that it was, indeed, time to pray. On May 23^rd, numerous political leaders, newspaper editors and King George VI issued a call for a national day of prayer to be held on Sunday, May 26^th.

Now one could have anticipated what was to happen during those 3 momentous days. Just 24 hours after the call for prayer, Adolf Hitler inexplicably ordered his armies to halt, to the surprise and dismay of even his own generals. Two days later, on May 26, the nation gathered to pray. Church attendance skyrocketed, including a large gathering at Westminster Abbey, during which people pleaded with the Almighty to spare their husbands and fathers at Dunkirk.

Former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain wrote this in his diary: "May 26. Blackest day of all… This was the National Day of Prayer." In reality, it turned out to be one of the most dramatic turning points of the war. At 7 o’clock that evening, a critical order was issued to attempt a desperate evacuation of Dunkirk. Every tiny vessel and private craft was sent across the often treacherous waters of the English Channel with orders to rescue as many men as possible before the arrival of the Germans.

Hitler’s armies remained largely in place not only on the 24^th, 25^th and 26^th, but, incredibly, until early June. To this day, no one knows exactly why. The Fuhrer held victory in the palm of his hand, yet he prevented his combat troops from finishing the job. Some have speculated that Hitler didn’t want to risk unnecessary losses in a final battle. Others think Hermann Goering prevailed upon Hitler to let his Luftwaffe get the credit for destroying the British and French armies. Yeah sure. The bloody dictator who never gave anyone a sporting chance. There is a more valid explanation. His armies were halted by the same God who shut the mouths of the lions during Daniel’s night of peril. Just as the Lord heard the prayers of the Israelites so long ago, I believe He was listening when hundreds of thousands of believers in the UK were praying for divine intervention.

For 9 critical days, the Germans were content to shell and bomb Dunkirk from the air and from a distance. Meanwhile, large numbers of Allied soldiers were scrambling aboard the little boats and yachts. On May 29, 47,000 were rescued; on May 30, 53,000; on May 31, 68,000; on June 1, 64,000. In all, 336,000 men found their way to safety in the British Isles! The British leaders were jubilant – and astounded.

Three neighbors were discussing the proper position and attitude for prayer. One said, "You should be on your knees with your head bowed in reverence to the Almighty."
The second man spoke up and said, "Remember that you were created in God's image. The position in which to pray is to stand up looking into the heavens into the face of God and talk to Him as a child to his father."
The third man spoke up and said, "I don't know about those positions, but the finest praying I ever did was upside down in a well."

A faithful couple got the bad news from their doctor. They couldn't have any children. On the way home from the Doctor they were led to drop by to see their pastor to ask for prayer.
The Pastor ran an auto repair shop on the side, so they dropped by the shop. After they explained the situation, the pastor was led to pray for them on the spot. He looked around, grabbed a can of three-in-one oil and quickly blessed it to anoint them.
Sure enough about 9 months later they had triplets. The couple once again showed up at the pastor's study and as soon as the woman saw the pastor she ran up to him, threw her arms around him and gave him the biggest hug.
"What was that all about"? He asked.
She replied "I'm just glad you used three-in-one oil and not WD-40."

REACHING FOR PENNIES Haddon Robinson The Disciple’s Prayer Preaching Today Tap #117

When our children were small, we played a game. I’d take some coins in my fist. They’d sit on my lap and work to get my fingers open. According to the rules of finger opening, once a finger was open, it couldn’t be closed again. They would work at it, until they got the pennies in my hand. They would jump down and run away, filled with glee and delight. Just kids. Just a game.

Sometimes when we come to God, we come for the pennies in His hand.

"Lord, I need a passing grade. Help me to study."

"Lord, I need a job."

"Lord, my mother is ill."

We reach for the pennies. When God grants a request, we push the hand away. More important than the pennies in God’s hand is the hand of God Himself. That’s what prayer is about. When you go to God in prayer, the name that should come easily to your lips is Father.

QUOTE: PH.D. = Praying Hard every Day

The temporary Sunday School teacher was struggling to open a combination lock on the supply cabinet. She had been told the combination, but couldn't quite remember it. Finally she went to the preacher's study and asked for help.
The preacher came into the room and began to turn the dial. After the first two numbers he paused and stared blankly for a moment. Finally he look serenely heavenward and his lips moved silently. Then he looked back at the lock, and quickly turned to the final number, and opened the lock.
The teacher was amazed. "I'm in awe at your faith," she said.
"It's really nothing," he answered. "The number is on a piece of tape on the ceiling."

Now I lay me down to rest, and hope to pass tomorrow’s test. If I should die before I wake, that’s one less test I have to take.

CNN SURVEY Source: CNN.com = Jan.2000
"What is the role of prayer in helping a sick person get better?" Survey Says...
It can have an actual curative power - 52%
It can have a psychosomatic effect - 39%
It has no effect at all - 8%

One man challenged another to an all day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had.

"I don’t get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did."

"But you didn’t notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest."

QUOTE: Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be strong Christians

AMEN MEANS "SEND" Jason Surow in R.Digest 11/99 p. 72A

My brother said "amen" after grace one night, and one of his children asked what amen meant. Before he or his wife could respond, their 5 year old answered, "It means ‘send.’"

I had been teaching my three-year old daughter, Caitlin, the Lord's Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she would repeat after me the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us some E-mail. Amen."

Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs, "I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE. I PRAY FOR A NEW NINTENDO. I PRAY FOR A NEW VCR..."
His older brother leaned over and nudged the younger brother and said, "Why are you shouting your prayers? God isn't deaf."
To which the little brother replied, "No, but Gramma is!"

LET’S LET GOD JUST WATCH THIS GAME Ben Patterson in Leadership Winter 95

Great baseball catcher Yogi Berra played a game in which the score was tied with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th inning. The batter from the opposing team stepped into the batting box and made the sign of the cross on home plate with his bat. Berra was a Catholic too, but he wiped off the plate with his glove and said to the pious batter, "Why don’t we let God just watch this game?"

LORD GIVE ME ALL Charles Swindoll – poem

Lord, I am willing

To receive what you give

To lack what you withhold

To relinquish what you take

To suffer what you inflict

To be what you require.

And, Lord, if others are to be

Your messengers to me,

What they have to say. Amen

DO YOU NEED HIS POWER Carl Bates in The Newsletter Newsletter

There came a time in my life when I earnestly prayed: "God, I want your power!" Time wore on and the power did not come.

One day the burden was more than I could bear. "God," I asked, "Why haven’t you answered that prayer?" God seemed to whisper back this simple reply: "With plans no bigger than yours, you don’t need my power."

THANKS, GOD HADN’T HEARD FROM THEM IN YEARS Gail Thomas in R. Digest12/98 p. 24

The professor of our graduate school class on gifted children included a huge amount of material on the midterm exam. As tension in the room built, people were sighing and gasping aloud.

The following week the professor tossed the graded papers on her desk and announced: "Class, after I left last week, the Lord spoke to me. He said, "Gee, thanks, professor. I haven’t heard from some of those people in years!"

IN TOMATO SAUCE - Barbara J. Doll, Upper Saddle River, NJ

My friend Bob was trying to teach his daughter, Jenny, how to say grace before meals. After a few weeks coaching, Bob decided Jenny was ready to say grace all by herself.

Jenny started out fine, thanking God for her mommy and daddy and brother and sister and for the rolls and the salad, etc. She ended with a big, "Thank you, God, for the spaghetti!" and lifted her head.

The tradition in Bob’s house, though, was to end each prayer with "In Jesus’ name, Amen." So Bob prompted Jenny, "In…"

At first, Jenny seemed confused. Then she proudly proclaimed, "In tomato sauce. Amen."

HIGH 5 PRAYERS - Jennifer Smith, Fort Gratiot, Michigan

Worship brings all kinds of responses, as I observed in church recently. An elderly woman was standing with eyes closed and hands raised in prayer and praise. The three-year-old standing in the pew in front of her turned around and gave her a high-five!

A Grandfather overheard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in reverent, hushed tones.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I’m praying, Grandpa," she said. "I can’t think of the right words, so I just say all the letters. God will put them together for me, ‘cause He knows what I’m thinking."

QUOTE: In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart - Paul Bunyan

QUOTE: Too many people pray for emergency rations rather than daily bread.

A preacher shared an experience he had while shaving one morning. All his life, he had had a difficult time experiencing a closeness to God and had even entered the ministry in part because he felt that that would help him overcome the feeling of distance he felt from God.

He had gone to retreats and seminars and sought out various counsel, but still his nagging doubts dogged his life. That all changed on the morning he was shaving with his thoughts returning to his problem.

He says what happened next was difficult to explain. It was like he had gone into a trance and visualized God setting on His throne. God was as he had always pictured Him - stern, forbidding, frowning down in His white robe and beard. But then, God got up from His throne and came down to him, wrapping His arms around the minister as a Father would His son.

The preacher recalled weeping uncontrollably. But from that time in his life and ministry, things changed - God no longer felt distant. Instead God loved him... and his heart burned with a new fire.

A young boy was observed by a minister in church praying very fervently; but much to the preacher's surprise, he was also heard to say from time to time: "Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo." So preacher approached the boy after he had apparently finished his prayer and said, "Son, I was very pleased to see you praying so devoutly, but tell me, why did you keep saying 'Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo?"

The boy replied, "Well, you see sir, I just finished taking my geography test in school, and I have been praying for the Lord to make Tokyo the Capital of France."

The young woman had a baby girl Thursday December 8th, 1994. There had been a problem with its heart rate dropping, so the Dr. had ordered an emergency c-section. The child was a healthy weight, but its blood oxygen level was too low. Two hours after I had arrived to be with the family, the head nurse came in with bad news... the brain had flatlined twice, the blood oxygen level was less than half of what it needed to be and they were going to ship the child out to Indianapolis as soon as possible.

The grandparents wept. We were allowed into visit with the little girl and I was last. As I entered, I timidly asked for permission to touch the child. Touching her foot, I prayed for God to touch this child and heal her. The head nurse returned she looked at the machines and let out an exclamation of joy "Praise the Lord" something had dramatically changed from the time I had entered to the time the prayer had finished. I believe I was permitted to be there to observe the power of prayer that came in response to my prayers and those of the church and family.

An indigent philosopher at the court of Alexander the great, sought relief at the hand of that sovereign, and received an order on his treasurer for any sum he should ask. He immediately demanded 10,000 pounds. The treasurer demurred at the extravagant amount; but Alexander replied, "Let the money be instantly paid. I am delighted with the philosopher's way of thinking. He has done me a singular honor. By the largeness of request, he shows the high idea he has conceived of my wealth and munificence." God is honored in like manner.

Years ago, there was a community that was blessed by the fact that it had no tavern within the city limits. However, in time, a man came to town, built a building and set up a tavern, much to the distress of many of the town's leading citizens.

One church was so incensed that they held a series of prayer meetings with the express focus of asking God not just to remove the bar, but to burn the building to the ground. Well, one night it happened. A terrible thunder storm rolled through town and a lightning bolt struck the tavern resulting in a fire that literally burned the building to the ground.

Knowledgeable of the church's prayers for this, the tavern owner took the church to court and sued for damages. The church hired its own lawyer and pled that they couldn't be held accountable for acts of nature.

The judge ruled in favor of the church, but noted in his summation of the case: "It seems odd that a tavern owner, who by action and word does not believe in God, believes in answered prayer. Whereas, a church, who by its very existence proclaims to believe in God, maintains that they do not believe in answered prayer."

"C.H. Spurgeon once said, "Prayer pulls the rope down below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly; others give only an occasional jerk to the rope. But he who communicates with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously with all his might."

Quote from Samuel Chadwick: "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray."

A man related the story of how he felt prompted by God to go over and hug his wife who was washing dishes at the time. He felt he should hold her until she said something. So he put his arms around her and cradled her for the longest time - but she said nothing. It came into his mind that "I can keep this up as long as you can," and he held on with even greater determination. At last she turned to him with tears in her eyes and she said, "You'll never know what it is like to just be held."

The man got to thinking that he had never prayed to God with the intention of just showing his affection for his creator. Now he visualizes himself hugging God as he prays. I'm not quite so

bold... I visualize holding his hand or hugging his knees or (when I feel particularly bad about myself) prostrating myself at his feet and holding them.

George Mueller was known for his powerful prayer. In the course of his ministry to the orphans of England, he never asked for financial assistance from men - only God... and he constantly received what was needed to the penny.

Once while on his way to speak in Quebec for a engagement. On the deck of the ship that was to carry him to his destination, he informed the captain that he needed to be in Quebec by Saturday afternoon. As the captain related the story, he said "'It is impossible,' I said. 'Do you know how dense this fog is?'"

"'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of life. I have never broken an engagement in 57 years; let us go down into the chart room and pray.' He knelt down and he prayed one of the most simple prayers. When he had finished I was going to pray, but he put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to pray. 'As you do not believe He will answer, and as I believe He has, there is no need for you whatever for you to pray about it.'

"I looked at him and George Mueller said, 'Captain, I have known my Lord for 57 yrs. and there has never been a single day when I have failed to get an audience with the King. Get up, Captain, and open the door and you will find that the fog has gone.'

"I got up and the fog indeed was gone, and on that Saturday afternoon George Mueller kept his promised engagement."

Woman died and went to heaven. When passing thru the pearly gates, she noted that there were boxes over in the corner with her name on them. Curious she inquired of an angel who replied: "It is God's command that whenever we receive a prayer request, an angel is immediately sent forth with an answer. But if they find the one praying does not expect an answer, they are to return here, put the answer in a box and put the person's name on the box." Are there boxes in heaven with your name on them?

A man (true story from prayer seminar) related how he had always had a very uneasy relationship with God. He always pictured God as a stern unpleasant figure who was perpetually displeased with him. One day, while shaving, he felt a prompting to visualize what he felt about God. And in his mind's eye, he saw a majestic man seated on an imposing throne, robed in white and with a stern look in his eyes. As if in a dream a scene unfolded before him. As he watched in wonder, the seated figure rose from His throne and came down to him and wrapped His arms around him and held him close. That one vision changed his entire prayer life and helped him to realize how much God really loved him as a Father.

PRAYER AND ARTHRITIS Newsweek, March 31, 1997 p. 62

The most intriguing experiment involves 60 patients at the Arthritis Treatment Center in Clearwater, Fla. Because rheumatoid arthritis has clear manifestations - including swollen joints and crippling pain - relief of these symptoms can be easily measured. The study is under the general direction of Dr. Dale Matthews, an associate of medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC Matthews is also a Presbyterian who has been praying for and with patients for years and now wants to find out if science can confirm that prayer really has healing effects.

He has divided the participants into 2 general groups. All patients will receive 4 days of healing prayer through the traditional Christian practice of laying on of hands by the Christian Healing Ministry. In addition, half the patients will receive 6 months of long distance intercessory prayer. Both groups will be examined by the same clinician before the experiment, immediately afterward and again at one, 3, 6 and 12 months. Throughout, Matthews is using strict scientific protocols and standards set by the American College of Rheumatology. by the end of this year, after an outside physician has scrutinized the data, Matthews and his team hope to show what difference, if any, prayer has made.

Already, a videotape of the early phase of the study shows that some individual patients have experienced extraordinary short term results from prayer. "There's something weird going on here, and I love it," says one patient. At the beginning of the experiment, he had 49 tender joints. After 4 sessions with a hands on praying minister, he had only 8. Six months later, he says he has no pain at all and no need of medication.

PRAYER DEFINED Bunyan

Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan.

CIVIL WAR PRISON PRAYER Christian Endeavor World

During the Civil War, 14 inmates of the Andersonville Prison, on August 20, 1864, bowed in prayer to the Almighty that he would send them water; and a spring broke out on the outside of the wall and ran through the prison. The people there were unanimous in their belief that it was of divine origin, the water in the nearby stream being fearfully unwholesome. The spring is reported to be still flowing.

IS GOD DEAD?

One evening, as a father and his little girl were together in the dining room, the daughter looked up into her father's face and asked "Is God dead?"

"Why, no," replied her father, "why would you ask that kind of question?"

"Well," she thought for a moment and continued, "you never talk to Him now as you used to do."

BATTLE FOR BRITAIN SECRET WEAPON Charisma 1994, p. 50

One Sunday morning in September 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and some military advisers were in an underground operations room in southern England watching the lights on the electrical battle charts. Britain was suffering from a dangerous shortage of materials, and intelligence reports showed German forces were preparing to invade England.

On that otherwise quiet Sunday morning, a sudden alert heralded the approach of about 200 nazi aircraft. As outnumbered British air squadrons rose to meet the nazi formations nearing the English coast, tension grew in the underground shelter.

Then for some reason the markers on the wall chart to move eastward, indicating that the German planes had turned back. One hundred eighty five of their aircraft had gone down in flames, and they had no alternative but to retreat. The Royal Air Force had won the battle against impossible odds.

There was no natural explanation for the outcome of this nazi attack during the Battle of Britain, but intelligence officers who interrogated captured nazi airmen heard this question from at least 3 different men: "Where did you get all the planes you threw into the battle over Britain?" Apparently, the Germans saw many more planes than the British actually had in the air.

The explanation? The British as a nation were praying for the safety of their country and their military forces. From 1940 to the end of the war, people throughout the British commonwealth observed a silent moment of prayer every day at 9 p.m.. One imprisoned Nazi officer told his captors: "With the striking of your Big Ben clock each evening at 9, you used a secret weapon which we did not understand. It was very powerful, and we could find no countermeasure against it."

MORT SAHL ON SCHOOL PRAYER Bits and Pieces 2/2/95 p.17

A liberal believes in busing, but is repelled by school prayer. A conservative is repelled by busing, but believes in school prayer. A moderate would like to compromise and just have prayers on the bus.

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH GOD R.Digest 1/97 p. 98

A businessman who needed millions of dollars to clinch an important deal went to church to pray for money. By chance, he knelt next to a man who was praying for $100 to pay an urgent debt. The businessman took out his wallet and pressed $100 into the other man's hand. Overjoyed, the man got up and left the church. The businessman then closed his eyes and prayed, "And now, Lord, that I have your undivided attention...."

AMERICANS TALKING TO GOD Newsweek 1/6/92 p. 39

According to recent studies at NORC, a research center, by Andrew M. Greeley, the sociologist novelist priest, more than 3/4 (78 %) of all Americans pray at least once a week; more than 1/2 (57%) report praying at least once a day. Indeed, Greeley finds that an even amount of 13 percent of Americans who are atheists or agnostics, nearly 1 in 5 still prays daily, siding, it seems, with Pascal, and wagering that there is a God who hears them.

3 TYPES OF AMERICAN PRAYER Newsweek 1/6/92 p. 43

1. Asking for Material things (42%)

2. Meditative Prayer increases with age. 45% of 18 year olds pray meditatively; 70% of 65 year olds do.

3. Of those who say God exists, 70% pray daily as do 10 % of those who don't believe in God.

A MOO-VING GIFT FROM GOD Faith and Renewal, March/April 1993 p. 29

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Dallas Seminary was on the brink of bankruptcy. A prayer meeting was called on the day scheduled for the foreclosure. Dr. Harry Ironside, the head of the seminary, prayed, "Lord, you own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please sell some of them and send us the money. We need X dollars."

Before the prayer meeting was over, a tall Texan came into the business office and said, "I just sold a trainload of cattle in Fort Worth. I believe God wants me to give the money to the seminary." The secretary took the check and timidly tapped on the prayer room door. One of Dr. Ironside's colleagues went to the door and took the check. It was for the exact amount of the debt. Recognizing the rancher's signature, he cried out, "Harry! God just sold the cattle!"

PRAYER AND MARRIAGE GLUE

Louis Evans, former pastor of the Hollywood Presbyterian Church, made an amazing statement. He said that he never knew a couple who went ahead with a divorce after 1st praying together, on their knees, every day, for a week.

Praying together is both a solvent and a glue. It dissolves resentments and bitterness, and binds hearts in new and joyous harmony. Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Paul Tournier writes, "It is only when a husband and wife pray together before God that they find the secret of true harmony: that the difference in their temperaments, their ideas, and their tastes enriches their home instead of endangering it....

"When each of the marriage partners seeks quietly before God to see his own faults, recognizes his sin, and asks the forgiveness of the other, marital problems are no more... They learn to become absolutely honest with each other... This is the price to be paid if partners very different from each other are to combine their gifts instead of setting them against each other."

Where was it that Jesus' sweat was like great drops of blood? Not in Pilate's hall, not on his way to Golgotha. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane. There He "offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death" (Heb. 5:7).

If we had witnessed His struggle that night, we might have said, "If He is so broken up when all He is doing is praying, what will He do when He faces real crisis? Why can't He approach this ordeal with the calm confidence of His 3 sleeping friends?" Yet when the test came, Jesus walked to the cross with the courage, and His 3 friends fell apart and ran away.

GOD OF LARRY CRABB'S FATHER Interest, Jan 1994, p. 7

Larry Crabb tells about watching his father pray when he was only 4 years old. "It was Sunday morning, and about 50 people gathered in a circle at our (Lord's Supper) service. The elements, covered simply with a white cloth, were on a table in the middle. The arrangement was intentional: it spoke of Christ as the center of our thoughts.

"Dad stood to pray. I was lying on the floor, looking up at him. Even now, the memory is clear. I thought to myself, 'He actually thinks he is talking to Someone. And whoever it is means more to him than anyone else...'"

PRAYER ARBOR Bill Gothard Ministers' Gathering 3/96

An aged minister looked out upon the gathering of preachers and spoke of his personal prayer life. From 4 till 7AM each morning, he sets in his Prayer Arbor in Texas and which faces toward the East. Why the East? "Something is going to happen in the East someday, and I want to see it when it happens."

In the middle of President Lincoln's service to our nation, an elderly lady made an appointment to see him. As she entered his office, he inquired, "How can I be of service to you, Madam?"

The lady answered, "Mr. President, I know you are a very busy man, and I have not come to ask you for anything. I simply came to bring you this box of cookies."

There was a long silence. Tears overflowed the President's eyes as he began: "Madam, I am greatly moved by what you have done. For since I have become President, people have come into this office one after another asking for favors and demanding things from me. You are the first person who has ever entered these premises asking no favor but bringing a gift. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

When I read that story about President Lincoln, I was convicted because I have come into a greater person's office - into His throne room time after time, and I have brought nothing with me. I have asked. I have pleaded. I have begged for His favor. But I have forgotten to bring Him a gift.

Praise and adoration is the only real gift man can offer God. What else could we possibly give God besides our worship! After all, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). By the hand of Jesus Christ He put every star in its proper place. He created the laws and forces governing the orbiting planets. Nothing exists apart from the powerful hands or the mighty Creator. In the truest sense, God needs nothing except the love of those beings He created. This love is best expressed through praise offered in prayer.

Ralph Herring in "The Cycle of Prayer" explains that praise is simply the "making of glory." According to Herring,. "The basic idea in the Greek word "doxa" (from which we get doxology) which is translated 'glory' is recognition. Praise, then, is that aspect of prayer that gives glory to God. It is recognizing God as the sovereign Creator and ruler of the universe.

Praise is not begging God but loving God. It is the laying aside of our demands so we can fellowship with Him. Dr. Harold Lindsell said, "In adoration no promises are claimed; no long lists of answered prayers are recited; no proof is expected."

JUST STOPPED BY FOR A VISIT Frank E. Zimmerman from "The Visitor"

When I was a boy, we had a neighbor lady who frequently came to the back door of our home. She never wasted any time coming to the point. Her words were always the same, "I just wanted to borrow ...." The problem was she never came at any other time. My mother graciously let her have what she wanted, then she would be gone.

I know my mother never appreciated her as much as the other neighbors, but she never complained.

I often think of this lady when I hear some people pray.. Some people never call on God until they want something. God is loving and He probably gives them what they ask of Him. But would not it be a lot better if they would call on God at other times? We had another neighbor who came frequently, and never asked for anything. She always started her conversation by saying, "Just stopped by for a visit."

I think God would like us to do that, "Just stop by for a visit." The next time you pray, why not do it-just for a visit?

I can well remember the boyish enthusiasm I had as a youngster when I'd ask my father for something I really wanted. Sometimes, in an effort to escape my unending pleas, he would finally say, "That's enough, son; I'll take care of everything." My heart is ashamed that I don't have more of that youthful fervency when I bring my needs to my Heavenly Father.

Too often our petitions fit the description of prayer given by Thomas Brooks, who said. "Cold prayers are as arrows without heads, as swords without edges, as birds without wings; they pierce not, they cut not, they fly not up to heaven. Cold prayers always freeze before they reach heaven." To become more effective in our praying, we should heed these words of Bishop Hall: "It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many they are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the method of our prayers, how orderly they may be; nor even the theology of our prayers, how good the doctrine may be-which God cares for. Fervency of spirit is that which availeth much."

C.H. Spurgeon once said, "Prayer pulls the rope down below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly; others give only an occasional jerk at the rope. But he who communicates with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously with all his might."

Standing at the South Pole is like being in the eye of a hurricane -- it's deceivingly calm. The quietness seems inconsistent with the fact that mighty winds originate there. How is this possible? As warm air from the equator flows in over the polar region, it descends, becomes cold and dense, and sinks to the frigid surface. Since the ice-covered plateau tapers off toward the oceans, and no mountains of other obstacles stand in the way, gravity pulls the heavy, cold air down the smooth slopes. The wind picks up tremendous speed as it moves northward toward the equator. Gradually it is heated by the sun and begins to rise, creating a circular pattern to drive the earth's weather machine that is so vital to our existence.

For Christians, quiet times of prayer and worship also give rise to great power. They might seem non-productive because nothing appears to be happening. Our urge is almost compulsive: move, do, work, worry, struggle. Yet at the heart of accomplishing things for God must be that regular experience of calm followed by an unobstructed flow of energy.

There is a story told about a faithful old deacon whose oft repeated prayer expression was, "O Lord, touch the unsaved with Thy finger."

One prayer meeting night he was leading in prayer when as he intoned this petition, as he so often did, he abruptly stopped praying. Supposing he had been taken suddenly ill, someone went to him and asked if there was anything wrong, if he were ill.

"No," he replied, "I'm not ill. But something seemed to say to me, 'Thou art the finger'."

A group had gathered to pray for a family who were in great financial straits. While one of the deacons was offering a fervent prayer for blessing upon the family, there was a loud knock at the door. The door opened, and there stood a farmer's sturdy boy.

"What do you want, boy?" asked one of the elders.

"Pa couldn't come, so I brought his prayers in the wagon." replied the boy.

"What do you mean?" asked the astonished elder.

"Yes, I've brought his prayers; just come out and help me, please, and we'll bring them in."

On reaching the wagon, they discovered that "pa's prayers" consisted of potatoes, flour, beef, oatmeal, turnips, apples, jellies, and clothing. The prayer: meeting adjourned on short notice.

GOD HAS AN ANSWERING MACHINE? R.Digest

My four - year - old granddaughter, Caitlin, was impatient for a sibling. One morning she told her mother, "Maybe if we both prayed out loud, God would hear us."

So they prayed together. As soon as they finished, Caitlin asked, "What did he say?" Her mother explained that it doesn't work that way; sometimes it takes a long time to get an answer. Caitlin was indignant: "Do you mean we were praying to an answering machine?"

STANLEY'S POWER OF PRAYER Our Daily Bread

A professor who teaches Christianity in a graduate school was participating in a group discussion on a serious matter. When someone suggested that they ask God for guidance, the professor protested, "Pray! Who needs to pray? We're men. We can solve our own problems!"

Even some people who claim to be Christians have that kind of self-sufficient attitude. They think because they have brains, experience, and technology, prayer isn't necessary. How wrong they are!

Henry Stanley (1841-1904), the famous African explorer, wrote, "On all my expeditions, prayer made me stronger, morally and mentally, than any of my nonpraying companions. It did not blind my eyes, or dull my mind, to close my ears: but on the contrary, it gave me confidence. It did more; it gave me joy and pride in my work, and lifted me hopefully over the 1,500 miles of forest tracks, eager to face the day's perils."

Jesus prayed. And He told us to pray always.

Ye pray, sometimes we can't get it right. Is God listening? You can't wheedle and pester God to answer 'Yes." To help you get in touch with your petitions, consider these questions and their scriptural references:

1. Does He have something better in mind? (Ephesians 3:20; Romans 8:28).

2. Will I come closer to Him through this? Is He teaching me to wait and trust Him?

(James 1:2, 3; 2 Corinthians12:10; 1:4).

3. Have I lost interest and stopped praying? (Luke 18:1; James 1:6, 7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Hebrews 13:16; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2).

4. What is it I specifically want God to do? (Psalm 37:4; Matthew 7:7-11).

5. Am I asking for something from selfish motivation? (James 4:1-3; Mark 11:24; Proverbs 21:13).

6. Is there unconfessed/unrepented sin in my life? (Isaiah 59:1, 2; Psalm 66:18).

7. Do I have unresolved conflict in my relationships? (Matthew 5:23,24; 18:15).

8. Is this in accordance with His will in Scripture? (Mark 11:24; Matthew 5:16; 1 John 5:14).

9. Am I striving to do it in my own strength? (Jeremiah 33:3; John 15:16; Matthew 5:16; Hebrews11:6).

10. Am I asking in confidence? (Hebrews 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:7; James 1:6, 7; Philippians 4:6).

QUOTE: When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don't pray, they don't. -William Temple

A DAY WITHOUT PRAYER - EMPTY-Judith C. Lechman

When we throw ourselves into religious activities without having made our life one of prayer, we run into danger. Our days and nights are filled with teaching or printing a newsletter, working in an outreach program or a food bank, an inner-city rehabilitation project or on lobbying efforts. We feel we are doing the Lord's work, and perhaps we are. But we will never know unless we take the time to listen to his voice and be certain we are following his promptings and not ambitious ones that start in self. We must always ask ourselves whether we are working to please God or to satisfy our own need for achieving results.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S PRAYER FOR WISDOM-Clergy Talk

In the days of the Civil War, a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln was a visitor at the White House. "I had been spending three weeks with Mr. Lincoln as his guest. One night I was restless and could not sleep; ... from the private room where the president slept, I heard low tones, for the door was partly open. Instinctively I wandered in, and there I saw a sight which I have never forgotten. It was the president, kneeling before an open Bible; ... his back was towards me. I shall never forget his prayer: 'Oh, thou God, that heard Solomon in the night when he prayed and cried for wisdom, hear me. I cannot lead these people. I cannot guide the affairs of this nation without thy help; ... O God, hear me and save this nation."'

AUTOMOTIVE PRAYER WHEEL Guideposts March 1992, p. 17

I was driving home one spring rush-hour, the Phoenix traffic snarled to a halt. Soon cars were honking and drivers were shouting at one another. Some of us just sat with scowling faces. All except the driver on my right.

That driver smiled warmly at me, nodding a greeting. I called across to her, half jokingly, "What's your secret for staying serene in such a traffic jam!"

"Prayer. I use this as a prayer wheel," she said, pointing to her steering wheel. Then she explained how, as she fingered each ridge on her steering wheel, she would pray for someone.

The very next time I got into a traffic jam I tried doing what that friendly driver had done. How quickly a brief prayer for a friend, relative or neighbor popped into mind each time I fingered a ridge on my steering wheel. The second time around my prayer wheel, I added a prayer for the driver in front of me, the one in back of me, and those to my right and left. Soon I'd prayed for all the drivers in view. When traffic started moving again, I found that not only had the tension from driving eased, but I was a more courteous driver. How could I be otherwise! Praying for my fellow drivers had given me an extra measure of concern for them. Jeanne Hill, Scottsdale, Arizona

Some years ago a young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. "That depends," replied the foreman. "Let's see you fell this tree." The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, "Start Monday!"

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by, and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, "You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today."

Startled, he replied, "I thought you paid on Friday." "Normally we do," answered the foreman, "but we're letting you go today because you've fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from first place on Monday to last on Wednesday."

"But I'm a hard worker," the young man objected. "I arrive first, leave last, and even have worked through my coffee breaks!"

The foreman, sensing the boy's integrity thought for a minute and then asked, "Have you been sharpening your ax?"

The young man replied, "I've been working too hard to take the time."

How about you? Have you been too busy, too hard at work to sharpen your ax? Prayer is the hone that gives you that sharp edge. Without it, the more work you do, the duller you'll get. -- William D. Boyd, "Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome"

It is no accident that some of the great awakenings in history have begun in prayer. A prayer meeting under a haystack in a rainstorm in 1806 led to the first large-scale American missionary efforts. In 1830 some 30,000 people were converted in Rochester, New York, under the ministry of Charles Finney; later Finney said the reason was the faithful praying of one man who never attended the meetings but gave himself to prayer. In 1872 the American evangelist Dwight L. Moody began a campaign in London, England, which was used of God to touch countless lives. Later Moody discovered that a humble bedridden girl had been praying. The list could go on and on.

Are you praying for revival, both in your own life and in the lives of others? Are you confessing sin to Him and seeking His blessing on your life?

QUOTE: Rodney Dangerfield notes that he went to beach during the summer... "I put a seashell to my ear and got a busy signal."

Dr. F.B. Meyer learned the secret of appropriation when he was addressing a large group of children who became very unruly. On the verge of losing his temper, he prayed in his heart, "Thy patience, Lord!" Immediately all anger and annoyance died. From then on he used the same formula for every difficult situation. When he felt lonely, he said, "Thy companionship, Lord!" When he was afraid, "Thy serenity, Lord!" When he felt critical of others, "Thy love, Lord!" He found the Savior sufficient for his every need when he appropriated by faith the promises of God!

The "Associated Press" carried an interesting story about a group of post office customers who succeeded in speeding up some slow-moving service. One man said, "It was like watching grass grow." There were 26 patrons jammed into two lines. They realized they weren't getting enough attention, so a 73-year-old man organized the group. In an uncommon show of unity, the 26 shouted together, "We want service!" Two minutes later, another clerk ambled out and without cracking a smile said, "Next?" Well, the 26 knew they were on to something, so they tried it again. You guessed it, one more clerk appeared. An amused customer summed up the situation like this: "I got through that line in 4 minutes. I've never seen anything like it!"

In some ways this is a modern version of Christ's parable of the unjust judge in which He taught a vital truth about prayer. He said that if men can be persuaded by persistent asking, how much more will our gracious Heavenly Father give ear to our pleadings!

When her husband, Edmund Gravely, died at the controls of his small plane while on the way to Statesboro, GA, from the Rocky Mount-Wilson airport, NC, his wife Janice kept the plane aloft for two hours until it ran out of fuel. During this time she sang hymns and prayed for help. As the plane crossed the South Carolina-North Carolina border, she radioed for help: "Help, help, won't someone help me? My pilot is unconscious. Won't somebody help me?" Authorities who picked up her distress signal were not able to reach her by radio during the flight because she kept changing channels. Mrs. Gravely finally made a rough landing and crawled for 45 minutes to a farmhouse for help.

How often God's people cry out for help to God, but switch channels before God's message comes through. They turn to other sources for help, looking for human help. When you cry out to God for His intervention, don't switch channels!

Jim Elliot, a missionary slain by the Auca Indians in the 1950's, once said: God is still on His throne and man is still on his footstool. There's only a knee's distance in between.

In his book, Purpose in Prayer, E. M. Bounds quotes these words from former college professor and Confederate soldier, General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson: "I have so fixed the habit of prayer in my mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without asking God's blessing, never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the seal, never take a letter from the post without a brief sending of my thoughts heavenward, never change my classes in the lecture-room without a minute's petition for the cadets who go out and for those who come in."

The brilliant scientist Sir Isaac Newton said that he could take his telescope and look millions and millions of miles into space. Then he added, "But when I lay it aside, go into my room, shut the door, and get down on my knees in earnest prayer, I see more of Heaven and feel closer to the Lord than if I were assisted by all the telescopes on earth."

COUNTERSIGNED CHECK -- Dr. John Walvoord

Prayer is much like a check to be countersigned by two parties. I sign the check and send it up to heaven. If Jesus Christ also signs it, it does not matter how large it is -- it'll be honored.

John Newton had received from the Lord some almost unbelievable answers to his petitions, and so he often engaged in "large asking." In support of this practice he would frequently tell the story of a man who asked Alexander the Great to give him a huge sum of money in exchange for his daughter's hand in marriage. The ruler consented and told him to request of his treasurer whatever he wanted. So he went and asked for an enormous amount. The keeper to the funds was startled and said he couldn't give him that much without a direct order. Going to Alexander, the treasurer argued that even a small fraction of the money requested would more than serve the purpose. "No," replied Alexander, "let him have it all. I like that fellow. He does me honor. He treats me like a king and proves by what he asks that he believes me to be both rich and generous." Newton concluded the story by saying, "In the same way, we should go to the throne of God's grace and present petitions that express honorable views of the love, riches, and bounty of our King!"

We had a lovely couple in Dallas a number of years ago. He sold his business at a loss, went into vocational Christian work, and things got rather rough. There were four kids in the family. One night at family worship, Timmy, the youngest boy, said, "Daddy, do you think Jesus would mind if I asked Him for a shirt?"

"Well, no, of course not. Let's write that down in our prayer request book, Mother."

So she wrote down "shirt for Timmy" and she added "size seven." You can be sure that every day Timmy saw to it that they prayed for the shirt. After several weeks, one Saturday the mother received a telephone call from a clothier in downtown Dallas, a Christian businessman. "I've just finished my July clearance sale and knowing that you have four boys it occurred to me that you might use something we have left. Could you use some boy's shirts?"

She said, "What size?"

"Size seven."

"How many do you have?" she asked hesitantly.

He said, "Twelve."

Many of us might have taken the shirts, stuffed them in the bureau drawer, and made some casual comment to the child. Not this wise set of parents. That night, as expected, Timmy said, "Don't forget, Mommy, let's pray for the shirt."

Mommy said, "We don't have to pray for the shirt, Timmy,"

"How come?"

"The Lord has answered your prayer."

"He has?"

"Right." So, as previously arranged, brother Tommy goes out and gets one shirt, brings it in, and puts it down on the table. Little Timmy's eyes are like saucers. Tommy goes out and gets another shirt and brings it out. Out -- back, out -- back, until he piles 12 shirts on the table, and Timmy thinks God is going into the shirt business. But you know, there is a little kid in Dallas today by the name of Timothy who believes there is a God in heaven interested enough in his needs to provide boys with shirts.

-- "Say It With Love", Howard Hendricks

We mutter and sputter

We fume and we spurt,

We mumble and grumble,

Our feelings get hurt.

We can't understand things

Our vision grows dim,

When all that we need

Is a moment with Him.

On Sept 17, 1791, General St. Clair left Cincinnati to march against the Indians to the north under the commands of Little Turtle, Blue Jacket, and Tecumseh. He had expected to march with a force of 3000 men and enough supplies to support the command. For some reason, the men and supplies never arrived. As a result, he began his march with only 710 regular soldiers augmented with 690 Kentucky militiamen.

Supplies dwindles quickly and so did morale. General St. Clair had little experience in Indian fighting. At the present sight of Hamilton, OH, he ordered Fort Hamilton to be constructed. He left 20 soldiers to defend it. Five miles south of Greenville, he ordered Ft. Jefferson to be built. Again, he left 20 men to defend it.

Discouraged and demoralized, 300 of the Kentucky militia deserted. St. Clair sent 140 soldiers to pursue them. His original force of 1400 had dwindled to only 920.

On November 4, they were approximately 20 miles northwest of Greenville. As dawn broke, the Indians attacked with a combined force of over 3000 men. When the dust cleared, 632 of the Americans were dead, 264 were wounded. Only 24 of St. Clair's original army returned uninjured. There were 66 Indians killed and 9 wounded - it was the greatest victory the Indians ever achieved over the Americans.

General St. Clair had gone into battle unprepared. THE ENEMY WAS STRONG.

As we battle the enemy, Satan, we must realize that he is powerful and we must be prepared. We must put on the full armor of God. We must gird our loins with truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness. We must put on our feet the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must take up the shield of faith and wield the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. We must place on our head the helmet of salvation. And we must pray. Pray at all times in the Spirit. Pray for success. Pray for victory. Pray for strength, courage, and wisdom. Pray! Pray! Pray!

Bob Idell, Palestine OH February 1990

RESULTS OF BANNED SCHOOL PRAYER - AFA Journal, May 1990 p. 3

Permit me to take a moment to share with you an analysis of a gentleman named David Barton.... Mr. Barton felt inspired to correlate various social problems with the removal of voluntary prayer in public schools. Here is what he found:

* The birth rate for unwed teenagers, per thousand, ages 15 to 19 went from 15 in 1962 to 28.5 by 1983. That's double the number of illegitimate births.

* Pregnancies to unwed teenagers, per thousand, ages 15 to 19 increased five-fold from 100 in 1962 to 540 in 1983.

* The same figure for girls under 15 years old quadrupled in this same time period.

* Scholastic Aptitude Test scores have dropped 72 points from 1962 to 1986. And the drop was dramatic from 1962, not a gradual flux.

* High school dropouts have increase ten-fold from 1962.

* Violent crimes per thousand have increased from 255 in 1962 to 1327 in 1986.

* Single parent households have doubled, while unmarried couples have quadrupled since 1962.

QUOTE: Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden. (Corrie ten Boom, "Clippings From My Notebook)

ADDRESSING GOD R.Digest 5/81 p.142 Don Oberdorfer in Washington Post

The story goes that one time when Bill Moyers was a special assistant to President LBJ, he was asked to say grace before a meal in the family quarters of the White House. As Moyers began praying softly, the President interrupted him with "Speak up Bill! Speak up!"

The former Baptist minister from east Texas stopped in mid-sentence and without looking up replied steadily: "I wasn't addressing you Mr. President."

THE POWER OF WORDS R. Digest 5/83 p.1

Whenever residents in the NW part of China's Yunnan Province need rain, they simply yell for it, according to the Shanghai "Liberation Daily." This phenomenon occurs high in the Gaoligong Mountains, where there is a group of pools nicknamed "the enchanting lakes."

When someone speaks in a loud voice at the side of the lakes, heavy rain often follows immediately," the newspaper explains. "The louder the speaker, the heavier the rain, and the longer the person speaks, the longer the rain."

Local experts theorize that the air around the lakes is so humid that the slightest vibration, such as a high-pitched voice, can precipitate showers.

TALKING TO GOD R.Digest 5/83 p.32

Each Sunday the minister called the children to the front of the church while he told them a story. Once he brought a telephone to better illustrate the idea of prayer.

"You talk to people on the telephone and don't see them on the other end of the line, right?" he began. The children nodded yes. "Well, talking to God is like talking on the telephone. He's on the other end, but you can't see him. He's listening, though."

Just then a little boy piped up and asked, "What's his number?"

WON'T GOD KNOW I'M LYING? R.Digest 1/86 p.130

One night at dinner I asked my 4 yr. old son to say grace. Head bowed and hands folded, we waited. After a few moments of silence, I looked up at him. He glanced at me, then over to his father, then back to me again. Finally, he said, "But if I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know I'm lying?"

DIAL A-PRAYER GOES DEAD R.Digest 12/80 p.53

Chuck Noll has coached the Pittsburgh Steelers to an impressive four Super Bowl victories, but he had a rough time when he first took the job in 1969. His team won the first game, then lost 13 games in a row. The gag current in Pittsburgh at the time was that Noll called Dial-A-Prayer, identified himself as the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers - and the line went dead.

PRAYER'S KEY Celestine Sibley in "Day by Day"

Prayer is one of life's most puzzling mysteries. I have sometimes feared it is presumptuous to take up God's time with my problems. Hal Daniell, an Episcopal clergyman has another view. The Lord's Prayer, he points out, is as specific as bread and debt.

GOD KNOW'S WHERE I'M AT Indianapolis Jr.Hi. Convention 1991

While on vacation and passing thru Dayton, OH, a minister from Iowa by the name of Mr. Groat had stopped into a McDonalds for a bite to eat. Groat had seen one too many Big Macs on the trip, and as the family went in to order, he decided to walk down the street to a Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone. As he passed by a telephone booth, the phone began to ring. Tempted to just pass on, he couldn't overcome the urge to pick up the receiver and at least explain that they had dialed an isolated phone booth.

Picking up the phone and answering yes, he was stunned to hear an operator say "person to person call for a Mr. Groat." He laughed and began to look around for a hidden camera. The operator insisted "person to person call for a Mr. Groat, will you accept."

"I am Mr. Groat," he replied. "But you don't understand, this is a phone booth in downtown Dayton - no one could even possibly be calling me here."

The operator wasn't concerned with his circumstances and simply asked if he intended on taking the call. "Yes," he finally conceded, "I'll talk to whoever it is."

Just then he heard the urgent voice of a woman from Iowa. She had heard him talk on a radio program that was broadcast from his congregation and had been so convicted by his message that she called his office desperately desiring to talk with him. When his office told her that they had no way of knowing where he was, she turned to God in a long and concentrated prayer. Suddenly, she said, she felt compelled to write down a telephone number, and decided to dial it just on the chance that it might indeed be something God wanted her to do. That was when Groat had answered the phone in downtown Dayton. They spoke for a while and set up an appointment for when the Groat's returned to Iowa and then he hung up.

Returning to McDonalds, Groat was so visibly shaken that his family asked him what was wrong. All he could answer was "up until this moment, I never truly realized that God knows exactly where I am."

QUOTE: The quickest way to get back on your feet is get down on your knees.

Vern McLellan, "Shredded Wit" (Harvest House)

HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO PRAY Alberta Whitlow Pulpit Helps 8/91 p12

Have you ever had anyone come to you and say

"Tell me, how do you know when it's time to pray?"

I mean, our stomachs growl when it is time to eat.

Our eyes start closing when it's time to sleep.

When our feelings get hurt, it's time for tears,

With a new birth, it's time to care.

People will often tell us, quite so,

When it is to stay or go.

But how do you know when it's time to pray?

Does an alarm go off next to your bed?

Or is there a clanging inside of your head?

Do your eyes start blinking, a horn start blowing?

Or do you listen for a rooster crowing?

Just what is your way of knowing when it is time to pray?

With me, I find it's time to pray at the beginning of each day.

And when I'm sick and feeling bad,

Or scared, or lonely, or feeling sad.

I seek a touch of the Master's hand when I need patience, hope and peace

And an abiding love that will not cease.

When I'm thankful for all there is, that now is mine and yet is His.

Gladness, sadness, joy & grief - we share in prayer, and it's my belief

That whenever my heart has something to say

That's how I know when it's time to pray.

We cannot pray: "Our Father" if we do not have a personal relationship with God.

"Who art in heaven" if our interest is mainly in earthly things.

"hallowed by thy name" unless we use God's name with reverence and respect.

"thy kingdom come" if we are not willing to accept God's reign in our lives.

"thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" unless we give ourselves to God's

"give us this day our daily bread" if we ignore the needs of others.

"forgive us our trespasses" if we harbor grudges and hard feelings against others.

"Deliver us from evil" if we are not prepared to use the weapon of prayer in resisting the temptations of Satan.

"thine is the kingdom, the power, and glory forever" if we do not give God the

THE IMPACT OF PRAYER R.Digest 4/92 p. 198

Harvard Medical School cardiologist Herbert Benson prescribes the healing effects that come from "relaxation response" techniques, which include meditation, repetitive exercise and prayers. Benson and his colleagues found that the more "spiritual" people are - that is, the more they are able to get in touch with a "presence that is beyond them yet close to them" - the fewer medical problems they are likely to experience.

University of Akron sociologist, in conjunction with pollster George H. Gallup Jr., found that what mattered to most people was not frequency of prayer but whether those who prayed experienced inner peace, a feeling of being led by God or other forms of "divine intimacy." Those who did were also more likely to be forgiving, politically active and satisfied with their lives.

When everything we do is prayer, the fruit is an increase in love, patience and compassion for others, leaving behind the unmistakable taste for holiness. (from an article printed in Newsweek)

TRAVELING ON MY KNEES Pulpit Helps 10/92, p. 16

Last night I took a journey to a land across the sea,

I did not go by boat or plane, I traveled on my knees.

I saw many people there deeply held in sin

And Jesus said I should go and see how many I could win.

I said, "Jesus I cannot go across and work with such as these

Said He, "Oh yes you can, by traveling on your knees."

He said, "You pray and I'll meet the need, you call & I will hear

You'll feel at ease upon your knees and I'll take away your fear.

I answered, "as you command I shall do and in this attempt to please

I'll heed your call and claim their souls and travel on my knees.

IF GOD SHOULD SPEAK Author unknown - Printed in A.R.M. Newsletter

"Our Father who art in heaven..."

"You startled me!"

"Called you? I was just praying."

"I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayer for the day."

"Hallowed be thy name..."

"By what?"

"It means... it means... I don't know what it means. It's just part of the prayer. What does it mean?"

"Thank you Lord. "thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'"

"Sure, why not?"

"Doing? Not much, I guess. I just think it would be great if you got control of everything down here, like you have up there."

"Well, I go to church 2 to 3 times a week."

"But Lord, I'm just as good as most of the people in the church!"

"Oh, all right... I guess I do have some hang-ups... now that you mention it. You could probably name some others."

"Look Lord, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. 'Give us this day our daily bread...'"

"Hey, what is this, criticize me day?"

"I'm afraid."

"I know what you'll say."

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors..."

"See, I knew it! I knew you would bring ----- up! Why, Lord, you know the lies that have been told about me, and they continue until this very day. I have lost friends" because of ----, not to mention what has been done to my reputation. I know it was wrong to swear to get even with ----, but ..."

"But Lord, I can't forgive ----."

"Oh, you're right. You always are. And more than I want revenge on ----, I want to be right with you. Alright, alright, I forgive ----. I want to walk the right road in life. I'm tired of always feeling miserable. Now that I think about it, no one can cause me to feel miserable without my permission. But, please help me Lord, to let my actions do the talking in showing forgiveness. I am really going to need your help, your grace and you Spirit."

"Hmmm. Well, not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, I feel pretty good! You know, I don't think I'll have to go to bed uptight tonight for the first time in a long time. May be I won't be so tired from now on because I'm not getting enough rest."

"Oh! Alright. 'And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"

"I don't understand."

"Yes, and good grief, I'm ashamed, Lord, I really am."

"Oh, come on, Lord... give me a break! I'm sorry, Lord. I really am."

"For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and Glory, forever and ever."

"No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you. I can see what a real mess I've made out of my life. And I can see how great it would really be if I was truly one of your followers."

"I did?"

"Lord, let's see what we can make of me, OK?"

"Amen"

PASTORAL VISIT TO LINCOLN The Man and His Faith, G. Frederick Owen

A clergyman from New York, during a call at the White House said: "I have not come to ask any favors of you, Mr. President; I have only come to say that the loyal people of the North are sustaining you and will continue to do so. We are giving you all that we have, the lives of our sons as well as our confidence and our prayers. You must know that no boy's father or mother ever kneels in prayer these days without asking God to give you strength and wisdom."

His eyes brimming with tears, Mr. Lincoln replied: "But for those prayers, I should have faltered and perhaps failed long ago. Tell every father and mother you know to keep on praying, and I will keep on fighting, for I know God is on our side."

As the clergyman started to leave the room, Mr. Lincoln held him by the hands and said: "I suppose I may consider this as a sort of pastoral call?" "Yes," replied the clergyman. "Out in our country," continued Lincoln, "when a parson makes a pastoral call, it was always the custom for the folks to ask him to lead in prayer, and I should like to ask you to pray with me today. Pray that I may have the strength and wisdom."

The 2 men knelt side by side, and the clergyman offered the most fervent plea to Almighty God that ever fell from his lips. As they arose, the President clasped his visitor's hand and remarked in a satisfied sort of way: "I feel better."

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY Optimists Magazine 2/93 p. 32

One blistering day when they had guests for dinner, a mother asked her 4 yr. old daughter to say the blessing.

"But mother," protested the little girl, "I don't know what to say."

"Just say to the Lord what you've heard me say," she told her.

Obediently, she bowed her head and said, "Oh Lord, why did I invite those people here on a hot day like this?"

ANYONE ELSE UP THERE? R.Digest 4/77 p.140

A climber fell off a cliff. As he tumbled down into the huge canyon, he grabbed hold of a branch of a small tree. "Help!" he shouted. "Is there anyone up there?"

A deep, majestic voice from the sky echoed through the canyon. "I will help you, my son. But first you must have faith and trust me."

"All right, all right, I trust you," answered the man.

The voice replied, "Then, let go of the branch."

There was a long pause and the man shouted again, "Is there anyone else up there?"

GOD DOES WHAT HE WANTS R.Digest 9/78 p.159

Hospitalized after an automobile accident, I was visited by a contingent of nuns from a small Catholic college I was attending. They had been praying for me, they said. One priest had mentioned me at morning mass, another at afternoon chapel, and the sisters themselves prayed for me all the time.

"Thank you very much," I said, feeling a little guilty. "But will it count? I mean, I'm not a Catholic..."

"Don't you worry, my dear," said one of the older nuns, placing her hand gently on mine. "We just say the prayers. Then God can do whatever He wants with you."

A FRENCH SAILOR'S PRAYER R.Digest 2/77 p.215

There is a lovely old prayer used by fishermen on the coast of France: "O God, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small!"

The prayer goes no further. Some say this is not a prayer at all. Yet we have here the groundwork and basis for all prayer: man standing consciously in the presence of God.

QUOTE: "You are a child of God. Please call home." From a bumper sticker.

HOW MOODY WON THE CHILDREN Pulpit Helps October 1993, p. 24

Dwight L. Moody was passing along the streets of Chicago when he spied 2 little girls playing out in front of an underground saloon. His heart was instantly moved with compassion for the children, and he walked straightway into the cellar.

The barkeeper, thinking he wanted a drink, said "What will you have?"

"Those children for my Sunday School!" replied Moody.

"Children for your Sunday School! Do you know where you are? An infidel club meets here every Thursday night."

But the tactful soul winner knew it was not a time for retreat, so resting his elbows on the bar, he looked into the face of this father and pleaded with him earnestly on behalf of the little girls.

Finally, the man's heart was touched, and he said, "I will tell you what I will do, parson. If you will come down here next Thursday night and meet the boys in a joint discussion, and you win, you shall have the children; but if not, it is all off."

"Agreed," exclaimed Moody. "I will be here."

Taking his departure, he looked up a little crippled newsboy whom he knew, who could pray effectually, and said to him, "Tommy, I want you next Thursday night."

When the hour arrived, Tommy and the evangelist entered the saloon. It was full. The men sat on whiskey barrels, on beer kegs and on the counter, while others were at the windows in expectation of a debate.

Moody opened the meeting saying: "Gentlemen, it is our custom to open our meetings with prayer. Tommy, jump up on that barrel and pray," whereupon Tommy perched himself on the barrel, turned his little face up toward heaven and how he did pray! As the tears stole down his cheeks, the more tenderhearted beat a retreat; and finally those more rock like subdued by the pathos and spiritual power of the occasion, slowed, retired, until there was none left except the bartender, Moody and the praying boy.

"That will do, Tommy," exclaimed the evangelist. "I claim the children," said he, turning to the father.

"They are yours according to contract," replied the father, "but it is a queer way to fight."

"It is the way I win my battles," said Moody. He had instructed the little boy not to cease praying until he had prayed them all out. It was a piece of strategy full of tactfulness.

PRAYER MEETING FOR MARRIAGE Guidepost May 93 p.13

A husband and wife from Scranton, Arkansas wrote to guidepost to share how their marriage had been saved from the destruction of divorce. Married for 4 years with 2 boys, they met at a restaurant one April night to discuss child custody and property settlements. They ended up in a fierce argument which ended in an odd silence. Then the husband looked up and quietly said something that shocked even himself: "If we want this marriage to work we will have to give it, and ourselves, to God."

Over the next few months the wounds healed. Then in a conversation with a woman he was doing plumbing for, he was asked if his wife's name was Allyson. When he nodded, she went on to explain that a friend of theirs had asked for a special time of prayer for their family and they had prayed for two hours one night for their marriage.

"What evening was that?" asked the plumber.

She thought a moment and then answered with conviction: "It was the 1st Friday night of April" - the very night the couple was having their argument

HE HAD A HAT R.Digest 7/79 p. 134

A young boy and doting grandmother were walking along the shore in Miami Beach when a huge wave appeared out of nowhere, sweeping the child out to sea. The horrified woman fell to her knees, raised her eyes to the heavens and begged the Lord to return her beloved grandson. And lo, another wave reared up and deposited the stunned child on the sand before her. The grandmother looked the boy over carefully. He was fine. But still she stared up angrily toward the heavens. "When we came," she snapped indignantly, "he had a hat."

DIFFICULTY IN PRAYER? Ardis Whitman in R.Digest 12/69 p. 77

Why, then, does prayer often seem difficult, or empty and meaningless? One answer is that contemporary man is almost by necessity a pragmatist. If he needs help, he turns not to God but to other men like himself since it is they, he believes, who will bring him the comforts, the challenges, the objects he wants, the know-how he craves.

QUOTE: Winners devote everything to prayer... Losers use prayer as a last resort.

YOUR WILL, NOTHING LESS, NOTHING MORE r.digest July 1971

At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is classic in brevity and poignancy: "Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen"

BIBLICAL PRAYERS FOR MISSIONARIES Lifeline Christian Mission Summer 94

1. Acceptance - Paul was rightly concerned about how his co-workers and other believers perceived and accepted his ministry. Romans 5:31b "Pray... that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there."

2. Boldness - The request is made for boldness in presenting the gospel. Ephesians 6:19 "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel."

3. Clarity - Paul didn't want to be misunderstood, but rather to be able to communicate the gospel clearly. Colossians 4:4 "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."

4. Deliverance - There is a very real place for the prayer of deliverance from the attacks of the enemy, from whatever direction the attacks may come. Romans 15:31a "Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea."

5. Extension (of ministry) - Paul asked for prayer for open doors for his ministry that what he is doing may be extended beyond its current boundaries. Colossians 4:3 "And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."

6. Fruitfulness - Paul, like all missionaries, was concerned about church growth. He wanted to see the gospel accepted and the church grow rapidly. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 - "Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored just as it was with you."

by Dave Butts.

WHY WE PRAY Life March 94

Less than once a day 25%

Once, twice a day 51%

Three or more times a day 24%

"I don't talk about my feelings a lot. Instead I lie on my bed and think unto Him. I meditate because sometimes my words don't come out right. But He can find me. He can find what's inside me just by listening to my thoughts. I ask Him to help me and keep me going.

A lot of people think us working girls don't have any morals, any religion. But I do. I don't steal. I don't lie. The way I look at it, I'm not sinning. He's not going to judge me. I don't think God judges anybody." Geraldine Scott, 24 White Pine County Nev. Prostitute.

One Minute 8%

Five Minutes or Less 47%

One hour or more 28%

Yes 95%

In 1540 Luther's good friend and assistant, Friedrich Myconius, became sick and was expected to die within a short time. From his bed he wrote a tender farewell letter to Luther. When Luther received the message, he immediately sent back a reply: "I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church -- the Lord will never let me hear that thou art dead, but will permit thee to survive me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek only to glorify the name of God."

Those words seem harsh and insensitive to modern ears, but God apparently honored the prayer. Although Myconius had already lost the ability to speak when Luther's reply came, he soon recovered. He lived six more years and died two months after Luther.

A minister tells of dispensing food to residents in an impoverished area by means of a "soup kitchen." All of the people were instructed to bring a vessel that would hold about 2 quarts. However, an 11-year-old boy, ragged and dirty but with flashing eyes and a winsome smile, lugged in a container that could hold at least 3 gallons. "We would have been ashamed to have put only 2 quarts into that bucket," said Dr. Barry, "for the youngster came from a large and very poor family. We felt bound to give him at least a gallon, and so we did."

The Heavenly Father says to us as His children, "Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." We need to be more like that trusting lad who carried away twice as much as the others because of his large asking! (Psalms 81:10)

The organ broke down in a large church just before services were to begin. A member of the congregation happened to be a organ repairman and went immediately to work on the electronics of the organ and fixed it in the middle of the sermon. He sent a note to the organist which said: "After prayer - the power will be on."

START THE PRESS From: July 94 Guidepost, p9 -From "Moms In Touch" Newsletter

Roger Samuels, owner of a Connecticut printing business, was driving home from work one evening in the fall of 1988. He flicked on the radio and learned about Moms In Touch, a group of mothers who pray on behalf of their children and schools. Roger immediately wanted to do something to help them. The next day he offered to print a newsletter for the Poway, Calif., organization at no charge.

At the time, there were only about 200 women on the mailing list, but with each newsletter their numbers grew. Today Roger prints more than 20,000 copies for Moms In Touch, still at no charge.

And there has been an unexpected result. "We haven't advertised, we haven't changed our prices, we haven't offered new products," he says. "There is no earthly reason our business increased twenty percent last year."

PRAYER AND HEART CONDITIONS R.Digest 3/96 p. 117 by Larry Dossey

Perhaps the most convincing study, published in 1988, was by cardiologist Dr. Randolph Byrd. A computer assigned 393 patients at the coronary-care unit of San Francisco General Hospital either to a group that was prayed for by prayer groups or to a group that was not remembered in prayer. No one knew which group the patients were in. The prayer groups were simply given the patients' first names, along with brief descriptions of their medical problems. They were asked to pray each day until the patient was discharged from the hospital - but were given no instructions on how to do it or what to say.

When the study was completed ten months later, the prayed for patients benefited in several significant areas:

* They were five times less likely than the unremembered group to require antibiotics.

* They were 2 1/2 times less likely to suffer congestive heart failure.

* They were less likely to suffer cardiac arrest.

If the medical technique being studied had been a new drug or surgical procedure instead of prayer, it would probably have been heralded as a breakthrough. Even hard boiled skeptics like Dr. William Nolen, who had written a book questioning the validity of faith healing, acknowledged, "If this is a valid study, we doctors ought to be writing on our order sheets, 'Pray 3 times a day.' if it works."

Prayer can take many forms. In the studies I have seen, results occurred not only when people prayed for explicit outcomes, but also when they prayed for nothing specific. Some studies, in fact, showed that simple "Thy will be done" was quantitatively more powerful than specific results held in the mind. In many experiments, a simple attitude of prayerfulness - an all pervading sense of holiness and a feeling of empathy, caring and compassion - seemed to set the stage for healing.

THE PRAYER THAT SHOOK KANSAS Christian Standard 3/24/96 p.3

On Paul Harvey's noon newscast 1/31/96, he told of a Kansas preacher who raised quite a ruckus when he prayed at the State House in Topeka. No sooner had the minister finished, than several angry congressional leaders hurried to the microphone to object. His prayer had offended them!

The preacher who prayed that day was Joe Wright, who leads Central Christian Church in Wichita. Using excerpts from a prayer he had seen composed by Bob Russell of Louisville, Kentucky, he never "in my wildest dreams ... expected what the response would be." The following is the prayer:

"Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but we that's exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.

We confess that:

We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it moral pluralism;

We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism;

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle;

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery;

We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation;

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare;

We have killed our unborn and called it choice;

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable;

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem;

We have abused power and called it political savvy;

We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition;

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression;

We have ridiculed the time honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state. Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your will.

I ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen."

Another source indicated the response of the legislatures. Three Democrats were the offended parties protesting "He can't talk to us like that." Rep. Delbert Gross considered the invocation gross, calling "divisive," "sanctimonious," and "overbearing." Rep. David Haley called it "blasphemous and ignorant." Rep. Sabrina Standifer echoed their indignation.

PRAYER FOR GOOD WEATHER Guideposts 12/94 p.36,37

In December of 1944, Hitler launched a surprise attack of 25 armored divisions through the Ardennes in Belgium. During what was to become known as the Battle of the Bulge, thousands of Nazi troops and tanks advanced relentlessly through our lines, creating havoc and confusion.

Making matters worse was the foul weather. For days, snow had been falling and a heavy fog blanketed the area, effectively shielding the Nazi advance from Allied air attack. Patton, in an astounding military feat, had wheeled his entire army to strike the southern shoulder of the enemy bulge, which was nearing 50 miles wide and 60 miles deep. However, without air support, he and the rest of Allied resistance were crippled.

On December 22, at 0800 hours the phone on the Chaplain's desk rang.

"Chaplain!" It was the unmistakable high pitched voice of General Patton. "Do you have any prayers for fair weather? Our men are having a rough time without air cover in the Ardennes, and the ceiling is too low for flying."

Contrary to some misleading accounts, Patton did not demand with curses a prayer that would "do the job." Though an iron tough military genius who had earned the love and respect of his men, the tall, broad shouldered general was a deeply spiritual man who took his faith seriously. Even during the height of battle, he rarely missed the Sunday service that was conducted as his personal chaplain; the chaplain often flew at the front of an L-4, a small reconnaissance 2 seater that was nicknamed "the grasshopper." Patton said that something the chaplain told him about courage was the best description he'd heard: "Courage is fear that has said its prayers."

Did the prayer help?

"All I (George R. Metcalf of Afton, Minnesota said) know is that on December 23, soldiers blinking in the bright sunlight, looked up into a clear blue sky laced with the white contrails of our planes successfully pushing back the Nazi advance.

"In using up his last reserves, Hitler made Germany vulnerable to renewed Allied attacks, which brought us victory and the end of the war 19 weeks later."
The prayer? "Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech thee, of thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon thee that armed with thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish thy justice among men and nations. Amen."