The Power of Prayer
Joanie B.

Prayer is the most powerful tool that a believer has. Persistent prayer will be transformed from desire to discipline to delight! Prevailing prayer purposes to war in prayer until the victory is won. You will experience divine preservation as you put on the whole armor of God and pray a hedge of protection about yourself and your love ones. When you allow the devil to take from you--repossess it by claiming in the name of Jesus a seven-fold return on everything he has stolen.

It is exciting when you really think about it, we have been invited to the unlimited resources of God. He has said, "Call." Prayer is not confined to the laws of space, it can be launched in an instant and at the speed of thought hit its target. This powerful and wonderful tool worries the devil. Prayer throws the battle to God and it puts God against the enemy and all of his resources. Joshua prayed and the sun stood still---Elijah prayed and locked heaven and it did not rain for three and one half years. Daniel prayed and God revealed to him secrets, the Church prayed and Peter was escorted out of prison by an angel. God is the same God----"Yesterday----Today------and Forever." It says of Moses, "Moses got in God's face and God got in Moses' face. It is time to plow up the fallow ground, it is time to, "Seek the Lord." Prayer can do what God can do. "And with God all things are possible."

You have to fight for your time to be alone with the Father. We must be aware of the tactics of the enemy. He will do anything to cause distractions and confusion. Since he is the author of such things. But remember when you give him your time you give him your attention and your strength.

In Revelation John was abandoned to the Isle of Patmos. It was the worse piece of property in all the earth. No one was there to say, "John, I know how you feel." But heaven was there with him. Joy can live when the lights go out with praise on it's lips. John saw an open door\another world. He saw praises going up around the throne and that was enough to renounce any doom and gloom.
In the midst of circumstances when it seems everyone has abandoned you have you said, "there has got to be more than this?" Maybe confusion in the home, workplace, church, with friends or just a battle with self whatever the situation, it seems there is just too much to bear.
We then need to remember John the apostle on the Isle of Patmos. Gloom and despair seems foolish in the light of the wonderful things he say in his deserted place.
Deserted by men but not deserted by God, please remember how much God loves you and the price He paid to set us free from all that unhappiness.

John saw the, "Glory ot the Lord." Praise around the throne, "Thou Art Worthy." He heard them singing. My let us join in the chorus, I can almost hear it with my spiritual ears.
"Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!!
You are worthy, O Lord....."
When our Lord God is praised the power is released. But when we complain satan accommodates. When God is praised he accommodates.
It comes by understanding like John, we pray and praise no matter if is is dawn, mid-day or the evening hour.

One of the most exciting things to me is the valuable time spent with the King of the Universe, the one who spoke it into existence. Just to say like Paul, "I count all things but loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..."
Do we want to know His heart, His will, to know who He is. Well friend come aside with me and let's rest awhile. Let's go into the throne room and kneel before I maker. He so wants our undivided attention. You know how it is to talk to someone who barley show interested in what we are saying. Listen, He tells the most intimate and wise things to us. It is the place where I will, becomes His will.

We cannot give this place our leftovers. Shall we travel this journey of prayer together. Sharing times of what He has said personally to each of our hearts. Let's arise from our bed of doubt and walk as whole men and women. You can measure your depth in Christ by the quality of time you spend in the "Secret Place." Or the place of "Further Still."

Please remember if we are not a born again child of God we much come to Him by faith and personally accept Him to be the Lord of our life. We much stop ruling and let him rule.

Do You Really Know Him, or Do You Just Know About Him?
REALIZE you are lost in your sins and need Christ to deliver you from your sinful nature.
Romans 5:8 " God demonstrated His love for us in while we were yet sinners He died for us."
REPENT ask Christ to forgive you of your sins and be willing to turn from them.
ACTS 3:19 "Repent and be converted that your sins by be washed away by the presence of the Lord."
RECEIVE by faith turn it all over to Christ
John 1:12 "To many as receive Him, to them does He give the power to become the sons of God. Even to those who call on His name."

A QUICK LIST----ARE YOU READY TO PRAY?

1. ARE ALL SINS CONFESSED
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save, neither is His ear so dull it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you. So that he does not hear."
Isaiah 59:1-2.

2. ARE ALL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS MADE RIGHT? "For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." Matthew 6:14-15

3.ARE YOU SEEKING HIS WILL IN ALL THINGS?
"And this the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we have asked from Him." 1Jn. 5:14-15

4.ARE YOU SEEKING TO GLORIFY GOD IN ALL THINGS?
"And whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." Jn.14:13-14

5.ARE YOU DEPENDING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT'S GUIDANCE?
"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself enterceeds....for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

6.ARE YOU TRUSTING GOD IN SPITE OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE?
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6

8.WILL YOU PRAISE GOD NO MATTER WHAT?
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:26-27
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God's
will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18