Sunday Words of Encouragement January 2, 2011

Our church is beginning the year with a week of Prayer.  Naturally, our Pastor spoke on prayer this morning. He shared with us a bit of an essay where the author said she researched the Bible and couldn't find where God encouraged people to pray.  Like our Pastor, I don't think that person looked very hard or her eyes were purposely closed.  Pastor shared these forms of prayer mentioned in the scriptures:
1.  sighing meditations - intense prayers of the heart. Isaiah 26:16.
2.  cry - calling out to the Lord. Is 65:24; Jer 33:2-3
3.  "set in order" - prayers to direct and order our lives. Psalms 5:1-3; Matt 9:28
4.  "pouring out the heart before God". 1Sam 1:8, 15
5.  sudden exclamation - as in "Oh dear God, please help me now". Neh 5:19

There were two really important things I think that Pastor pointed out. First that there is no wrong way to pray. Second, prayer is a matter of effective communication but to work ... we must do it!
He concluded with: Do you believe that prayer works? Then for Victory in 2011, be a praying person!!

Yesterday I had in mind a different video. 

Of course that would have been my choice then.  

Today, after the message, this video is the one chosen.

A Verse for Today:

II Chronicles 7:14, NIV

If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land...

This is a good way to start a new year:  celebrating communion and focusing on prayer.