Talk about God’s Answers

Imagine the three of them, Jesus, Jairus, and the woman, standing together.

Jairus had asked Jesus to heal his daughter, but the woman’s faith had interrupted their conversation. She touched Jesus and was healed. Jesus was saying, “Your faith has made you well,” when messengers told Jairus his daughter had died.

Jesus looked at Jairus and said, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

Like the woman, Jairus believed. Like the woman, Jairus saw a miracle (Read the story in Mark 5:21-43).

Talk about God’s answers to your prayers.

What I learned about Prayer from Tessa Afshar’s The Way Home – 5

“God isn’t scrambling to come up with some kind of scheme to meet our latest crisis. . . . His plans have long since been laid. They are secure. And they have you in mind.”*

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Remember these truths as you pray.

*Tessa Afshar, The Way Home, p.167.

What I learned about Prayer from Tessa Afshar’s The Way Home – 4

Pray with total surrender.

“Lord, let your purpose for my life be fulfilled.”*

*Tessa Afshar, The Way Home, p.95.

What I learned about Prayer from Tessa Afshar’s The Way Home – 3

Let Scripture inspire your prayer.

Read Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

Then pray: “Teach me to live a life of trust, and to stop leaning on my own understanding. For the sake of Jesus. Amen.”*

*Tessa Afshar, The Way Home, p.69.

What I learned about Prayer from Tessa Afshar’s The Way Home – 2

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually (1 Chronicles 16:11).”

“Actively seek God. Pour effort and will into that seeking.”*

*Tessa Afshar, The Way Home, p.31.

What I learned about Prayer from Tessa Afshar’s The Way Home – 1

“Do you ever grow fretful and anxious as you think about the future? Invite Jesus to take over your situation. Avoid telling him:

• What the outcome should look like.
• How He should resolve the situation.
• When He should solve the problem.”*

*adapted from Tessa Afshar, The Way Home, p.92.

Best Ways to Grow in Prayer – 6

If you want to grow in prayer, take 1 Thessalonians 5:17 literally and seriously.

Pray without ceasing.

Best Ways to Grow in Prayer -2

The best way to grow in prayer is to understand what it is. It’s talking with someone who knows you very well.

Every one of us can pray this: O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head (Psalm 139:1-5).

Q: What’s the Best Way to see Answers to Prayer?

A: To pray.

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked way, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

A Well-Timed Rainbow

On August 2, 2020, God put this rainbow in the sky over Chicago’s Lake Michigan.

Also on the weekend of August 2, 2020, 34 Chicagoans were shot, 9 fatally, one of whom was a 9 year old boy.*

God notices the violence in Chicago, just He noticed it in the days of Noah.

But God has said, “When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters destroy all life (from Genesis 9:15-16).”

Remembering God’s promise, we pray.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/08/03/34-shot-9-fatally-over-weekend-in-mayor-lightfoots-chicago/