Ref Category __PRAYG: When to Pray; Prayerfulness
Praying without ceasing; before the day begins; over your food; when you forget to pray, etc. Making prayer a habit.
See also HAB: Habits, SCH: Schedules
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PRAYG BIB#1:35 MAR.1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, & departed into a solitary place, & there prayed.
PRAYG BIB#5:17 1TH.5:17 Pray without ceasing.
PRAYG BIB#6:12 LUK.6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, & continued all night in prayer to God.
PRAYG BIB#8:17 PRO.8:17 I love them that love Me; & those that seek Me early shall find Me.
PRAYG BIB#16:11 1CH.16:11 Seek the Lord & His strength, seek His face continually.
PRAYG ML#26:2 PRAY BEFORE YOU ACT. Don't let your zeal run away with you! (Example: Sending lists of addresses & phone numbers.)
PRAYG ML#31:3 Sometimes when you're right in the middle of the action, you get your nose so close to the details, you can't stand back & see the over-all picture... You can get things out of proportion, perspective, & proper relationship with each other, by being too close to your work. Now & then you have to get away from it, far enough to be able to study the whole thing, in order to put things where they belong!
PRAYG ML#56:12 IF YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW HOW TO GET ORGANISED, THIS IS THE WAY: Pray & let God lead first!
PRAYG ML#74:5 I NEVER SPENT MUCH TIME READING THE BIBLE OR PRAYING IN THE WAY SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT I OUGHT TO DO IT. But you don't have to be down on your hands & knees praying frantically to be heard. Prayer is something you're going all the time no matter what else you're going. You can't wait until you're through doing this or that, & then pray. It's like thinking on your feet!
PRAYG ML#74:6 APPARENTLY I HAVEN'T EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER--ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS! There are times you're in action & you can't get quiet--you've got to pray as you go. It's like the soldier preparing for battle--there better be a quiet time. Any soldier in his right mind is going to pray before & during the battle. But in the Lord's battle, you're going to get most of your tactics ahead of time! Like Patton--I believe he got most of his inspiration from the Lord. He ran largely by inspiration. He'd plan way ahead what his tactics & strategy was going to be. Then during the battle, sometimes he'd make split second decisions & change plans--but mostly it was just like he had found out ahead of time!
PRAYG ML#74:12 IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOME QUIET TIME WITH THE LORD, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN OPERATE! I get most of my information from the Lord, alone in the quiet of the night when everything is absolutely still & it's completely without distraction. If I wake up in the night & can't go back to sleep, I usually figure that's what it's for. But if you can't sleep, maybe God wants you to pray! As soon as I get prayed up I go right back to sleep!
PRAYG ML#74:13 MOST OF THE THINGS I GET FROM THE LORD, NOBODY KNOWS I'M PRAYING--IT'S JUST BETWEEN ME & THE LORD. "Go into thy closet & shut the door, & thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Now there's a time for public prayer, when you pray together in a group--time to unite your hearts together before the Lord. And if the whole congregation will get quiet, God will even speak there.
PRAYG ML#74:16 I THINK FOR YOU PERSONALLY, IT'S A LITTLE DANGEROUS TO WAIT UNTIL THINGS START STIRRING IN THE MORNING. You can't just depend on these united prayer sessions--sometimes they don't have 'em! You're going to have to get quiet by yourself--somewhere, somehow, sometime, if you're going to hear from the Lord!
PRAYG ML#74:18 IF YOU JUST CAN'T POSSIBLY GET ALONE WITH THE LORD SOMETIMES, AT LEAST YOU CAN GET QUIET IN A GROUP & LISTEN!
PRAYG ML#74:24 GOODNIGHT, MAN! MOSES HAD FROM TWO TO SIX MILLION PEOPLE SITTING OUT N THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT WAITING ON HIM, tearing their hair, wondering what are we going to eat, what are we going to drink, where are we going, what are we going to do? And what's Moses do? He takes off for the top of the mountain & sits up there with the Lord for 80 days straight.
PRAYG ML#74:29 WE GET SO BUSY! IF YOU'RE TOO BUSY TO PRAY, YOU'RE TOO BUSY! If you're too busy to get alone with God & pray, you're too busy! What if the servant said to the King, "I'm sorry, I can't come & listen to your orders today, I'm too busy out serving you!"
PRAYG ML#74:30 THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB YOU HAVE IS LISTENING TO THE KING: TO STOP, LOOK & LISTEN!--OR YOU'RE GOING TO GET RUN OVER!
PRAYG ML#83:11 When you don't know where to go, sit still! When you're driving your car through a fog & it becomes so dense you can't see, you don't just keep on driving: You pull over to one side & wait--sit still until the fog lifts & you can see your way!
PRAYG ML#85:14 AT NIGHT, WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD IS ASLEEP, you can even go outside, walk past the houses, & they can't hear anything but you!--And you can't hear anything but God! The night is so beautiful!--so quiet & so peaceful! We must work the Works of Him that sent us while it is day, for the night cometh when we can only stop, only look, only listen & be still & hear God's voice!
PRAYG ML#85:20 SOME PEOPLE, AFTER THIS, MIGHT ACCUSE ME OF BEING A LOVER OF DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT; but while the Scriptures speak many times of darkness with an evil connotation, the physical night, created by God Himself, is not evil & is often spoken of as a blessing. Jesus arose a great while before it was day, so obviously He rose during the night to pray. The Lord appeared to Solomon in the night & granted him wisdom & knowledge, as he requested. And in the Song of Solomon, the woman went out to seek her lover in the night! David in the Psalms speaks so much of communing with God in the night seasons, instruction & songs in the night!
PRAYG ML#100:19 In all thy ways acknowledge Him! We're all Christians, we love the Lord--this is our whole life--you mean we have to stop everything & say, "Jesus help us!"? But it reminds you & others & brings a hush to your spirit. We should be gathered together in the courts of the King! Heaven is watching! We are some of the most important people on the earth right now. If we are gathered together to have a serious conference or leadership meeting, it may affect millions! We're really gathering together with the Lord as the Chairman! And when you come into the presence of the King, you need to bow down to Him & make obeisance!
PRAYG ML#119:1 Whenever I wake up during the night I feel I may as well redeem the time, & the Lord usually lays someone on my heart to pray for.
PRAYG ML#169:30 So the Lord can save you a lot of work, a lot of trouble & a lot of time if you'll just pray first before you start a job, before you start your typing, before I start my editing, before you start your drawing, or before you start your plumbing, or before you start your teaching or the meal or whatever it may be, pray about it. Ask the Lord to help you & lead you & He can save you a lot of time, trouble, work & so on.
PRAYG ML#191:16 HOW MANY TIMES HAS THE LORD TOLD US THIS, THAT YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IT? You'd better take time for the temple or your going to find out you're running out of time!--Time for that wonderful rest in the temple! Have you had your temple time today?--Your quiet time in His temple?
PRAYG ML#191:19 LOOK UP & LIVE! There doesn't have to be any set time. You can look up any time of day, anywhere, wherever you are, whatever you're doing. Just a few quiet moments with the Lord.
PRAYG ML#191:20 YOU JUST CAN'T DO IT VERY MUCH IN THE MIDST OF CONFUSION with other voices & clatter going on out in the wings. They are part of the temple & necessary to the service of the temple, but you have to get quiet somewhere, sometime. I've found those hours in the morning when you can't sleep are a wonderful time & the view is so beautiful! The night is so quiet & so still. Don't just lie there. Praise the Lord! Don't just lie there. Do something! Pray! Make a temple of your heart. See what God can do in that beautiful realm of the Spirit.
PRAYG ML#191:21 ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, YOU CAN COME SWIFTLY OUT OF THE WINGS & enter the temple in spirit & in truth!
PRAYG ML#209:10 DON'T FORGET TO PRAY OVER EVERY BITE YOU EAT & EVERY SWALLOW YOU DRINK, & try to avoid any dangerous situations while there.
PRAYG ML#209:11 THE LORD'S SERVANT IS WORTH MORE THAN HIS MONEY: Don't be penny-wise & flesh-foolish! You are too valuable leadership to risk just to save a few pennies! Take care of your health, get plenty of rest & eat well, so you'll have plenty of strength for God's service.--And pray without ceasing!
PRAYG ML#253:32 Deliver us Lord from this spirit of "busyness"--too busy for You, & too busy for Your Prophet! Help, Lord, in Jesus' Name!--When you first wake up, before you call anybody or talk to anybody, talk to God, for God's sake! Get your orders from Him for the day.
PRAYG ML#274A:7 WATCH & PRAY! It's God's Word, & we have to warn them, but it is a very dangerous business. Pray very earnestly before you go & every moment on the streets!
PRAYG ML#302:30 (QUESTION: WHAT ABOUT THESE PEOPLE WHO PRAY THE SAME PRAYERS FOR YEARS--Is this necessary?) Answer: I think an original prayer is enough, except you may continue the prayer & remind the Lord you have your set on & you're sort of monitoring & checking to see if God's still on the line, or to find out if God's gotten through to them. Or you may continue putting out a "CQ" ("seek you") transmission hoping the recipient will tune in & pick it up.
PRAYG ML#309A:17 Blessed is he that seeketh My face in the hour of trouble. So shall he be in the hour of triumph, & I will be with him.
PRAYG ML#344:36 "BE YE THEREFORE READY", "Watch & pray that ye enter not into temptation" that others will fall prey to! (Mt.24:44, 26:41) Be on your guard & don't let the Enemy in, in some unguarded moment.
PRAYG ML#353:33 So the best way to avoid or prevent accidents is to pray without ceasing. Keep close to the Lord & constantly claiming the protection of the Lord, always asking the Lord to keep you, & bless & protect you, because lots of things can happen that are totally beyond your control, but not the Lord's!
PRAYG ML#555:77 IF I MAKE LOVE TWO OR THREE TIMES A NIGHT I get up almost immediately every time & wash. That's probably why I've lived so long without catching anything, thank God!--And I've made love to a lot of women! But I'm very careful to pray, number one, trust God, & to obey & keep clean!
PRAYG ML#606:28 DOES YOUR HOUSE HAVE A GOOD LITTLE PRAYER MEETING EVERY MORNING TO START THE DAY OFF RIGHT? You need it, or things just won't go right.
PRAYG ML#606:32 YOU NEED TIME OF DEVOTIONS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. Read a little Bible & maybe read a MO Letter & have prayer together.--Start the day off right, hear from the Lord.
PRAYG ML#638:28 Martin Luther & Melancthon used to pray every morning for at least two hours before they began the day's work.
PRAYG ML#638:29 One morning Melancthon said to Luther, "We can't pray so long this morning, we've got too much to do!" Luther said, "Well, we've got to pray four hours this morning because we have so much to do!"
PRAYG ML#638:30 "Pray without ceasing", you can pray all the time. (1Th.5:17) You can even pray while you're washing the dishes & changing diapers & sweeping the floor & everything you're doing. You pray all the time of course, but,
PRAYG ML#638:31 You need one time or real united fellowship & prayer devoted strictly just to real fellowship & prayer. I've advocated this from the very beginning, it's in many Letters. It doesn't have to be two hours, but at least a half hour or so.
PRAYG ML#638:32 You need a time of devotions first thing in the morning. Read a little Bible & maybe read a MO Letter & have prayer together.--Start the day off right, hear from the Lord.
PRAYG ML#638:33 He'll solve a lot of the problems before the day even starts if you listen to what He has to say, amen? If you go plunging into all your problems & troubles & your work without stopping to talk to the Lord & get directions from you Commander-in-Chief, then you're going to be like a soldier who's trying to fight the war all on his own without listening to headquarters, with no organisation from his Chief. You need to have prayer & listen to the Lord.
PRAYG ML#844:22 THE SPIRITUAL IS VERY REAL, beloved, & we need to constantly stay close to the Lord & think on the Lord & pray, especially when you're engaged in creative art.
PRAYG ML#980:56 WE NEED TO REBUKE THE DEVIL MORE OFTEN & THOSE EVIL SPIRITS! That's why we need to pray seriously over our food before we eat it. I think that's like what happened at that ungodly restaurant, we didn't really pray seriously. The Devil got into that food & choked me!
PRAYG ML#1000:54 ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO, YOU CAN PRAY! Even if you don't get to say a word to them, the Lord puts the burden in your heart & you can pray for them. We often get burdened for people in public places where we don't even have a chance to speak to them. I've often prayed for them, "Lord, You can make them run into one of our folks someplace, or get a Letter or find You somehow, some way!" We didn't have a chance to talk to them but we got real burdened for them. When the Lord gives you a burden for somebody across the room, across the street from or something, you can at least pray for them & say, "Lord, help them to find You" or "help them to find salvation".
PRAYG ML#1000:55 MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO THEM, BUT YOU GAVE THEM A SMILE just passing by on the street. Maybe they'll remember that all day, or maybe they'll remember the rest of their life somebody that really looked like they loved them. It's something you can do: Just your look, your smile, & your prayer--even if you don't get to say a word. I really believe it counts, I know it does. I just know it does. So there's a lot you can do in the way of witnessing just with a smile, just with a prayer, just with a look, just by your spirit!
PRAYG ML#1208:80 THE ENEMY IS ALWAYS READY TO ATTACK YOU AT ANY UNGUARDED MOMENT & YOU MUST BE PARTICULARLY PRAYERFUL & CAREFUL in such dark demonic areas as some of these Southern Satanic countries where Satanism & Witchcraft & Deviltry of all kinds are rampant & can cause you trouble or problems if you don't really bathe yourself & your family & your co-workers & your house & vehicles & all your possessions in constant fervent, effective prayer. You must pray, Beloved, as a foreign missionary on a foreign field in unfamiliar circumstances & with unknown dangers; you must pray desperately all the time, every moment, continually, if you expect to be spared from troubles caused by the Enemy.
PRAYG ML#1208:81 "MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY & NOT TO FAINT" God's Word says. And He says, "Pray without ceasing!" (1Th.5:17.) "Watch & pray" (Mt.26:41) & He didn't say that for no reason. He knew you would need it & you need to pray, & it's one way the Lord has of trying to keep you close to Him & in His presence continually & constantly dependent upon Him & His protection & His provision.
PRAYG ML#1208:82 BELOVED, IF EVER YOU LEARN TO PRAY, YOU SHOULD LEARN TO PRAY ON THE MISSION FIELD, & if you haven't, you should start right now, praying desperately for protection for you & your family & your helpers & your equipment & your home & everything! In Jesus' name, amen. Remember, you believe in prayer as much as you pray!--Amen? GBAKY praying constantly!--IJN, amen.
PRAYG ML#1252:14 God's Word says to "Eat what's set before you giving thanks, having no fears for conscience sake if it be sanctified through the word of thanksgiving & prayer." (I Co.10:27; I Tim.4:4,5.)
PRAYG ML#1252:15 SO IF AS A GUEST ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, OR FOR SOME REASON YOU ARE COMPELLED TO EAT UNCLEAN MEATS OF SOME KIND--whether it be unclean seafood, which there seems to be an awful lot of in sea coasts & port cities, of course, or some form of pork of which there seems to be an awful lot of in the poorer countries--you can do it if you have to. Just pray desperately over it & ask God to cleanse it.
PRAYG ML#1262:39 Help them to realise they have to pray against principalities & powers & evil spirits in spiritual places. They had better remember they really need to pray, especially before they go to sleep!
PRAYG ML#1313:23 BELOVED, YOU BETTER REMEMBER THAT IT'S NOT FORMALITY TO PRAY OVER THE FOOD & YOUR DRINKS! The Lord not only prayed for the bread, but He also prayed for the wine. It's always a good idea to pray for anything you put in your mouth.
PRAYG ML#1316:12 WHEN ANY OF US ANYWHERE FACE SUCH A CRISIS SITUATION--us here at the pinnacle of administration, leadership, guidance & feeding, or the missionaries out in the frontline trenches so to speak, the lowliest litnesser, whoever it may be--if we are faced at any time with any kind of a sincere problem, what is the first thing we should do? (Peter: Pray!) Pray, of course! Pray what? (Peter: Pray for the answer.) Maybe first of all you need to pray for the question! And what's the first question you should ask yourself & the Lord? Number one? (Peter: What you've been doing wrong that you're not getting the blessing.)
PRAYG ML#1316:13 MOST PEOPLE SAY, "WHAT'S THE MATTER, LORD?"--And when some people say that, they mean, "What's the matter with You, God? How come You failed me?" Whereas most of us should sit down or kneel down or stand down or stand up or stand on our heads or whatever we're doing, lie down & ask God: "What's the matter with me, Lord? Is there something wrong with what I'm doing? Am I displeasing You in any way? Am I failing or disobeying You in any way? Am I out of Your Will in any way? First of all, what's the matter with me, Lord, or my situation? What's wrong?"
PRAYG ML#1316:24 SO THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS SEEK THE LORD! Get down to business with God! Sit down, lie down, kneel down, whatever! Get alone with the Lord, alone with leadership. I usually get alone with the Lord first, because then I get the answers & I'm able to tell you.
PRAYG ML#1316:29 WE NEED TO SIT DOWN & CONFER & COUNSEL TOGETHER. "In a multitude of counsellors there lacketh not wisdom. Let it be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses." (Pr.11:14, 24:6; Mt.18:16) Counsel together, counsel mostly with the Lord, pray together, pray separately, but especially pray together & confer together.
PRAYG ML#1334:37 QUESTION: IN READING BOOKS OF THE TESTIMONIES OF THE EARLY MISSIONARIES & THE PRESENT-DAY CHRISTIANS IN CHINA, they really strongly emphasised the power of prayer, but they so often talk of spending whole nights & six, seven, eight hours on their faces before the Lord in prayer. In the past you have written "Desperate Prayer" (No.384), which is a state the Lord faithfully brings us to regularly in our service to Him, but you've also said things similar to Paragraph 5 of "Stop, Look & Listen" (No.74): "I never spent much time reading the Bible or praying in the way some people thought I ought to do it. But you don't have to be down on your hands & knees praying frantically to be heard. Prayer is something you're doing all the time no matter what else you're doing..." Plus you have also said, "It's not how long you pray, it's how much you believe." (DM261) When I read of these really long long prayer sessions it sounds a lot like Mother Eve's spirit. We'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on this.
PRAYG ML#1361:191 I GET A LOT OF THINGS IN THE BATHROOM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO GET THEM, because you're alone & you can go into your closet & shut the door. There's something about a bathroom--you're private & alone with the Lord.
PRAYG ML#1376:7 WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING & you have your morning cuddle with your mate, or whoever, one of the children maybe or someone, what do you do first thing in the morning? (Family: Praise & thank Him.) Yes, that's what we do, don't we? And pray for the day too. What's the last thing we do at night? We thank Him for a good day & we pray for a good night etc. You should always pray together as you go to bed, praise & pray together.
PRAYG ML#1376:128 IF YOU'RE WITNESSING TO SOMEBODY & THEY DON'T WANT TO LISTEN & THEY TRY TO BRUSH YOU OFF & GET RID OF YOU, ONE OF THE OLD TRICKS IS TO JUST GRAB 'EM BY THE HAND & SAY: "Well, just let me pray for you!" & start praying like a house-afire & put the whole Gospel message into your prayer. And it's the funniest thing, the worst of sinners, the worst old rascals, even Jews, have not dared to interrupt the prayer!
PRAYG ML#1376:129 I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S THE POWER OF PRAYER or their respect for prayer or just plain courtesy or politeness or maybe a combination of all those things! I used to grasp their hand & lay my other hand on their shoulder besides & start praying, & they wouldn't stop me until I was finished, & usually I got a good prayer in there!--And once in awhile during the prayer the tears came. I'd look up after the prayer & they'd been crying because the Lord touched their heart by the love & the power of prayer!
PRAYG ML#1376:132 SO PRAYER HAS A LOT OF POWER, PTL, even in witnessing or preaching on the street corner or the park or wherever. If all else fails, stop & pray & the Lord will work! If you can't do it, let God do it! So try that on your job too! When the computer just doesn't seem to want to do the right thing, stop, lay your hands on it & pray! It could be the Devil or one of his little imps getting into the works! Or when the cooking just doesn't seem to go right, stop & pray! Or if somehow or other you just can't make those books balance, stop & pray! Maybe the Devil's throwing some kind of a gimmick or a monkey wrench into the figures somewhere!
PRAYG ML#1403:34 I DIDN'T PRAY, I DIDN'T REALLY PRAY, I DON'T THINK I PRAYED AT ALL! So the Lord let that happen, let him attack me as a punishment for not praying & realising that we have to depend on the Lord all the time for everything, we can't stop praying for one minute!
PRAYG ML#1406:123 I'LL TELL YOU, IN THIS COUNTRY WHEN I GO TO PRAY FOR MY DRINKS ETC., I TAKE IT IN BOTH HANDS! I figure if they can see an aura even in a photograph, & if in certain types of photography they can still see the spiritual arm of a person whose arm has been amputated & it's still there, its ghost is still there, there must be some power in the spirit!--Even in the spirit that's in your flesh & your aura!
PRAYG ML#1406:124 AND IT'S COME TO ME THAT MAYBE THAT'S WHY GOD SAYS TO LAY HANDS ON THEM, that there is an actual natural spiritual power in your hands, especially in prayer in the Name of Jesus!--Just wrapping my hands around my drink! I mean, if you can cook meat in that oven just by radiation with the fire unseen, microwaves that you can't even see can cook the meat, why can't your spiritual aura or whatever it is have the power?
PRAYG ML#1421:48 I BELIEVE IN THE CATHOLIC DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY & PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD! TYJ! Hal! (Maria: You did, you wrote that Letter!) (368, 614, 1262, 1263, 1264, etc!) I know, I'm getting pretty convinced of it! That sure settles it with me! GBH!--IJNA!
PRAYG ML#1456:28 A GOOD TIME TO HAVE PRAYER IS WHILE YOU'RE IN EACH OTHER'S ARMS & HAVING SEX. That way you can really redeem the time & pet & pray & love the Lord at the same time that you're pettin' & lovin' each other. And we thank the Lord for the day & we pray around the World for you out there, that the Lord will take care of you & keep you & bless you & make a you a blessing, protect you & provide for you.
PRAYG ML#1610:14 Preventative Maintenance: Prayer!: PRAYER & SAFETY FIRST! He never tires of cautioning us to pray before we do anything, take all the proper precautions & as little risk as possible. It is very important to keep a sober attitude & remember that "nothing short of right is right!"
PRAYG ML#1632:299 SO STICK TO IT & STAY IN PRAYER because only the Lord can do it. Amen?
PRAYG ML#1725:17 I FOUND IF NOTHING ELSE WORKED, I JUST TOOK THEIR HAND IN A FRIENDLY GESTURE & LAID MY OTHER HAND ON THEIR SHOULDER & SAID, "WELL, LET'S PRAY"--& JUST STARTED PRAYING! And there is something about the power of God & the Holy Spirit, the fear of God strikes to their very being & they're almost afraid to say another word! God shuts'm up & they have to listen & you have a chance to preach'm a good prayer.
PRAYG ML#1774:4 What's the matter with committing your spirit to the Lord as we go to bed? We know He's going to take our souls, of course, but we're just reminding Him. There are a lot of Scriptures in the Bible that you're supposed to remind the Lord of.
PRAYG ML#1831:58 So it behooves you to watch out what places you habitate & where you go & try to avoid the very poor dirty filthy natives who may not be too clean, if you possibly can, as much as you can. Avoid crowds, avoid public transportation if you can. Of course, some of these things are impossible for us as missionaries, so we just have to pray & ask the Lord to protect us & keep us in spite of it all.
PRAYG ML#2072:30 THEY'RE TRYING TO CHOKE THE WORD OF GOD, HONEY, CAN'T YOU SEE THAT? They're trying to choke your eyes like they choked my stomach! But I'm getting the victory over them & I eat anyway & I get it down when I fight & I rebuke them! I get the nourishment & I trust the Lord & I get it down in Jesus' name. I have to pray over every swallow, so why don't you pray over every look & everything you have to read & rebuke the Devil & resist the Evil One & he will flee from you, in Jesus' name!
PRAYG ML#2087:64 "Men ought always to pray & not to faint, pray without ceasing!" We're doing that all the time. But if you want to hear from the Lord, if you want to hear something besides yourself, then you're going to have to really turn on that power & tune in what they call the condenser.
PRAYG ML#2211-4:147 THE THRONE IN THE THRONE ROOM, IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO GET THINGS FROM THE LORD & where I've gotten more things from the Lord than almost any place else! I think you know where I mean! Because you're alone with the Lord there. As Jesus Himself said, "Close the closet door."--And the closet door was closed, the door of the water closet. (Mat.6:6) That's what they call the toilet room in Europe, it's called a W.C., a water closet. It's a closet!
PRAYG ML#2335:1-11 [DAD PRAYS TCHAIKOVSKY OUT OF HELL & INTO PARADISE! (See #322 ref's)]
PRAYG ML#2341:28 I guess that's one reason the Lord lets old folks wake up so early in the morning, so they can be alone with Him & think & pray, face Him alone without all the distractions of the day, without anybody else to lean on. You just have to face God's inquiry alone, take account of yourself & things & listen to the Lord, only the Lord. Of course, the Devil tries to get his two cents in too, but thank the Lord, it seems like the Lord speaks louder when you're alone, particularly in the early morning.
PRAYG ML#2341:29 In some ways it's kind of a sad time because you're alone & everybody else is asleep. You're all by yourself & you have to face the day & face the Lord alone. But it really helps get your priorities straight & realise what's important & what isn't. I think it's partly the Lord preparing old folks to die, because that's something that everybody has to face, in a sense, alone with the Lord or one of His emissaries. Thank the Lord we don't really face it alone.
PRAYG ML#2341:32 I can't sleep as long as I used to & I sure notice that. It gives you more time to think & pray.
PRAYG ML#2394:3 We're giving thanks for this now, completely separate from the other meal, so don't confuse the two, PTL?
PRAYG ML#2524:50 And you are either going to straighten out there and get right with God and get delivered of all these God-damned devils and be a good girl and behave yourself and not cause anybody any more trouble, or I'm going to recommend that they don't waste a lot of time like we have for months, praying over you and praying for you. We'll tell them it doesn't do any good!--That we have exorcised you time and time again and you just invite the Devil back in again! We'll tell them not to waste another session of having prayers and prayers and prayers over you and tongues and exorcising and wasting time!
PRAYG ML#2553:26 Look how helpful Dad's confessions in the Letters have been to all of us! He has been very honest & open about his weaknesses in Letter after Letter! He's confessed mistakes, admitted his trials, shared his fears, & has humbled himself to ask the entire Family to pray for him on numerous occasions! He's told us about his breakdown over the Jews, his battles with wine, discouragement, sleeplessness, not to mention the battles he's fought regarding his health! But once Dad confesses something & asks for prayer, he really fights & goes on the attack & wins victories every time!
PRAYG ML#2572:24 Even if there's hardly anything we can do in some of these cases, there's one thing we can always do, & that we have to do.--And that's to have faith & trust the Lord! Even if there's nothing else we can do, that's one thing we've got to do! That's usually when the Lord tests our faith to see if we're going to worry or fear: When there isn't anything we can do. But that's the time when He can really manifest Himself & show His power & protection most greatly.
PRAYG ML#2592:4 It came to me then that we should be more interested in people's problems & trials & sicknesses & things like that & remember to pray for them! People do things for us, we ought to do what we can for them! Peter said, "Silver & gold have I none, but such as I have, I give!--Rise & walk!"--Acts 3:6.
PRAYG ML#2593:35 Dad needs your continual prayers & supplication.
PRAYG ML#2613:12 Pray, Beloved, all day! We're always to pray & not to faint!--Luk.18:1. Be prayerful in every move you make! Don't just make a move & figure, "Oh well, this is obvious," but pray about everything! Ask the Lord to lead & guide you & to protect us & keep us in every little thing we do! Watch your step!
PRAYG ML#2620:44 A major emphasis was placed on prayerfulness; not simply praying often but being prayerful or full-of-prayer always, running over with prayer!--Not only at specific times throughout the day, but moment-by-moment.
PRAYG ML#2621:73 You have been stopping to take time with the Lord, in spite of how hectic & rushed everything is, just to go into your room & have some quiet time with the Lord. That's one of the best things you could possibly do, going to the Word & learning to rest in the Lord!--And one of the things you must do, if you're going to be a faithful Shepherdess of the Lord's flock.
PRAYG ML#2623:2 Dad is the most tremendous sample of prayer that I've ever heard of or seen. He has such a wonderful habit of continually looking to & communing with the Lord. He even prays in his sleep at night, unaware he is doing so, & sometimes even wakes up praying!
PRAYG ML#2623:4 Some of our leaders have a problem in their meetings with too much discussion & not enough prayer. Actually, that's a temptation or tendency with most of us--to get so busy discussing a problem that we fail to take it to the Lord! We might remember to pray after our discussion, but such prayers may turn out to be nothing more than a "Please-rubberstamp-my-program" prayer. I think this problem is usually more unintentional than deliberate; we simply forget to pray because we haven't made a real good habit of prayer.
PRAYG ML#2623:5 I think that one of the most important phrases we could introduce to our vocabulary & which we should frequently use is, "Should we stop & pray?" If we could somehow make this phrase as common in the Family as "I love you" & "God bless you," I don't think we'd have any more problem with forgetting to pray! If we were to introduce this as a new rule in the Family, that someone at the beginning of every activity must say out loud, "Should we pray?" or "Shall we stop & pray?", it would solve a great deal of problems & would certainly help us all to be infinitely more prayerful.
PRAYG ML#2623:6 If it were a requirement to ask this question before any & all activities, & the responsibility was evenly shared with all & did not fall on one person only--usually the leader--I'm sure we'd do a lot more praying! We need to "exhort one another daily, while it is called today," & "consider one another to provoke unto love & good works."--Heb.3:13; 10:24.
PRAYG ML#2623:7 If it was clearly understood by all that it was not just the leader's responsibility to stop everyone & lead a prayer before activities, discussions, etc., but that everyone had that responsibility, then no one would feel hurt or offended when an under-officer or even one of the babes piped up & said, "Don't you think we should pray?" It would be just as much the responsibility of everyone else participating in the activity as it would be the leader's. It seems that at least someone would always remember to pray.
PRAYG ML#2623:9 The secret of prayerfulness & walking prayerfully throughout life is simply making it a habit. There's not really anything that's so mystical or mysterious about it, you just have to keep doing it & keep at it, faithfully "acknowledging Him in all your ways!"--Pro.3:6.--And in order to do that, you may need the help of others to keep reminding you at first. That way everybody would be reminding everybody! And we could all make it a habit together.
PRAYG ML#2623:10 Even when we sit down to fellowship, we should immediately say a prayer, even if our purpose is just to watch a video or to have a little personal fellowship or to discuss a problem or just to relax. Why not ask the Lord to bless that time & fill it with whatever He wants? If we already know specifically what we want to do, we should at least ask the Lord's blessing on it. And if any problems are to be discussed, we should ask the Lord for His solutions to those problems.
PRAYG ML#2623:11 That way, whether we actually intended to sit down to discuss problems or not, we will have had prayer before the conversation may inadvertently turn that way. And even if it doesn't turn into a serious discussion, it's just as important to ask the Lord's blessing for our fellowship together, for Bible study, for devotions, for watching the news, or whatever it is we're planning on doing.
PRAYG ML#2623:12 We have already formed a very good habit of praying before meals, & most of the Family prays faithfully before they go anywhere in their vehicles. Most of us also remember to pray before we go to sleep at night, & also when we first wake up in the morning. We usually pray together before a united meeting with the Home, & hopefully even before holding small, informal meetings with our Teamworkers.
PRAYG ML#2623:13 But what about the meetings that just sort of happen spontaneously? And what about when you are going through reports or correspondence or notes from others, do you pray over every piece of paper? What about before you go out for your Get-Out?--Or before you sit down to watch the news, or before you watch a movie? Or before you walk into the kitchen to talk to the cook?--Why not say a little prayer before you begin talking with her? It shouldn't really matter how short or how lengthy an encounter you're planning on having, you need the Lord's blessing on everything you do, right?
PRAYG ML#2623:14 Of course, I'm not even including all the prayers that we should be praying during such activities! I'd like to take it just one step at a time, & make the rule that we pray before our activities, & let everyone learn as they go to be more prayerful throughout the activities as well.
PRAYG ML#2623:15 We should learn to pray out loud during meetings, during Get-Outs, during trips & errands, before lovemaking, & even before taking a shower.--And certainly before putting in a light bulb or before mowing a lawn or before turning on a stove, cooking a meal or washing the dishes! We need to make prayer a habit!
PRAYG ML#2623:16 It's not enough to just make a habit of praying before you eat. You also have to make a habit of praying before you drive. You also have to make a habit of praying before you go to sleep. But that's not enough either. Then there's praying when you wake up, & even that's not enough!
PRAYG ML#2623:17 To truly make prayer a habit, you have to pray about everything! Of course, it's a good start if you pray before you eat & before you drive & before you go to bed & upon waking up, but what about all the other things you do during the day? You need to pray about which work you should do, or if you already know, if it's a set pattern, you need to pray about how to do it. If you faithfully pray every day before doing your work, the Lord might show you a new way of doing it that day, or a faster way.
PRAYG ML#2623:18 When you're first forming the "prayer habit," you almost have to force yourself to pray at every step, & really pray desperately. Ask the Lord to check you so you'll remember! You need to pray before you read the Word, & ask the Lord what Chapters you should read or what Letter you should read. Even if you're following a set reading course, you shouldn't just say, "Well, I already know what I'm going to read, it's planned out for the next month." Maybe you've planned on reading all the Letters on a certain subject like Faith & Trust, but each time before you sit down to read, you should pray for the Lord's leading, because maybe the Lord wants to change it! How do you know?
PRAYG ML#2623:20 You may have prayed about it last week & the Lord showed you what to do, but maybe one week of that was enough & the Lord now wants you to change! You need to be open to praying every day that the Lord will show you what to do & if your plan is right, if what you're doing is what He wants you to do. Maybe He wants you to be doing something else.--But how are you going to know if you don't leave room for Him to change things?
PRAYG ML#2623:21 Prayer really needs to become a habit!--And to make anything a habit it takes a lot of conscious effort over a period of time. It also usually involves a lot of forgetting & some remembering. Then finally we start remembering more than we forget! Prayer is just like anything else that you make a habit, it takes a lot of conscious effort, & you'll forget a lot of times.
PRAYG ML#2623:23 That's what it takes with prayer, although we certainly hope it won't take so long! It also takes praying that the Lord will help you to cultivate the habit as quickly as possible. It takes effort on our part, but if we pray & ask the Lord to check us when we don't pray, then cultivating a good habit of prayer will go much easier & much faster.
PRAYG ML#2623:26 If we're not in the habit of praying all the time, then maybe on that one day that He wants things done differently, He won't be able to show us because we're not in the habit of asking & listening to Him about it.
PRAYG ML#2623:27 So we should learn to pray over everything! That's why it says, "Pray without ceasing."--1Th.5:17. So we need to strive to really make it a habit in some of these areas where we don't normally pray. There are different aspects to praying over your work.
PRAYG ML#2623:28 I'm not just talking about a general "Lord, help me with my work today," but rather, "Lord, what exactly do You want me to work on today?" Then when you've figured that out you should pray, "Lord help me to know how to do it."--And if it's a dangerous job, "Lord, protect me in this."--And then pray through every step that you need to take. The Lord wants us to acknowledge Him in every area, "In all thy ways acknowledge Him & He shall direct thy paths!"--Pro.3:6.
PRAYG ML#2623:30 When I never hear someone praying out loud, I often have a little question in my mind about just how prayerful they really are. To hear someone praying out loud is very reassuring to me, it's very comforting to know that they're praying. Then I know that I don't have to worry about them & what they're doing because I know they're faithfully committing their actions to the Lord.
PRAYG ML#2623:33 I love to hear people praying out loud! It's always so comforting for me because I know that the Lord is going to answer them & protect & keep them because they're being prayerful. Perhaps they're being prayerful anyway, but when I hear them, then I know they are, & I'm much more reassured. I can't read their minds, so I like to hear them say it! Besides, it's a good testimony & a good reminder to us all, so let's try to remember to pray out loud!
PRAYG ML#2623:34 As anyone who has lived close to Dad can testify, he is constantly praying, & whenever possible prays out loud, which immediately encourages us to join in with him, as well as sets a very good example for us.--Not only by how he prays, but by the fact that he, by his sample, constantly shows us that he does pray about everything.
PRAYG ML#2623:60 We can be in a state of constant prayerfulness, "praying without ceasing," a constantly prayerful frame of mind whatever we're doing. We can keep praying for the emergency situation whenever we all get together & whenever we think about it, but we've also got to keep working! PTL! We must "work the works of Him that sent us while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work!"--Jn.9:4.
PRAYG ML#2623:68 Whenever people go out shopping or witnessing, we need to always remember to not only pray for their safety & that they don't have accidents or they don't have any security problem or run into any evil-spirited people, but we also need to remember to pray against sickness, that they won't contract anything themselves or bring anything back that they could pass on to others. When people go out, we need to specifically pray against any evil that would befall them, that the Lord will keep them within the circle of His protection & put a hedge about them so that those things can't touch them! We often claim that verse that the Lord will protect & preserve our going out & our coming in. (Psa.121:8)
PRAYG ML#2623:84 Another good reminder on prayer has to do with the importance of praying for little things. Often we hear people say things like, "Well, I didn't ask for prayer for my sore toe because I didn't think it was worth everybody's time & trouble to worry about me, & to take all that time to pray for it.--It really wasn't bothering me that much & it's not that big a deal."
PRAYG ML#2623:85 Well, one of the ways that the Lord uses to get us into the habit of constantly praying is to teach us to pray for the little things. Because if we only pray for the big things, the big things don't usually come along very often, at least not often enough to force us to make a habit of prayer.
PRAYG ML#2623:86 But the little things are always with us, & if we get into the habit of praying for all the little things that come along, then we will automatically get in the habit of praying for everything--big or small. And if we pray for all the little things & see how the Lord answers in all those miraculous little ways that He does, then our faith will be increased to face the bigger needs when they come up!
PRAYG ML#2623:87 Another reason why we need to faithfully pray for the little things, is that it's a sign to the Lord that we want Him to be a part of every aspect of our lives, of our entire life, all of our activities, instead of just bringing Him in for the "important" situations.
PRAYG ML#2623:88 Another reason to pray for little things could be illustrated by the above example of the case of a sore toe; If you don't pray for it, the Lord could very well allow it to become worse! Then soon your entire body may be hobbling & limping around because that one little toe got so sore that you couldn't even walk on it anymore! The "little" thing can become a very big thing if we don't pray!
PRAYG ML#2747:1 We all have certain responsibilities & duties that the Lord expects us to fulfill whether we feel like it or not! Even prayer--our communion with the Lord--is a duty. It's something the Lord expects us to do & that we know we're supposed to do! So whether you feel like praying or not, it's your duty, your responsibility.
PRAYG MOP#97:77 Prayer is something you can be doing all the time, no matter what else you're doing. It's like thinking on your feet!
PRAYG MOP#97:85 Prayer is like breathing, just breathing the Holy Spirit all the time. You're constantly in communication with the Lord & you're constantly thinking about the Lord, keeping your mind stayed on Him so He'll keep you in perfect peace.
PRAYG MOP#97:201 You ought to try a little prayer time early in the morning before your day's work every day. Asking the Lord for the solution to problems is the easiest way in the World to get them. Don't think, "It's hard to pray & I haven't got time to pray, it's a waste of time to pray, blah blah."--If you spent a little more time praying you'd spend a Hell of a lot less time working & getting it done! It's just that simple.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family