The Prayer Principle of Simplification

" 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBER'S DEN." Luke 19:45

Principle: Prayerless people become powerless people. Simply put, no prayer means no Presence. No Presence means no power.

Jesus portrayed prayerless people as thieves. He knew that prayerlessness robs people of the significance and the supply of The Presence, The Person, and the Power of God. The people He rebuked the most were those who had turned the Temple system into a mockery of what God had intended for it to be. IT had been put into place to bring people to a confrontation with the high cost of sin and lead them to an intimate encounter with God through atoning blood of a substitutionary sacrifice.

The Temple system had long overshadowed the Person and the Purpose of God's redemptive work. It was no longer a lesson in forgiveness, but a lesson in greed and corruption. Jesus would not tolerate anything that did not glorify God. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. He still does not look favorably on any system that steals glory from God.

When the system overshadows the Savior, it is time to get back to the simple truth. NO PRAYER...NO PRESENCE...NO PRESENCE...NO POWER. In the mind of Christ, there was no substitute for prayer as the way to God. When any part of the system drowns out the still small voice of the Holy Spirit calling the believer to pray, it no longer serves the purpose of God.

To the eyes of the uninformed, Temple business was booming. The Temple was crowded with people. Some would have said, "Business is good." Jesus knew that the business of God was the business of prayer, and as far as He was concerned the Temple system was bankrupt. When Jesus is the auditor, his numbers can be trusted. He added up what they were doing, and he found more takers than givers.

The Principle of Simplification reminds the prayer warrior not to allow too much bureaucracy to suffocate them with a system that is meant to establish and maintain a relationship with God, through prayer. A skeleton is a sound structure, but it no longer has breath. Prayer is the breath that keeps a prayer warrior alive, and keeps a movement of God from becoming a man made museum or mausoleum.

No person, church, ministry or movement can long be sustained by a prayerless support system.

Personal and corporate prayer breaths in the oxygen of God's Presence. The Person of the Risen Christ is seated at His right hand interceding for those who bring their prayers to Him in the name of Jesus. The Power of the Holy Spirit interprets to God even the groaning of the people who know they need to pray, but don't know how to put what they need into words.

Years ago, a small pamphlet was produced, "My Heart, Christ's Home." It described the life of a believer as a floor plan that included various rooms. It explained that most people would invite Jesus to come into their heart, but never make Him feel at home. He would be left in the foyer, or entry area of the believer's heart, but never invited to enter every room. The absence of Christ's Presence in every area of life will always result in a lack of power for living.

The Practice of Prayer: Find a place in your home or a time in your day that could be set apart as place for the purpose of prayer. Get in touch with the Architect of Heaven and Earth, and allow Him to look at your floor plans, and invite Him to start simplifying your life, and designing it around Him.

Thought for the Day: People's lives are like a house with many rooms. These rooms represent strategic and sometimes essential areas of life, like a Finance Room, Family Room, Work Room, or School Room. At times of crisis there may be a Hospital Room or some other addition made to the floor plan. The simplest design should include a Prayer Room that will establish and maintain the lines of communication between the Heavenly Father and His child.

"Our one great business is prayer, and we will never do it well unless we fasten to it by all binding force." E.M. Bounds

The Prayer Principle of Expectation

"...how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:13

Principle: Believing prayer is characterized by a childlike expectancy that is based on a complete trust in a loving Father.

Luke's account reveals that Jesus believed that His prayers would be heard. Not only did He expect them to be heard, He had great confidence that His Father would answer them. He fully believed that God was not holding out on His children, but longed to give them "much more" than they could ever comprehend.

Jesus referred to the Person of The Holy Spirit as, The Promise of The Father. He wanted His followers to know that His Father was the ultimate promise keeper. The unbroken relationship that Jesus had with His Father would be offered to His followers and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus wanted His followers to pray to His Father with a childlike, "much more" expectancy. The Holy Spirit would interpret their prayers to God, and Jesus would intercede for them at the right hand of God. The child of God could expect an answer from the heavenly Father that would have their best interest at heart.

Believing prayer approaches God with the expectation of receiving an abundant response to a personal request. A childlike expectancy accompanies believing prayer. It places trust in a loving Father who longs to give what is best to His children.

Nothing is too small or too great for a child to bring to a parent. Almost everything looks too big to them, so they are accustomed to asking for help. Little children cannot discern what they need, from what they want. They need a loving parent to equip them with the value system and the problem solving skills that enable them to cope with the issues that they face in life.

Believing prayer does not try to determine if a request is valid or not. The childlike prayer warrior leaves that in the hands of The One who will make the decision. Believing prayer rests on the lap of God, and simply asks. The judgment of the request is placed in the hands of God for Him to determine whether the request is a need or merely a want.

Most of the time, life is filled intimidating circumstances and irritating people. It can be overwhelming to the most seasoned prayer warrior. Prayer is not the time to "MAN UP!" It is the time for a child of God to "Climb Up!" into the lap of God, and look to Him for the Promise of His Presence.

The Practice of Prayer: Is there any problem you are trying to solve without asking God to help you? Let go and let God take over. Write it down on paper, to get it off of your shoulders and into God's hands. You never know how "much more" God can do, until you pray.

Thought for the Day: What sounds mature to prayerless people is really childish gibberish to God. Only a fool would say, "I can do it myself!," when God is ready and willing to respond to his cry for help.

"Believing prayer transfers a promise of God into the middle of your problem." Don Miller

The Prayer Principle of Justification

"this man went to his house justified...He who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:10-14

Principle: Justification is the singular act of Sovereign God. He declares a person to be right in His eyes, by an act of His will, but He responds to a humble heart not eloquent speech.

Being justified means to be declared right by God. Prayer is not the means by which prideful and inflated posers convince God of their eloquence, in order to receive the judgment they think they are due. It is the tool God offers to sinful and separated people to humble themselves before Him. to receive the forgiveness they know they do not deserve.

When Jesus related the difference between the prayer of the sinful profiteer and the self-righteous Pharisee, He was focusing on the condition of their hearts, not the eloquence of their words. Seven words were all it took for one man to be forgiven, "God, be merciful to me, the sinner!" (Luke 18:13)

Jesus said, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted." (Luke 18:14)

For a prayer warrior to move from basic training to proficiency in the use of prayer as the world class weapon in the battle against evil, pride must be put down, and prayer must be picked up. There is no hope for justification, or intercession where pride is preeminent. Prayerless people are prideful people who refuse to humble themselves before a Holy God. For people to be justified, there must be point at which they are willing to admit to God and to themselves, their case is hopeless. They stand before Holy God, and plead their case best, when they throw themselves on the mercy of God.

The bridge burned between a sinner and God is utterly unable to rebuilt, without God sending His Son to restore what was destroyed. In an instant, God can point a humble person to Jesus as The Bridge. Jesus restores the route by which the repentant sinner can return home to his forgiving Father. Sin has cost the sinner something that can only be restored by the price that Jesus paid, by dying the cross for his sin. Prayer is the key, and Jesus is The Door. Prayer unlocks The Door, by which a humble heart can enter and be transformed into a holy heart, set apart for the purpose of God. "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved." (John 10:9) Jesus is The Bridge, and offers the only way to God. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6)

The confession of the repentant man caught the eye of Jesus, because it touched the heart of God. When confessed sin has been forgiven, it need not be repeated in prayer, as if it was never heard. Admitting to God what He already knows and receiving from Him what only He can give is a very liberating experience. It is meant to be carried out as naturally as the process of breathing.

Breathe out = confess you sins. Breathe in = receive forgiveness. If people get hyperventilated about their sin, it is because they forget to breath in and receive the forgiveness that is available to them. They are justified, and now their fellowship with God is restored. The joy of being justified is in discovering a forgiveness that leaves a sense of well-being... "Just if I'd never sinned."

When justified people forget the joy of their forgiveness, they keep coming to God and repeating a confession that has been removed from His sight. What God forgives, He forgets. He no longer holds it against the sinner, like an overdue debt or account that must be collected. When a forgiven sinner brings up the matter again and again, God might very well say, "What are you talking about?"

The Practice of Prayer: Confess any known sin to God today. If you can't think of anything, give God a chance to remind you. You might be surprised. This may take a while, but it will start a new discipline to keep your sins confessed up to date. This declaration makes you right in God's eyes, and all your sin has been removed from His Presence, by the blood of Jesus. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)

Thought for the Day: Being declared right by God is not initiated by eloquent prayer. It is celebrated by the repentant person who prays to be made right by God.

"For a successful season of prayer, the best beginning is confession." Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Prayer Principle of Revelation

"I praise You, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this is well-pleasing in your sight." Luke 10:11

Principle: Extraordinary prayer infuses God's EXTRA into ordinary people whose only claim to fame is their child like faith.

Most people can remember the day that they thought their Daddy could do anything. He was the source for every answer, and the solution to every problem. Whenever they were in doubt or in fear they would run to Daddy. As the years passed by, and the older people get, they begin to lose confidence in their old man, and gain more confidence in themselves. Maturity does require a certain degree of independence, but in spiritual matters, a Christ follower should never grow out of their child like trust in The Father.

In the Oscar winning movie, "Chariots of Fire," the worldly-wise coach gave an ambitious young athlete this expert advice, "I cannot put in what God left out." He placed a disclaimer on his own coaching credentials, and deflated any false expectations on the part of a would-be champion with this one short, yet profound statement.

Jesus was walking with His disciples, while He was praying. This is the way Jesus lived. He prayed without ceasing, and God kept answering His prayers. This prayer of praise lifted up to His Father was a genuine expression of gratitude for what God had revealed about Jesus to Peter.

For Peter to grasp this truth, God had to have been at work in his life. Jesus knew there could be no other source for this insight into the redemptive plan of God. Thankfully, the school of prayer has a very active preschool division. Peter was a big man with a little faith, and that is all God needed to reach into his heart and reveal who Jesus really was.

There are times when people get educated far beyond their capacity to comprehend the truth of God. Chuck Swindoll, President of Dallas Theological Seminary, put it in perspective for his students this way, "You need to get the best education you can, and get over it as soon as possible."

Fortunately, child-like faith is all God needs to build a man or woman of God. Jesus was interceding for the Twelve as they walked and talked with Him. When asked to answer, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter responded with a confident, and outspoken affirmation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus knew that God, and Jesus knew Peter. He was immediately aware that God had revealed this truth to the big fisherman. No man had been able to take the infant sized faith of Peter, and turn it into this giant sized statement of truth.

God's truth is cultivated in the climate of prayer. Truth spoken is not necessarily truth received. Truth heard is not always truth comprehended. Jesus softened the ground of Peter's heart by praying for Him, and God did the rest.

God's people are capable of EXTRAordinary insight into the word of God. The man or woman of God, praying for their people to receive the message of God, will not be disappointed in the work of God. God alone is able to bring insight to people who need to know the answer to the question when Jesus asks them, "Who do you say that I am?"

Jesus was praying, Peter was walking, and God's Spirit was working. This is a simple and yet profound picture of prayer shows the way God has of stepping into the ordinary, and adding something EXTRA.

Jesus never got over watching His Father work in the lives of the people He loved. Jesus rejoiced in what God taught Peter, and immediately broke out in praise for what He had done. This should encourage prayer warriors to pray for even the most infantile of the faithful, and expect God to do something extraordinary in their lives too.

EXTRA ordinary people achieve extraordinary results based on what God does through them, not what they do for God. They have no delusions about their ability. However, they have great confidence in God. Like little children, they believe their Father can do anything, and they are excited about getting to do it with Him. God loves to amaze the world with what His children can do.

The Practice of Prayer: Answer these two questions. What are you doing that can be done without the power of God? What are you attempting to do for God that does not require a leap of faith?

Thought for the Day: The childish faith prays, "Daddy, look at me!" The child-like faith prays, "Daddy, show me what you can do!"

"God does not want a partnership with us, but ownership of us." Leonard Ravenhill

The Prayer Principle of Exemplification

"Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:2-4

Principle: An informed prayer warrior knows how to pray, but an exemplary prayer warrior inspires people to pray.

The examples of the prayer life of Jesus and the prayer life of John the Baptist made a profound impact upon their disciples. When they prayed, others were inspired by a hunger to pray like them.

Those who enter the School of Prayer will discover the major degree offered is inspiration, not information. The disciples did not ask Jesus how to pray. They asked Him to them to pray. They did not know what they were asking. The lessons that would be required of them would be long and hard. The course of study would drain them of their self-confidence, until they came to the place in life where they would hunger to pray. Chuck Swindoll once said, "Those who have endured the stinging experiences are the choicest counselors God will ever use." He could have been talking about prayer warriors too.

Those who graduate from the School of Prayer do not receive a diploma to hang on the wall. They never allow themselves to think they have arrived. They practice what they already know how to do, but every day will challenge them with something new that brings them to God in prayer. It is this kind of consistency and perseverance in prayer that inspires others to do the same thing.

Learning how to pray, and practicing prayer are two different things. One is academics, and the other is dynamics. One instructs the brain, and the other inspires the heart.

WARNING! AVOID ALL SUBSTITUTES FOR PRAYER!

• Writing about prayer
• Reading about prayer
• Thinking about prayer
• Studying about prayer
• Singing about prayer
• Preaching about prayer

None of the honorable activities listed above are actually prayer. They serve a noble purpose, but they lack the intimacy that can only be developed between a Father and His child when they establish prolonged, personal connection through prayer. These other things may inform, but they seldom inspire others to pray.

Prayer is the intimate communication between the Father and His child. Prayer warriors are motivated to pray when they eavesdrop on another person's conversation with God. When they hear someone else pray, they would love to be on the same level of communication with God, but they are forced to admit they don't know Him intimately enough. When they discover what they have been missing, they pray with an intensity to develop an intimacy that they never want to lose.

Very seldom are people inspired to pray until God allows a need to come into their lives. When that need brings a potential prayer warrior to the end of self-sufficency, their prayer life gathers momentum. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He had to know they were asking for more than they could have imagined. Prayer would become more than a devotional exercise for them. It would be a tool used for survival in the early days of their ministry, and later a weapon of warfare. Their intimacy with God would become so intense it would lead them to embrace death as the ultimate victory over their enemy.

This week a seasoned prayer warrior sent out this text message, as he prepares himself for the final battle. "Doctor has diagnosed me with a rare form of leukemia. Prognosis is not good for earth, but for heaven in a few months. Thanks 4 ur prayer." Avery Willis

The Practice of Prayer: When does your prayer life develop intensity and intimacy? Is it when things are going well or then things are going wrong? Does your prayer life inspire others to pray?

Thought for the Day: There is a difference between knowing how to pray and praying what we know.

'The greatest prayer found in the Bible is formed by the five words, 'Lord, teach us to pray!" Don Miller

The Prayer Principle of Participation

"And He said to them, 'When you pray...' " Luke 11:2

Principle: Participation in prayer is a matter of "WHEN" not a matter of "IF."

The words of Jesus are held up for all to see at the entrance to The School of Prayer. They bring to mind the sign that stands beside all the great rides at The State Fair of Texas. "You have to be this tall to ride this ride." It is a basic standard that even a child knows must be met before the thrills begin. It is always a bittersweet experience to watch little children be stopped at the entrance, and measured to see if they are ready for the ride of their lives. They pop their little vertebrae to stretch as tall as they can, and hope they meet the standard. Their eyes gleam with anticipation, but all hell breaks loose if they are turned away. There is a great similarity to the standard Jesus holds for all who would enter His Kingdom. Prayer is meant to be an entrance standard that prayer warriors embrace with anticipation, not shrink from in intimidation.

Jesus expected His disciples to have an active not a passive participation in prayer. He did not consider prayer to be an option or a conditional part of the life of the believer. He held prayer to be one of the basic expressions of righteousness. He never withdrew God's blessing from what Jewish culture saw as vital signs of righteousness: praying, giving, and fasting.

Jesus knew His disciples could no more thrive in His Kingdom without praying than they could survive on earth without breathing. By the use of the word "when" not "if," Jesus assumed it would be done. He did not tell His disciples to pray if they felt like it, or if it was convenient, or if they were in the right mood.

Jesus did not rate prayer as the highest achievement of the dedicated few or religious elite. It was presented as a basic requirement in the core curriculum of The School of Prayer. It was not a graduate course. It was expected to be a vital part of the daily schedule of every incoming freshman.

The Practice of Prayer: When will you pray? The answer to this one small question must not go begging. When you pray, your life will be opened to a whole new level of power. You will never know it, until you pray. Fail to pray, and you will plan to fail. When is it going to begin?

The Thought for the Day: Jesus intends for his people to pray. It is a matter of "when" and not "if."

"There is no power like that of prevailing prayer; it turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings life. It brings God." Samuel Chadwick

The Prayer Principle of Authorization

"For I too am a man under authority." Luke 7:8

Principle: God releases His power, through praying people who choose to be under His authority.

Luke's account of the exchange between the Roman centurion, and Jesus provides an ancient story that clarifies a contemporary application of the power of prayer.

The Roman centurion was a stranger, and an invader in the land of Israel. He had discovered the key to the hearts of the people, his emperor had sent him to subjugate and dominate. He loved them. When his servant was near death, he entreated his Jewish friends to plead his case to Jesus.

The Bible says, "When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave." (Luke 7:3) This simple statement is loaded with significance. The elders of the village were the men who spoke for the people, and settled disputes among them. The occupying Romans were a thorn in the side of any Jewish authority. The Jews were conquered people and subjects of a foreign king. The centurion was his representative, and was authorized by Rome to do what was necessary to subjugate the people of Israel. Somehow, this Roman centurion had found a way to honor his king, and win the respect of the people he was sent to rule over. Nation building is not a new concept. Soldiers know instinctively that wars are not won solely on the battle field, but in the hearts of men.

For a nation at war the Middle East, the next passage of Scripture gives a glimpse into the art of war that soldiers on the battlefield in every century have learned to implement, in very tough assignments. The Romans had won the war with the Jews, but the continued occupation of their land was not likely to win their hearts. However, one centurion had found a way to do it. "And when they had come to Jesus, they earnestly entreated Him saying, 'He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.' Now Jesus started on His way with them." (Luke 7:4-5)

Jesus went with the elders in response to the request He received from the centurion. The Jewish pleas of intercession on behalf of a Gentile must have stirred His heart. As he approached the home of the soldier, another delegation arrived, "...the centurion sent friends saying to Him, 'Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.' " (Luke 7:6-7)

This statement, figuratively and literally stopped Jesus in his tracks. The friends of the centurion went on to explain his reasoning. Halting Him was not a matter of any disrespect he held for Jesus, but a recognition of The One True God who was in authority over Jesus. "For I, too, am a man under authority with soldiers under me, and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and to another; 'Come!' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it.' "

Ron Dunn, a heaven sent teacher of the Word of God, pointed to this passage as the key issue in the life of the believer. Ron has been in heaven since July of 2001, but his insight into this principle remains one of the guiding lights of contemporary Christianity. Ron would say this passage is often misunderstood. When it is read, prideful ears do not hear what Jesus heard. The bible says "a man under authority." Most of the time people read this, and understand it to say, "in authority." The correct understanding of the statement reveals where the power of Jesus comes from. The wrong reading reveals where pride believes it comes from. Jesus was under the authority of God. The Gentile, Roman centurion sensed this in the life of Jesus.

People who seek to be in authority, without being under authority, will never know the full power of The Authority. God has ordained prayer to be the means of communication by which He delivers His power and Presence in the life of the believer. Prayerless people are prideful people. Prayerless pastors do not sense any need for the fullness of God's Presence and power, because they are full of themselves. They believe their past performance or present position are sufficient proof of their importance to God and the people they are called to serve. Appearances can be deceiving.

Jesus was profoundly moved, by the insight of the centurion. He recognized God was at work in the life of Jesus, because the Son could be trusted to carry out the will of the Father. He
saw between God and Jesus, the existence of a synergistic relationship. It was similar enough to the one he had with his own king, that he could see with the eyes of faith into the unseen hand of God at work. "Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that was following Him, 'I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.' " (Luke 7:9)

The amazing insight of the Roman centurion brought great commendation from Jesus. His discernment was based upon his experience as a soldier under the Emperor of Rome. He knew his power was derived from someone greater than himself. It was only available to him, if he maintained his submission and obedience to this higher authority. The centurion recognized this dynamic in Jesus. It was His proper relationship under the authority of God that allowed Jesus to be a representative of God's power on earth. The principle is the same for every soldier in the army of God. Jesus set the pattern. To be a public dispenser of God's authority, He knew He must first be under God's authority. No servant is greater than his Master.

The Practice of Prayer: Do people in authority rub you the wrong way? Do you chaff under the exercise of authority in your life? Do you struggle to be on your own, or to have your own way? Do you undermine people in authority over you? Do you always have a better idea, keener insight, and infallible hindsight, when you evaluate those to whom you are accountable? Pray for them, and ask God, "What do you want me to learn from You by being under Your authority?

Thought for the Day: A position of authority is no guarantee of the Presence of God's power. God grants His power to people who come to Him in prayer, and yield themselves to His authority over their lives.

"Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence." Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Prayer Principle of Multiplication

Principle: Placing our resources into God's hands, increases our dependency upon Him and releases His blessing towards us.

"...looking up to Heaven. He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to put before the multitude." Luke 9:16

When "The Twelve" came to Jesus, they gave Him a directive rather than ask Him for a sense of direction. They probably loved being seen as the leaders of a great movement, but they did not see themselves as responsible for those who were following them. They advised Jesus to send the people away, so they could fend for themselves. Jesus turned their advice to Him ,into an assignment for them. "You give them something to eat!" (Luke 9:13)

More than once, God has allowed His children to come to the end of their rope, in a desolate place. He doesn't want them to make more rope, so the ends can meet between the end of themselves and the beginning of God. He calls on His children to fall from the end of their limited or exhausted resources, and into His hands. They find their rest, when they pray their best, for what only God can do.

When Jesus told His disciples to provide food for 5,000 men, from their own resources, they were faced with the hopelessness of their situation. "We have not more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people." (Luke 9:13b)

John is the only one of the four Gospel writers who tells us the resources did not even come from the disciples, but from a small boy. "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" (John 6:9)

Jesus told the disciples to seat the people in groups of fifty, took what a child made available to Him, and thanked God for it. What was going through the disciples minds, while they were seating the people is not recorded. Setting the table for a banquet in a desolate place surely prompted one of the twelve to mutter, "This is going to take a miracle."

When they took what they had and placed it in His hands, a miracle took place. Jesus wants His people to let Him turn the impossible into the HIMpossible. "And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them and kept giving them to to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they ate and were satisfied." (Luke 9:16)
God specializes in impossible situations. He has no desire for His people to pool their resources and talents to determine what they can do for Him. Furthermore, He does not want to be given credit for their small dreams and minor accomplishments. It is embarrassing to think how many times the Kingdom of God has been blamed for the efforts of man.

Things seldom start looking up until down hearted people look up to God in prayer. Prayer turns their faces away from the hopelessness of their situation. Prayer enables a person to look up to God in hopefulness, for the resources of Heaven. Prayer warriors find out that nothing is impossible with God.

Jesus showed the disciples that a concern for others would not mean they would have to do without. "And they all ate and were satisfied, and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full." (Luke 9:17)

Isn't it just like God to take the broken pieces, in a desolate place, to remind His children that He cares for them? No matter what their need may be or where the place may be, God is there to receive what they give to Him, and do His best with it. He desires for His children to trust Him to meet them and their need right there in the middle of it.

The Practice of Prayer: What are you praying for that is impossible? Whatever it is, the harder the better, start praying for it today!

Thought for the Day: What is not going to happen unless God takes the field? You won't embarrass God by asking Him to do something that you cannot do. Life only becomes embarrassing for you, when you to attempt to do something you have no business doing. When you come to the end of your rope, stop making rope. Fall into the Father's hands, with all you have, to receive all that He has for you.

"Man's extremity is God's opportunity." George Whitefield (1714-1770)

The Prayer Principle of Insulation

"And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them." Luke 9:18

Principle: Prayer has the capacity to enable a prayer warrior to benefit from the Presence of God, without interference from the presence of people.

Complete solitude and absolute silence are not prerequisites for a prayer warrior to establish a layer of insulation between the Presence of God, and the interference of others. It is possible to be "alone" in a crowded plane, a busy sidewalk, traffic gridlock or an intimidating classroom. Intimacy with God is not limited to a pristine sanctuary or retreat.

God is not limited by time and space. He is available for immediate intimacy and instant communication. Regardless of the circumstances and conditions of surrounding the seeker, God is near, and He is listening. The Scripture portrays this "prayer paradox" when it describes Jesus surrounded by His disciples, and yet He is alone with God in prayer.

Jesus had established intimacy with God, by praying as He walked to the city of Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16). His conversation with God was not interrupted by the general crowd noise of others around Him. In fact, the conversations He overheard were most likely a stimulus rather than a hindrance to His time with God.

It appears Jesus may have been praying for God to give His disciple's insight concerning His true identity. His question sought to discover if God had responded to His request. Peter passed the oral exam with high marks for insight and sensitivity to the revelation of God. In Matthew's account, Jesus rejoiced that God accomplished through prayer, what flesh and blood could not achieve: spiritual insight. Effective prayer calls for God to reveal Himself to others. It asks God to do what only He can do, and accomplish something only He can get credit for.

The Practice of Prayer: Practice the Presence of God by identifying the times and places you need to be able to insulate yourself. Surround yourself with the Presence of God, by getting alone with Him. Pray to Him and hear from Him, in spite of the crowded conditions surrounding you.

Thought for the Day: As long as there is a math class, there will be prayer in schools.

"It is not enough for the pastors to pray fervently, nor is it sufficient for a leadership team to pray ardently on behalf of the congregation. Until the church owns prayers as a world class weapon in the battle against evil and cherishes prayer as a means of intimate and constant communication with God, the turn around efforts of a body are severely limited, if not altogether doomed, to failure." George Barna

The Prayer Principle of Transformation

"He took along Peter, John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray, and while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming." Luke 9:28-29

Principle: When prayer does not change things, it changes people. Changed people are used by God to change the world.

Twice, Luke uses four words to describe the prayer life of Jesus, "while He was praying." The first time we see these words they precede His baptism. This time He is praying with three of His disciples. Each time, God did something very special in the life of Jesus, while He was praying. God honors preaching, serving, and giving, but He releases His greatest power and highest purpose, while His people are praying.

At the mountain prayer meeting, even the disciples were able to experience the overflow of this powerful prayer connection between Jesus and His Father. This was a mountain top experience like no other in history. When they saw, Elijah, and Moses speaking with Jesus, they wanted to memorialize the occasion with a building program. God intervened, and told them to listen to His Son.

Praying people will never relegate Jesus to an equal status with a mere historical figure or a contemporary celebrity. A prayer warrior with a weakened prayer life will always desire to hear more from man than from God. Racing through a book written by the Christian celebrity of the moment and skipping the Scripture references is a warning sign of this kind of condition.

Prayer does not always change the circumstances that surround God's people. Prayer does focus the attention of His children on the One who does not change, "Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow." (Hebrews 13:8) It is the focus on God's Promise that changes people. These changed people change the world.

When prayer does not change circumstances, it will change the way a prayer warrior responds to the circumstances. Prayer brings about a transformation in the life of praying people, when they focus their attention on the Promise rather than their problem.

Jesus invited Peter, James and John to join Him for a unique encounter with God. They must have gloried in the experience and anticipated receiving privileged positions and awesome power. Jesus focused on God. They focused on sleep. When the three disciples woke up they saw Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, overheard them talking about the departure of Jesus for Jerusalem. This was the first time Moses had stepped foot in the Promise Land. Elijah's prophetic perseverance had been honored, by receiving a personal explanation from the lips of the Messiah.

While He was praying, the appearance of Jesus became different even though the circumstances around Him did not change. He knew His privileged position as the Christ meant a death on the cross. Jesus was tempted, but would not choose to avoid this death, because "while He was praying" His will would always be conforming to the will of God. He received the circumstances of the cross, and fulfilled His purpose for coming to earth.

"While He was praying" indicates Jesus focused on the Presence of God, not the pain of the cross. By praying, He put Himself in the only position that would lead to an encounter with God. His appearance was transformed, but His mission remained the same. He would still go to the cross, but He was transformed by His time alone with God.

The circumstances would not change, but His appearance was transformed, by the Presence of God. Prayer takes people beyond their personal preferences and into intimate communication with God. When Jesus prayed, it had an impact on Him that others will be able to see.

Time alone with God is not meant to be a way out, but a time out. Any exhausted athlete knows the words of Vince Lombardi still ring true, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Prayer provides the courage that removes fear from the heart, and transforms weaklings into warriors. These warriors make their greatest stand, when they kneel down. While they are praying, God changes them, and the world can see the difference.

The Practice of Prayer: Make a list of the intimidating people and infuriating circumstances that rob you of your joy in life. Place this list before God, and pray for an encounter with Him that will change you into the person God wants you to be in the midst of the circumstances that surround you. Stay in His Presence long enough for your joy to grow and your list to shrink.

Thought for the Day. Can people tell when you have been in prayer?

"The great people of the earth are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer, nor yet those who can explain about prayer, but I mean those people who take time to pray." S. D. Gordon