40 Day Prayer Challenge

Pray for someONE.

When you pray, do you find that you get easily distracted? Have your prayers become stagnant? Are you frustrated that you haven’t made any headway with leading YOUR ONE to Christ?

In Luke 11, Jesus was approached by an anonymous, soul-starved disciple, desiring to learn how to pray. Jesus responded by pointing them to the Presence of His Father: “…When you pray, say, ‘Father…’” (Luke 11:2).

Throughout His time on earth, Jesus led His disciples to enroll in a life-long learning process, the School of Prayer. School is always in session, everything is a test, and students are free to learn at their own pace, but they must learn the most important lesson of their lives, “…not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

Over the next 40 Days, our very own Dr. Gary Miller of Talk Less Pray More ministries will prepare a daily devotional that will be sent directly to your phone each day. Want to go even deeper? We will have complimentary copies of his new book available in the lobby on Sunday.

To receive daily text message reminders, simply text Southlake to 97000. You can also find more interaction on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Don’t be afraid to spread the word!

Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father, and His child.”
-Don Miller

Who's Your One (you are praying for)?

The Shame

"None of God's children..comes into the world still-born; prayer is the very breath of the new creature: and therefore, if we are prayerless, we are Christless."
George Whitefield, 1714-1770

English evangelist, pastor, preacher, and leader of the First Great Awakening, Whitefield crossed the Atlantic 13 times to fan the flames of Spiritual Awakening in the American colonies. His tireless efforts forged a spiritual bond between these 13 separate entities that led to the idea of a United States of America.

NOTE TO SELF: The public shaming of Christians in America has become an acceptable expression of art in the entertainment industry. Screaming at the TV screen, or changing the channel will not change the heart of a shameless person. The Spiritual climate of a nation is changed one heart at a time. Let it begin in you. "If we are prayerless, we are Christless." Never be ashamed of being shamed by the shameless. Be ashamed of being prayerless.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Past

BLAST FROM THE PAST: "Dear Friends and Brethren...we recommend that The Colony at large cultivate that Christian Union...which is the only foundation on which our invaluable privileges can rest with any security..."

Matthew Thornton, President of the Provincial Congress June 1775 wrote these words to the people of New Hampshire. He was a devout Presbyterian, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a Founding Father of USA.

A nation that severs the knowledge of the sweet roots of its past will bear the bitter fruit of its ignorance. The prayer closet, and the voting booth remain the last two silent, sacred sanctuaries of this nation.

NOTE TO SELF: Pray for all your leaders, and vote to replace the wrong leaders. You have the power to protect the Religious Liberty that has been provided to you, by those who led the way.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Challenge

Resurrection Challenge: For the next forty days, prepare your heart for the celebration of Resurrection Sunday, by drawing closer to The Father, and by praying for some ONE who needs to draw closer to Him.

Prayer Principle: Prayer is the priority. The early disciples saw Jesus perform great miracles for them, but they asked Him to give them the one thing they needed the most. “Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11:1.

You cannot make more time to pray, but learn to set aside time to pray. Someone you know needs to be saved. Someone you know needs to be invited to join you for the Easter services of your church.

P.U.S.H. - Pray Until Something Happens!

Prayer for the Day: Father, thank you for saving me, through the death of Your Son, Jesus Christ. I call upon Your Holy Spirit, who dwells within me, to bring to my mind, and to place upon my heart, the name of some ONE who needs to be saved, and some ONE I can invite to join me for the Easter services of my church.

Quote for the Day:
“I know well that when Christ is nearest, Satan is busiest."
Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813-1843)

The Taker

"And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...pray at all times in the Spirit." Ephesians 6:17-18

"Take" is God's call to action, to wage war against unseen, spiritual forces of relentless evil. His warriors overcome this powerful enemy, by staying in the word, and praying in the Spirit.
Staying in the word reveals God's strategy, for resisting the enemy. Knowledge of God's word isn't power. His word reveals your weakness, and prepares you to pray for His power.

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

NOTE TO SELF: Staying power is inseparably linked to prayer power. Praying in the Spirit releases a blood transfusion of His courage into your heart, to strengthen your grip on His sword. Prayer transforms a powerless values system into a powerful weapons system. You need both to resist the enemy.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Commitment

"Abide in Me..."
John 15:4

The library books of Pastor Joseph Tson, exiled Romanian pastor, were printed before the Communist Revolution of 1917. In 1990, Tson preached to Texas Baptists. He said he knew nothing about making a commitment to Christ, without an absolute surrender to Christ.

There is great danger in replacing a life of absolute surrender, with an initial act of personal commitment. Personal Commitment to Christ is an entering into a relationship with Him. Absolute Surrender to Christ is a continuing obedience to Him.

NOTE TO SELF: Your personal commitment, and absolute surrender are not at war with one another. They fight, back to back, against a common foe, your SELF. Your Personal Commitment is a momentous beginning. Your Absolute Surrender is a continuous yielding. Abiding in Christ is birthed, and bathed in prayer. The way you come on, is the way you go on.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Update

HEALTH UPDATE: 105 days ago, Dana woke me up at midnight, with urgent news from my Nephrologist. He had called to order me go to the ER...IMMEDIATELY. My kidneys were failing.
When I arrived at the ER, the registering nurse was shocked to discover my kidneys were operating at a 12% capacity. She asked if I was on a transplant list. As the kids say, "It just got real."

These past days have included two trips to the ER, and two extended hospital stays. This involved fighting off sepsis in October, and facing surgery, a week before Christmas.

Yesterday, after weeks of recovery, I met with the same Nephrologist to review my progress. He said my kidneys were healing, and all my lab numbers were moving in the right direction. He doesn't want to see me for six months.

This past week, Dana and I carried out our first ministry assignment since October. I was a little weak in the knees, during the first session, but I gained strength the next day. All was well.
To be honest, I don't have much stamina, but I am progressing in the right direction. In time, it will come.

Thank you for praying for me through this experience. I would not wish it on anyone, but I would not trade it for anything. Once again, Dana and I have been reminded, Jesus is in the waiting. God answers prayer.

"Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:1

Gratefully,
Gary and Dana Miller

The Obedience

"Children, obey your parents." Colossians 3:20

NOTE TO SELF: Obedience, not resistance, pleases God. It is amazing how much smarter your parents will become, the older you get. Parental direction isn't unexpected rain on your parade. It is a helping hand into a life-boat. Praying for your parents increases your desire to obey them.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Champion

“Stop thinking of it as a curse to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing too. A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends." 
Nicky Lauda (Formula One world-champion race car driver)

NOTE TO SELF: Whatever or whoever drives you to your knees has put you in the best position to finish the race stronger than if you had tried to stand on your own two feet. Kneeling in the face of the enemy gives you a clearer picture of The Champion, and it is His Presence that drives your enemy from the field of the conflict.

"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless study, prayerless work or prayerless religion. He mocks at our wisdom, and laughs at our toil, but he trembles when we pray."
Samuel Chadwick

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Junction

"Prayer, much prayer, is the price of preaching unction; prayer, much prayer, is the one sole condition of keeping this unction. Without unceasing prayer the unction never comes to the preacher. Without perseverance in prayer, the unction, like the manna overkept, breeds worms." E.M. Bounds, PREACHER & PRAYER, 1907.

NOTE TO SELF. Pray for preachers in the pulpit & people in the pews to meet at the UNCTION JUNCTION this Sunday.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!