Prayer Life
The mission, if you choose to accept it, involves praying and eating,
and lots and lots of laughing.
Looking for a place to get involved but so far you haven't been able
to find a good fit? Try joining the Friday Morning Prayer Power Team. Every Friday morning (9:00-11:00), we get together at the Prete Street Ministry Centre (885
Prete Street, click here for directions). Join us whenever you have a
free Friday or come regularly. Under the leadership of Jean Mahood, all
attendees will have the opportunity to pray, take part in a short Bible
study, fellowship, and enjoy some good, old-fashioned laugh therapy,
followed by a buffet lunch at the Holiday Inn.
The Intimacy of Prayer for Couples
"By God’s design, praying with your spouse intensifies and strengthens your spiritual bond. When you pray together, your vulnerability with your heavenly Father deepens and enriches your marriage relationship.
Here are a few ideas for making your prayer time as a couple even more meaningful:
Break routine: Don’t let mealtime be the only time you pray together. It is hard to feel disconnected when you pray together before falling asleep.
Be real: Confess your sins to each other when you pray. (James 5:16)
Before you fall asleep tonight, reach for your spouse’s hand, pray and offer a gentle kiss good night. Inviting your spouse into your personal conversation with the Lord will deepen your marriage even as it strengthens your relationship with God."
Reference:"Thriving Family", a magazine from Focus on the Family, Summer 2011, by Ted Cunningham.
How to Pray
Nothing special is needed to pray. Some people chatter away to God all
day long, with a conversation-like exchange running in their heads. Others like to sit at a special spot in their house, early in the morning, or
just before bed, take some quiet time to collect their thoughts, maybe play an inspirational CD, hold their Bible or cross in their hand, or
light a candle and then pray to our Lord.
Just the act of consciously praying - talking and listening to God -
helps us take a moment from our busy lives and to change tracks and to
focus in on God.
Prayer is basically talking with God. It is the act of spending time
with Him. It is important to remember that Prayer is not a one way activity,
God speaks, we listen, we speak and God listens to our hearts.
Some people find it helps to start off with THANKS - thanking God for everything He brings into your life, being grateful for His protection, what He provides, for His blessing and for Jesus. Another part of prayer would be FOREGIVENESS - admitting to God that you have sinned and asking for His forgiveness, guidance and strength not to sin in that manner again. Sometimes we PETITION God - this is where we ask God for those sometimes personal and specific things we need in our lives ( a job for a husband, good school marks for a child).It is important to be specific and not ask in generalities. PRAYING FOR OTHERS is where we plead on someone else's behalf (It could be for war to end, for healing to occur for a relative or for all of humanity to take better care of our planet - God's world).
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the
Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time. Enjoying one moment at a time. Accepting hardship
as a pathway to peace. Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world, as it
is, not as I would have it. Trusting that You will make all things right,
WHEN I surrender to your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this
life, and supremely happy with you in the next. Reinhold Niebuhr
Healthy Miracles: A Testimonial from Gayle Pasanen
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6
I have had a history of finding lumps in my breast, so despite having received an all clear medical examination in the fall of 2010, I was not overly surprised to find another one a few months later. On the evening of December 12th another large lump, about the size of a kiwi fruit was there. Together with family and friends I prayed hard to God that this would turn out to be nothing to worry about out, just a benign cyst.
What I was not prepared for was the speed in which God answered our prayers. Normally getting into see my doctor and a specialist would have taken months - a period fraught with worry and dread. My miracle took 4 days - only 4 days!
December 13th I called my family doctor who asked me to come in immediately. The lump was confirmed and an ultrasound was promised. By the time I got home, there was a call stating a cancellation just occurred and could I go in right away for the ultrasound. The Ultrasound technician said that in his opinion, it was in fact breast cancer so I was then scheduled for a biopsy for a few days later - another amazingly short appointment.
More hours went by with more prayers for a positive outcome. Incredibly, on the day of the surgery (December 15th), I woke up to find that the lump had disappeared. It seemed unimaginable! I went to the Doctor for the surgery and sure enough, my doctor confirmed that the lump had completely disappeared, so no surgery was needed.
God really does work in wonderful, mysterious ways.
Message Notes