PURPOSE: GOD ANSWERS PRAYER IS NOT JUST A SLOGAN. OUTCOMES: EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES, JESUS SAID (MATT 7:8) BUT EVEN AS A LOVING FATHER FILTERS THE REQUEST OF HIS CHILDREN, GOD CONSIDERS OUR REQUESTS THROUGH THE LENS OF HIS PERFECT WILL. HE RESPONDS WITH SOMETHING THAT WILL PROVE TO BE FAR BETTER THAN WHAT WE’D BEEN WANTING. NO GOOD THING DOES HE WITHHOLD FROM THOSE WHO WALK UPRIGHTLY (PSALM 84:11)

GOD’S ANSWERS TO PRAYER YES, IMMEDIATELY YES, IN DUE TIME YES, SO YOU WILL LEARN FROM IT NO, BECAUSE YOUR HEART IS NOT RIGHT NO, I’VE GOT A BETTER PLAN BUT DON’T FORGET THAT MANY TIMES THE ONLY REASON WHY HAVE SOMETHING FROM HIM IS BECAUSE WE NEVER ASKED IN THE FIRST PLACE (JAMES 4:2). EVEN IF GOD SAID NO OR NOT YET 50% OF THE TIME, WE SHOULD NOT LET THAT STOP US FROM ASKING AND HEARING A YES WITH ALL THE REST!

PURPOSE: PRAYER SHOULD BE A PART OF YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE OUTCOMES: WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (1 THESSALONIANS 5:17) NEVER BE FAR AWAY FROM TALKING TO OR LISTENING TO GOD PRAYER SHOULD BE A NATURAL PART OF OUR THINKING NOT JUST IN OUR WORSHIP, BUT IN OUR WORK NOT JUST IN OUR QUIET TIME, BUT IN OUR CHAOS WE PRAY BECAUSE HE’S THERE WE PRAY BECAUSE HE’S GOD WE PRAY BECAUSE HE CARES

SCHEDULED PRAYER DOES IT MEAN WE ARE SINNING IF WE ARE NOT PRAYING EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY? THE BIBLE CONNECTS PRAYER TO THE BURNING OF INCENSE BEFORE THE LORD; REVELATIONS 5:8, SAYS THE GOLDEN BOWLS OF INCENSE IN HEAVEN ARE “THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS”. DAVID ALSO WROTE, “MAY MY PRAYER BE COUNTED AS INCENSE BEFORE YOU; THE LIFTING UP OF MY HANDS AS THE EVENING OFFERING” (PSALM 141:2). BOTTOM-LINE: EXODUS 30:7-8, STATES THAT “THERE SHALL BE PERPETUAL INCENSE BEFORE THE LORD THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS”. THE WAY WE SHOULD LOOK AT PRAYER IS A CONSTANT ATTITUDE OF PRAYER. BUT, RECOGNIZING IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A CONSTANT ATTITUDE TOWARD PRAYER, WE MUST SCHEDULE PRAYER DAILY. WE MUST PRAY AT WORK, WE MUST PRAY WITH OUR FAMILY, AND WE MUST PRAY WITH AND FOR OTHERS.

WHEN: SPONTANEOUS PRAYER THE BATTLE PLAN FOR PRAYER CHAPTER 9 PURPOSE: LET EVERYONE WHO IS GODLY PRAY TO YOU IN A TIME WHEN YOU MAY BE FOUND. (PSALM 32:6) OUTCOMES: WHEN WE COMMIT TO DAILY/SCHEDULE PRAYER, WE POSITION OURSELVES TO SEEK AND HEAR FROM GOD AT A DEEPER LEVEL ADDITIONALLY, UNPLANNED EVENTS GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRAY AT A MOMENTS NOTICE WE MUST BE PREPARED TO PRAY SPONTANEOUS PRAYERS, BASED ON WHATEVER COMES AT US DURING THE DAY (WE ARE SOLDIERS ON THE BATTLE FIELD) PRAYERS CAN COME IN ALL SHADES AND COLORS; IT CAN COME AS A UNEXPECTED BLESSING; IT CAN COME AS YOU HEAR SOMEONE IS IN A CRISIS; IT CAN COME AS YOU ASK FOR WISDOM AND CLARITY IN MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION

PRAYER SHOULD BE YOUR IMMEDIATE REFLEX SO AS YOU ENGAGE WITH LIFE, LET THESE THINGS PROMPT YOU TO PRAY NEWNESS NEEDS BLESSINGS BURDENS CRISIS WORRIES SINS ALLOWING OUR CIRCUMSTANCES TO LAUNCH OUR PRAYERS KEEPS US IN THE STRATEGIC POSITION OF ENCOUNTERING GOD’S RESPONSE. REMEMBER THE TOPICS YOU CAN PRAY FOR ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. SO KEEP YOUR SPONTANEOUS PRAYERS AT THE READY, AND LAUNCH THEM TO THE FATHER AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE. HE’S LISTENING.