Prayer Texts

February 6, 1991

Prayer Meeting

FOCUS Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord."

Invocation:

Help us to be very conscious that we are in Your presence, O Lord. Amen.

I heard Reuben Welch via video: speaking from the book of Philippians, and in a nutshell his outline was that Philippians was about

  1. Ch 1=LIFE OF CHRIST
  2. Ch 2=MIND OF CHRIST
  3. Ch 3=GOALS OF CHRIST
  4. Ch 4=STRENGTH OF CHRIST

and Reuben Welch said that in each case in order to receive that which is Christ's we had to relinquish claim on that which is our own. I like that; and by God's grace, I DO!

The LIFE of Christ in Chapter One

Intro:

Some "take home" verses: (6) For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (21) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

  1. PRIMACY OF PRAYER FOR [the church] FAMILY

    3-5 I thank my God in every remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in every remembrance of you. God's church is family. Lifting the family in prayer is always in order; always our first order of business.

  2. PURPOSE OF PRAYER FOR THE FAMILY

    9-11 And this I pray (1) that your love may abound still more and more [i.e. for compassion] (2) in real knowledge and all discernment [i.e. for discernment, mature and grounded faith], (3) so that you may approve the things that are excellent, etc. [i.e. for effectiveness; for being able to major on the majors and minor on the minors.]

  3. THE POWER BEHIND PAUL'S PRAYER FOR THE FAMILY

    21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

    Reuben Welch said that in order to receive that which is Christ's we have to relinquish claim on that which is our own! Paul had deliberately chosen God's will and way over his own. (Galatians 2:20) It is a choice that God will help us to make, too. And to keep on making.

  4. THE PATTERN OF LIFE THIS PRAYER PRODUCES

    27-30 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .

    1. standing firm in one spirit [i.e. love, concern for lost]...
    2. with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel [i.e. jealous for the Lordship of Jesus Christ; no "pushover" for sweet talk and pantheism]
    3. in no way alarmed by your opponents [i.e. we will be opposed; it is a good sign]
    4. For to you it has been granted . . . to suffer for (Christ's) sake. [i.e. we can turn our "hardships" into opportunity to really be alive in God.]

January 22, 1992

GEORGE MÜLLER'S PRAYER LEGACY

In 1836 in Bristol, England, opened an Orphanage with, I believe, 42 children who had neither father or mother. Later Mr. Müller was able to open several other homes for orphans, and greatly expand the numbers of children he served, the last house holding 700 orphans.

What was unique about these orphanages, however, was the way they were funded and supplied. Mr. Müller stated that his third aim was the bodily welfare of the children, but higher than that, he sought their spiritual welfare, that they should know Jesus Christ as Savior. But he declared that his chief aim was the glory of God. He wrote:

"I ... particularly longed to be used by God in getting the dear orphans trained up in the fear of God; - but still, the first and primary object of the work was (and still is:) that God might be magnified by the fact, that the orphans under my care are provided with all they need, only by prayer and faith without anyone being asked by me or my fellow-laborers whereby it may be seen, that God is FAITHFUL STILL, and HEARS PRAYER STILL."

[Read one or two instances of answered prayer:] Read Pages 33-37, starting with the last sentence on page 32: How to be effective in prayer. Conclude with George Müller's

How to Ascertain the Will of God:

"I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.

Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving the most important issues, I have found this method always effective."

Focus: Psalm

469 I Must Tell Jesus

123 What a Friend we have in Jesus

441 For God so loved this sinful world

209 He is Able to Deliver Thee

EH 33 Behold the Throne of Grace

44 Whate'er I Ask, I Surely know

10 Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God

Prayer Requests: