Call to Prayer II

Most of us really don’t know how to pray. We have some idea, and mostly our prayers turn into a personal wish list. Here's a teaching about how to pray that may give some structure to help us discipline ourselves and have our prayers emanate into the world and push back the darkness pressing in on us from a world that praises those things that deceive, ruin, damage us.

This teaching I recently received and it comes from Pastor Dick Eastman, the International President of “Every Home for Christ”.

It’s absolutely necessary to set a specific time for daily devotional prayer. Morning is usually best. Our minds are uncluttered, we can focus, and we get ourselves aligned with God for the rest of the day. It’s the setting of the time that’s important, but it’s not necessary to set a time limit except for it to fit into your schedule. You may have to rearrange your schedule, maybe not do something that’s part of your routine. Not watch that TV program, or stay up and watch the eleven o’clock news, or get up a little earlier to make room for what's truly important.  

From Pastor Eastman’s book, Look What God Is Doing!  if you can get up to an hour, understandably tough if this is a new evolution in your life, is something to work toward. He breaks personal prayer hour into twelve five minute segments.

~Praise, recognizing God’s nature

~Waiting, silent soul surrender

~Confession

~Scripture Praying, prayer with your Bible open and read scripture

~Watching, develop holy alertness

~Intercession

~Petition, share personal needs

~Thanksgiving

~Singing, a sure challenge for some

~Meditation, ponder spiritual themes

~Listening, receive spiritual instruction

~Praise, bring it back to where you started

When praying intercession pray for your neighborhood; even take a walk through it, praying for those in each house you pass. Create a personal prayer list for family and friends that need intercession.

He gives us several spheres of influence.

~Monday, Pray for those in the Arts and Entertainment, including Sports. Ask God to use Christians here to touch lives.

~Tuesday, Pray for those in business.

~Wednesday, Pray for those in education, especially teachers.

~Thursday, Pray for families, especially those families facing breakup.

~Friday, Pray for those in Government, local to national, and international. Pick a country each day. Get a prayer map of the world to do this.

~Saturday, pray for those in the Media to become tools for Jesus Christ to change our culture from the baseness it exalts now to reflecting His honor and glory.

~Sunday, pray for the anointing of all churches and ministries. Pray for other religions to see the truth of the Gospel.

Pastor Eastman has three focuses, the first a “Prayer Focus” for our neighborhood and for the nations. For your neighborhood, start a prayer watch over them, walk the neighborhood praying. Declare God’s praises over your neighborhood. Whenever you can, lead your neighbors to Jesus. For the nations open doors to spread the Gospel, open minds to hear the Gospel, open hearts to embrace the Gospel, and open the Heavens to reveal the Gospel.

The second focus he calls the “Care Focus” to show Christ’s Love to a hurting world. For our neighbors bless them, know them (very tough in this time of mistrust), help whenever you can, and tell them the Good News. For Nations, remember to be like Jesus and be compassionate, remember to care for the suffering, and remember Him by sharing the “Bread of Life” (he is the bread).

The last is a “Share Focus” to share Christ’s Love through personal and relations evangelism, where we work, play and live.

This is a call to prayer in a darkening world consenting to live in the shadow of the Adversary. We need to penetrate that every day, for everybody, everywhere, and in every home.

You can get learn more and get involved in “Every Home for Christ” by visiting http://www.ehc.org/index.jsp, or calling 800 423 5054.