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Saturday, March 21, 2020

The Gift of Prayer




Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
New King James Version www.biblegateway.com 

Gift: a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.www.bing.com

Something offered to me, but I must accept it!

Have you sensed you want God’s guidance, but have no idea how to pray? In “The Gift of Prayer,” Dr. Stanley combines scripture and photography to acquaint the reader with down-to-earth direction.

In this brief review, I will only touch on one topic: praying for others. Has a friend or family member asked you to pray for them, however you have no idea what to say? Has God placed someone on your heart, you desire to pray for them, nevertheless you have no idea what is their issue?

Using the life-changing prayer found in Colossians 1:9-12, Dr. Stanley devotes the next seven pages to explain six parts of this prayer answering what is your responsibility and what is God’s responsibility. Each theme ends with a prayer. 

"Father, how grateful I am that I can talk to You about absolutely anything--including the needs of my family members, friends, coworkers, fellow believers, and acquaintances. I may not be able to help them, but I am thankful that through the awesome gift of prayer I can lift them up to You--and You can transform their lives in miraculous ways.
   You know who is on my heart right now, Father. I pray that this individual would be filled with the knowledge of Your will, would walk in a manner worthy of You, would bear fruit in every good work, would increase in the knowledge of You, and would be strengthened with all Your power and wisdom to stand against sin and embrace who You created him or her to be. I give thanks to You, Father, for this person's life. I know You formed this precious individual with great purposes in mind--even if this person is far from those plans right now. But with You, Father, there is always hope! Transform this situation in the way only You can.
   In Jesus' loving and life-changing name I pray. Amen." Page 128

After reading this 150 page book, I sensed encouragement, peacefulness, and calmness. Please read The Gift of Prayer and share your thoughts!!!     

Stanley, Charles F. The Gift of Prayer. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2019.