Prayer Requests

Prayer changes things.....
When I pray, God hears....God moves on my petition.
Prayer changes me...
When I pray, I am learning that God is worthy to be trusted with my request.
Prayer changes me....
When someone prays for me, I am the recipient of God's goodness and favor, whether it is a prayer to uncover me so I can see my sin, or a prayer to help me with a problem.
Prayer changes me...

Prayer changes the way I see the world....
Hebrews 12:1-2 reads: ....."let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus....."
Why this focus on Jesus during the course of this life race?
Because He is the mediator, or go between, me and God. He is the focal point of my prayers.
The Holy Spirit tells me what to pray (at least that is the way it's suppose to work). As I pray, the Holy Spirit takes my prayer and relays it to Jesus who, in turn, gives to the Father. The Father then acts upon my request. The main thing in this entire cycle of communication is the prayer that I pray. Why? Because if what I am asking God for has not been stirred in me by the Holy Spirit, I am praying wrongly. I am asking things that may have been formed in my flesh, or that old Nature I possess that leads me to do things contrary to God's will. So I want to always be aware of "what" I am praying. More importantly, I want to be aware of "WHY" I am praying it. Was this from God? Or was it just me?

Here are the prayer request from Rapha. If you would, please join me and let's keep these request before God.

1.) Prayer for a brother who also suffers from addiction. It seems that the brother has a good amount of time in recovery and has been doing quiet well, but over the past few months seems to be slipping back into old ways and old habits. Much concern for him.

2.) Most common prayer request this week....."I want to be sober. Pray for my sobriety."
I asked all who wanted this request, "What are you willing to do for your sobriety? How far are you willing to go?" So the prayer I would suggest would be to ask God to bring all who asked for sobriety under conviction that decisions would be made.

3.) Prayer for a father who is confined to a wheel chair. That is some concern that his mental state is deteriorating because of this lack of mobility. Pray that depression and despair would be kept at bay. Pray also that this father would find gratefulness in his life.

4.) Prayer for parents: Dad is dealing with severe health issues. Mom is struggling with watching her husband go through this particular condition. Pray that God would grant them the grace and strength to see this all the way through. Also Prayer for complete healing to both of them.

5.) Wife if pregnant with second child. Father is in treatment, away from family. He is torn between being with wife, and being at Rapha. He knows that he needs to stay and get himself better, but the heart wants to direct him back home. Prayer that God would do, in both of these people, the things necessary to give them a future that has hope in it.

6.) Pray that God would pour out His Spirit that would provoke a hunger to study the Word. To renew the minds (and hearts) of those who are going through the program. Pray that God would reveal Himself in ways that would open the eyes of every man.

There you go....
Please be diligent in praying for these requests...
Thank you for joining me in keeping these men, in our prayers, before God that He might break the bondage of addiction in their lives.

God on you....
mb