My P-R-A-Y-E-R Journal
A 90-day Journey to a More Fulfilled Prayer Life
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Epigraph
The Siamese Twins of Prayer
Faith is always praying.
Prayer is always believing.
Faith must have a tongue by which it can speak.
Prayer is the tongue of faith.
Faith must receive.
Prayer is the hand of faith stretched out to receive.
Prayer must rise and soar.
Faith must give prayer the wings to fly and soar.
Prayer must have an audience with God.
Faith opens the door, and access and audience are given.
Prayer asks.
Faith lays its hand on the thing asked for.
“Prayer – Its Possibilities,” E. M. Bounds in A 12-Month Guide to Better Prayer, Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsvillle, OH 44683, www.barbourbooks.com
Preface
Welcome to a journey with the God of your creation in the exploration of His will for your life and the depth, height, breadth of His grace through prayer. This is a discipline of the walk with God in communion with Him that is the weakest of all of the disciplines in the Christian walk. Charles Spurgeon and E. M. Bounds are renowned preachers, teachers, and authors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries; great men of prayer who, even a century and more ago, spoke of the weakness of the prayer life of the church. I have great admiration for these writers above all others.
This journal is not intended to become a ritual to be performed, but, rather, an instrument to develop the discipline of prayer, of communion with our Lord, that in so developing this conversational relationship with Him, He will perform that which we ask according to His will, to His Glory, and to the benefit of others and self. Prayer is intended to reveal the Glory of God with the benefit falling on others and self as the revelation of God. Prayer is not to be the means to the end of causing God to bend to our will as we make our petitions to Him.
Prayer apart from a study of the word of God is but words uttered into the air that result in a false sense of well-being with the God to whom we have been “praying.” True prayer is communion with God 1) in search of His will, 2) in finding understanding of His will, 3) in more fully applying the truth of His will in your daily walk, and 4) in expression of gratitude as He grants to you of His bountiful grace revealing the Persons of the Trinity; not seeking the service of God (as is often the case), but service to God by a grateful people.
How does one approach the throne of God as we are invited and encouraged to do? (Hebrews 4:16) A study of the Temple of Israel will give insight to the requirements as established by God; however, as such a study is left to other works and is not therefore the purpose of this journal of your journey with God, suffice it to say that we are to be cleansed, made pure in His sight for He cannot look upon sin. We who are in Christ are cleansed before we enter His presence that we may enter into communion with Him. (Hebrews 10:19) In His presence we search, with Him, to discover His will, His purpose, for us. Many come to God simply to tell Him what they want Him to do for them (by the way, ‘telling’ is not the same as ‘asking’ – which we are invited and encouraged to do. Before Him we must remember who we are that we might know who He is. It is in knowing Him that we can ask, seek, knock as we are invited to do. (Matthew 7:7-8)
The concept for this book is based on the acronym:
P-R-A-Y-E-R
as a means to present a method to remember the elements of prayer. These elements appear on each page as follows:
Praise and Thanksgiving
Repentance through Confession
Ask (for needs of others and self)
Yield to the Father
Examine and
Reflect
The last two letters, and the words associated, may cause some to question the ideas expressed here. However, our prayer life needs to be examined by asking the questions of our self, such as, “Have I exhibited humility in my praying?” or Have I allowed Satan to creep in attacking through my weaknesses?” or “Am I truly seeking the will of God or impress God with my will?” It will help us to grow in self-awareness and God-awareness to reflect on our motivation regarding our requests of God. James writes, “You ask and receive not because you ask amiss (from self-centered motivation) that you may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:3
Also of note you will find the abundance of space to record other notes as the result of meditation on Scripture. Martin Luther has said, “To pray well is to have studied well.” Daily devotional readings are strongly encouraged when communing with God. Then recording what God has to say to you in response to your reading and your speaking with Him.
It is my prayer for you that you will find a deeper, more enriched prayer life as you venture on this journey that will then lead you to live as Christ living in and through you, that you will then experience the blessing of God in ways you may never have imagined, and that you will not set this book aside as you “finish” this journey, but that you will repeat this journey again and again..
Rev. Ralph H. Spiller, Jr.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Does God answer your prayers? Would you like to have more power in your prayer life? This journal has been developed to assist the user to develop a more powerful, disciplined prayer life on the order of the first-century apostles and Church that the glory of God may be revealed as He pours out His benefits on His people.
Why does the Church lack the power in prayer of the apostles and the Church of the first century? I believe that James 4:2–3 describes two answers to this question: “ye have not, because ye ask not,” and “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” Certainly God meets our needs; however, our purpose in prayer is to focus on the Glory of God being revealed in His meeting our need.
The story in Scripture of Peter walking on water is an example to illustrate God’s desire and design in regard to His communion with us. Peter said to Jesus, as he and the disciples were in a boat in a storm on the Sea of Galilee, “Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.” His petition was a prayer of faith, not that Jesus would do something to exalt Peter, but that by his obedience and the power of Jesus he would walk on water, and he did!
Many such miracles were accomplished by God through the disciples in the first century. Can God do the same in the twenty-first century through you? Could you pray with such intention to glorify God?
About the Author
After retiring from the navy following twenty-one years of service, Ralph Spiller entered the ministry, serving as a prison chaplain and bivocational pastor to churches in southeast Alabama, northwestern and central Florida for the past thirty years. His prison chaplaincy experience led to his becoming involved in Christian counseling.