This week the Pacific Conference hosted our annual Mid-Winter Retreat at Newport. Our theme was “Pray First!” What a privilege to talk to God! Yet, too often, I wait too long to pray. He wants me to come to Him first. Someone said that, “Prayerlessness is a declaration of our independence from God.”

LET’S TALK…

During the last few days at the Oregon coast, Dr. James Banks challenged us about prayer. He has written many books about prayer including Praying the Prayers of the Bible, Prayers for the Prodigals, and Prayers for Your Children.

Here are twenty quotes from James Banks’ teaching on prayer:

1. There are more prayers about praise than any other prayers in the Bible.
2. Praise helps me take my eyes off myself.
3. Prayer is relationship.
4. Pray the promises of God.
5. Sometimes our prayers are like ding dong, dash. Like kids, we ring the doorbell and run away and hide, before anyone answers.
6. One of the best ways we can love someone is to bless them through prayer.
7. We can bring others on the “stretchers of prayer” to Jesus.  “When Jesus saw their faith…” (Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20)
8. Pray for God’s blessing using the acronym bless:
   1. Body – for their well-being and physical health
   2. Labor –for their work and vocation
   3. Emotion –for peace and security
   4. Social –for their relationships with family and friends
   5. Spiritual – for their walk with God.
9. Praying the prayers of the Bible is not just words, but God’s Word.
10. When our prayer life feels stagnant we can go to Scripture and pray the prayers given to us as an example.
11. As you persevere in prayer for your loved ones, WAIT with (Waiting for Jesus means you are distant.)
12. It may be the very next prayer when God says… DONE! And it happens.
13. Praying the prayers of the Bible helps us get real with God.
14. We want our prayers to scripture fed and Spirit led.
15. If we don’t pray for our loved ones, who will?
16. When we ask Jesus to save our loved ones, we’re asking him to do exactly what he died to do!
17. God is not concerned with our ability to string words together.
18. A good way to invite others into prayer is to give them a sentence to finish, for instance, “Lord, I love you because…”
19. God wastes nothing.
20. Prayer is the means by which we don the armor of God.

BEFORE YOU GO…

Click here for a free copy of James Banks booklet, “Let’s Pray- Talking to God with the Word of the Bible.” lets-pray-copy

Every week we share prayer requests from the Conference, if you would like to be on the list, please contact us at info@thepacificconference.com.