Prayer

 The Prayer Garden on the campus of Fuller Theological Seminary
in Pasadena CA was one of the more beautiful spaces that we enjoyed on our 
recent, short trip to the West Coast.
We were there to attend s a conference for prayer leaders.
We passed this space on our way to eat at the Refractory on the Fuller Campus
a time or two before I realized what it was!
Calm, quiet, and welcoming, it issued a silent call
 
 to practice what we'd come to focus on.
 It reminded me how quick I am to TALK about prayer,
THINK about prayer, READ about prayer,
and RESOLVE to pray--
but how slack and slow I am when it comes down to actually PRAYING.

"The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity.  If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God's standing challenge, 'Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!'"  (J. Hudson Taylor)

"No learning can make up for the failure to pray.  No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack."  (E.M. Bounds)

“The great people of the earth today are the people who pray!  I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor those who explain prayer; but I mean those who actually take the time to pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. That something else is important, very important and pressing, but still, less important and pressing than prayer. There are people who put prayer first, and group the other items in life's schedule around and after prayer. These are the people today who are doing the most for God in winning souls, in solving problems, in awakening churches, in supplying both men and money for mission posts, in keeping fresh and strong their lives far off in sacrificial service on the foreign field, where the thickest fighting is going on, and in keeping the old earth sweet a little while longer.”  (S.D. Gordon)


9 comments:

  1. True this, prayer is powerful and we can be prayer warriors.

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  2. We had a man of God in our Math Department at school. He said one person said that he had so much to do that day that he had to pray for two hours. How many of us take that stance? I fall so short in the area of prayer. It's so hard to get quiet and still and shut out all the distractions and really pray in the manner that it should be done. Let's work on this. Have a good one!

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  3. I hear you!

    Trying to remedy that in my own life as well.

    Deanna

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  4. I like this challenge and reminder. Thank you, Rebecca.

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  5. Your not alone....just one missed day of prayer and everything begins to slowly unravel. :-/

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  6. Hi Rebecca,
    What a beautiful prayer garden, and yes, I think prayer is the most important kingdom work there is, but think we all can get so caught up with working for the Lord that we forget to spend time with the one we are working for, not
    a good thing for sure. I love to see those answers to prayer, and we don't
    see them, if we don't pray for them, that is for sure.

    Hope you are doing well hon,
    Blessings, Nellie

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  7. Beautiful place to go to pray...reminds me of my words for 2013...calm and still!!! HOPE you have a great day!!!

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  8. Thank you for this invitation to pray today; I'm both convicted and strengthened by your words and pictures here. I especially am drawn to the stained glass cross.

    peace~elaine

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  9. (This answered my question about what part of California you were visiting.) I think I would have to say thinking, reading, talking about prayer takes more of my time than praying, too. So convicting.

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Writing a Song a Week #3

Writing a Song a Week #3
♪ I wait for the Lord; my soul waits and in his word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning ♪ (Psalm 130:5-6)