Prayer Retreat

About that time Jesus went off to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night there.
Luke 6:12

Weekend retreats in the mountains with a group of men is something I would like to experience. Have you ever gone to a weekend retreats in the mountains?

I would like to take at least two men who are close friends and know what to expect. The rest can be men I know little or nothing about. We want to attract guys who truly need this kind of getaway but would not normally be interested in a prayer retreat. We can arrive on a Thursday evening, share dinner, learn a little about each other, PRAY together a little, and then get some sleep. On Friday morning, we can go over some Scriptures and then learn how to listen for God through Scriptures.

We can go for a walk or sit under a tree if they prefer just as long as they are comfortable and quiet and able to let their hearts be open to the Holy Spirit. We can share stories, emphasize the importance of honesty and humility before God and then encourage them to go out and try it.

On Friday evening, we have the opportunity to share with the group what happened and did not happen. I am sure we will hear something amazing. The three themes usually surface in the testimonies and often confessions from the men.

* An acknowledgement of an area in their lives God wants to improve.

* A true sense of forgiveness from God for where they have fallen short.

* A fresh vision and hope for the future.

This all takes place without a sermon or lecture. They get it directly from God.

Have you ever spent time before God, honestly laying yourself open to Him? When is the last time you did that and begged Him for transformation?

I encourage you to set aside the time. Find a place of silence and solitude. Consider fasting. And go have an extended talk with God.

I pray we will get to experience a weekend prayer retreat in the mountains with Jesus.

Jesus walked on a little way before he knelt down and prayed. Luke 22:41

After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, "Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. John 11:41

Hungry for God?

Pray it through...

Read Psalms 42:1
As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God.

Has your soul gets thirsty for God? What was it like? What did you do about it?

Read the following Scriptures slowly, allowing them to penetrate your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to deepen your sense of longing, hungering, thirsting, and desperation for God.

Then Moses replied, "If you aren't going with us, please don't make us leave this place. But if you do go with us, everyone will know that you are pleased with your people and with me. That way, we will be different from the rest of the people on earth." So the LORD told him, "I will do what you have asked, because I am your friend and I am pleased with you." Then Moses said, "I pray that you will let me see you in all of your glory." Exodus 33:15-18

You are my God. I worship you. In my heart, I long for you, as I would long for a stream in a scorching desert. Psalms 63:1

God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven! God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want! Matthew 5:3,6

You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you. Jeremiah 29:12-13

If you are thirsty, come and drink water! If you don't have any money, come, eat what you want! Drink wine and milk without paying a cent. Why waste your money on what really isn't food? Why work hard for something that doesn't satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and you will enjoy the very best foods. Turn to the LORD! He can still be found. Call out to God! He is near.
Isaiah 55:1-2,6

Are you starting to develop a healthy hunger for more of God? Tell Him about your longings. Ask Him how and when you can get away for an extended time with Him. If there are things that make you hesitate, confess these openly to Him and invite Him to help you.

I encourage you to set aside the time. Find a place of silence and solitude. Consider adding fasting. Go have an extended talk with God. What you find there will be a gift you treasure forever.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33

I longed for prayer retreat with my prayer warriors.

Quote

"Never judge a person because of how they treat you until you learn what they are going through." - Shawn Alexander

God Already Knows

"We must lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us,"
wrote C. S. Lewis. To put it another way, we must trust God with what
God already knows.

-Philip Yancey in PRAYER Does It Make Any Difference

Seek His Kingdom

Weekly Prayer Tip:

“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well” (Luke 12:31 ).

Your daily prayer time lays the groundwork for an ongoing awareness of His presence. This week, during your prayer time, ask Him to alert you and call your attention to “kingdom moments” throughout your day. Watch for opportunities to enjoy fellowship with Him—waiting in lines, performing mundane tasks, for example. Being consciously aware of His presence will transform life’s irritants into opportunities for fellowship with Him.

Jennifer Kennedy Dean
The Praying Life Foundation
www.nationaldayofprayer.org

Honesty In Prayer

I was teaching a class at a church in Chicago when a young woman
raised her hand with a question. I knew her as a shy, conscientious
student who attended faithfully but never spoke. The rest of the class
seemed surprised as well and listened attentively. "I'm not always
sincere when I pray," she began. "Sometime it seems forced, more like
a ritual. I'm just repeating words. Does God hear those prayers?
Should I keep going even though I have no confidence that I'm doing it
right?"
I let the silence hang in the room for a moment before attempting an
answer. "Do you notice how quiet it is in here?" I said. "We all
sense your honesty. It took courage for you to be vulnerable, and you
touched a nerve with others of us in the room. You seem sincere,
unlike a salesman, say, who gets paid to give a spiel. We're tuned in,
listening, respectful, because you are being authentic. And I imagine
it's the same with God. More than anything else, God wants your
authentic self."

--Philip Yancey in PRAYER Does It Make Any Difference, p.40-41.


Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn back
on evil. Then you will gain renewed health and vitality. Proverbs 3:7-8

Devote To One Another

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another
above yourselves. Romans 12:10

We are to be devoted to one another. We are to honor one
another. And the basis of this loving devotion and honor is found
in one central truth: Because God is our Father, we are one family.
We are siblings in God's Kingdom. Our relationship is eternal and
built on God's grace to us and our grace expressed to each other.

Thank you for the wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ
who have blessed my life over the years. Thank you for their
support and encouragement. Please use me to bless others in your
family as these precious people have blessed and honored me.

Be Real

The prayer preceding all prayers is "May it be the real I who speaks.
May it be the real Thou that I speak to." -C.S. Lewis

Just Pray

Do you want to know how to deepen your prayer life? Pray.
Don't prepare to pray. Just pray. Don't read about prayer. Just pray.
Don't attend a lecture on prayer or engage in discussion about prayer.
Just pray.

Posture, tone, and place are personal matters. Select the form that
works for you. But don't think about it too much. Don't be so
concerned about wrapping the gift that you never use it. Better to
pray awkwardly than not at all.

And if you feel you should only pray when inspired, that's okay. Just
see to it that you are inspired every day.

-Max Lucado in When God Whispers Your Name

Happy New Year, friends.