Franciscan Prayer

"May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done." -Franciscan Prayer

Prayer

“It is necessary that we should be subject, from first to last, to the scourges of God, in order that we may from the heart call on him; for our hearts are enfeebled by prosperity, so that we cannot make the effort to pray.” John Calvin

Suffering in relation to missions, the American Church and us

The reason, I believe, that we experience God more vibrantly and powerfully in another country, specifically on missions is because the people there have and are suffering. Suffering because of there living situation, poverty, war, loss of loved ones and because of religious persecution. Suffering is one of the keys to unlocking greater intimacy with Jesus.

We rarely if ever suffer in the United States yet this is something the Bible talks about continually. We see this in the story of Joseph in Genesis chapter 37-48. We this in a list of ways that Paul suffered for Christ in 2 Corinthians 11. We see this in Christ. We see this in many more ways. If you focus on this theme, it will pop up more frequently than you think in the Bible. We are called to suffer for our Lord.

Christians in other countries suffer continually therefore relying on God for everything. It very hard to rely on God for everything here. If worse comes to worse, we can even throw some money on the credit card and get by for a few more days. Because they have to rely on God for everything, this produces persistence and trust producing God's joy, love, hope, power and provision.

"When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, with imitating Him and quoting Him and speaking of Him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus." (Joni Eareckson Tada)

But only in suffering will we know Jesus. He is attracted to our weakness. Our weakness makes room for His power. That is what draws us back to those places of joyful, loving people.

Through suffering, God is closest and most visibly because only can we identify with Jesus in His death as well as in His life. We rarely suffer here. Instead of harping on what kind of music, pastors, sermons, denominations, money, look of a sanctuary, the American church should start focusing on relying on God with everything. Can you imagine a church tithing 90% or praying desperately because they want God to show them what the next sermon to preach. Praying has ignited every single spiritual awakening down throughout history. That is powerful.

We need to pray more. Pray on our knees for more opportunities to suffer for our Lord. Pray for trials. Pray for persecution. Pray for God to lead us in everything. And be willing to follow God no matter the cost. What would that look like?

The Armor of God Prayer

Ephesians 6:10-20
Good morning, Lord. Thank you for assuring me of victory today if I but will follow Your battle plan. So by faith I claim a victory over ______________(A list of some things I know I will face today.)

To prepare myself for the battle ahead, by faith, I put on the Belt of Truth. The truth about You Lord - that You are a sovereign God who knows everything about me, both my strengths and my weaknesses. You know my breaking point and promised not to allow me to be tempted beyond that which I am able to endure. The truth about me, Lord, is that I am a new creature in Christ and have been set free from the power of sin. I am indwelt with the Holy Spirit who will guide me and warn me when danger is near. I am Your child, and nothing can separate me from Your love. The truth is that You have a purpose for me today- someone to encourage, someone to share with and someone to love.

Next Lord, I want to, by faith, put on the Breastplate of Righteousness. Through this I guard my heart and my emotions. I will not allow my emotions to rule in my decisions. I will set them on what is right and good and just. I will live today by what is true not by what I feel. I will not allow my desires to lead me into sin; I will protect Your witness and Your reputation with Your help. Lord, this morning I put on the Sandals of the Gospel of Peace. Send me where You will and desire. Guide me to those who need encouragement or physical help of some kind. Use me to solve conflicts wherever they may arise. Make me a calming presence in every circumstance in which You have placed me. I will not be hurried or rushed, for my schedule is in Your hands. I will not leave a trail of tension or apprehension. I will leave tracks of peace and stability everywhere I am sent.

I now take up the Shield of Faith, Lord. My faith is in You and You alone. Apart from You, I can do nothing. With You, I can do all things. No temptation that comes my way can penetrate Your protecting hand. I will not be afraid, for You are going with me throughout the day. When I am tempted, I will claim my victory out loud ahead of time, for You have promised victory to those who walk in obedience to Your Word. So by faith I claim a victory even now because I know there are fiery darts headed my way even as I pray. Lord, You know that they are and have already provided a way of escape.

Lord, by faith, I am putting on the Helmet of Salvation. You know how Satan bombards my mind day and night with evil thoughts, doubt and fear. I put on this helmet that will protect my mind. I may feel the impact of his attacks, but nothing can penetrate this helmet. I choose to stop every impure and negative thought at the door of my mind. And with the helmet of salvation those thoughts will get no further. I elect to take every thought captive; I will dwell on nothing but what is good and right and pleasing to you.

Last, I take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is Your Word. Thank you for the precious gift of Your Word. It is strong and powerful and able to defeat even the strongest of Satan's onslaughts. Your Word says that I am not under the obligation of the flesh to obey its lusts. Your Word says that I am free from the power of sin. Your Word says that Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. So by faith I take up the strong and powerful sword of the Spirit, which is able to defend me in time of attack, comfort me in time of sorrow, teach me in time of meditation, and prevail against the power of the enemy on behalf of others who need the truth to set them free.

So, Lord, I thank You for the armor of God. I go now rejoicing that You have chosen me to represent You to this lost and dying world. May others see Jesus in me, and may Satan and his hosts shudder as Your power is made manifest in me. In Jesus’ name I pray- Amen.
By Charles Stanley

Jeremiah Lanphier

In 1857 Jeremiah Lanphier was at a crossroads in his life; he was a single, middle-aged businessman without children and family. Following his heart to reach the neediest around him, he put aside his regular business and began to work with the North Dutch Church in Manhattan as a lay missionary. At that time, there were 30,000 men idle on the streets of New York. Drunkenness was rampant, and the nation was divided by slavery. Ministering in the dark slums of Hell’s Kitchen, Lanphier poured himself into the lives of people who were homeless, helpless and hopeless. Month after month he went door to door sharing the Good News, distributing tracts, and holding Bible studies with whomever would listen.

Lanphier would begin each day going from office to office, house to house, and shop to shop; but by midday he was physically, emotionally and spiritually worn out. He discovered that, even as the body needs food, the soul and spirit need prayer. Lanphier realized his need and regularly returned to a room in the church Consistory building to cry out to God for spiritual strength. This fresh, personal experience of the power of prayer suggested to Lanphier that there might be others, especially those engaged in business, who might profit from time in prayer. He handed out some 20,000 flyers advertising the first noonday prayer meeting on September 23, 1857.

For the first thirty minutes he sat alone praying. Eventually, steps were heard coming up the staircase and another joined. Then another and another until Lanphier was joined by five men. The next Wednesday the six increased to twenty. The following week there were 40. Lanphier and the others then decided to meet daily, and within weeks thousands of business leaders were meeting for prayer each day. Before long over 100 churches and public meeting halls were filled with noonday prayer meetings. God moved so powerfully that similar prayer meetings sprang up around the nation. For a season there were 10,000 conversions to Christ each week in New York City, and it is estimated that nearly one million people across the U.S. were transformed during this incredible move of God.


One man’s obedience to prayer… began a revival… that transformed a nation.