The Key to Powerful and Effective Prayers by Adonai Magazine

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COVER STORY

The Key to Powerful and Effective Prayers

Dr. Michael Youssef

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

van Roberts knew the rewards of persistent, ongoing prayer. After he became a Christian as a teenager, Evan began praying every day for a national revival in his homeland Wales. Evan seemed the least likely candidate to lead the revival though. By age 11, he had dropped out of school to help his father work the coal mines. Later he became a blacksmith’s apprentice. However, in 1904 at age 26 he felt led to ministry and began taking courses again at the grammar school to prepare for seminary. During this time he experienced a personal spiritual awakening and began to tell others in his church and town about it. Soon, more people wanted to hear about the awakening and joined him in prayer. Evan began to travel to share his message around Wales. After 11 years of daily prayer for a national revival, he was now becoming part of one.

The revival greatly impacted Wales and even spread around the world. An estimated 150,000 souls were saved during the first six months. Wales became a God-fearing nation once more. The pubs were nearly empty. Businesses, factories, and even bars closed for prayer time. Crime decreased to the point that magistrates often came to court with no cases waiting for them. People paid their bills and their debts. Feuds were settled. People had truly changed from the inside out. Although the public excitement of the revival died down a few years later, many of the people touched by the awakening claimed a fully renewed relation4

ship with Christ that lasted the rest of their lives. The most unlikely people can accomplish great things when they consecrate themselves to praying for revival. The sad part is that many people seem to think that their prayers don’t matter. Even people who believe in the power of prayer don’t always think of themselves as effective. However, the Bible is not silent on this point. It shares the secret of powerful and effective prayers. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). A righteous person is a person who is in right-standing with God. A righteous person has a personal relationship with Jesus as his or her personal Savior. Righteousness means a person wants what is right according to the Word of God—he or she wants to see God’s Truth and God’s will established on this earth. Evan Roberts was a righteous man and his prayers for national revival were powerful and effective. We also see the power and effectiveness of the prayers of a righteous man in the Old Testament prophet Daniel. His prayers provide a model for us to follow. First, read his powerful plea to God in Daniel 9:4-19. Now, let’s take a look at the key components of his prayer.

START WITH PRAISE

Daniel began his prayer by praising God. He prayed to “the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with allcont. on pg. 16

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e have not just been called to preach the Word, but to do so with integrity, gravity (reverence), truthfulness, sincerity (incorruptibility), wisdom, and soundness of knowledge (Titus 2:7). The Bible admonishes us to speak (preach and teach) that which belongs to sound doctrine; if the health of the Church of God is to be maintained and sustained in a positive spiritual and physical condition for her to fulfill her divine call (Titus 2:1, TITUS 1:9,13-14; 1 Timothy 4:6).

Ours is not a call to self-gain, manipulation, deception, and exploitation. Neither is it a call to satisfy the itching ears of people. It is a call to instruct the world and the Body of Christ in the whole counsel of God. It is a call to preach the Word in season and out of season. It is a call to convince, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. It is a call to preach, warn and teach every man in all wisdom to present every man perfect or mature in Christ; to make them skillful in the Word of righteousness and have their senses developed to discern both good and evil; to make them stable and fruitful in their walk with Christ Jesus our Lord (2Timothy 4:1-4; Colossians 1:28; Hebrews 5:14; Ephesians 4:1114) We must hence guard against these: the tendency to handle the Word of God deceitfully to exploit our hearers; the disregard for using scriptures out of context and in a contradictory manner; the penchant by some to promote extra-biblical revelation from the pulpit; and the tendency to emphasize certain truths to the neglect of other equally important truths. Such neglect leads to imbalanced scriptural applications and narrow-minded scriptural/spiritual perceptions that facilitate nothing but diseased growth, deception, strife, and unnecessary divisions in the body of Christ. We are admonished by the Scriptures to speak that which reflects SOUND DOCTRINE. This has 6

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nothing to do with how loud and charismatic one can be from the pulpit. Neither is it an issue of eloquence or the acquisition of titles. It, however, has everything to do with establishing the criteria for Sound Doctrine as we search the scriptures and prepare to speak the Word of God. Sound Doctrine has everything to do with the ORIGINS of our message: whether it is established in the Bible or not. The Apostle Paul stated that it is only the Scriptures (Bible) that can make us wise onto salvation and instruct us in righteousness to make us perfect and thoroughly furnished onto every good work (2Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:1921). No extra-biblical revelation or knowledge can, therefore, be elevated to merit the qualification of sound doctrine to save and grow fallen man into the image of Christ Jesus. Sound Doctrine also has everything to do with COMPOSITION. It must never be lost on us that Sound Doctrine originates from the right division of Scripture, and therefore reflects hermeneutical purity. It flows in harmony with the totality of the Scriptures, and does not contradict other scriptures in either letter or spirit. It reflects contextual soundness and veracity, and allows the scriptures to be the best interpreter of its contents, and not the wisdom of man. It is, therefore, no wonder the Apostle Paul admonished Timothy to study to show himself approved onto God as a workman who rightly divides the Word of truth (2Timothy 2:15). A prayerfully deep and extensive study and knowledge of the Word of God is needed to guarantee such a possibility. This is the only way to avoid scriptural misconceptions and deceptions that easily beset the unwise; and this we must do as preachers and Pastors if we hope to present our listeners mature, skilled, and fruitful in the Word of righteousness.

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Dr. Myles Munroe

For Books or Teachings by Dr. Myles Munroe on CD, audio or video tapes, call or visit us at: Bahamas Faith Ministries International. The Diplomat Center, Carmichael Road. P.O.Box N-9583, Nassau, Bahamas Tel: (242) 341 – 6444. Fax: (242) 361 2260

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Authority & Maximizing Your Potential uthority produces order. With this order, an environment for maximum productivity is created. Consider a manufacturer and his product.

The manufacturer of a product has the legitimate right to state the framework of the authority he puts into his product and the way the product functions best. This framework is what we call the principles or laws governing it and through which it operates. For a If we want to live in the company that reality that comes from produces a following the principles product, the governing true authorframework ity, we must get in would be its touch with the Source user’s manual. If we follow the manufacturer’s instructions for caring for a product, it will function at its highest capacity. If we violate the authorized instructions, we will impair the product’s potential so that it cannot be maximized. Following inherent authority guarantees the successful functioning of the product. In a similar way, human beings are most successful when they live according to the principle of authority. When each person comes from the reference point that everyone has personal authority—a special part to play in the whole—and each person values the others’ authority and contributions, then 8

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conflict, contention, friction, and confusion do not drain productivity. Everyone works together for the greatest result. One definition of productive is “having the quality or power of producing especially in abundance.” The “quality” would refer to the authority, and the “power” would refer to the ability we have each been given by the Creator to carry it out. If we violate the principle of authority, we automatically hinder our potential and eﬀectiveness. For all human authority, the Ultimate Authority and Source is the Creator, as well as the principles and laws He has established concerning humanity, which are recorded in the Scriptures. Anything that doesn’t correspond to them or reflect their essence and spirit is not true authority. If we want to live in the reality that comes from following the principles governing true authority, we must get in touch with the Source and find out His parameters for our lives. This is how we protect and preserve ourselves as human beings. The nations and cultures of our world are experiencing unnecessary conflict and wasted potential because of our misunderstandings concerning authority. It is impossible for us to maximize our lives apart from a clear understanding of the character of genuine authority.

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Joyce Meyer

For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-CD series Simple Prayer…Simple Life. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org. Ladies, join Joyce Meyer for the 30th Anniversary Love Life Women’s Conference September 20-22 in Saint Louis, MO. For more information, go to www.joycemeyer.org/womensconference.

A Faithful Life God Can Bless visit www.adonaimag.tv for more articles

o you feel like you’re going through a time of testing in your life? Are you struggling with a situation that you’re tempted to just avoid, ignore or run away from because it’s too hard to face head-on and overcome?

We all go through hard times and have to make the choice to trust God to help us deal with them and get through them or give up and give in to them. But if we give up, we won’t move forward in life and experience God’s best for us. We won’t get promoted in any area of life.

Be faithful during your tests, right where you are, and God will promote you in due time

God only knows what it took to get me from where I started to where I am today. It was hard, to say the least, to come out of the mess I came out of, being abused for so many years, and let God change my attitudes and teach me all the things I try to teach people from God’s Word. Trust me, everything took a whole lot longer than I thought it would…and it was a lot harder than I thought it would ever be. I went through so many things that, looking back now I think, “How in the world did I do that and get through all of that?” But I can tell you right now that I am grateful for every single thing I went through because in the process, I learned so many things that developed my character and prepared me to be a leader in ministry today. And if I didn’t know those things, I shouldn’t be in this position. 10

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I clearly recall the day when God spoke to my heart and said, “Joyce, I always want you to remember this: however many people I let you help, that’s as many people as you can hurt.” I had zero business being in a position of leadership until I passed my tests, became rooted in my relationship with Christ and developed the character to keep me there. Whenever I see a young person quickly promoted to a key position of leadership, it concerns me, because if you don’t have the character to go with the kind of attention that comes with leadership…all you’re going to do is create a huge mess. See, God promotes us after we pass our tests—not when we run away from them, ignore them or avoid them. Thank God, He’s faithful to help us do what we need to do to pass our tests when we keep our eyes on Him and trust Him. And just as He’s faithful to us, He expects us to be faithful too. To be faithful means to be trusted, reliable, sure, and worthy of confidence; firmly and devotedly supportive, loyal, worthy of trust, consistent, steady, constant and steadfast. In 1 Timothy 3, the apostle Paul tells Timothy how to determine who is fit to be a leader. Verse 10 says, “Let them also be tried and investigated and proved first; then, if they turn out to be above reproach, let them serve…” (AMP). You build trust in someone when you see how they respond to diﬀerent situations over time and are “tried.” Faithful men and women of God humble themselves under the mighty hand of God and trust Him cont. on pg. 20

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Elsie Osae-Kwapong

Email Auntie Elsie at elsie@adonaimag.tv

Children Are Gifts From God visit www.adonaimag.tv for more articles

have always loved children since my childhood. I remember dolls of diﬀerent colors and styles were my collection. I was always the little nanny even among my peers in children service or at any social gathering. Doing this always brought me great joy. From the book of Matthew we learn that after Jesus and His disciples descended from the Mount of Transfiguration, they paused at Galilee, and then came to Capernaum. The disciples asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

God; because I thought that was only meant for older people". I learnt from the bible and in church that the word of God is addressed to anyone, irrespective of age or color, and so even at that age when I received a child, I was actually receiving Jesus Himself into my life. The word 'receive' that is used here is the Greek word, 'dechomai', which means to 'accept a gift deliberately and readily; to receive heartily; reaching out eagerly to receive something; looking for; waiting with earnest expectation.

“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, “And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receives me. But whoso shall oﬀend one of these little Children do not only ones which take from you. They believe in me, also bring you joy, hope, it was better and a sense of determi- for him that a nation and perseverance millstone was just by accepting them. hanged about his neck, and that he was drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:1–6.).

One of the ways to receive Christ into our lives is to accept any child deliberately and readily. It does not matter if he/she is your own or not. Receiving a child heartily gives you joy and love to care for them with no reservations. Not only will you be giving to them, but they also will be giving back to you joy and love. I recently had a baby who is now at the stage where he gives back what you give to him. I frown my face and his face goes sad. I smile and he smiles back at me.

I never really understood Matthew 18:5, which says, "Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receives Me.” As a child I did not get this quotation until I became knowledgeable in the Word of 14

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Reaching out eagerly also includes caring and supporting them with your prayers. Children I believe have three classrooms of learning which are quite distinct from each other. I speak of the classroom at school, the classroom in church, and the classroom called home. You can deliberately and readily accept a child as a gift today from any of these classrooms, no matter who he/she is, as Christ in your life and the laughter of children will gladden your heart. May the faith of children soothe our souls. May the love of children prompt our deeds. Amen.

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Contd. from pg. 4

The Key to Powerful and Effective Prayers

who love him and obey his commands” (Daniel 9:4). He acknowledged God as absolutely righteous, but also merciful and forgiving. Begin your own prayers with praise and thanksgiving to God. Praise Him for His glory, His power, His love. Thank Him for His daily provision in your life, your salvation, and your many blessings. Spend time just adoring God.

CONFESS YOUR SINS

Daniel didn’t try to dismiss, justify, or sidestep the fact that Israel had made a grave error. Daniel stated up front in his prayer, “We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws” (Daniel 9:5). When you go to God in prayer, don’t play the blame game when it comes to your sin. Acknowledge any element of sin or misdoing—intentional or unintentional—related to the situation or circumstance.

APPEAL FOR MERCY

Daniel appealed to God’s mercy. He said, “O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn way your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem—For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on our desolate sanctuary. ….We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy” (Daniel 9:16-18). Acknowledge to God that you do not deserve His blessings, but you receive them because He is a merciful and loving God. Humble yourself before God, realizing that your strength and

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success come from Him alone.

PETITION FOR GOD TO ACT

Daniel very specifically asked the Lord to take action: “O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name” (Daniel 9:19). Daniel’s prayer was not selfish in nature, but he prayed for the Lord to show Himself strong so that the Lord might receive glory on this earth. We are to pray that God will act in a way that brings God the greatest glory and in a way that is the most profound witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God!

PRAY THE WILL OF GOD

How can you be assured that you are praying for God’s will, and not your own to be done? Immerse yourself in the Word of God. The more you seek to know the mind of God, the more you will begin to understand what He wants for your life. As you pray for specific requests, always check them against Scripture. You can be sure God’s desires for you will never go against His Word.

NEVER GIVE UP As you pray, never lose sight of this truth: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”(Galatians 6:9). Continue to pray, knowing that at God’s appointed time, a harvest will come.

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Dr. Kelafo Z. Collie M.D.

Dr. Kelafo is a life coach, leadership developer and trains persons into purpose worldwide. He is president of Kingdom Apostolic Ministries Intl. and Kingdom Apostolic School of Ministry. He is the author of two books “You are my Father, I am your Son- Understanding Kingdom Sonship” and “ Re Ordering the Nation- Principles to transforming the Bahamas”,

Heat Exhaustion

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eat exhaustion is a heat-related condition that occurs as a result of exposure to high temperatures combined with humidity and strenuous physical activities for prolonged periods. The body cools itself through sweating and evaporation of that sweat. If this process fails to occur because of excessive sweating and the fluids lost through sweating cannot be replaced adequately, then the cooling demands of the body cannot be met and dehydration and over-heating occurs.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion Include: • Excessive sweating • Muscle Cramps • Weakness • Headache • Fatigue • Low blood pressure upon standing • Weak, rapid pulse • Dizziness • Nausea and Vomiting • Syncope (fainting) caused by increased dehydration from the loss of fluids and electrolytes.

Diagnosing Heat exhaustion can be diagnosed by; • History taking (what factors precipitated the occurrence, such as activity, temperature and environment). • Physical exam (signs of dehydration) • Presentation of symptoms • Laboratory test to determine electrolyte imbalances in sodium and potassium levels. 18

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Treatment of Heat Exhaustion Heat exhaustion can be treated with the following actions; • Rest in a cool place: go into an air-conditioned building or find an area with adequate shade or covering. • Loose clothing: remove clothes that are tight or unnecessary. • Apply cool water to skin: take a cool shower or use a wet cloth to dampen skin. • Drink cool liquids such as water or sports drink to replace fluids and electrolytes that were lost. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages which can contribute to dehydration. • Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms persist.

Prevention Heat exhaustion can be avoided by taking the following precautions; • Drink plenty of fluids, (preferably water or sports drinks) to keep hydrated. • Wear loose fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothing. • Avoid spending prolonged periods exposed to the sun or in high temperature environments. • Limit the amount of activities that will result in excessive sweating during extremely hot and humid days. Summer is a time for sun and fun. However, balancing our activities with responsible practices is an important part of the equation. Remember the Word of God admonishes us to prosper in all things and be in good health even as our soul prospers.

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A Faithful Life God Can Bless

contd. from pg. 10 to promote them when He knows they are ready for it (see 1 Peter 5:6). Now, that sounds really spiritual, so I want to make it practical: You’re going to be under some human authority that you probably don’t think always treats you right and that you probably don’t always agree with. And God is going to ask you to serve faithfully in that position with a good attitude even when you’re told “no” when you know that you know that you’re right!

The truth is, the only way you’re really going to know what you’re doing is to go through some things and be faithful…stick with things, don’t give up and run away, and don’t blame everyone else for your problems. Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings…” (AMP). Faithful people are in it for the long haul. Faithfulness literally means you find out what is right and you do it over and over and

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over… Have you been faithful with your finances, to save some, spend some, and give some, or have you just spent it all? Have you been faithful with your health? Do you take care of yourself or have you just abused yourself? Have you been faithful to take care of your possessions or does your car look like a trash can? It’s important for us to be excellent and do the best we can in every area of our lives so we can “abound with blessings” from God. Be faithful during your tests, right where you are, and God will promote you in due time. If you will do what He’s telling you to do, faithfully, then there’s no person on earth and no devil in hell that can keep you from what God wants you to have and the destiny He has planned for your life. If you will be faithful and diligent to do what is right…what you are supposed to do…then no one can keep you from the reward God has for you. God will promote you when you pass your test!

Trumpet Lagues Bible Wordsearch

BIBLE GAMES

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Jimmy Evans

The Power of Words

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ords are powerful. That's why the Bible is full of directives concerning the way we communicate.

In Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus warns, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." This Scripture surprises a lot of people. Most of us tend to think that, because we use words casually, the things we say are of little consequence. But according to the Bible, every word—the significant ones and the ones we consider unimportant—is recorded in heaven. We are responsible for them.

The enemy loves nothing more than to turn a house into a verbal war zone.

When we repent of sins, they are forgiven and erased. Our "idle words" are sins for which Jesus died. Still, in some manner, we will be held accountable for them. Consider also Proverbs 18:21, which says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." We all know the pain of harsh words spoken to us. Careless, insensitive speech has caused some of our deepest wounds, and many people live in families where words are used as weapons. Sarcasm, criticism, verbal abuse, shame, and anger—these kinds of words bring death. They can be part of a negative, relationship-killing arsenal. The enemy loves nothing more than to turn a house 22

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into a verbal war zone. When these environments are created, a husband and wife will suﬀer. So will their children. Negative communication can destroy a healthy home. However, as easily as words can kill, they can also bring life. With our mouths we can bless. We can encourage. We can heal. We can communicate love and aﬀection. Positive communication is powerful. The first step toward building an atmosphere of healthy words is by realizing that every single word we speak has incredible power. Will our words bring life or cause death? Will they build up or tear down? Moment by moment, that choice is yours. Submit your speech to the Lord. Dedicate your mouth to being a vessel for his healing, hope, and encouragement. The mouth that produces a successful, healthy marriage and family is one that submits to the Lord. James 3:4 compares the tongue to a small rudder that steers a mighty ship. Though a rudder seems insignificant compared to the rest of the ship, everything depends on it for the ship to get where it is going. Communication is the same way. Our tongues determine the direction of our lives. The small words we speak to each other impact our marriages and families on a large scale. Every area of family life requires healthy communication for success. Ask God to help you and your family learn to speak to each other with kind and uplifting words. Ask Him to transform your language into a praising, healing, loving, fountain of life.

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