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A P R AY I N G T I M E

WHY WE NEED TO PRAY NOW MORE THAN EVER

Daniel Whyte III

This book is dedicated to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who taught us how to pray. This book is also dedicated to Mrs. Ruby Gooding whom I first heard use the phrase, “a praying time.”

CONTENTS I. II. III. IV. V.

7 Reasons Why We Are Living in Praying Times A Praying Time Begin the Day With Prayer How To Pray For Those Who Are Suffering A Warfare Prayer

7 REASONS WHY WE ARE LIVING IN PRAYING TIMES

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all 9

nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. M ATTHEW 24:4-14

YES,

WE KNOW

GOD’S

PEOPLE OUGHT TO PRAY ALL

THE TIME.

But these days are certainly ‘praying times.’ Why do I say that? Well, because we are living in perilous times, and perilous times call for men and women of God to rise up, stand together or stand alone, and be faithful in prayer to God. Now, perhaps you are living in a fine house, in a quiet neighborhood, on the pleasant side of town. Perhaps you have steady employment, a loving spouse, and healthy children. Perhaps you have money to pay your bills, buy groceries, and even take two vacations a year.

You attend church regularly; you pray for and are in a position to help the distant relative who is having some difficulties; you occasionally go golfing with the guys or shopping with the girls â&#x20AC;&#x201D;in short, your life is going along just fine. Why, you ask, is this a praying time? Why do we need increased prayer activity in our world today? Well, my friend, there are many reasons why we are living in praying times. Let me share with you seven of the most important reasons why we need more prayer so we can have Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power to fulfill His purpose and mission in our lives, our communities, and the world.

T HE I N C R E A S E O F V I O L E N C E AND CRIMINAL ACTIVIT Y It is unfortunate that when we turn on the evening news to unwind after a long day, we are bombarded with the news of robberies, house invasions, murders, rapes, drug dealing and kidnappings. Hardly a day goes by without someone (or several people) in our own cities being affected by one of these criminal acts of violence. In this day and time, it is nothing to hear about a mother killing her child or a child killing his parents. It is nothing to hear of a husband and father going into his house, killing all the family members, and then killing

himself. We live in a day and age when men not only want to sleep with men and women want to sleep with women, but men now want to marry men and women now want to marry women. Then these homosexuals want to adopt children and make them two-fold more a child of hell than themselves. Demons are running rampant in our society today. Indeed, my friend, this is a praying time. Take a look at the statistics below to give you an idea of the type of criminal activities that are on the increase in the United States today. Recent statistics show:

• There were 360,000 robberies and 1,900,000 burglaries in one year. • There were 54,000 murders in one year. • There were 293,000 forcible rapes in one year. • There were 275,000 cases of aggravated assault in one year. • Nearly 69,000 children are abducted every year. (U.S. Census Bureau)

While these events may not have impacted your family directly (and there’s nothing to say that they won’t impact your family in the future), they are certainly 12

devastating to the relatives of those who these crimes happen to. Before the Great Flood of Noah’s day, the Bible tells us that “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11). The type of violence that we see today, is the same type of violence that God saw on the earth before He decided to destroy the earth with water. In this case, God’s desire is for us to pray for those who are affected by these crimes so that they can be healed, saved and strengthened. I also believe God wants us to pray for the restraining of the demonic forces which drive the perpetrators of these crimes.

T HE R I S E OF I M M O R A L I T Y IN O UR C ULT U R E Christians and many on the conservative end of the political spectrum have long decried the increasing immorality in our society and culture. The sexual revolution of the 1960s gave many the excuse to engage in illicit sexual behavior — sex before marriage, adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. While many claimed that the sexual revolution had a “liberating” effect on our culture, the reality is quite different. Please

notice the sad statistics below:

• There are approximately 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases each year. • About half of these cases occur in people between the ages of 15 and 24. • 750,000 teen pregnancies occur each year. • Approximately 33% of females become pregnant before reaching the age of 20. • Early sexual activity and multiple partners are also associated with pain and suffering from broken relationships, a sense of betrayal and abandonment, confusion about romantic feelings, low or no self-esteem, depression, and impaired ability to form healthy long-term relationships. (Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons)

Further, according to the Barna Research Group’s survey of American attitudes in 2000:

• 60 percent of Americans consider it acceptable for unmarried people to cohabitate. • Nearly half of Americans (45 percent) consider abortion acceptable. • 30 percent of Americans find homosexuality

acceptable. • 38 percent of the population approve of pornography. • 42 percent of Americans say extramarital sex is okay. • And, according to a 2003 edition of Newsweek magazine, marriage therapists estimate that among their clients, 30-40 percent of married women have had sex with someone they aren’t married to and 50 percent of men have done the same. These shocking numbers lead to my next point as to why we are living in praying times:

THE BREAKDOWN OF T H E F A M I LY I am quite sure that you have heard the devastating statistic of over 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce. This is a sad state of affairs in our country. During the 20th century, the divorce rate skyrocketed by 700%: in 1900, there were 56,000 divorces but in 1992, there were 1,200,000 (1.2 million). According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, within six months of their

marriage, 50% of newlyweds begin to doubt that their marriage will last. The failure of marriages does not only affect the husbands and wives, but it affects the children in a deep and damaging way. Not only are 25% (22 million) of the children in the United States growing up in a singleparent household, but 14 million homes in the U.S. are headed by single parents. This number has not gone down since 1994. Additionally, notice the following statistics from Larry Bilotta’s “Marriage Success Secrets”:

• Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage. Of these, close to half will also see the breakup of a parent’s second marriage. • Among the millions of children who have seen their parents divorce, one of every 10 will also live through three or more parental marriage breakups. • Forty percent of children growing up in America today are being raised without their fathers. • Studies in the early 1980’s showed that children in repeat divorces earned lower grades and their peers rated them as less pleasant to be around. (In fact, in the news recently, the daughter of a 16

•

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well-known man who has been married and divorced several times, was convicted of killing a neighbor’s child.) Teenagers in single-parent families and in blended families are three times more likely to need psychological help within a given year. Compared to children from homes disrupted by death, children from divorced homes have more psychological problems. Following divorce, children are fifty percent more likely to develop health problems than two parent families. Most victims of child molestation come from single-parent households or are the children of drug ring members. A child in a female-headed home is ten times more likely to be beaten or murdered. People who come from broken homes are almost twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who do not come from broken homes. (Marriage-Success-Secrets.com)

Friend, it is easy to see why families are in need of a great amount of intercession. Even if your marriage and family seem strong right now, seek out those families in your community who are on the rocks and make it

your mission to pray for them daily.

I N C R E A S E D N AT U R A L DISASTERS Due to the media attention that natural disasters receive, we do not have to look hard to see that natural disasters or â&#x20AC;&#x153;acts of God,â&#x20AC;? (which is a legal term for calamities that happen in nature), affect human lives in unimaginable ways, from family members being killed or going missing, to peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s livelihoods being stripped away in one catastrophic moment. Think back to the tsunami which hit Indonesia and other countries bordering the Indian Ocean in 2004: over 230,000 people in 14 nations were killed and coastal communities were washed out by 100 foot waves. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast area of the United States: over 1,800 people died, and there was $81 billion in property damage. Skip forward to January 2010 and the earthquake in Haiti: according to reports, over 300,000 people were killed, another 300,000 were injured and over one million people were homeless after the disaster. That country still has not recovered.

The year 2011 was a heartbreaker for many in regards to natural disasters. The year began with devastating earthquakes in Argentina and China. It is also interesting to note (even though these probably do not qualify as natural disasters) that there were some strange occurrences with animal life during the early part of 2011. Some of these were:

• More than 1,000 dead birds fell from the sky in Arkansas (January 2). • Dead fish covered a 20-mile section of the Arkansas River (January 2). • Thousands of birds were found dead in Louisiana, Manitoba (Canada), and South America (January 3). • 100 tons of dead fish washed up on Brazil’s shores (January 4). • 40,000 crabs were found dead on England’s beaches (January 6). We could go on with more examples. But beyond this, on March 11, a massive earthquake struck eastern Japan. It also spawned a fierce tsunami with waves over 120 feet high that stretched as far as six miles inland. Over 15,000 people were killed and 8,000 people were missing. This earthquake also impacted the world’s 19

economy as Japan is the third largest economy. Japan has yet to recover. More recently, in the spring of 2011, the Mississippi River flooded more than it has at any other time in the past century. Over 350 people were killed in the accompanying storms and thousands of homes were evacuated. During the same time, a massive storm system spawned hundreds of extremely destructive killer tornadoes that spread across the Midwest, Southeast, and unusually in the Northeast parts of the United States. Nearly 1000 people were killed because of these tornadoes, and 2011 has already been named the deadliest year for tornadoes in U.S. history, and we are only at the halfway point of the year. In this case, it is easy to see why increased natural disasters are a cause for more prayer. The victims of these disasters need Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strength and help as they face difficult daysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of burying loved ones, salvaging what remains of their lives, and, in many cases, starting all over again.

M ORE W ARS A N D VIOLENT UPRISINGS The fifth reason why the people of God need to realize that these are praying times is because the world is becoming an increasingly hostile and violent place. No, I do not mean just common civil violence, but largescale wars are being fought and violent uprisings are taking place in different parts of the globe like never before. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched longer than World War II. Thousands of American, coalition, and civilian lives have been lost, and both countries still do not have stable governments. Around the globe, wars and genocide have been happening with increasing frequency. A few of these are: the war in Darfur, the Israel-Lebanon war, the Mexican drug war, the war in Somalia, the ongoing Cambodian-Thai standoff, the ancient struggle between Israel and the Palestinians, the Israel-Gaza war, and Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invasion of Georgia. Dangerous regimes, such as those in Iran and North Korea also threaten regional peace and global stability. On top of that, acts of terrorism (oftentimes influenced by radical Muslim doctrines) have become shockingly frequent

occurences. In 2007 alone, the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center counted 14,499 acts of terrorism which left 22,685 people dead and 44,310 people injured. This is up from 2004, where only 3,259 acts of terrorism were recorded. In addition to wars and terrorist activities, 2011 has seen what many are calling the “Arab Spring” — a rash of uprisings (many of which have, at times, turned violent in nature) in the Middle East and North Africa led by the people calling for greater freedom from totalitarian governments. Jesus Christ warned us in Matthew 24:6 that we would see “wars and rumours of wars” as the end times draw near. The prayers of the people of God should go up unceasingly for the peace of every nation around the globe, for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the salvation of the millions of souls who need to find not only freedom from oppressive regimes, but true spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ.

T HE C H U R C H ’ S F A I L U R E ITS MISSION

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). The sixth reason why these times call for increased prayer activity is because, frankly and unfortunately, the church has failed in its fulfillment of the Great Commission. While the world has grown more interconnected through the use of the internet, television, cellphones, and other mass media, many churches have unfortunately withdrawn into their own “Christian ghettoes” (according to a Christian minister in Germany) and have refused to reach out to the world around them. Thank God for those churches and ministries that have recognized the potential and jumped into this brave new world and are doing all they can to win souls for Christ. However, according to the Barna Group, nearly one quarter of Americans do not attend church and have no affiliation with a church family.

Beyond the Great Commission, the church has also failed in making the teachings of the Bible clear to the present culture. Many Christian “leaders” are guilty of watering down the Gospel, being unclear on matters that the Bible speaks clearly on, and stripping Biblical doctrine down to happy go lucky theology that will make any adherent healthy, wealthy, and (hopefully) wise. This is evidenced by the relatively low number of Americans who hold to traditional Christian beliefs. According to the Barna Group,

• Currently, just one-third of Americans strongly disagree that Jesus sinned (37%) and just onequarter strongly reject the idea that Satan is not a real spiritual being (24%). • Currently two-thirds of Americans believe that God is best described as the all-powerful, allknowing perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today (66%). However, this proportion is lower than it was a year ago (71%) and represents the lowest percentage in more than twenty years of similar surveys. • Although large majorities of the public claim to be “deeply spiritual” and say that their religious faith is “very important” in their life, only 15%

of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as the top priority in their life. • Only one-third of 8-12 year olds say a church has made “a positive difference” in their life. Friend, next time you pray for the church, pray that God would reignite the fire in the hearts of Christians everywhere to love, live, preach, and serve as Jesus did — and then go out and do those things yourself.

MORE PEOPLE TURNING A WAY FR OM G O D It goes without saying that our world is turning into an increasingly secular place. Many individuals are giving up traditional beliefs in God for New Age spiritualism, occult activities, agnosticism, or atheism. Notice the following disturbing statistics:

• Over 20 million people in the United States say they have ‘no faith.’ • Three out of every four teenagers have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraftrelated activity.

â&#x20AC;˘ According to experts, nine countries of the world are already on the verge of making Christianity nearly extinct: Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland and Switzerland. Our world is changing in sometimes surprising and very destructive ways. Unless we, the people of God, stand together and form a firewall of intercessory prayer in our society, not only will Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s judgment destroy our country and our world, but our country and the world will begin to destroy itself from the inside out.

A PRAYING TIME

After reading the previous pages, I am quite sure that you will agree that we are living in praying times. And the best way to combat crime, violence, immorality, family breakdown, natural disasters, wars, and Satan’s efforts to lead millions astray is prayer. I know that may sound strange to you, but as R.A. Torrey said, “Prayer can do anything that God can do, and as God can do anything, prayer is omnipotent.” Prayer invites God’s power into our lives, our families, our communities, our churches, and our countries like nothing else can. When we pray, we are openly acknowledging that God can do the things that He says He can do, and we are opening the door for Him to 27

accomplish those things. Please notice with me this important passage, which is actually a parable that Jesus Christ gave, on how we should pray in Luke 18:1-8. Pay close attention to the first verse: And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 28

Some time back, I was speaking with a dear friend of mine in North Carolina. We were talking about the tragedies and disasters happening in the world, today, and how that things seemed to be getting worse and worse, with all the earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, murders, home invasions, children going astray, children being molested and kidnapped, etc. And at the end of our conversation, this older saint of God looked at me and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Daniel, this is a praying time.â&#x20AC;? And indeed it is. This dear lady has been a mother figure in my life for many years, and I had never heard this term before, and it struck me as a great theme for a sermon. So from that conversation, I shared this message across the country and around the globe in nearly every church that I have preached in. Of course, these terrifying calamities should not surprise us as Christians because Jesus forewarned us of these things happening close to the time of His Second Coming. Notice Matthew 24:5-12: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and 29

kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. I am a firm believer that a Christian cannot have a victorious, overcoming, and vibrant life without prayer. Of course, there are other important things a Christian needs as well such as the Word of God, the local church, and fellowship with other believers. But if we are to be successful in all of these areas, we must undergird these things with prayer. Prayer is the only discipline of the Christian faith that we are told to do â&#x20AC;&#x153;without ceasingâ&#x20AC;? (I Thessalonians 5:17). Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, esteemed this matter of prayer very highly. Allow me to remind

youthat on one occasion Jesus got up a great while before day and prayed. Mark 1:35 states, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Then on another occasion, after the disciples apparently took notice of Jesus’ prayer life, they were compelled to ask Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Those disciples wanted to know how to pray because they knew that there was power in prayer. And on another occasion, when Jesus Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest, betrayal and crucifixion, He prayed so much so that drops of blood fell from His forehead. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). Dear friend, if Jesus Christ had to pray so earnestly, there is no doubt that we, His followers, ought to pray as well. Now, in Luke 18:1-8, we see a precept which Christ was setting up for His followers in the first verse. In the following verses, we see the example which is, of course, the praying widow. This woman kept at it; she didn’t quit. She kept on praying, and the judge answered and delivered her. Look with me again at the first verse of Luke chapter 18: “And he spake a parable to them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint.”

We are going to dissect verse one, pull it apart and see what God is saying to us, today, as Christians on this all important matter of prayer.

“MEN” First, I want you to look with me at the word “men.” Dear friend, men ought to pray. The word men here includes all mankind—men and women, boys and girls; black men and white men, yellow men and red men; we all ought to pray. You may be thinking, well, Bro. Whyte, why ought we to pray? Let’s be reminded that we are helpless, weak and feeble beings. You say, Bro. Whyte, don’t you understand, my wife is working: she pulls in about $80,000 a year. Bro. Whyte, do you understand that I make $150,000 a year depending on how my business goes. Do you understand that I have a big fine house on Pork Chop Hill? Do you understand that I drive a nice fine car? I wear nothing but the best clothes. With that understanding, are you telling me that I need to pray like these people out on the streets? Yes, you do, dear friend. As a matter of fact, you need to pray more. You say, Why do I need to pray more? Because isn’t it strange how that when God pours out His blessings 32

upon us, instead of our getting more on fire for the Lord, we get cooler and cooler? And so, therefore, even with God’s blessings, you need to pray more. You need to understand that you don’t have the power to manage your life successfully. You need God’s direction, you need God’s power; you need His leadership in your life. No matter how much Bible you know, no matter how many Bible schools you have attended, you had better open your mouth and pray to God. Men ought to pray. Women ought to pray. Boys and girls ought to pray. Let me share something with you: I am amazed at how much children understand at an early age. I recall when my first child was just fourteen months old, and when my wife and I got together to pray, she listened to us. Before long, she had gotten this prayer thing down pat. As soon as I said “In the name of Jesus Christ,” she would holler, “Amen!” I remember also when my wife and I had gotten home late one night, I decided to order a Domino’s Pizza. The man delivered the pizza and my oldest daughter, who was barely two at the time, walked around not really knowing what was going on (her mother had been training her to say grace); but as soon as she saw the pizza box, she clasped her hands together and began

walking around with her head bowed and started praying for the food. Children understand and they need to be trained to pray when they are young. And, not only that, they need to see you pray. They need to see you pray through the good times and the bad times. They need to see you pray constantly. They need to see you pray without ceasing. Not only should your children see you pray, let them hear you pray. In other words, pray out loud. Let them hear you call out their names in prayer. Pray for them and with them. Yes, indeed, men, women, boys, and girls ought to pray because we need God in our lives to help us do what He wants done in the world.

“OUGHT” Next, I want you to notice with me the word—“ought.” Now this is a very interesting word. This word “ought” allows for the free action of our will. I don’t know about you husbands, but I don’t want to make my wife tell me that she loves me. I don’t want to make her communicate with me. And you see, God is so loving that He allows for the free action of our will. God did not make you get saved. But God, in His Holy Spirit led you, and you got saved. 34

It is the same with prayer: God is not going to make you pray, but you ought to pray. It does not seem here that God is commanding you to pray, or trying to make you pray. In other words, what this verse is saying is: Daniel Whyte, if you want to see souls saved in your ministry, if you want to see revival, if you want to see Me bless your family and your children, if you want to see all of your needs met, then it is best for you to pray, it behooves you to prayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you ought to pray. You say, Bro. Whyte, why ought we to pray? First of all, we ought to pray because every now and then, we have to get down on our knees and confess our sins, faults, and failures to God. Now I know that some of you reading this do not do bad things, but I have done some bad things in my life and every now and then, I have to get down on my knees and confess my sins before God in prayer. Let me help those of you reading this who are struggling with that concept of confessing sins: how about your attitude towards other people? Has it always been right? How about lying? One man said that some people lie so much that when they tell the truth you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know whether to believe them or not. Are you being obedient in the giving of your tithes? Are you loving people as

you should? Are you telling people about Jesus as you should? Are you reading and studying the Word of God as you should? Are you praying as you should? There are sins of commission—lying, stealing, adultery, and so forth. But there are also sins of omission—not doing those things we ought to do such as praying. The Bible says, “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). James is saying to us: To him that knoweth to pray and prayeth not, to him it is sin. To him that knoweth to witness and witnesseth not, to him it is sin. To him that knoweth to love and loveth not, to him it is sin. To him that knoweth to show kindness and doeth it not, to him it is sin. To him that knoweth to read the Bible and readeth it not, to him it is sin. We have to ask God to forgive us of our sins whatever they may be—sins of commission or sins of omission. And not only that, but we have to pray and ask God to help us to live right, to think right, and to act right. I don’t know about you, but I just cannot live the Christian life by myself, that is, in my own strength. And you can’t do it in your own strength, either. That is why we need to realize and pray as Zechariah did: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord

of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). We have to pray, ‘Lord, help me to have the right attitude and spirit. Lord, deliver me from this temptation or that temptation, and from these sins which so easily beset me. Lord, help me! Deliver me! Lord, grant me the grace and the power of Your Holy Spirit to live right, to think right, to do right, and to act right.’ Whether you know it or not, we cannot live this Christian life in our own power. We have got to allow Jesus Christ to live it through us. Then we need God’s help in our homes. I have found out as I have traveled all across this country and overseas preaching in churches that the problem in our churches is not with the preacher or with the preaching of the Word of God. The problem is not the financial situation of the church. In most of our churches, the problem is not really what the color of the carpet is, etc. The main problem in our churches today is in the home. You may be thinking, How can you say that? The answer is simple: if you have a mean-spirited, angry, unkind husband at home and he’s a deacon at church, guess what he’s going to be at the church? If you have a meanspirited, rebellious, loud, want-to-be-in-control wife at home, then guess what you’re going to have in the church? You see, when we have that kind of situation in our homes, it seeps into the church. If you have rebellious, disrespectful children, well, it comes out in 37

the church. You can’t let your children run wild, be rebellious and talk back to you at home and then expect them to act right in the church. The home is where it is at, and the devil has a special task force whose mission is to destroy the home. Some of you wives may be thinking, Bro. Whyte, I know the Bible says I ought to be in submission to my husband, obey my husband, and respect my husband, but I just have a hard time doing that consistently. What’s your solution? Prayer. Just pray and ask God to help you be obedient, submissive, and respectful towards your husband because that is God’s will for you. Ask Him to create within you a meek and quiet spirit and a loving heart, spirit, and attitude toward your husband. Some of you husbands may be thinking, how can I love my wife unconditionally? How can I lead my family in a loving way? Prayer. Pray and ask God to help you to love your wife as you ought to. Pray and ask God to help you to be the loving leader of your home as He has ordained you to be. Some of you may be thinking, Bro. Whyte, I have rebellious, disrespectful children at home. I don’t know

what else to do with them for them to fly right. What’s your solution? Apart from Godly discipline, prayer. You must pray for your children daily. You must pray God’s protective covering over and around your children each day, throughout the day, because the devil is after our children as well. Husbands, it’s a crime for you to leave your home each morning and not pray with your family. Why? Because as far as I am concerned, you leave your family unprotected against the attacks of the devil. I thank God for good Godly women. But I have found out that many Christian women will not pray as much as they should if that man is not leading in prayer. Why? Because God has put something in that woman to really want to follow her husband. The Christ in her wants to follow her husband. And so, husbands, you have to lead in the spiritual discipline of prayer. Husbands, you not only have to pray for your family, you also have to pray with your family. And wives, you need to pray for your husband. And, as I mentioned before, you both must pray with and for your children. Now, let me share something that will be a great blessing to you as a couple: make a concrete decision to pray together in the morning before you go your

separate ways. I do not care how busy you are. I do not care what you have on your agenda, take the time to pray together in the mornings before you part ways. Don’t let it slip by you. Don’t let the devil take that away from you. You must pray together! The devil is constantly working, and after you have been asleep all night, if you don’t quickly get in communication with God, I guarantee you the devil will try to get something in between you. I have learned over the years that the days I slip up in prayer or try to get some other things done before I pray with my family, the devil tries to get in between my wife and me over absolutely nothing. You need to pray in the mornings together as soon as possible after waking up. Another critical time for prayer is in the evenings right before you get back together. Husbands, while you are driving home you need to be praying, “Lord, thank You for this good day. Lord, fill me now with Your Holy Spirit. Fill my wife with Your Holy Spirit. And Lord, we pray that You will rebuke and bind Satan the devil from our home. Surround us with a band of Your holy angels. Now, Lord, help us to have a good and sweet evening together as a family. Bless my children, help them to be cooperative and obedient.” Husbands, you need to do that. And wives, while he is doing that on the way home,

you need to be praying along the same lines. Try it before you think I am crazy. I guarantee you, you will have a different atmosphere in your home. For those of you who might be single, you need to pray as well. I have had single people to share with me how hard it is to pray alone. I know. I was single once. But it’s equally hard in marriage. Remember, the grass is not greener on the other side. You cannot allow your happiness and your joy and your peace to depend on your future wife, your future husband, or your circumstances. Your happiness, your joy, and your peace of mind must be found in Jesus Christ. In Isaiah we read: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3). By keeping your mind on Jesus Christ, you are guaranteed perfect peace, and one way you can keep your mind on Jesus is through having times of regular prayer. Nehemiah tells us: “...the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)—not the joy of your wife, not the joy of your husband, and not the joy of your children or anyone else. You can have consistent joy if you pray consistently. The psalmist, David, tells us “Blessed [happy] is the man 41

that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). You’ll get genuine happiness, not from your spouse or from others, but from obeying the Lord, and prayer will help you to be consistent in obeying God and hence have continual happiness. Once you get a hold of this, it will free you to be a better person. I have already determined in my heart and mind (and I know that it would be tough), that if something were to happen to my wife or to one of my children, and one of them were to leave me by death, I would keep on praying and serving God. We need to pray as husbands and wives; we need to pray as single people. We need to just pray because these are praying times. Not only that, but we need to pray for our churches. We need to pray for our pastors. Haven’t you found out that when you pray for your pastor throughout the week, you won’t have anything negative to say about him? Did you know that a person can come to church, and if he or she isn’t prayed up, he or she can have a negative attitude toward the pastor or toward a fellow church member for no reason at all? Have you ever had a friend

or someone in authority over you, be it a pastor or whoever, and everything was all right between you and that person, but somehow you had something negative to develop in your heart toward that person for no reason? That’s nothing but the devil trying to cause division. We need to pray to God to help us to love one another. We need to pray to God to help us to get along with one another. I have been in churches where a person will wait by the piano, all night if he has to, so as not to shake a particular person’s hand. I mean they will do all kinds of calisthenics to avoid any contact with that person. These things ought not so to be. If they are so, you need to pray about it. You need to pray about your attitude. You need to pray about your spirit. You need to pray and ask God to help you to love all your brothers and sisters in Christ—not based on what they do or say, or have done and said, but because they are your brothers and sisters in Christ. I remember one time, when I was in Imperial, California, preaching in a meeting. It was a predominantly white church with a few minorities, and I was supposed to preach that Sunday morning. When I walked in they had another brother—a Mexican

brother—teaching the Sunday School. When I sat down I was kind of surprised and immediately, without any effort of my own, the thought came to my mind: How can this person teach me anything? What can he teach me? Before you condemn me, examine your own heart. Without any effort on my part (not thinking for one second that me, a black preacher, had one racist, prejudiced bone in my body), I had that ungodly thought to come across my mind. Why? Because I am a sinner. The Lord taught me very clearly at that point that this stuff about prejudice and racism is not just about white men or black men—it’s not a white/black issue. It is a sin issue. Because of our sinful, wretched, ungodly nature, we automatically think that we are somehow superior to other people who are different than we are. We have people thinking that it’s all the white man’s fault. It’s not that. It’s sin. And do you know that that revelation freed me to love my people more. It freed me to love white people more. It freed me to love all people more. What I had to do was repent of that sin. I prayed and asked God to forgive me, to cleanse me of that wicked thought, and to help me to love all people as He does.

“ALWAYS” Not only ought we to pray, but we ought to pray “always.” In the verse it says, “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.” I believe this word, “always,” means always and that’s all always means. There is no other way that I can define it; there is no other way that I can break it down to you. I just feel that always is always. Of course, we know that we can’t pray while we are sleeping. I don’t think it would be wise, if you are working on a machine on the job, to kneel down and pray while the machine is still running. But we can still pray in another way. Have you ever had the thought to come to your mind to pray? You were not thinking about prayer, you were not talking with anyone about prayer, and you were not reading anything on prayer, but the thought came seemingly out of nowhere: why don’t you go ahead and pray now. I have had many of those experiences. And the only answer I can give for that prompting to pray is that the Holy Spirit of God prompts us to pray at different times. It is definitely not from the devil because the devil does not want us to pray. In fact, the last thing the devil wants you to do is pray. In Ephesians chapter six, a part of the Christian armour 45

against the devil is prayer: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...” (Ephesians 6:18). I have learned to follow those promptings and that has kept me out of many troubles; it has helped me to respond better to situations where I might have otherwise responded in a manner displeasing to God; it has helped me to have insight into things and thus make wise and appropriate decisions. Whenever you get that urge to pray, whenever you get that prompting to pray, may I encourage you to go ahead and obey and pray because God may be preparing you for something about to happen just around the corner. Do you know that if we would pray more, it’s quite possible that we would not end up in the sometimes unfortunate situations that we sometimes unfortunately find ourselves in. Our Lord and Savior even warns us when He said, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing , but the flesh is weak.”

“...AND NOT

FAINT”

If there ever is a time to pray in the history of our world, that time is now. We need to pray. We ought to pray. It is best for us to pray. This is indeed a praying time. “Men ought always to pray,” the Bible says, and then we get to 46

our last phrase: â&#x20AC;&#x153;and not to faint.â&#x20AC;? I guarantee you that many of you reading this, on some occasion in your Christian walk have felt like fainting. You felt like giving up. But God does not want us to give up. He wants us to continue to pray. You may be thinking, Bro. Whyte, what are some of the reasons we faint in prayer?

WHY WE FAINT

PRAYER

DOUBT 2. D ELAY 3. D EVIL

One reason is because of doubt. The devil tries to plant the seeds of doubt in our minds about this matter of prayer. He tries to cause doubt in our minds as to whether or not God is even hearing our prayer. He tries to plant doubt in our mind as to whether or not you are even worthy of praying. He tries to plant little doubts in our minds to keep us from praying and sometimes, unfortunately, he succeeds, and we don't pray as we ought to pray. A second reason why we faint in prayer is because of delay. We think that God is on our time and that He pays every Friday. But we must remind ourselves that God is on His own time and like the old preachers down 47

in Georgia used to say: “God may not come when you want Him to but He's always right on time.” Remember, a day is like a thousand years to God and a thousand years is like one day to God. For those of you who have been saved awhile, we know that time after time God has delivered us—right on time. When things seemed hopeless, God brought us through. He heard our prayer. Bank on it, dear friends, God wants to hear your prayer more than you want to pray. He delights in hearing us pray to Him. He wants to answer our prayers. He wants to bless us. He delights in blessing us. But, most importantly, He wants to hear from us. Another reason why we faint in prayer is because of the onslaught of the devil. Let me share this testimony with you. When I first got saved, I spent a lot of time studying my Bible and was very excited about that. I was excited about going soul-winning and seeing people saved. But for some reason I did not spend much quality time in prayer as I should have. I don't know why to this day. I prayed a little bit in the mornings and a little bit at nights and that was it. But then one day, someone gave me a set of books by E. M. Bounds. E. M. Bounds was a praying man. He had tapped into the

power one could have through prayer. He spent most of his ministry writing about prayer, teaching about prayer and praying himself. I call him the â&#x20AC;&#x153;prince of prayer.â&#x20AC;? God convicted me of my prayer life through this set of books. I determined in my heart and mind that I was going to spend more time in prayer. And do you know that as I began to pray more in the mornings and afternoons, in the late mornings and late evenings, and, of course, at nights, and as I began to pray more and more throughout the day, instead of things immediately getting better things immediately got worse. I couldn't understand why, back then, but I understand it now. You see, the devil did not want me to pray. He was discouraging me from praying. He was trying to make me faint in prayer. But God gave me the grace to continue in prayer and God, of course, delivered and blessed and answered my prayers. Be aware, as you make up your mind to pray more, and as you pray more, things are not going to immediately be a bed of roses; your days are not going to be problemfree. Quite the contrary. Why? Because Satan will be there to meet you head-on. He does not want you to pray; he does not want you to tap into your source of

strength and power; he does not want you to call upon Jesus. So therefore, he will throw every obstacle your way to prevent you from praying. Satan does not mind you learning about prayer, but he does not want you to get into the habit of praying. Why? Because something happens when a Christian prays; something happens when a Christian communicates with God. Satan does not want the Christian to pray because he knows he will be defeated through prayer.

WHY PEOPLE DO NOT PRAY There are three main reasons why people do not pray: 1. People do not pray because of unbelief. People do not pray because they do not believe God, they do not believe in God, and they do not believe God's Word. If a person really believed that God is and that "he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6), and if they really believed the Word of God which says that God hears and answers prayer, then they would pray. 2. People do not pray because of self-confidence. There are many men and women, whom God has blessed with multiple gifts, who do not pray because they feel that 50

they can do it all by themselves. They feel like they can handle it. These people are walking in the flesh and feel as though they do not need to ask for God's help through prayer. Galatians 5:16 commands us to, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." I have shared this message in churches over the past thirty years of ministry, and I have had pastors to share with me that the one area they struggle with is prayer. I believe one of the reasons why these pastors struggle with prayer is because oftentimes, pastors have multiple gifts to do ministry work, and they lean on those gifts that God has given them instead of leaning on God through prayer until they come to their wits end and then they realize that they must pray to God for help. 3. People do not pray because they love sin. John Bunyan said, "Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer." Frankly, some people do not pray because they are involved in sin, and they do not want to let that sin go. The main hinderance to a Christian's prayer life is unconfessed sin. How about you, dear reader? Is the reason why you don't pray because you know that if you pray right, you will have to get rid of the sin in your life? Instead of holding on to your sin, pray that God will give you the desire and ability to turn away from your sin and deliver

you from temptation so that your prayers can be effective.

W HY S OME OF O UR P RAY E R S A RE N OT B E I N G ANSWERED Some of you may be thinking, I am praying, but it seems my prayers are not being answered. What should I do? First, keep on praying. But here are several reasons why it seems as though our prayers are not being answered: 1. Because of sin in our lives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear meâ&#x20AC;? (Psalm 66:18) 2. Because we are not seeking God; we are not seeing things from God's perspective. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). "And have put on the new man, which is renewed

in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:10). 3. Because we don't trust God as we should. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). "For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord" (James 1:7) 4. Because God is in the process of preparing us for His answer. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10). 5. Because God has something better for us. "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him" (John 11:14-15).

6. Because our family relations and/or relations with others may not be right. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. W hose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hinderedâ&#x20AC;? (I Peter 3:1-7) "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and

there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Matthew 5:2324). 7. Because of selfishness. "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard" (Proverbs 21:13). 8. Because of our indifference to God's Word. "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination" (Proverbs 28:9). 9. Because we do not come before Him in humility. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14). "For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and

of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).

H OW

P RAY

FOR

O THERS

God wants us, as we pray, to intercede for others, or to pray for others. Intercessory prayer takes our minds off ourselves and puts the needs of others at the center of our prayers. God blesses intercessory prayer. J. Gordon Henry, a powerful teacher of intercessory prayer, says: “Prayer enables God to do things He would otherwise not do. Prayer is not a means to get man's will done in Heaven; rather, prayer is God's ordained means for getting God's will done in earth.” How do you pray for others? 1. Realize the person's present exalted position in Christ. 2. Present the person as a living sacrifice. 3. Ask that the person be filled with the Holy Spirit. 4. Ask that God will guide the person to become regular and systematic in the study of God's Word. 5. Ask that the person have the mind of Christ. 6. Ask that the person grow daily in Christ-like maturity. 56

7. Ask that the person put on the full armor of God. 8. Ask that the person be alert to Satan's strategy. 9. Ask that God will cause the believer to not love the world system. 10. Ask that the person have a spirit of brokenness and humility. 11. Ask that the person have a servant's heart. 12. Ask that the person be able to build a Scriptural family. 13. Ask that the person become an effective prayer warrior in their own right. 14. Ask that God’s hand be upon him in physical and material things. 15. Ask that the person learn to praise the Lord. 16. Ask that the person begin to reach out to the unsaved. “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.” May I lovingly encourage you to pray, pray, pray: pray for yourself, pray for your neighbour, pray for those who are already saved, pray for our governmental officials; pray for souls to be saved. And if, perhaps you are not saved, pray and ask God to save your soul. God loves you more than you love yourself and He wants to save you, so that you can begin your own prayerful relationship with Him. The Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” 57

THE MOST IMPORTANT PRAYER YOU WILL EVER PRAY Dear friend, if you are reading this book and do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, please read the following to find out how you can begin a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ today: 1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” 2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death...” 3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and

unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” 4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself ! The Bible states in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” 5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). 6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

7. If you are willing to trust Christ as your Saviour please pray with me the following prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have sinned against you. For Jesus Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sake, please forgive me of all of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again for me. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart, save my soul, change my life, and fill me with your Holy Spirit today and forever. Amen.

BEGIN THE DAY WITH PRAYER by E.M. Bounds from his book, Power Through Prayer

I ought to pray before seeing any one. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o’clock before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system. It is unscriptural. Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: “Early will I seek thee”; “Thou shalt early hear my voice.” Family prayer loses much of its power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek from me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed. Then when in secret prayer the soul is often out of tune, I feel it is far better to begin with God—to see his face first, to get my soul near him before it is near another. —Robert Murray McCheyne

The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, he will be in the last place the remainder of the day. Behind this early rising and early praying is the ardent desire which presses us into this pursuit after God. Morning listlessness is the index to a listless heart. The heart which is behindhand in seeking God in the morning has lost its relish for God. Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart was ardent after God. He hungered and thirsted after God, and so he sought God early, before daylight. The bed and sleep could not chain his soul in its eagerness after God. Christ longed for communion with God; and so, rising a great while before day, he would go out into the mountain to pray. The disciples, when fully awake and ashamed of their indulgence, would know where to find him. We might go through the list of men who have mightily impressed the world for God, and we would find them early after God. A desire for God which cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do but little good for God after

it has indulged itself fully. The desire for God that keeps so far behind the devil and the world at the beginning of the day will never catch up. It is not simply the getting up that puts men to the front and makes them captain generals in Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hosts, but it is the ardent desire which stirs and breaks all selfindulgent chains. But the getting up gives vent, increase, and strength to the desire. If they had lain in bed and indulged themselves, the desire would have been quenched. The desire aroused them and put them on the stretch for God, and this heeding and acting on the call gave their faith its grasp on God and gave to their hearts the sweetest and fullest revelation of God, and this strength of faith and fullness of revelation made them saints by eminence, and the halo of their sainthood has come down to us, and we have entered on the enjoyment of their conquests. But we take our fill in enjoyment, and not in productions. We build their tombs and write their epitaphs, but are careful not to follow their examples. We need a generation of preachers who seek God and seek him early, who give the freshness and dew of effort to God, and secure in return the freshness and fullness of his power that he may be as the dew to them, full of

gladness and strength, through all the heat and labor of the day. Our laziness after God is our crying sin. The children of this world are far wiser than we. They are at it early and late. We do not seek God with ardor and diligence. No man gets God who does not follow hard after him, and no soul follows hard after God who is not after him in early morn.

HOW TO PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING by Dr. Rob and Judy Finley, Prayer Resources

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5 (KJV) Our hearts are heavy with the great number of suffering saints the Lord has surrounded us with these days. Our prayer life is occupied by a mother who has unexpectedly lost her son, precious friends who are spending their last days with a son smitten by brain tumors, a young widow married for 65

only two weeks, a government employee being tortured for making a stand for righteousness, a valued prayer warrior who has received a discouraging report following cancer treatment, pastors whose congregations are rebelliously attempting to remove them, and our own two year old grandson as he and our entire family live with the daily suffering of his diabetes. As we pray for each of these folks – as well as for ourselves in our own personal suffering – it is a challenge to keep our prayers pure. We are so programmed by our culture and our own selfishness to focus on escape from the suffering no matter its form. Scriptural prayers for those suffering are quite different. In Romans 5, Paul – who knew his own fair share of suffering – set forth a marvelous pattern for us as we pray for those who suffer. Pray for comprehension of the principle of suffering. Suffering is a very important necessity in life itself. We can view it in nature when we watch a struggling butterfly emerge from its cocoon. Should we yield to the temptation to utilize our skilled hands to deliver it from the struggle, we discover a deformed creature incapable of flight! Indeed, suffering is inherent in all of God’s Universe. Even Jesus had to suffer for our redemption. Paul tells us to rejoice in our sufferings,

because we know its necessity and its benefits. As we pray for those who are suffering, we must pray that they will recognize in the midst of their suffering the goodness of God’s purpose for suffering. We must pray against belief in the lie that suffering is bad or something to be embarrassed by. Pray for commitment to perseverance through suffering. Since suffering is necessary to accomplish God’s good purposes, why should we beg for it to cease? There is comfort for us to realize that even our sinless Savior wanted the cup of suffering to pass from Him, but His resolve was to suffer for our salvation. Isaiah 11:5b describes Jesus on the cross by saying that faithfulness (His will) shall be the girdle (controller) of his reins (His emotions). Paul tells us that suffering produces perseverance. As we pray for those who are suffering, we must pray that they will utilize their will to yield emotionally to God’s authority in their suffering. Such a commitment unleashes His keeping power that goes beyond our fleshly discipline. We must pray against the desire for escape that would only frustrate God’s purposes. Pray for co-operation in purification through suffering. God’s overarching purpose in suffering is to

purify or make clean. It is only through the suffering of the shedding of Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; blood on the cross that we have the remission of our sins. Paul tells us that perseverance produces character. As we pray for those who are suffering, we must pray that as they yield to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s authority in their suffering, their attitudes and actions will be refined to produce godly character. We must pray against resistance and fleshly control that will yield bitterness rather than character. Pray for control of passions through suffering. Today's technological advances of brain imaging allow a more concrete study of emotions. Scientists who focus on the study of emotions have categorized three primary negative and three primary positive emotions. The three primary negative emotions they have designated are illustrated in the three very different emotional reactions of the first three men who sinned in the book of Genesis: Adam reacted in fear; Cain reacted in anger; and Lamech reacted in hate. The three primary positive emotions they have designated are the same ones used by Paul in I Corinthians 13: faith, hope, and love. As an act of Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; will while He was on the cross, He rejected all of the negative emotions and chose rather to focus on the positive emotions. Hebrews 12:2 states that for the joy that was set before Him, He endured

the cross, despising the shame. Paul tells us that character produces hope and hope does not disappoint us. As we pray for those who are suffering, we must pray that through the refined character of their will they will choose to focus on the positive emotions. We must pray against the entrapment of negative emotions that will only disappoint and defeat. Pray for completion of the purpose of suffering. God’s ultimate goal in suffering is the development of agape love. In his book Don’t Waste Your Sorrows, Paul Billheimer gives much logic to suffering. He contends that the law of God’s Kingdom is love; that it is only love that fulfills the law; since God is love, agape love is not primarily an emotion but aggressive, benevolent, sacrificial outgoing goodwill; God’s primary occupation in this age is to teach the Church the lessons of agape love to prepare them for the throne where they are to reign with Christ; in God’s kingdom rank is determined, not by talent, success, intellect, personality, nor influence, but only by agape love; agape love is selfgiving; there is no self-giving without suffering; only great sufferers can know agape love as they experience the decentralization of self; therefore, the experience of suffering is preparation for God’s kingdom. It was this kind of love that kept Jesus on the cross. The

Apostle Paul tells us that through our proper response to suffering, God has poured out His love into our hearts. As we pray for those who are suffering, we must pray that they will genuinely experience the decentralization of themselves so that Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love will be poured into them. We must pray against any and all selfishness in the midst of their suffering. When we are called upon to pray for those who are suffering, we are given an awesome task. May we be found faithful, not merely emotional in our prayers!

A WARFARE PRAYER From The Adversary by Mark I. Bubeck

Recently, my family and I had the opportunity to read through a book titled "The Adversary: The Christian Versus Demon Activity" by Mark I. Bubeck. Dr. Mark I. Bubeck is the founder and president emeritus of the International Center for Biblical Counseling, Inc in Sioux City, Iowa. This book will open your eyes to the workings of the enemy, the devil, and will provide powerful prayers that you can pray to keep Satan out of your mind, your heart, your family, your circumstances, and your life. Below is one such prayer called "A Warfare Prayer":

Heavenly Father, I bow in worship and praise before You. I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as my protection during this time of prayer. I surrender myself completely and unreservedly in every area of my life to Yourself. I do take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me in this time of prayer, and I address myself only to that true and living God and refuse any involvement of Satan in my prayer. Satan, I command you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave my presence with all your demons, and I bring the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ between us. Heavenly Father, I worship You, and I give You praise. I recognize that You are worthy to receive all glory and honor and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and pray that the blessed Holy Spirit would enable me in this time of prayer. I am thankful, heavenly Father, that You have loved me from past eternity, that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to die as my substitute that I would be redeemed. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came as my representative, and that through Him You have completely forgiven me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me the

perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ so I am now justified. I am thankful that in Him You have made me complete, and that You have offered Yourself to me to be my daily help and strength. Heavenly Father, come and open my eyes that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for this new day. I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, take my place with Christ in the heavenlies with all principalities and powers of darkness and wicked spirits under my feet. I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the cross and in His resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies; therefore, I declare that all principalities and powers and all wicked spirits are subject to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the armor You have provided, and I put on the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the helmet of salvation. I lift up the shield of faith against all the fiery darts of the enemy, and take in my hand the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, and use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life; and I put on this armor and live and pray in complete dependence upon You,

blessed Holy Spirit. I am grateful, heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I claim all that victory for my life today. I reject out of my life all the insinuations, the accusations, and the temptations of Satan. I affirm that the Word of God is true, and I choose to live today in the light of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word. I choose, heavenly Father, to live in obedience to You and in fellowship with Yourself. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that would not please You. Work in my life that there be no ground to give Satan a foothold against me. Show me any area of weakness. Show me any area of my life that I must deal with so that I would please You. I do in every way today stand for You and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life. By faith and in dependence upon You, I put off the old man and stand into all the victory of the crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the old nature. I put on the new man and stand into all the victory of the resurrection and the provision He has made for me there to live above sin. Therefore, in this day, I put off the old nature with its selfishness,

and I put on the new nature with its love, I put off the old nature with its fear and I put on the new nature with its courage. I put off the old nature with its weakness and I put on the new nature with its strength. I put off today the old nature with all its deceitful lusts and I put on the new nature with all its righteousness and purity. I do in every way stand into the victory of the ascension and the glorification of the son of God where all principalities and powers were made subject to Him, and I claim my place in Christ victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that You would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol and cast out every foe. I am thankful, heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I therefore claim all the will of God for today. I am thankful that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am thankful that You have begotten me unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I am thankful that You have made a provision so that today I can live filled with the Spirit of God with love and joy and self-control in my life. And I recognize

that this is Your will for me, and I therefore reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and of his demons to rob me of the will of God. I refuse in this day to believe my feelings, and I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations and against all the insinuations that Satan would put in my mind. I claim the fullness of the will of God for today. I am thankful, heavenly Father that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, to the casting down of imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore in my own life today I tear down the strongholds of Satan, and I smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against me. I tear down the strongholds of Satan against my mind, and I surrender my mind to You, blessed Holy Spirit. I affirm, heavenly Father, that You have not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I break and smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my will today, and I give my will to You, and choose to make the right decisions of faith. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my body today, and I give my body to You, recognizing that I am Your temple; and I rejoice

in Your mercy and Your goodness. Heavenly Father, I pray that now through this day You would quicken me; show me the way that Satan is hindering and tempting and lying and counterfeiting and distorting the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that would please You. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer. Enable me to be aggressive mentally and to think Your thoughts after You, and to give You Your rightful place in my life. Again, I now cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that You, blessed Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of the crucifixion, all the work of the resurrection, all the work of the glorification, and all the work of Pentecost into my life today. I surrender myself to You. I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead, and I claim in every way Your victory over all satanic forces active in my life, and I reject these forces; and I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving. Amen.

POEMS ON PRAYER Use these powerful poems from men and women of God to jump-start your prayer time.

I Met God In The Morning by Ralph Cushman I met God in the morning When my day was at its best, And His Presence came like sunrise Like a glory in my breast. All day long the Presence lingered, All day long He stayed with me, And we sailed in perfect calmness O'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered, Other ships were sore distressed, But the winds that seemed to drive them Brought to us a peace and rest. Then I thought of other mornings, With a keen remorse of mind, When I, too, had loosed the moorings With the Presence left behind. So I think I know the secret, Learned from many a troubled way; You must seek Him in the morning If you want Him through the day.

Exhortation to Prayer by William Cowper What various hindrances we meet In coming to a mercy-seat! Yet who that knows the worth of pray'r, But wishes to be often there? Pray'r makes the dark'ned cloud withdraw, Pray'r climbs the ladder Jacob saw; Gives exercise to faith and love, Brings ev'ry blessing from above. Restraining pray'r, we cease to fight; Pray'r makes the Christian's armour bright; And Satan trembles, when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees. While Moses stood with arms spread wide, Success was found on Israel's side; But when thro' weariness they fail'd, That moment Amalek prevail'd. Have you no words! Ah, think again, Words flow apace when you complain; And fill your fellow-creature's ear

With the sad tale of all your care. Were half the breath thus vainly spent, To heav'n in supplication sent; Your cheerful song would oft'ner be, "Hear what the LORD has done for me!"

Take It to Jesus in Prayer by James Wells Do sore tribulations perplex you? Is your life filled with sorrow and care? No longer your trials will vex you, If you take it to Jesus in prayer. Tho' often of life you are weary, You need never give way to despair. You always will find life more cheery When you take it to Jesus in prayer. The Saviour is able and willing All your trials and sorrows to share; with comfort your heart will be filling, When you take it to Jesus in prayer. Then do not give way to your sorrow, Tho' it seems most too heavy to bear; The world will seem brighter tomorrow, If you take it to Jesus in prayer. Then take it to Jesus in prayer, sweet prayer, Tell all your sorrows, your troubles, your care; There at His feet is a solace so sweet, Then take it to Jesus in prayer. 83

A Quiet Place by Robert Hedrick As I bow my head and close my eyes, going to God in silent prayer, Then I feel His perfect peace and love that's surrounding me there. Far away from the rest of this world that's moving at a rapid pace, Just The Lord and I, having a private session in my quiet place. Then, for me, I find my quiet place is usually not hard to find, There's most always one close by wherever I might be at the time. Knowing that God will surely hear me from any corner that I call, Meeting each of the requests I make, no matter how large or small. There's been some special quiet places that I've enjoyed in the past, Although it always seems the one most special, was the one I had last.

No matter when or where, when I'm talking to God, it is special to me, While fishing from a creek bank or finding shade under a big oak tree. Most praying folks have a favorite quiet place and I sure have mine, This is where I privately talk to The Lord My God most of the time. Alone in bed, before I go to sleep and again, beginning the new day, Then as I go to Him, I receive that needed encouragement as I pray.

PRAYER RESOURCES Do you want to learn more about prayer? Join a prayer group? Link up with other believers? The resources on this page will be of benefit to you.

Operation World Prayer Resources http://www.operationworld.org/ Global Day of Prayer http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/ Global Day of Prayer USA http://www.gdopusa.com/ GDOP London http://www.gdoplondon.com/

The Interceders http://www.calltoprayer.org.uk/index.html Canada in Prayer http://www.canadainprayer.com/ Intercessors for America http://www.ifapray.org/ International Prayer Council http://www.ipcprayer.org/ Prayer Resources http://prayerresources.org/ All About Prayer http://www.allaboutprayer.org/ Faith and Worship - Prayers and Resources http://www.faithandworship.com/index.htm Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Prayer Committee http://www.nationalprayer.org/

Awake and Go! Global Prayer Network http://www.watchword.org/ Bible Prayer Fellowship http://www.praywithchrist.org/ Campus Crusade for Christ Prayer Resources http://www.godsquad.com/prayer/index.htm Campus Renewal Ministries http://www.campusrenewal.org/ Church Prayer Leaders Network http://www.prayerleader.com/ College of Prayer US: http://www.collegeofprayer.org/ CANADA: http://www.alliancepray.ca/main.php Concerts of Prayer Greater New York http://www.copgny.org/ Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation http://www.prayercaucus.org/

EM Bounds Free Books Online http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bounds/ Florida Prayer Network http://www.floridaprayer.org/ Global Prayer Digest http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/ How to Pray for America http://www.howtoprayforamerica.org/ Kids Prayer Network http://www.kidsprayer.com/ Moms in Touch International http://www.momsintouch.org/ National Day of Prayer http://nationaldayofprayer.org/ Pray Magazine http://www.navpress.com/pray/

PrayerForum http://www.prayerforum.org/ Presidential Prayer Team web site http://presidentialprayerteam.com/ Project Pray http://www.projectpray.org/ See You At the Pole http://www.syatp.com/ Southern Baptist Convention Prayer Guide http://www.sbcpray.net/home.asp Twenty Four Seven Prayer http://www.24-7prayer.com/ Twenty Four Seven Prayer Global http://www.global24-7.org/index.asp Twenty Four Seven Prayer UK http://uk.24-7prayer.com/

Twenty Four Seven Prayer USA http://24-7prayer.us/ Twenty Four Seven Prayer Germany http://germany.24-7prayer.com/cms/ World Prayer Centre http://www.worldprayer.org.uk/ Pray Like This http://www.praylikethis.org.uk/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in twenty-three foreign countries. He is the author of fifteen books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts, The Prayer Motivator Devotional and the Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, and the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, and a Master’s degree in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for twenty-four years. God has blessed their union with seven www.DanielWhyte3.com children.

GOSPEL LIGHT SOCIETY

INTERNATIONAL The Mission of Gospel Light Society International is to turn many from darkness to light in America and around the world, through a clear presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and through understandable principles that will aid in the spritual growth of new Christians through literature, videos, and other multimedia. Website: www.gospellightsociety.com E-mail: gls@gospellightsociety.com RADIO OUTREACH Gospel Light Minute X (Extended) www.gospellightminutex.com Gospel Light Minute www.gospellightminute.com

THE PRAYER MOTIVATOR

DEVOTIONAL BROADCAST A short broadcast to inspire, encourage, and motivate you to pray so you can live your best life NOW. Based on The Prayer Motivator book by Daniel Whyte III. The main purpose of this simple broadcast is to motivate, encourage, and exhort you to pray. I am convinced that most people do not need to learn how to pray; they need to Just Pray! If I can get you to just pray, all sorts of wonderful things will begin to happen for you, your family, and whatever God has called you to do. We do not pray based upon our subjective feelings, we pray based upon objective facts based upon the Word of God. The Prayer Motivator Devotional Broadcast www.prayermd.com / prayermotivatordevotional.com The Prayer Motivator Minute www.prayermotivatorminute.com

TORCH LEGACY PUBLICATIONS A Ministry of Torch Ministries International

The Mission of Torch Legacy Publication Ministries is to turn many from darkness to light in the urban community of America and whosoever will, through presenting a clear, understandable presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the propagation of clear, biblical principles for life change via preaching, teaching, and through multimedia. Website: www.torchlegacy.com E-mail: info@torchlegacy.com Phone: 1.877.TORCHLP