On September 23 at 12:00 noon in 1857, Jeremiah Lanphier conducted his first prayer meeting in the Old Dutch North Church at Fulton and Williams Streets in New York City. The church was in decline and hired this businessman to visit and build up the church. He decided to hold a prayer meeting. Only six showed up, but it was decided to meet again during the lunch hour when businesses closed from 12-1:00 p.m. Twenty men came the next Wednesday and forty the following week. The group decided to meet daily.
Read morePrayer Life of George Mueller
In his journals alone, Muller recorded over 50,000 specific answers to prayer in his lifetime[4]. Given that example, we now want to investigate further to see what it is about George Muller’s faithful prayer that we need to remember.
J. Hudson Taylor has said that the spiritual maturation of a Christian is just the opposite of the physical maturation of humanity. Physically, we move from the cradle to independence. Spiritually, we move from independence to the cradle. Of George Muller, A.T. Pierson writes, “George Muller was never so really, truly, fully a little child in all his relations to his Father, as when in the ninety-third year of his age.” Pierson, 43.
Read moreIs Cremation a Christian Option?
Conservatives like John Davis, Rod Decker, and Norman Geisler all agree that even though Scriptures do not explicitly forbid cremation, burial should still be the Christian method of laying to rest our loved ones. The overall pattern of Scripture is interment. G. Campbell Morgan favored cremation.
Read moreThe Prayer Life of Jesus
Luke who in his Gospel emphasizes the humanity of Jesus stresses the prayer life of Jesus.
1. Jesus SHOWED us how to pray (Luke gives 9 examples of Jesus praying)
1) Jesus prayed before important occasions (Luke 3:21-22).
2) Jesus prayed after a hard day’s work (Luke 5:16).
3) Jesus prayed before important decisions (Luke 6:12, 13).
4) Jesus prayed at ordinary times (Luke 9:18).
5) Jesus prayed and was transformed (Luke 9:28-29).
6) Jesus prayed and provided an example (Luke 11:1).
7) Jesus prayed for others (Luke 22:32).
8) Jesus prayed for strength (Luke 22:39-46).
9) Jesus prayed before his death (Luke 23:46).
2. Jesus TAUGHT us how to pray
A. Jesus taught us one lesson on prayer (the Model Prayer) (Luke 11:1-4)
1) We first focus on God in worship (Luke 11:2)
2) Then we focus on Man’s needs (Luke 11:3-4)
B. Jesus taught us four illustrations on prayer
1) The Parable of the Importunate Friend (Luke 11:5-10)
God answers our intercessory prayers for others.
2) The Parable of the Human Father (Luke 11:11-13)
God answers our personal prayers for our spiritual needs
3) The Parable of the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8)
God answers our prayers for vengeance
4) The Parable of Two Prayers (Luke 18:9-14)
God only answers the prayers of the humble
(See Prayer in the Book of Acts)
“Winning Souls by Prayer”
Lewis Sperry Chafer in his book entitled “True Evangelism: Winning Souls by Prayer” writes, “The personal element in true soul-winning work is more a service of pleading for souls than a service of pleading with souls. It is talking with God about men from a clean heart and in the power of the Spirit, rather than talking to men about God…. the divine order is to talk to God about men, until the door is definitely open to talk to men about God” (Lewis Sperry Chafer. True Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1993, 69-71). In light of this statement we need to answer some questions about praying people into heaven.
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