"Children, obey your parents." Colossians 3:20
NOTE TO SELF: Obedience, not resistance, pleases God. It is amazing how much smarter your parents will become, the older you get. Parental direction isn't unexpected rain on your parade. It is a helping hand into a life-boat. Praying for your parents increases your desire to obey them.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Champion
“Stop thinking of it as a curse to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing too. A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends."
Nicky Lauda (Formula One world-champion race car driver)
NOTE TO SELF: Whatever or whoever drives you to your knees has put you in the best position to finish the race stronger than if you had tried to stand on your own two feet. Kneeling in the face of the enemy gives you a clearer picture of The Champion, and it is His Presence that drives your enemy from the field of the conflict.
"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless study, prayerless work or prayerless religion. He mocks at our wisdom, and laughs at our toil, but he trembles when we pray."
Samuel Chadwick
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Junction
"Prayer, much prayer, is the price of preaching unction; prayer, much prayer, is the one sole condition of keeping this unction. Without unceasing prayer the unction never comes to the preacher. Without perseverance in prayer, the unction, like the manna overkept, breeds worms." E.M. Bounds, PREACHER & PRAYER, 1907.
NOTE TO SELF. Pray for preachers in the pulpit & people in the pews to meet at the UNCTION JUNCTION this Sunday.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Fifth
Cinco de Mayo has a special meaning at our house. 5/5/43 marks the day my Dad, Don Miller, was saved, baptized and called to preach. It was turning point in his life, and it was the starting point for our family.
One day God changed one man's sense of direction, and for 72 years he called thousands to join him in a daily walk with Jesus. He lived what he believed. Four words were forged by fire in his heart, before they were chiseled in stone on his grave.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Breath
"Do not be afraid of sudden fear."
Proverbs 3:25
NOTE TO SELF: It is impossible for you to talk a crisis to death. Talking about a crisis, rather than praying your way through it, only breathes new life into your fear & suffocates your faith. Prayer is God's CPR. You become breathless when you are prayerless. Stop blowing your hot air into a ballooning crisis. Take a deep breath, and...
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Birthmark
Praying Til Pentecost:
"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication."
Acts 1:14
Answered prayer is the birthmark of the church. It was birthed in a prayer meeting. Healthy churches still pray for God's direction, protection and correction. You ask. He answers.
NOTE TO SELF: Before your prayers can be effective at knocking down the enemy, they must first knock the pride out of you. When it comes to prayer, you ask, and God answers. Remember, He does the heavy lifting.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Resurrection
Praying Til Pentecost:
The Risen Lord, personally stepped into the lives of people lost in despair, and gasping for air. Seated at the right hand of The Father, He still does it today. In all His majesty and glory, He intercedes for you by name. The majesty of Christ is just a breath away. Through prayer, His Spirit releases the power of the resurrection.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Menu
Praying til Pentecost: "Come and have breakfast."
Jesus // John 21:12
What a beautiful invitation from the Risen Lord. Jesus provides a picture of prayer. He knows exactly what His followers need, before they even ask Him. Jesus provided for the physcial and the spiritual nourishment of His weary followers. He still does.
NOTE TO SELF: When you hunger for The Presence of The Risen Christ, you will discover He alone is the ultimate comfort food. When you find yourself exhausted, from fruitless, back breaking effort, Jesus still offers Himself to you. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Make sure Jesus is on your menu. Eat early and often. The Risen Christ's Cafe stays open day and night.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Importunity
"...because of his importunity he will give him..."
Luke 11:8
Jesus framed importunity as persistent prayer that sails into an opposing wind. The Greeks defined opportunity as facing a frightening moment, and seizing it, before it slipped away. Effective prayer does both.
NOTE TO SELF: Importunity is persistent prayer, sailing into the face of unfavorable winds & harnessing the power of God. Importunity doesn't whine, it moves forward in spite of opposition. Opportunity doesn't stiff arm a headwind wind. It embraces it and sets the sails of prayer to catch the wind of Heaven. Both are necessary. Take time to importune in prayer. Keep watch for the opportune moment to pray. Both will lead you to the right port. Expect fear. Respond in faith. Pray your way through the wind, to get to port.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Stay
Praying Til Pentecost
"He acted as if He were going farther, but they urged Him saying, 'Stay with us!'...so He went in to stay with them."
Luke 24:29
NOTE TO SELF: Three little words, "Stay with us," express the difference between attending a High Attendance Day at church, and ushering in the NEXT Great Awakening. Urge people to come to the church house, but remember Jesus desires an invitation to take over at your house. Jesus is not begging for an audience with you at your church. He is waiting for an invitation to enter your home. When you pray, you welcome Jesus to stay with you. When you urgently pray for renewed intimacy with Jesus, you put out the welcome mat for the NEXT Great Awakening. It begins with prayer, and it arrives at the local level.
TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!