A Simple Start

It started with a simple prayer. As we went about our business in our new town, we saw many who needed Christ, but we didn't speak their language, we didn't understand their culture, we didn't know how to reach them.

So, we prayed. It really wasn't anything special at all.

Often while out shopping, I saw many Hispanic people. I would smile and sometimes say, "Hola," but that was as far as I felt comfortable going.  So, I would pray, "Lord, look at these people. They need you. I don't know how to reach them, but You do. Show me." And then I would generally be interrupted by a phone call, a child needing me or something else pulling me out of that grocery store prayer.

At home, I shared my burden for these people with my husband. He agreed. We prayed, "Lord, we see these people who need You. Show us what to do; we can't reach them because we don't speak Spanish."

And this went on. I, personally, prayed daily for the opportunity to reach the Hispanics in our town. We prayed occasionally as a couple and as a family. My prayer often held Matthew 9:36-38 where Jesus tells his disciples that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. He instructs them to pray, very specifically.

Prayer is not a flashy activity. It's a humble thing which we are told to do in private. For such a humble activity, it has great results.

Out of the blue, one Hispanic family came to our church. The next Sunday, they brought a few friends. They continued coming, even though they could not fully understand the preaching. More came. We worked through language and cultural barriers and saw people come to Christ. They were baptized. They were added to the church.

There is now a thriving, growing, bustling Hispanic church in that town.

Oh, and another grew out of that in another town in a neighboring state.

Oh, and another grew in Mexico because the original group became burdened for their home town there.

Simple prayer. No flashy gimmicks. No long planning sessions. Prayer.

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." Matthew 9:38

Just pray.
~Tricia

Intro to Study on Prayer

I sometimes get requests for the Bible studies I've prepared and used over the years. There are groups using these studies regularly, a fact for which I praise our Lord and Savior. In response to those requests, I thought I'd post a few on my blog from time to time.

Lately prayer has become deeper and more necessary than ever in my life, so I thought I'd share an introduction to my study on prayer. This particular study is an exception to my usual approach. I normally approach Bible study one book at a time, verse by verse, until we complete all the chapters of any given book. But, at one point, a study on prayer was requested, so I researched and wrote a study on prayer. This is a brief introduction to that study. This is an elementary study, designed for an elementary level of Bible study students, which I had at the time I wrote this study. (Elementary meaning introductory level of Bible study, not referencing age. The students for whom I wrote this study were grown women who were (mostly) inexperienced in Bible study.)

Prayer
Introduction

Facts About Prayer

Old Testament
5 Hebrew words for prayer in the OT
with a total use of 81 times

3 words are used once

1 word is used 4 times

1 word is used 74 times

New Testament
8 Greek words for prayer in the NT
with a total use of 54 times

3 words are used once

2 words are used 5 times

1 word is used 7 times

1 word is used 15 times

1 word is used 19 times

Look up the following verses to see how they will fit into your prayer life. Don't just read this study; actually do the study for a more comprehensive understanding.

What is prayer?

I. Simply put, prayer is:
 1. Talking to God
 2. Conversing with God directly
 3. A beseeching - Genesis 32:11
 4. A pouring out of the soul - I Samuel 1:15
 5. Praying and crying to Heaven - II Chronicles 32:20
 6. Seeking unto God and making supplication - Job 8:5
 7. Drawing near to God - Psalm 73:28
 8. Bowing the knees - Ephesians 3:14
- Easton’s Bible Dictionary
 9. Looking up - Psalm 5:3
10. Lifting up the soul - Psalm 25:1
11. Lifting up the heart - Lamentations 3:41
12. Pouring out the heart - Psalm 62:8
13. Calling upon the Name of the Lord - Genesis 12:8; Psalm 116:4; Acts 22:16
14. Crying to God - Psalm 27:7; 34:6
15. Crying to heaven - II Chronicles 32:20
16. Seeking the face of the Lord - Psalm 27:
                                                        - The New Topical Textbook

II. Prayer has presuppositions; ideas based on faith:
1. It presupposes that God exists
2. It presupposes that God will listen
3. It presupposes that God has power to answer
4. It presupposes that God is interested
5. It presupposes that God will fulfill His Word
6. It presupposes that God is the One to go to

If prayer is simply defined as talking to or conversing with God, then our next question has to be:

I. Who is God?  Who are we talking to when we pray?
1. If we are going to pray, we have to know Who we are praying to
2. Prayer without theology isn’t prayer at all
II. Theology 101
1. Every believer is a theologian to some degree
2. Our very prayers show that we are theological to some degree
3. If we truly understand Who God is, Who we are talking to, it will influence the way we pray.
4. The more we learn of Him - theology - the more we will pray.
III. Who is God?
1. The simple definition is His countless Names.
2. List the Names of God you know. I've listed a few I thought of; add to this list:
The Great I Am God of All Comfort
Creator         God of Jacob
Almighty God         God of Isaac
Wonderful Counselor God of Abraham
Eternal God Lord of Lords
Father Lord of Hosts
Everlasting Father Lamb of God
God of All the Earth God of Israel
Prince of Peace         Redeemer
One         The Only Wise God
God of All Comfort God Most High

3. What do these Names of God tell you about God?
He is eternal He cares for us
He is Creator He is powerful
He is full of peace He is holy
He redeems He is over all the earth
He is wonderful         He is mighty
He is my Father He is the Only Wise One

4. How might this information influence the way you pray?
                5. Anticipate growth.

~Tricia