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BrianPaul
Member



Joined: 2007/10/3
Posts: 68
Moorpark, CA

 Prayer Discipline

I was wondering what kind of time some of you spend in prayer? What kind of schedules if any? I have become very influenced by the preaching of Leonard Ravenhill, and especially on prayer. I would like to hear where some of you men and women of God are at with this, that you might encourage me with seeing how you have developed this area of your life. Ravenhill talks much about these men who pray hours a day, and i long to understand what these men have done to get there. Anyway, im just rambling, please just let me know how much you pray so i can be encouraged. Maybe you can also let me know how much/often you pray with strong crying and tears as our Lord Jesus did.(Hebrews 5:8) I hope this post can be something for us all to be pressed into deeper love for God. So also post anything about prayer that you think could encourage us even if it is not in direct response to some of the questions i asked. Pray.


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Brian

 2007/12/26 17:35Profile
Miccah
Member



Joined: 2007/9/13
Posts: 1752
Wisconsin

 Re: Prayer Discipline

If I may, I suggest reading the book "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. He was a 17th centry (I believe) monk who praticed the Lords presence in everthing that he did.

In my opinion, Brother Lawrence prayer life revials what we as the Church should always strive to do.

Personally, I pray troughout the day at various times. I find that since I can be on the road somedays up to 4 hours at a shot, I use this time to pray and talk to God. I would like to get up early and start the day off with the Lord, but I am a night owl. I usually spend time after everyone is asleep and focus on the Lord and prayer, BUT, I really would like to start doing this in the morning as well, before anyone is up.

Sermonindex moderator Greg posted a posting on this a while back. You may want to look as some of those responses as well. Short on time or I would try to link it for you :-)

Blessings


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Christiaan

 2007/12/26 17:55Profile
jzmccauley
Member



Joined: 2007/12/19
Posts: 2
Seattle

 Re: Prayer Discipline

As for scheduling, I found it helpful to make a spreadsheet of my week broken up into half hour chunks. By intentionally setting aside in advance specific times to pray, I actually pray now! Hopefully your life isn't so busy that you must carefully weave prayer into your calendar, but for me, the discipline of making time to pray has born more fruit than I saw praying only when I found time, which wasn't often. I've come to see this kind of discipline much the same way that I carefully make time for other relationships in my life that I cherish. As for the "when", I set aside time just before I go to bed, and just after I wake up.

As Miccah also suggested, Brother Lawrence offers a refreshing perspective on awareness and interaction with God on a moment to moment basis. Frank Laubach also has great stuff to share with those looking to incorporate unceasing prayer into their lifestyle. I'm reading a book right now that has compiled thoughts of both men into a single book. It's called "Practicing his Presence".


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Zach McCauley

 2007/12/26 19:05Profile
BrianPaul
Member



Joined: 2007/10/3
Posts: 68
Moorpark, CA

 Re:

I have read about half way or so through this book, "The Practice of the resece of God". I have also been reading a book which is a collection of 8 books from E.M. Bounds on prayer. I just finished reading Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds, which according to Ravenhill was a book that radically changed his prayer life when he was younger. I have been trying to keep myself reading works from fellow saints to keep me in the Spirit of prayer. I agree with Ravenhill that in that " prayer is the most demanding thing this side of eternity". See it is easy to talk about prayer but to actually pray is another thing, and then to pray in the Holy Ghost is yet another thing.
JZM, about being a night owl that would be me too. I usually do a ot of reading and pray then. But again to quote Ravenhill, he says that night owls are just lazy people, the great saints have been men who rose before the sun to start their day in the presence of the Lord. This is not to knock your prayer habits by any means. Just something to encourage you to wake in the morning. And ill tell you i dont speak from experience. I cant seem to wake early for the life of me. Maybe tomorrow ill try to wake early.


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Brian

 2007/12/26 19:27Profile
brentw
Member



Joined: 2005/12/14
Posts: 440
Ohio

 Re:

I have been reading "looking unto Jesus" by Isaac Ambrose....this book though very long is a book that totally keeps your thoughts on Jesus...
I've read Bounds and Bro. Lawerence also...but it takes our mind, thoughts, our all on Jesus at all times.
Ravenhill also said to read this book. Its deep but powerful...I have beeen reading it for devotions.


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Brent

 2007/12/27 0:41Profile
Miccah
Member



Joined: 2007/9/13
Posts: 1752
Wisconsin

 Re:

Quote:

BrianPaul wrote:
he says that night owls are just lazy people, the great saints have been men who rose before the sun to start their day in the presence of the Lord. This is not to knock your prayer habits by any means. Just something to encourage you to wake in the morning.



How can I wake up early if I'm sitting here posting so late at night? :-)

I beleive there is a place for the night owls of us. I am not in the category of Isiah 62:6 yet, but this is when it works for me, in which lies the issue in itself on this issue. Me, me, me.

I like the taking time at night instead of the morning, but it is not about what I like, and this (morning prayer) I need to start doing.

Thanks for the encouragement and wakeup call. Being a man of the night is more trying then being a man of the day.


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Christiaan

 2007/12/27 1:21Profile









 Re: Prayer Discipline



I din't think I was going to have anything to say in this thread, since my prayer life is anything but disciplined! But....

Miccah said

Quote:
How can I wake up early if I'm sitting here posting so late at night?

I beleive there is a place for the night owls of us.

and I thought you'd all like to know that when David Wilkerson started out, he was giving 12mn - 3am to Bible reading and prayer. That was before he found himself in New York.

I suppose he did what came most naturally to him, and God honoured his heart. That's how I've lived through various random non-routines, and God has moved me on in prayer, also.

It seems more important to pray when one is urged to pray - and to pray in the Spirit when one prays - [i]those[/i] are the important disciplines - than to burden oneself with unattainable goals which are of outward significance only.



 2007/12/27 2:03
BrianPaul
Member



Joined: 2007/10/3
Posts: 68
Moorpark, CA

 Re:

Quote:
to burden oneself with unattainable goals which are of outward significance only.


Amen. It cant ever be about outward show. I do have to say this night owl stuff works for me. One thing i noticed this evening when i left the house after working(i work at home), i went to starbucks to read and just get out of the house, i thought to myself how i felt as if i couldnt and didnt wan to interact with any of my friends until i spent time engaging my mind deeply in the things of God. After reading i was ready to go to a friends house.
Anyway, i would like to share this, and i hope this doesn't change to much where this thread is going, but i was reading The Way to Pentecost By Samuel Chadwick, of course another book recommended by Ravenhill,(i am trying to read all the recommended reading by Ravenhill. Looking Unto Jesus was also on the list) and the chapter was called Pentecost Life i believe, and it talked about basically receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit(or your own personal Pentecost(also this sounded like what i have heard about called the second blessing, which many saints can attest to) which is different than rebirth or salvation, and he talked about how in this your prayer life is drastically changed, and when this happens you pray as Romans 8 says, with groanings and utternance from the Spirit, and even also as Jude says praying in the Holy "Guest". My desire is to know this deep praying.
This hopefully is another thing to encourage us with. I was listening to Ravenhill just before i came home tonight while in the car, and he talked about how when God shows a last act of mercy here in these end times, the men he will be looking to anoint will be those who are spending a couple hours a day in prayer. Man, wouldn't we love to be those God chooses to use in the "Pentecost that will out Pentecost, Pentecost".

So its about 12:38am now, and its time to read and pray. Have a goodnight. Ho Ho Ho!


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Brian

 2007/12/27 3:38Profile
InTheLight
Member



Joined: 2003/7/31
Posts: 2850
Phoenix, Arizona USA

 Re: Prayer Discipline

I believe discipline is of great importance in prayer. We know that battles in the spiritual realm are won on the ground of prayer. Therefore, the main goal of the enemy is to disrupt the prayer life in any way that he can.

Once we get to praying there is a battle to pray through in real spiritual prayer but I believe the main thurst of the enemy is in preventing us from even getting to the prayer closet in the first place. Think of how many things come up to grab our attention and take up our time, and I'm not talking about bad things but "good" things, even service for the Lord. If we leave praying to just times when we feel the urge we will find ourselves "urged" to do many other things.

Therefore I believe that definite seasons of prayer each day need to be adhered to. Consider it as applying the principle of tithing to your prayer life. Stick to it regardless of how you feel. Your going to have to take a stand, the prayer life isn't just going to come.

In Christ,

Ron


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Ron Halverson

 2007/12/27 9:46Profile
BrianPaul
Member



Joined: 2007/10/3
Posts: 68
Moorpark, CA

 Re:

Quote:
If we leave praying to just times when we feel the urge we will find ourselves "urged" to do many other things.



Amen.


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Brian

 2007/12/27 11:20Profile





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