How to better encourage with prayer (Updated)

Our words have power. Better yet your words have power. Proverbs says that the tongue has the power of life and death (18:21). It also says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (16:24). What you say to people, if in person, by phone, email or even text can be an encouragement to them. To paraphrase Dr. David Jeremiah-“Encouragement is speaking truth to people’s fears.” You can speak life to people.

[tweetthis]Encouragement is speaking truth to people’s fears-Dr David Jeremiah (paraphrased)[/tweetthis]

But where do these words of life come from? Jesus said that what is on the inside of our heart is where our words come. (Matt 12:34) What is going on inside of us is most of where the words of encouragement come.

Part of these words will just come from a constant feeding on God’s word in the Bible. We must also remember that the still small voice is where we get some laser-like precision to speak to people’s fears. God would speak to your heart so you can speak to the heart of others. Some of that for me is asking God to give me the right words for the right people.

[tweetthis]The still small voice is where we get some laser-like precision to speak to people’s fears.[/tweetthis]

As part of this ministry I have been amazed again and again how a phrase that God will throw into my head before or during a conversation is just the right word for that person. The key for me is to be willing to listen to God so that I have the words to speak. Are you willing to spend time in prayer listening so that you can bring words of life to a friend in need?

Imagine a country excited to pray. You can help make that happen.

Sometimes you share the vision that God has laid on your heart for a long time before you actually get to work on it. When I have been speaking at churches over the years I have shared the burden that God laid on our heart to be able to, “Go to any church in the United States no matter the size.”

This is really speaking about a national ministry. In 2015 we finished Phase 1 of our Tsunami of Prayer challenge. Now we turn our focus to Phase 2 which is about becoming a national ministry. Being added to America’s National Prayer Committee in the last year is a great confirmation of the timing of this.

When I give monthly or one time to a ministry I love to know that it is making a difference. With the foundation that others from the Spiritual Pyromaniac team have laid every new monthly supporter really makes a difference. Let me give you a picture of this:

For $50 a month you can be a sponsor for an entire state. Just let us know the state below that you would like to be a sponsor. For $25 a month you can be a sponsor for half a state. With a state like Texas or California that would cover a lot of territory.

This post goes live in February 2016. My goal is to see how many states we can get sponsored in the next 120 days. Will you make a difference? Fill out the form (insert the state you want to sponsor on the form) and together let’s make a difference across the USA

  • Alabama
  • Alaska-Half Sponsored
  • Arizona-Sponsored
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida-Sponsored
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii-Half Sponsored
  • Idaho
  • Illinois-Sponsored
  • Indiana-Sponsored
  • Iowa-Sponsored
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota-Sponsored 
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri–Sponsored
  • Montana-Half Sponsored
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey-Sponsored 
  • New Mexico
  • New York-Sponsored
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota-Sponsored
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania-Sponsored 
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota-Sponsored
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin-Sponsored
  • Wyoming-Sponsored

 

The Celtic Call to Prayer and Adventure (Updated)

I was listening to a message by Dr. Paul Alexander of Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, ND and he shared a great story from history. It was about early Celtics and a call that they would make on their lives. It was a call to the cell and coracle.

The call to the cell was a call to prayer and time with God. Ministry was to start there. In their case it would be a commitment to the monastery.

Then is the call to the coracle. I was not sure what the coracle was so I was glad that Dr. Alexander went on to explain. These people would come to a point where they would go to the abbot for his blessing. The abbot would pray over them and send them to the kitchen for a few days of food. After getting their food, they would head down to the beach and get into the coracle.

The coracle was a small lightweight boat. The Coracle Society of the United Kingdom describe them as, “Coracles are small, keel-less boats, traditionally made as a basketwork frame, covered with an animal hide.” (http://www.coraclesociety.org.uk/history) These people would get into these small boats and head out to sea. Wherever they ended up would be there assignment for missionary work.

Dr. Alexander reminded us of the importance of adventure in our walk with God. We are called to prayer and then walking out in prayer to a life that God is calling us. I have written elsewhere about the importance of not sitting back and the need to engage in all that God has for us. It is the rhythm of spending time with God and then coming out of that time and walking with Him in adventure that makes like full.

So as the Celtic’s would say, “To the Cell and Coracle!!”