Perhaps you have already set your New Year’s resolutions in committed stone for this year; however, I encourage you to consider weaving one or more of these powerful prayer resolutions into the mix as you seek to be more like Jesus, the One who lives to intercede for us! Utilize them to help you successfully implement your other resolutions. Only our God can give us the wisdom and strength to successfully carry out the desires expressed through the pledges we make each January:

“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

It has been a “noisy” year for me…perhaps for you as well. What better way to begin my year than spending some time devoted to being still before my Creator and allowing His perfect Presence to become more full and rich within my heart, healing my weary soul and renewing me from the inside out.  Take some time to shut out the noise and activity that clamors to take the hectic pace of this year and continue it right into the New Year. Instead, begin listening to His quiet invitation to stillness. Allow yourself opportunities to trade busyness and noise with a listening prayer that offers the opportunity to hear from the great I AM.

“…pray continually…” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Would you like this to be the year when prayer becomes like breathing to you? Take time to invite God into your every thought, word and activity so that the likeness of Jesus can become more fully formed in you. As you pray, consider what the prayer of Christ for you, for others, for circumstances, etc. might be in the moments of life you experience this year.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18

As we pray for other believers, it is important to seek what is on the heart of God for them. As our teacher, the Holy Spirit has such knowledge and will impress upon us how we should intercede – if we look to Him. Lifting up the needs of those who love Jesus is a privilege and an important way to “pray continually.” Ask God to show you believers who need a touch from Him through your prayers.

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  1 Timothy 2:1-4

Praying for and giving thanks for “everyone” is not an easy task – especially those we don’t agree with who may be in authority over us. I would suggest making a very personal request of the Father: “Lord, place on my heart a burden to pray for those who need to come to a knowledge of the truth! Show me their faces or place their names before me so that I might be aware of their need for you. Give me great love for all those in authority over me so that we may all live peaceful, quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. I want to please you God my Savior.”  After you pray, listen carefully for the prayer assignments God gives to you and be faithful to complete them!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”  James 1:5-8 

There are so many times when wisdom is needed in my life and I have forgotten this amazing promise. I try to “fix” things in my own strength rather than through the wisdom that God wants to generously give me…if I will ask. This promise does come with a condition – I am to believe and not doubt when I ask. My pastor put it this way, “When you ask for wisdom, you must believe that it is on its way.” Sometimes I want wisdom immediately, but there may be things God wants to do in me to get me to the place where I can receive and utilize the wisdom He gives me. In this new year, make a habit of asking the Father for His wisdom and then believe that it is “on its way.”

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  James 5:16

No one likes confessing sin, which is perhaps why it is so important that we do it. Keeping short accounts with God is vital to our spiritual health and to our work for the sake of the kingdom. If you don’t have an accountability partner, or a spiritual friendship that allows for each of you to confess sins and pray for one another, that would be a transformational life goal for this new year. Ask God to connect you with at least one other person with whom you can share the dark places in order to be healed, allowing your prayers to become powerful and effective for His glory.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem…” Psalm 122:6-9 

Has there ever been a year in recent history when praying for the peace of Jerusalem has seemed more urgent? The nation close to the heart of God is surrounded by enemies and turmoil. Press in “for the sake of the house of the LORD our God” (v 9).

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matthew 26:41

I am often tempted by things that I could avoid completely if I was watchful! It is when I am not paying attention that the enemy creeps in to mess with me! It is so easy to say or do something that harms another person or damages my own soul when I am careless about watching what is going on in and around me as I pray.

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. ” Mark 11:25   

“…bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:28

I am convinced that a lack of forgiveness is the root of much sin in life! Saying we forgive someone is very different from actually forgiving from our hearts. The redemptive work of God can only take place when we let go of bitterness, anger and/or a desire for revenge. Prayerfully ask God to show you if you are holding anything against anyone as you begin this year. As you pray blessings over them, He may also show you some tangible ways to bless their lives as well.

 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2

Is prayer a delight for you…or a duty that you feel compelled to do as a believer? In this new year, ask the Father to give you an extraordinary love for prayer. Again, we are told to be watchful and thankful as we dedicate our hearts to His plans and purposes expressed through our prayer lives.

 As you weave one or more of these prayer resolutions into your life this year, you can be encouraged by this wonderfully encouraging promise from God: For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer…” 1 Peter 3:12

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:13-15).

If you are a follower of Jesus, and have a personal relationship with Him, at some point in your life, you prayed a powerful, life-changing prayer that has forever altered your spiritual condition. I remember prayerfully inviting Christ to enter my life. There was a transitional moment when I wavered between unbelief and complete faith that Jesus is who He says He is, and that He could and would forgive all of my sins and usher me into the unwavering hope of eternal life.  I had questions; maybe you did too: “Do I really have eternal life?” “Do I have enough faith?” “Did God really answer my prayer?”  John was assured that God always answers the repentant heart with a resounding, “Yes!” This truly is a “blessed assurance!” (Note: Wow – I was listening to instrumental piano on Pandora and just as I was writing the previous sentence, the hymn Blessed Assurance began to play. What an incredibly affirming moment of “Amen” from the One who loves us most)!

My moment of salvation was also the moment when my prayer life “officially” began. Oh, I had prayed before, but never with the knowledge that God was really listening. This foundational and formational moment in my spiritual life has birthed every faith-filled prayer from that point on. As I matured in faith, I was astonished to realize that Jesus, living in me, is also interceding for me, with me and through me! Pretty powerful realization!

If you ever have a lack of confidence in approaching God, remember back to that most important prayer of faith you prayed when you asked Jesus to be Your Lord and Savior. If you had enough faith to believe then, you most certainly have enough faith to believe that He will hear and answer now!  It is always in God’s will to receive our broken lives into His forever kingdom, and to forgive our sinfulness whenever our repentant hearts bow before Him. In this same way, Jesus said that even if our faith is as small as a mustard seed we can “…say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you” (Luke 17:5-6).

Are there some mulberry trees in your life right now that need to be planted in the sea? Do you feel that your faith is wavering to believe that God will respond when you ask? Pray as the apostles did: “Increase our (my) faith” (Luke 17:5)! The God who answered your first prayer of repentance is poised to hear and respond to your request for faith with a “Yes!” You can always have the confidence to know that the power of His Spirit resides within the faith-filled prayers of your everyday life.

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

This verse became very personal for me one winter, shortly after I had given my life to Jesus. Clara, an older woman in my church, revealed that she had been praying for me daily for more than two years. She did not really know me, but she knew that I needed to give my heart to Christ. The significance of that moment did not hit me until I came face to face with John 6:44. Had God been drawing me while I was too busy to hear or pay attention? I could truthfully say that I had never known any other person who was interceding on my behalf. It made me ask, “What if she had not been praying for me?”

I believe that Clara’s prayers allowed my heart to be open to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Because she cried out to God for my soul, I now have everlasting life. God was patiently wooing me, but in my ignorance and pride, I already believed I was going to heaven because I was a “good person.” Clara prayed that I would bow my knee before the King of kings. As she did battle on my behalf, I began to soften my will before God, responding to His call to make His Son my Lord and Savior.

As you interact with the people in your own family, your friends, coworkers, fellow students, business associates, customers, or even the strangers you pass every day, have you ever considered whether or not anyone is praying for them?  What if your prayers could make the difference in someone’s eternity? Would this give new significance and urgency to your prayers? Begin to look at your relationships differently. Ask God to draw people to Himself so that they will be able to respond to His plans and purposes for their lives. Can you imagine some new possibilities for prayer in the moments of your every day, ordinary life that will make an extraordinary impact upon each person you come into contact with? Begin today to pray for the Father to draw the people you love, interact with or just pass by each day to Himself. We may never know until heaven how many lives have been opened to receive Christ because of our prayers.

(c) Harvest Prayer Ministries

The World Prayer Assembly in Indonesia, May 14-18, 2012, was a wonderful time of prayer and fellowship with more than 9000 prayer leaders from around the world. I was there representing America’s National Prayer Committee, a group I am privileged to serve as Chairman. God touched my heart in so many ways. One of the most significant things has to do with our fall elections. The Lord seemed to press in upon me that we must pray as never before if we are

It seems that a time of intense prayer for 40 days prior to our elections is in order. I have to confess . . . I argued with the Lord about this. I thought, not another 40 day event! But He was insistent that this be not another event or prayer gathering such as we have had . .  . but something unprecedented in American church history. The testimonies of these amazing praying international Christians prompted much of this. We are talking about 40 days of 24/7 prayer!

To issue such a call to prayer is beyond the parameters of the National Prayer Committee or any one group. It needs to come from a wide-spread array of leaders. Denominational, para-church, seminaries, publishing houses, broadcast ministries, etc., must all be a part of this call to prayer. I’m not proposing a single event or activity for everyone to get behind . . . but a call for everyone to get behind something. I envision a dozen different 40 day initiatives. I’ve already had a number come to me over the past few months.

This needs to go beyond what one ministry or denomination can do. My sense that this is a call to prayer for three things:

•  The Elections–asking for the Lord’s intervention.
• A righteous standard to be raised over the nation.
• Revival in the Church.

It seemed to me, first of all, that this call to prayer is essential for America. If we will mobilize and pray, we will see Him work. Without intense day and night prayer, we will not see the hand of God at work to transform our nation. The second thing is that I believe that many of the communities that do 24/7 prayer for 40 days will continue beyond that. We may well see a huge and immediate proliferation of 24/7 prayer across the nation as a result of these 40 days. It would be just like God to use something that we are interested in (the election) to produce something He is interested in (day and night prayer).

A website will soon be launched with further information to help disseminate the word about this vital prayer initiative. You will see information and links to other prayer initiatives that are focusing on this election. We are not endorsing these initiatives, but making you aware of them. Our intent is to stay far away from anything that looks like an endorsement or movement for any particular candidate or party. What we are asking for is the intervention of God on behalf of our nation.

Will you join us? The first thing you can do is go immediately to our new facebook page and “Like” us. This is so you can receive immediate information about the site and the initiative as it becomes available. Click here to go to the facebook page. Then help us get the word out!

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:24-34)

With the crowd almost crushing him, Jesus made his way through the enthusiastic mob on his way to heal a young girl. There were many people touching him constantly, and yet…there was one touch in the midst of it all that stopped the Lord in His tracks. After twelve years of bleeding, one woman, who had suffered and grown worse at the hands of many physicians, simply reached out to touch his cloak – believing in her heart that she would be healed.

Through God’s grace-filled love and mercy, this woman, who didn’t want to be noticed or identified, had a simple thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” And God, through the power of the Holy Spirit alive and at work in His Son, chose to bless her act of faith with complete healing. Did she know that it was God’s will to use her to bring glory to Himself? Perhaps not; however, her humble act of faith provides a good model for us to pray bold, faith-filled prayers, believing that God has the power to transform our lives. 

There are several compelling things about prayer in this passage:

Declaration of faith: First, the woman had a thought that Jesus could heal her, perhaps because she had heard about how He had healed others. I believe the thought itself came from the Holy Spirit actively at work. She could have dismissed the idea…but she didn’t. It gave her hope, and she had no other recourse than to trust and believe that what had been impossible for twelve years was now possible. In her own spirit she declared what she fully believed to be true and prayed the prayer of her heart as an affirmation of that faith: “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

Action of faith: Second, she felt she must act upon the silent prayer within her. Summoning the courage to brave the crowds, she acted upon the faith of the testimony of her heart.

Receiving the answer to her prayer of faith: Immediately, the woman received her healing and felt it in her body.

Giving testimony of her faith: Even though it was not her intent to shout her healing to the world, when Jesus called her out, she came forward to declare what had happened to her in response to the cry of her own spirit and the believing act of faith.

Surely this timid woman had asked God over and over again to make her well. Yet, with this one simple act, her prayer was answered. The immediacy of her healing most likely shocked and overwhelmed her…the face to face encounter with Jesus was completely unexpected…and the affirmation that it was her act of faith that had brought her healing surely brought her great joy!

Jonathan Graf has stated, “Declaring prayer simply means that once we know God’s heart on an issue, we boldly pray that it will be so, and then walk in faith that it is already so – even if the answer is not yet.”

(c) Harvest Prayer Ministries