A few ideas:

1: Start a Family Prayer Journal. Make sure you date your prayer requests then have a column for "answered prayer" to see how and when the Lord answered your prayer.
2: Make sure you check your local newspaper or Church bulletin to see where your local community will be holding services for World Day of Prayer 2006.
3: Make a Prayer Basket for yourself. Here are a few suggestions: Your Bible; Notepad and pen/pencil; box of tissue; your Prayer Journal; index cards; You might consider giving one to others as a gift.
4: Write some or all of your prayer requests on a note card and carry it with you. Then when you have to wait in line or for an appointment just pull it out to remind you what you can pray for. That way your time won't be wasted and you will feel like you are doing something worthwhile too. You can post individual prayer requests on index cards and then put them in strategic places to remind you to pray. On the mirror in your bathroom, on the fridge or on a chair for example.
5: Write out Bible Verses about Prayer and memorize them.
6: Memorize the Lord's Prayer.
7: Use the waiting time to pray for the person right in front of you. Pray for the cashier while you are waiting in a long line or the people in front of you or behind you.
8: Stuck in traffic or at a red light? Pray for the people in the car in front of you.
9: Is your doctor running late AGAIN? Pray for him/her and the nurses. Pray for the patient they are taking care of while you wait.
10: I am sure you can come up with a few ideas of your own. Remember you are only limited by your own imagination.

How God Answers Prayer:
1. God says YES
2. God says NO
3. God says WAIT

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard
for their much speaking."
~Matthew 6:7~

Do you know what AMEN means?
It means SO BE IT.

"And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."
~Luke 11:2-4~

Here is what The World Book Encyclopedia says about PRAYER:
"Prayer refers to reverent words and thoughts directed toward God, gods, goddesses, or other objects of worship.  People pray to ask for spiritual benefits for themselves or others.  They also offer praise, thanksgiving, or adoration to the object of worship.  Prayers may take the form of speech, song, dance, or silent reverence.  Some people kneel while praying.  Others stand, sit, or lie on the ground.   

Prayer is an important form of worship in nearly all the religions in the world.  Most religions have regular prayers for both community and private worship.  Individuals may also offer private prayers that express personal thoughts.  Contemplation is prayer in which a person concentrates only on the object of worship."

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."
~Matthew 24:13~

And what The World Book says about 'The Lord's Prayer':
"Lord's Prayer is the most widely said Christian prayer.  By tradition, it is one of the three basic statements of Christian faith.  The other two are the Apostles' Creed and the Ten Commandments.  The Lord's Prayer is found in the Christian Bible and is said to have been taught by Jesus Himself.  It is also known as the Pater Noster, from the first two words of the prayer, which in Latin mean Our Father.   

The Lord's Prayer appears in two forms in the New Testament--in Matthew 6:9-13 and in Luke 11:2-4.  In general, all Christian groups use the longer version found in Matthew.  The prayer begins by praising God and asking for God's name to be glorified.  It requests that God's kingdom may come and God's will be done.  The prayer then asks for the provision of food, for forgiveness, and for protection against evil.  Some versions of the prayer in Matthew also conclude by praising God.   

The Lord's Prayer is used by members of all Christian denominations in both public and private worship.  It is also sometimes said by nonreligious groups, such as athletic teams before or after games and organizations at meetings.  Many composers have set the prayer to music.  American composer Albert H. Malotte wrote one of the best-known versions in 1935."   

What is a PRAYER BOOK? Here is what the World Book says:
"Prayer book is a collection of prayers in printed form for use in private devotions or public services.  A well-known prayer book is the Book of Common Prayer used by the Church of England.  It contains church doctrine, ordinances, and forms for the sacraments, as well as prayers.  It first appeared in 1549.  The Episcopal Church in the United States uses the book in a special revised form.  Prayers and devotions of the Roman Catholic Church are contained in books called the breviary, the missal, and the sacramentary."

What does the Bible say about PRAYER?

Questions & Bible Verse Answers:
~Compiled by Jane~

What is meant by FASTING?
Fasting is "to abstain from food": Psalms 69:10; Isaiah 58:6; Zechariah 7:3; Zechariah 8:19; Matthew 6:16; Matthew 9:14; Luke 5:33 & Acts 13:3
  Benefits of Fasting: 2 Chronicles 20:3; Ezra 8:23; Matthew 6:16 & Matthew 9:14

What is INTERCESSORY PRAYER?
Intercessory Prayer - Psalms 122:6-9

What is SILENT PRAYER?
Silent Prayer   Acts 6:4; 1Peter 3:7 & Romans 12:12  

HOW do you PRAY? -
Praying -- To intercede with or make petition to God
   Genesis 20:17; Exodus 23:13; Numbers 21:7; Psalms 14:4; Judges 13:9; Job 8:5; Psalms 42:8; Matthew 6:5-7; Luke 6:12; Luke 11:1; Luke 22:44; Romans 8:25; Ephesians 1:16; Phil. 4:6; Colossians 4:12 & 1Thess 5:17  

How to Pray for Others?
How to Pray for Others - Colossians 1  

WHY DO PEOPLE PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS?
Matthew 26:28 & Mark 14:24  

How to pray for other Christians?
(From 1st chapter of Colossians)
1.  Be thankful for their faith and changed lives (1:3)
  2.  Ask God to help them know what He wants them to do (1:9)
  3.  Ask God to help them live for Him  (1:10)  
4.  Ask God to give them deep spiritual understanding (1:9)  
5.  Ask God to give them more knowledge of himself (1:10)
6.  Ask God to give them strength for endurances (1:11)

To see more about what the Bible says about Prayer visit:
Annie's "What the Bible says about Prayer" Page

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
~Matthew 5:44~

Annie's Thoughts about Prayer

There is a book that I read that really says so much about prayer. It is called "Lord change Me" by Evelyn Christiansen. Great book and I highly recommend it. I learned a lot from it.

So often it is so much easier to pray that God will change someone else instead of changing ourselves. Change is so vital to growth. Actually it is necessary not just vital. If change does not come from the Lord by the Holy Spirit it is only temporary change. Change on the outside is easy it is change on the inside that is the hardest.

Remember the Bible verses about not putting new wine in old wine flasks or skins? If you put old wine in, it will ruin the rest.

So often and unfortunately more often then not we do judge a book by it's cover and people too for that matter. We are told and often hear quoted to us to "Judge not lest you be judged". Do not Judge others! Pretty profound words. They are not to be used as an excuse for reckless behavior instead they can be a measuring stick. But we must remember that we can't tell what is in a person's heart. Only the Lord knows that for certain. Of course we are called to be fruit inspectors and we can see evidence on the outside of a persons heart on the inside by their actions and lifestyle choices.

Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"

Remember former President Jimmy Carter? He "lusted in his heart" after a woman. He was a professed believer and yet he struggled with the conflict or the old and new heart. That verse talks about how "even if" we just think it or consider doing something and don't follow through that it is just the same as doing it. And I didn't say that. The Bible tells us that. So we see yet again that what is in our heart is not always seen on the outside. Putting on a facade even as a Christian is pretty easy if we are not careful.

Matthew 7:1-2 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

You are probably wondering why I am talking about judging others when I am writing about prayer on a page about the World Day of Prayer. But I am getting closer to the connection so bear with me a little longer.

We read about the pious Jews that Jesus condemned for praying in public. He said that they were to pray in private not to pray just to hear themselves speak or to draw attention to themselves. It is pretty easy to use all the right words and "seem" to appear like a "good" Christian. Of course I am not saying that we are not suppose to attend worship services or prayer out loud in meetings. We are called to that. We are called to pray for and with others. But we are not called to be the "judge" of the prayers of another or their motive in praying.

Eventually their heart will show through. So we come full circle back to why we are suppose to be fruit inspectors. Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. We know that you can't bear fruit on a rotten branches. We know that an apple can't grow on an orange tree either. Prayer is to bring us together with a common goal and purpose. So that we can fellowship together.

Another Bible story that comes to my mind is when Jesus was with the women that was to be stoned for her actions. Jesus asked them: "Who among you is without since? You can cast the first stone." No one did throw a stone at her stoning.

Jesus gives us our example of how to pray. He spoke the "Lord's Prayer" for his disciples so that they would know what to do. They saw the example that Jesus gave them. He didn't just tell them how to pray he showed them how.

Christians are not perfect. We are forgiven. There is only one that is perfect and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately people look at us and see the outside. They do judge us like a book. They see the cover. It is important to have our "covers" reflective of our hearts. We don't have to come to the Lord perfect. We are to come to Him as we are and He will change us from the inside out.

When we come to Him we are called to pray. To open our hearts and thoughts to His leading and His direction. We are suppose to pray about all our needs. We are to trust that the Lord will provide everything we need in His perfect timing.

"Trust in the Lord" -- Four easy words to say.

Do you trust the Lord? Do you trust Him completely? Do you trust Him for ALL of your needs? Do you pray? Remember that what you pray for tells a lot about a person. It is a reflection of the heart. Pray for everything and every detail of your life. Let your heart and prayers be given if faith. Faith and Trust. The Lord knows your heart and wants to reflect that from the inside out. Faith can be seen in prayer. Use your trust and faith in your prayers to show your love for the Lord and let that be your daily reflection of Him. The best part of you.

So as you leave remember that you need to pray on a regular basis in your own life. Keep that flow of faith and trust with the Lord so that your inside will reflect outward your love for the Lord and your relationship with Him.

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen."

So when you pray with FAITH you have the TRUST that you need from the Lord to sustain you.

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:
for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners
of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto
you, They have their reward."
~Matthew 6:5~

Prayer Links:

If you need prayer you can submit it to the Email Encouragers.
Annie's Email Encouragers Prayer Page
You can submit a prayer request on that page.

Annie's "What the Bible says about Prayer" Page

Other places to submit Prayer Requests their too:

• Prayer Warriors Of The World
• The Pastors Wives' Prayer and Praise Page - Send your Pastor's Wife this link then visit yourself so that you can pray for others or submit your own personal request. She also has a Prayer and Praise Message Board.
• Abundant Joy's Prayer Room - Joy shares ---"it is a place where others can come and receive prayer. The prayer requests come directly to me and I personally pray for all requests"
• CatWoman's Prayer Page

Other Prayer Pages:

An Introduction to Prayer - by Mary Jane. She has done a great job explaining how to pray. It is the first in a series on prayer and is written for the person that doesn't know how to pray.
PowerPraise Home Page which is Glenda's site has quite a few wonderful pages about prayer.
Praise Scriptures to Pray
Prayer Books Online Links:
How To Pray - By R.A. Torrey. A classic book online in text form.

Other Related Pages by Annie:
Annie's "What the Bible says about Prayer" Page
Annie's Bible Study Resources Page
Annie's "I Prayed for You Today" Page
Annie's National Day of Prayer
Annie's Email Encourager Prayer Page - where you can submit a prayer request.

World Day of Prayer will be observed in services
around the world on March 7th, 2008

Send a World Day of Prayer Card to a Friend.

Just click the praying hands above.
You can see all the different cards I have available at Annie's Card Shop.

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Annie's Featured Holiday Page

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