Studies – The Gathering
Pray First https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-i-wait-for-god So, the first thing that waiting on God means is this: before you make one peep of an effort to solve your own problem or hire a human agency, pray. Seek the counsel of God. What is his way to solve this problem and bring you out of trouble? It says in Psalm 106:13, Read More … Fasting is Important https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/fasting/prayer-and-fasting.html God considers fasting important. The Bible contains 92 passages referring to it. Many of our heroes of the faith, including Moses, Elijah, Esther, Nehemiah, Daniel and Paul, fasted at crucial points in their journeys with God. Fasting played an important role in the life and ministry of Jesus. After being anointed Read More … He Encourages Earnestness https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=23&c=62 God’s professing people must be a praying people. He is not displeased with us for being earnest, as men commonly are; he bids us to cry after him, and give him no rest, Luke 11:5,6. It is a sign that God is coming to a people in mercy, when he pours out Read More … https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/ask-your-father-in-heaven Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. When you pause to consider that God is infinitely strong and can do all that he pleases, and that he is infinitely righteous so Read More … Why Pray? https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/prayer-has-its-reasons/ Prayer Gives us Power Over Evil Can physical strength help us overcome obstacles and challenges in the spiritual realm? No, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Read More … Jesus prayed before the important events and decisions of his life https://www.heartlight.org/wjd/luke/0323-wjd.html Jesus withdrew to the mountains to be alone with God and pray as he faced this momentous decision. He didn’t choose twelve and then ask God to bless his choice. No, he spent the night in prayer before he chose the twelve. When Read More … “It is not a matter of time so much as a matter of heart; if you have the heart to pray, you will find the time“ – Charles Spurgeon http://www.philipkosloski.com/how-to-make-time-for-prayer-in-a-busy-schedule/ …..from Stephen Covey’s book First Things First. He explains how often when we create a daily schedule, we try to add things on to our busy schedule without Read More … “When we pray through a passage of Scripture, we are using the language of the text to direct our conversation with God“ – Miranda Mae Ewing https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2016/05/praying-with-authority-an-interview-with-john-eldredge/ Explain the concept of praying Scripture and give examples from the Bible. John Eldredge: Let’s start with a promise the Bible gives us: That if we ask anything Read More … Spiritual strength pg 96-97 (Thrasher ) – “ It is the Holy Spirit who does the strengthening of our spirit or inner man. We see that His strengthening results in Christ’s dwelling in our hearts “ https://pastorrick.com/set-these-four-goals-to-grow-more-like-jesus/ We were created to become like Jesus Christ, so let’s use him as a model for growth. Read More … Meditation “Meditation is Simply talking to God about the Word with a desire that your life and those you pray for come into agreement with it” (Bill Thrasher, Page 90) https://unlockingthebible.org/2017/09/what-is-biblical-meditation/ The concept has been corrupted in modern thought. In the minds of many Christians, meditation is associated with eastern religions, like Hinduism and Buddhism Read More …
Chapters 23, 24 – Discovering God’s Purposes and Experiencing the Joy of Waiting
Chapters 20, 21, 22 – Fasting
Chapter 19: Understanding How God Works
Chapter 18: Realizing God’s Desire to Bless You
Chapter 17: Gaining Strength Through Prayer
Chapter 16: Understanding Jesus’ Patterns of Prayer
Chapter 15: Realizing the Struggle of Prayer
Chapter 14: Learning to Pray Scripture
Chapter 13: Learning How to Pray for Christlike Growth
Chapter 12: Experiencing True Prosperity