Last week, Pastor Jon shared a message on the “Art of Noticing”. Today Pastor Jim follows up with a second crucial tool – the “Art of Praying”.
Nineteenth-century evangelist George Muller was a godly man known for his tenacious practice of purposeful prayer. It was his belief that prayer could influence people toward true faith in Christ, and his life evidenced this conviction. He prayed faithfully, he prayed daily, and he prayed by name for unbelievers he personally knew.
In his book George Muller: Man of Faith and Miracles, author Basil Miller recounts the evangelist’s experience praying for five not-yet Christians in his life:
In November 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of 5 individuals. I prayed every day, whether sick or in well, on land or sea. Eighteen months elapsed before the first of the 5 was converted. I thanked God and prayed on for the others. Five years later, the second was converted. I thanked God for the second and prayed on for the other three. Day by day I continued to pray for them, and 6 years passed before the third was converted. I thanked God for the 3 and went on praying for the other two.
Shortly after the death of George Muller in 1898, the two men for whom he had prayed over half a century finally turned to Jesus. It is hard to overemphasize the power of praying intentionally for specific individuals.
WRITE DOWN the names of 2 or 3 people you have NOTICED in the last
week – or maybe the name (s) of someone God has brought to your mind
just this morning.
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
Commit to pray specifically for them this week – for a set amount of time each day.
Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and eyes to know HOW and WHAT to pray.
Choose a prayer partner and join together at least once this week (more, if possible) to pray for those on each of your lists – ‘praying in agreement' with each other. If it’s not feasible to do
this in person, you could also do this together over the phone.
