Prairie Camp: Prayer

Acts 12: 1-5:

The great gift - seldom used: Prayer.
Can you really say you are satisfied with your prayer life?

Why do we struggle with prayer?
1) We are not convinced that our God is BIG enough to do what He says He will do?

2) We have an over reliance on our own answer (just find the answer in a book).
3) A misunderstanding of spiritual warfare. We are at war every day.
4) We live in a DIY society. 
5) We treat prayer as a backup power source.

It's when the experts fail us that we run to prayer.

Acts 12:1 - "It was about this time..."  Just when you things are going well, that is when the enemy likes to strike.

The most important decisions of our lives were decided outside of our control (height, birth place, gender, etc). We are not in as much control as we think we are.

We don't like helplessness but we need it in order to prayer.

- Maturity in the faith is not self-reliance.  Maturity alerts us to how weak we are. God's power is made real in weakness. (Matthew 8)

- Helpless people regularly take a inventory of their heart.  Prayer is a conversation between our hearts to the heart of God.

Don't let distractions defeat you.

10 Things Tuesday: Prayers and Praises

Prayers:

1. Pray for the strengthening of our marriage as to everything that we have to do to get to Cameroon.
   
   
2. Pray for financial and prayer partners to join our team.
   
   
3. Pray that we are able to sell our house for a good price that will allow us to enter the mission field debt free with a "moving fund."
   
   
4. Pray for God to open up speaking opportunities in homes and at churches for us to cast the vision for our ministry.
   
   
5. Pray for a sense of peace in our house with all the extra medical expenses and extra house repair/tree expenses this year.

Praises:

1. Thank you for our amazing family and circle of friends.
   
   
2. Thank you for our new prayer and financial partners that have joined our team.
   
   
3. Thank you for the lessons that You have been teaching us through this journey.
   
   
4. Thank you for the continued healing of the young Zion Carlstrom.
   
   
5. Thank you for providing us with great jobs that we love.

1 Samuel 2: Hannah's Prayer

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

2 “There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.

7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.

9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;

10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Wycliffe Prayer Update!

This week, we are working on our first Wycliffe newsletter.  YEAH! I know that it will do a great job casting our vision for Cameroon.  I'm excited to God build our partnership team.  I'm excited to see what God is going to doing through us in Cameroon.  We will be bringing the life-giving word to God to people that don't access to it in their language.  It sounds like an impossible task, but Wycliffe together with some other partner organizations has a goal to have a language project started in every language group that still needs on by the year 2025.  That, to me, is exciting.  Just think, we could actually see that goal accomplished in our lifetime and we played a part in it.

If you want to receive our newsletter and prayer updates, please message me your address and I'll make sure you get one.

Current Prayer Needs:

• Pray that we have the strength and energy to get everything that needs to be done, done
  
• Pray for the people of Cameroon that God prepares their hearts to be receptive to Word and that it will life-changing
  
• Pray for peace and joy to fill our hearts. It's been a exciting roller coaster of a year emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

May 5th, 2011: National Day of Prayer - What If His People Prayed?

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14

What If His People Prayed by Casting Crowns

What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted off their swords
Vowed to set the captive free
And not let satan have one more

What if the Church, for heaven's sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took a stand upon God's promise
And stormed hell's rusty gates

Chorus I:
What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His faith, yeah
And turn from their old ways

And what would happen if we prayed
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day

What if the life that we pursue
Came from a hunger for the truth
What if the family turned to Jesus
Stopped asking Oprah what to do

Chorus I:
What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His face yeah
And turn from their own way

Chorus II:
He said that He would hear
His promise has been made
He'll answer loud and clear, yeah
If only we would pray

Bridge:
If My people called by My name
If they'll humble themselves and pray
If My people called by My name
If they'll humble themselves and pray

Choruses:
What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would humbly seek His face, yeah
And turn from their old ways
He said that He would hear
His promise has been made
He'll answer loud and clear yeaah
If only we would pray