Phase 1 Week 4 February 9-15 The Discipline of Prayer (Richard Fosters—pages 33-46)

[Steve Smith]

Discuss the statement: 
1. To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to 
transform us.  If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer 
as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The more we pray, the 
more we come to the heartbeat of God. 

2. Prayer starts the communication process between us and God.  All 
the options of life fall before us.  At that point we will either 
forsake our prayer life and cease to grow, or we will pursue our 
prayer life and let Him change us. 

3. Either option is painful. To not grow in His likeness is to not 
enjoy his fullness.  When this happens, a haunting voice continues to 
ask, ‘What could I have become in him if I would have been a person of 
prayer?’ To grow in His likeness is to enjoy His fullness.  When this 
happens, the priorities of the world begin to fade away.” 

Please be faithful in keeping  current with the class. Your weekly 
respond is the criteria for checking your class attendance. The course 
is not at your own pace your weekly work is required. I look forward 
to reading your post. Please remember to read and reply to the post of 
a fellow student each week. 

[Rev Denis Pamba]

1.      I wish to agree with the author that to pray is to change.  Every time when we pray whether intercession or petition, we move closer to God.  The presence of God in our lives causes transformation in hearts which eventually transforms our outer man.  When our inner man is transformed we therefore have a desire to move more to God through prayer. Paul said,

“Hebrews 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Vs 20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Vs 21  And having an high priest over the house of God; Vs 22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Prayer is the way we approach God and it brings transformation and gives us boldness.  None the less in verse 22 it requires that we be truthful or sincere.  Therefore prayer demands change and prayer brings change.

[Rev Denis Pamba]

1.     2.    God had been pursuing us by His Holy Spirit until he got us convicted of our sins lead us into repentance.  We are now born again and children of God.  I believe it is God`s desire that we be in a relationship with Him.  People who are in a relationship they build a conversation kind of life.  The basic way to star this up is by prayer.  King Soul’s relationship with God was in shambles and king Soul became desperate to hear from God until he had to approach a witch.  When this first step is overlooked or despised we miss out on the author of our lives and faith.  The fire of prayer has to be kept burning to keep us in communication with God.  Jesus Himself kept his communication line with God open.   

“Mar_6:46  And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.  Luk_6:12  And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  Luk_18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

Jesus knew that there was no way he could survive in ministry without prayer which is    the avenue of constant communication with God.  Prayer energized and gave Him the ability to be on top things.  I believe and I have proved that prayer is the work and preaching; teaching; laying on of hands; casting out of demons etc is the fruit.

On Monday, February 9, 2015 at 4:07:48 PM UTC+3, Steve Smith wrote:

[(jlc126)]

[Jojo Jojoo]

As spiritual beings of Light, we are in constant communication with God, whether through our subconscious thoughts, dreams, or our prayers. In fact, the communication process between us and God began even before we were born. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Isn't God amazing! I am in agreement with the statement that the more we pray, the more we come to the heartbeat of God because as our prayer increase, so does our clarity. A light bulb shines brightest when the glass is cleaned. In this sense, we will be confirmed in the divine purpose God has already designed for our life. I also believe that prayer is is the display of progressing toward change. However, prayer does not automatically equate to change. Rather, the transformation begins at the person's heart and ends in the person's actions.I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Even if when our spirits are stubborn to change, do not abandon prayer because God has not abandoned US. He will patiently await our "phone call" and always "[long] to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him". (Isaiah 30:18) Remember, He does not treat us as our sins deserve!

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[(jlc126)]

 Hi Rev Pamba,

Greetings! I have chosen to  follow your writings and I am sure that although you are allowing the Spirit of God to lead you as you write, I believe that you have been giving some thoughts to what you write. You  have not elaborated much but, you

 have given bible references which  helped me to get a handle on what your messages convey: I must say, your help in this regards is most valuable.  My question here is, what approach would you suggest a new believer takes in getting that communication line open and to ensure that it stays open? God bless and keep the good work going.

Joscelyn Cameron (Student)

[prodigalson973]

On Monday, February 9, 2015 at 8:07:48 AM UTC-5, Steve Smith wrote:

Phase 1 Week 4 February 9-15 The Discipline of Prayer (Richard Fosters—pages 33-46)

 

1.     Prayer is amazing and I it becomes more essential for me to pray the closer I will grow with Christ. Prayer ushers us into constant communion with the Father.  “Real prayer is life creating and life changing.” I look at the areas that I was accustomed to pray for, most were for me, and even worst most time my motive based in the desired outcome or brought out of some sort of negative consequence experienced. Rarely did I take the time to intercede or offer my prayers just to be honoring to my Lord and savior. I now am being deliberate about praying for others. One of the things that was so powerful for me was the visual I pictured when the author spoke, about blessing anyone close enough to touch.  What difference would it make if thousands of Christians were intentional about touching as many of the masses as possible with God’s presence, pockets of anointing all throughout the world covering over our relational dynamics.

 

2.     Prayer is the manifestation of dialogue between God and us. I thought that prayer was pretty much the end all, but prayer is just the beginning. Prayer is where we offer God an opportunity to speak to us and gives us a chance to hear from Him.  When I abandon my prayer life I am doomed for failure. I must stay tuned in to the severity in which prayer correlates with my survival in my walk with Jesus.

 

3.     To live in His likeness is to live in His fullness, but not to live to live in His likeness is to develop voids, which will eventually amount to overall emptiness. When we chase after His likeness, our desires begin to align with His purpose for our life. Its not that you receive everything you once would ask for, its like the things that you pursue are within the will of God for your life. He begins to order our steps and we become more motivated as He continues to show himself faithful.

 

 

[prodigalson973]

The words you have spoken are filled with life. It is as if we need an IV of Jesus. A constant feeding tube is essential to receive the greatness of our Father. I guess to be real, i would have to say there are times i struggle with the ideal, before I take action I must reach out to the actor. My wife would always ask me to be honoring to her by communicating with her before making decisions that involved her or effect her in some way. I am realizing that it is that much more pertinent that i communicate with the Father before anything I do because it all includes him.

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