Copyrighted material Passionate Prayer_Quiet Time Experience.indd 1 11/25/08 3:37:18 PM

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2 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( Verses marked ncv are taken from The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, Nashville, TN Used by permission. Verses marked msg are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Verses marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL USA. All rights reserved. Verses marked niv are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Verses marked amp are taken from The Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. ( Verses marked nkjv are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Verses marked Williams are taken from the Williams New Testament in the Language of the People. Copyright 1995, Charlotte Williams Sprawls, all rights reserved. Cover by Koechel Peterson & Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota Cover photo Xavi Arnau / istockphoto Harvest House Publishers has made every effort to trace the ownership of all poems and quotes. In the event of a question arising from the use of a poem or quote, we regret any error made and will be pleased to make the necessary correction in future printings of this book. PASSIONATE PRAYER A QUIET TIME EXPERIENCE Copyright 2009 by Catherine Martin Published by Harvest House Publishers Eugene, Oregon ISBN All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America / ML-SK /

3 J Contents j Introduction... 9 My Letter to the Lord week 1: Praying with the Psalmists Day 1: The First Thing Day 2: Passionate About Prayer Day 3: Preoccupied with Praise Day 4: Presuming God s Care and Compassion Day 5: Personalizing God s Presence Days 6 and 7: Devotional Reading by Eugene Peterson week 2: Prayer When You Want to Adore God Day 1: Blessing the Lord Day 2: For Who He Is Day 3: For What He Does Day 4: For His Eternal Glory Day 5: Eternal Praise and Gladness Days 6 and 7: Devotional Reading by Andrew Murray week 3: Prayer When You Need to Confess Sin Day 1: The Ground of Your Forgiveness Day 2: The Nature of Confession Day 3: The Joy of Restoration and Renewal Day 4: The Power of the Spirit Day 5: The Beauty of Humility Days 6 and 7: Devotional Reading by Brennan Manning... 87

4 week 4: Prayer When You Want to Say Thank You Day 1: The Resolve of Thanksgiving Day 2: The Reverence of Thanksgiving Day 3: The Response to Thanksgiving Day 4: The Revival in Thanksgiving Day 5: The Reliance Through Thanksgiving Days 6 and 7: Devotional Reading by Isaac Watts week 5: Prayer When You Want to Ask God Day 1: For God s Answer Day 2: For Teaching Day 3: For Guidance Day 4: For Personal Revival Day 5: For Deliverance Days 6 and 7: Devotional Reading by Charles Spurgeon week 6: Prayer When You Are in Trouble Day 1: Where Do You Run? Day 2: Will You Remember? Day 3: What Has God Promised? Day 4: Who Is Your God? Day 5: What Has God Done? Days 6 and 7: Devotional Reading by John Henry Jowett week 7: Prayer When You Are Thirsty Day 1: When You Are in the Wilderness Day 2: Praise Him in the Wilderness Day 3: Remember Him in the Wilderness Day 4: Cling to Him in the Wilderness Day 5: Glorify Him in the Wilderness Days 6 and 7: Devotional Reading by James H. McConkey

5 week 8: Prayer When You Want to Go Higher Day 1: Prayer from the Depths to the Heights Day 2: The Prayer of Supplication Day 3: The Prayer Because of Grace Day 4: The Prayer of Waiting Day 5: The Prayer of Hope Days 6 and 7: Devotional Reading by Octavius Winslow Discussion Questions Notes Journal Pages Prayer Pages

6 JWeek One Praying with the Psalmists 1 Timothy 2:1 The Psalter is the great school of prayer. Here we learn, first, what prayer means. It means praying according to the Word of God, on the basis of promises. Christian prayer takes its stand on the solid ground of the revealed Word. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

7 J Day 1 j The First Thing I urge you, first of all, to pray. 1 Timothy 2:1 nlt Prepare Your Heart Many years ago, a woman, living in a small house in the poorest area of London, dared to pray. She didn t just pray one prayer, but talked with God constantly about her rebellious son. Her only source of income came from standing day after day over a washtub. So there she stood, working and praying, working and praying. She knew God would answer her prayers, and she never gave up the hope that her son would give his life to the Lord one day. She prayed until the day she died but never saw the answer, except from a distance, by faith. But God did indeed answer her prayers, and her son, a slave trader, became the sailor-preacher of London. John Newton brought thousands of people to Christ and has impacted literally millions with the hymn he wrote, Amazing Grace, expressing his personal experience of the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God. Oh, how mighty were the prayers of that unknown woman, who was well-known to her God! And oh, how powerful are your prayers when you dare to draw near to God and talk with Him. Dear friend, as you embark on this quiet time experience, will you take a few moments and talk with God about your own life of prayer? Ask the Lord to teach you to pray. Read and Study God s Word 1. The priority of prayer is assumed throughout the Bible. One person who taught constantly about prayer was Paul the apostle. Read the following translations of Paul s words to his disciple Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-3, and underline words and phrases that are significant to you: First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. First, I tell you to pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being 17

8 J Week One j thankful to him. Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior (ncv). I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior (niv). I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior (nlt). First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way. For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior (amp). The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live (msg). 2. Look at the following verses and write out what you learn about the priority and practice of prayer. Mark 1:35 Luke 5:15-16 Ephesians 6:18 18

9 J Praying with the Psalmists j Philippians 4: What is the most important truth you have learned about prayer today? Adore God in Prayer Pray these words of David in Psalm 69:13, acknowledging the priority of prayer in your own life: But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth. Yield Yourself to God The Word of the Father is a call to prayer. Everywhere in His Word God calls His children to the prayer life. Ask, and ye shall receive. And He spake a parable unto them that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Enter into thy closet, shut the door and pray to thy Father. After this manner therefore pray ye. Pray ye the Lord of the Harvest. Pray without ceasing. Brethren, pray for us. I will therefore that men pray. Is any afflicted, let him pray If Christ, the only sinless man who ever walked the earth, lived a life of constant communion with the Father through prayer, how much must we weak, earth-bound mortals need it. 1 James H. McConkey The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean these people who take time and pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important. Very important, and pressing, but still less important and less pressing 19

10 J Week One j than prayer. There are people that put prayer first, and group the other items in life s schedule around and after prayer. These are the people today who are doing the most for God; in winning souls; in solving problems; in awakening churches; in supplying both men and money for mission posts; in keeping fresh and strong these lives far off in sacrificial service on the foreign field where the thickest fighting is going on; in keeping the old earth sweet awhile longer. 2 S.D. Gordon Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on the wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God. 3 Oswald Chambers Enjoy His Presence As you close your time with the Lord today, describe what you have learned about the priority of prayer. What would you like to see happen in your own life of prayer? Use the journal pages in the back of this book to record your thoughts. Rest in His Love Early in the morning, long before daybreak, He got up and went out to a lonely spot, and stayed praying there (Mark 1:35 Williams). 20