Focus on Prayer. Pray About?

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2 Focus on Prayer Ellen White opened her heart to God in prayer, confiding in Him as we do in our best friends. She was eager to praise Jesus in her prayers and she wasn t embarrassed to express her deep love for Him. Once, she stopped right in the middle of her sermon, and looking toward heaven, said Oh Jesus, how I love You! One person later recalled that heaven seemed really close the day Ellen White stopped her sermon to tell Jesus she loved Him. Many of Ellen White s prayers have been printed in books. She believed that Jesus could help her when she faced a hard decision, and she often asked Him for wisdom and guidance. Once she said in prayer, I cannot make any decision until I know Your will. Ellen White began praying for her close friends when she was very young, and continued praying for her friends salvation all through her long life. She What Did Ellen White Pray About? had the joy of seeing many of her friends who didn t seem to care about following Jesus, become Christians. She often prayed that Jesus would help her speak and write words that would help someone accept the Lord and begin living for Him. One morning in 1849 Ellen White went to visit her mother in Gorham, Maine. She found her mom suffering terribly from an abscessed and swollen foot, a result of stepping on a rusty nail. The neighbors suggested many remedies but nothing helped. Ellen White felt impressed to pray that God would spare her mother s life and heal her foot. Let s hear Ellen herself describe what happened next: With a deep sense of my unworthiness, I knelt at my mother s feet and [asked] the Lord to touch her with His healing power. We all believed that the Lord [hears] prayer. With the Spirit of the Lord resting upon me, I bid her in the name of the Lord rise up and walk. His power was in the room... * 2 Ellen White Visionary for Kids

3 Ellen s mom stood up, walked around the room, and announced that the pain was gone! Her abscess was completely healed, and shouts of praise to God rose to Jesus. Ellen s mother had no more trouble with her foot. Sometimes, especially after Ellen White s husband died, she felt very lonely, and that no one really understood her and the responsibilities she carried. During one of those lonely times, she wrote, I have my Friend in Jesus, and He can help me and He alone. ** Ellen White loved to talk through prayer to her best Friend, Jesus! *Adapted from Life Sketches of James White and Ellen White, ed. 1880, p ** MS 154, January-30 March, 1907, Diary entry, unpublished Letters and Manuscripts. Answered Prayer Children and youth may come to Jesus with their burdens and perplexities, and know that He will respect their appeals to Him, and give them the very things they need. Be earnest; be resolute. Present the promise of God, and then believe without a doubt. Do not wait to feel special emotions before you think the Lord answers. Do not mark out some particular way that the Lord must work for you before you believe you receive the things you ask of Him...Trust His word, and leave the whole matter in the hands of the Lord, with full faith that your prayer will be honored, and the answer will come at the very time and in the very way your heavenly Father sees is for your good; and then live out your prayers. Messages to Young People, p.123. Ellen White Visionary for Kids 3

4 Mom! Oh Mom! shouted eight-year-old Douglas. I m going to enter Bunty into a dog show! She s going to win, and I m going to get a big prize. Hold everything, said Mother. It s all right for you to put Bunty into the competition if you want to, but I don t think she will win anything. The only prize she d ever win would be for the dirtiest dog in town. You don t look after her properly. Oh, Douglas said, it doesn t matter if Bunty is dirty. She s going to win anyway. How can you be so sure? Mother asked. I m going to ask Jesus to make her win, answered Douglas. Oh, said Mother, so that s it! But you ve forgotten something. All the other boys and girls will be praying the same prayer! And that s going to make it hard for the angels to decide, don t you think? Douglas hadn t thought of that before. And what s more, said Mother, you can t just ask Jesus to make your dog win a prize and then sit back and do nothing about it. Douglas looked down sadly at his untidy dog, who just wagged her tail. But I can tell you how Bunty can win, said Mother. How? asked Douglas, seeing a faint ray of hope returning. Well, said Mother, the Bible says that faith without works is dead. That means you have to work as well as pray if you want something good to happen like this. But what can I do? asked Douglas. Plenty, said Mother. For one thing you can take some good soap and water and wash off all the dirt that s sticking to your dog s back. Then you can take a brush, and brush off all her loose hair. Then you can go on brushing until her coat begins to shine as a collie s should. That s a lot of work, said Douglas. Of course, said Mother. That s exactly what I mean. You can t just pray for a prize. Praying is good, but you have to work too. Your faith and your work must go together. Maybe you re right, said Douglas. I ll start on her first thing in the morning. That s just what Douglas did! Would you know, Bunty won two prizes. Not only did she win the prize for the dog with the longest tail, she also won first prize for being the loveliest dog in the show. And that s how Douglas learned he had to do his part if he wanted his prayers answered. Adapted from Uncle Arthur s Storytime, Vol. 3, by Arthur Maxwell. 4 Ellen White Visionary for Kids

5 Ever wonder what to pray about? In this citation, Ellen White encourages us to tell God about our needs, tell Him why we re happy, what makes us sad, why we re worried, and what scares us. That could be a pretty long list, but God never gets bored with hearing what we have to say to Him. Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son. Steps to Christ, page 100 Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. Aren t those beautiful thoughts? God cares about you so much He even knows when you ve lost a hair or two! Now, that s up close and personal, which is just where God wants to be. Ellen White Visionary for Kids 5

6 True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty. Steps to Christ, p. 38. Prayer of Confession Many years ago in Texas, the governor visited the State prison to talk to the prisoners. After his speech, he told the men that if anyone wanted to come and talk with him, he would gladly listen to their story. He promised that he would keep private anything they told him and that nothing they said would be used against them. One by one the men came up to talk to the governor. They all told him that they were in prison because they had been treated unfairly or that there had been some mistake on someone else s part. But finally, one man came up and said, Mr. Governor, I just want to say that I am guilty. I did what they sent me here for. But I believe I have paid for it, and if I were granted the right to go out, I would do everything I could to be a good citizen 6 Ellen White Visionary for Kids and prove myself worthy of your mercy. Who do you think got the pardon from the governor? That s right the man who honestly confessed that he had done wrong. In the same way, when we come to God and admit to Him that we have sinned, He is more than willing to pardon us. The Bible says that God is faithful and fair. If we admit that we have sinned, he will forgive us our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure (1 John 1:9, NIrV). Ellen White explains in the book Steps to Christ, in the chapter called Confession, that when we confess our sins to God, we should tell Him exactly what we have done wrong. Sometimes, if others know about our deeds, or if we have hurt a lot of other people, we must confess our sins publicly. But in most cases, we should talk only to God about it. We should feel truly sorry for what we have done, and sincerely ask God to forgive us. If we confess just to avoid punishment, we are not truly sorry for our sins. When we earnestly confess our sins, we can begin to understand how much God really loves us and the big sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Have you done something wrong? Tell God honestly that you are sorry. Ask Him to forgive you and to help you to never do it again. And He will. Remember, Anyone who hides his sins doesn t succeed. But anyone who admits his sins and gives them up finds mercy (Proverbs 28:13, NIrV). That s a promise!

7 Prayer of Praise Forgetting our own difficulties and troubles, let us praise God for an opportunity to live for the glory of His name. Let the fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for these tokens of His loving care. When you open your eyes in the morning, thank God that He has kept you through the night. Thank Him for His peace in your heart. Morning, noon, and night, let gratitude as a sweet perfume ascend to heaven. The Ministry of Healing, p Prayer of Revival A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer. Selected Messages, bk. 1, p.121. Pray in Reverence In prayer we enter the audience chamber of the Most High; and we should come before Him with holy awe. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p.106. Prayer of Thanksgiving We do not pray any too much, but we are too sparing of giving thanks. If the loving-kindness of God called forth more thanksgiving and praise, we would have far more power in prayer. Pray, pray earnestly and without ceasing, but do not forget to praise. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p Intercessory Prayer There are souls who have lost their courage; speak to them, pray for them. There are those who need the bread of life. Read to them from the Word of God.... Pray for these [persons], and bring them to Jesus Christ. Welfare Ministry, p. 71. Prayer of Obedience Those who bring their petitions to God, claiming His promise while they do not comply with the conditions, insult Jehovah. They bring the name of Christ as their authority for the fulfillment of the promise, but they do not those things that would show faith in Christ and love for Him. Prayer, p. 67. Ellen White Visionary for Kids 7

8 Prayer of Guidance Many years ago Ellen White said there should be a school for American black students. Black persons were badly discriminated against in the United States during much of the 19th century. They had few educational opportunities. Ellen White advised the search committee that the property for the new school should be located in the country near Nashville, Tennessee, or in northern Alabama. However, a search of properties in Tennessee brought nothing that seemed suitable. Anna Knight, our first African American missionary to India, remembers the committee members gathering for prayer before they set out for northern Alabama to look for property. This was no ordinary prayer session! The group knelt together in the living room of Mr. and Mrs. Chambers home, and with tears pleaded with God to help them find the place He had chosen for the school. After prayer, the committee members went to the railway station, took the train to Huntsville, and were directed out to a farm that was for sale. As they entered the grounds, the committee members were certain they at last had found the place the Lord had chosen for the new school. After careful investigation, the committee members put down a deposit to hold the farm until they could report their findings to the General Conference officers. A special offering was planned to raise a fund to establish the new school for African Americans. Everyone was asked to give a dollar. But in order to have a dollar to give, many persons chose to sacrifice one meal a day. They were happy to do without food in order to have money for that special offering. Ultimately the money was raised and the purchase of the Huntsville property was made. Oakwood Industrial School, Ellen White Visionary for Kids

9 Several years after the school had been in operation, Ellen White visited the campus. At an assembly, she said, This is the place that was shown to me by God. Anna Knight was convinced that Oakwood College, as the school came to be called, was God s school. She saw God answer the prayers of those committee members! Thousands of students have graduated from Oakwood College and have worked for God all over the world. Maybe God is waiting for more of His people to earnestly pray for guidance and miracles! Did you pray today? There is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. There is nothing that can prevent us from lifting up our hearts in the spirit of earnest prayer. In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may send up a petition to God, and plead for divine guidance. My Life Today, p. 16. Ellen White Visionary for Kids 9

10 Prayer of Faith A Lesson in a Miracle Sierra, age 11 When we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers. We are so erring and short-sighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us... Do not fear to trust Him, even though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers. Rely upon His sure promise, Ask, and it shall be given you. Steps to Christ, p.96 Look mom, there s a cat, can we keep him? Do we have any food to give him? Questions tumbled out of my mouth like bubbles out of a bubble machine as I ran to pet him one Sabbath morning. Mom took the beautiful tuxedo cat from off the fence where he stood purring at us and gave him some food and water. Later that week we asked the neighbors if they recognized him, but not one of them did. After a little debate we finally decided to name the beautiful cat Sylvester. We had the cat for about two years when 10 Ellen White Visionary for Kids I was heartbroken, how could I leave the cat we had grown to love? something interesting happened; my father was called to be a minister. A lot of things were tied up in that surprise! It meant my father had to go back to college, we had to move across the country, we had to leave our grandparents and friends, and the most heart-rending thing for me was that we had to leave Sylvester behind. I was heartbroken, how could I leave him, the cat we had grown to love? I cried myself to sleep some miserable and lonely nights and I also prayed to the God who can understand all sorrows. Finally it came time for us to move. The last

11 Sierra and Tiger cat-napping few days were a blur with people saying their last good-byes and the excitement of moving, but always there was a deep sadness about leaving Sylvester behind. At our new house and the next house we rented we were not allowed to have any pets. I was devastated yet again, I missed Sylvester so much and now we couldn t have any pets? Many a time I would come to my mother crying, I miss Sylvester S-O O bad! My mother would always say Sierra, if God brought you Sylvester don t you think the Giver of all good things could give you another cat, even a much better cat? About four years later my father was asked to be the pastor in Pikeville, TN. Soon after we moved to Pikeville we were able to get the kitten I had wanted so long. His name is Tiger and he is the best cat in the whole world (I think even better than Sylvester)! He is a perfect mixture of playfulness and kindness. Every time I look at him I think he is a perfect gift of God s love and grace. If you always have faith in the God of miracles, He truly will bless you more than you could ask or think! Did You Know? Ellen and James White had a special place in the woods where they often went to pray? (Life Sketches of Ellen White, p. 250, 256) Ellen White thought children should find a special place to pray, too. She wrote, God... loves to hear children pray. She even suggested that children pray at least three times every day, like Daniel (and that s not counting the blessing at meals)! Imagine how spiritually buff you would be if you had a special time and place to talk to God three times a day. Ellen White Visionary for Kids 11

12 Ask Cindy! hears our prayers (Psalm 4:3, Jerermiah 33:3). God hopes we believe what He promises, even if we can t literally see Him right now (Heb. 11:1). For some, doubts come because they haven t received the specific answer to their prayers. In other words, God has not answered their request in the exact way for which they prayed. God always hears the prayers of His children. However, sometimes He answers Yes, sometimes He answers No (because He knows things we don t) and sometimes He answers Wait a while. When we pray we can say, Please do this, Jesus, if it is your will (I John 5:14). Then we can trust God to answer in whatever way would be the very best for us. But for other people, the mystery of a God we cannot see with our physical eyes is what causes doubt. Doubts about prayer might be one of several questions like, where did sin come from? How did Jesus become a baby? How was He resurrected? One of the reasons God is God and we aren t God is that He knows lots of stuff we don t! If we understood everything He does, we would be God! So, mystery can be a good thing (Romans 11:33). God s power, wisdom, and even mystery are reasons for which we can praise, admire, and worship Him. You: I try to pray, but it seems like my prayers don t go anywhere. How can I know that God actually hears what I m saying? CT: You re not alone! Many Christians, especially young Christians, sometimes struggle with doubt and are tempted to wonder if God really hears them. The main way God wants to grow our faith from weak and tottering to strong and energized is through His Word, the Holy Scriptures. The Bible says that God But even though we don t know everything about God, there s still a lot we can learn about Him (Deut 29:29, I Cor 2:10). Prayer will always be one of the ways that God can become real in our lives. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray with faith. Ask popular youth minister Cindy Tutsch any question about Ellen White, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, or even Bible questions on next quarter s topic RELATIONSHIPS! Just send your e mail to cindytutsch@hotmail.com. All of your questions will be answered and we ll even put some of them in the next Ve.Z for Kids! So what do you want to know? 12 Ellen White Visionary for Kids

13 You ve Got Issues My parents are divorced. I ve been praying every day that they would get back together. Now my dad is marrying someone else! Why didn t God answer my prayer? D ear Friend, God did answer your prayer, just not the way you hoped! God heard every one of your prayers, even though you didn t get what you asked for. Your parents divorce must make you feel very sad. Believe me, God feels even sadder about it than you do. He created families, and He hopes they will always be happy and healthy. But God also created human beings with the ability to make their own choices. God doesn t force anyone to be good. Neither does He force anyone to love someone else He just gives us the best example of love ever! (Think of Jesus on the cross of Calvary.) Sometimes one partner in a marriage makes himself or herself a higher priority than their spouse and acts irresponsibly. He or she might use drugs or alcohol, physically or verbally abuse the family, have an affair with another person, or abandon the family. That person s partner may decide that God does not expect him or her to remain in such a marriage. Other times, persons get divorced because one partner just wants out. Perhaps they don t understand the significance of vows [promises] that we make before God. Whatever the reason for your parents divorce and your father s remarriage, God understands that you are hurting and He wants to comfort you. He is faithful to His promises, and He will never, never leave you (Matthew 28:20). If there ever was a time in your life when you need to pray, it s at this crisis. God doesn t just want to listen to you talk He wants to speak to you, too! So listen carefully, and you will hear God speaking to your heart. Ellen White Visionary for Kids 13

14 Dear Ve.Z At Sabbath School, I learned about how important it is to pray without ceasing and to also pray for other people. I made prayer hands by tracing my hands on a piece of paper, coloring them and then writing names of people I want to pray for each night. I also wrote 1 Thessalonians 5:17 on one hand. I hung my paper hands by my bed so I remember who I am praying for. Emma-Mary (age 6) Dear Ve. Z, Here is how prayer helped me. I was scared, crying and in lots of pain. The doctor in accident and emergency said I had appendicitis and needed an emergency operation. My family had recently accepted Jesus Christ and we were going to a Seventh-day Adventist church. It was 2 o clock in the morning. Dad called our Pastor and asked him to pray for me. The doctor decided to put me on a drip and take a blood test to confirm it was appendicitis. He told me to get ready for the operation. I didn t want an operation and dad didn t have the money to pay for it. I prayed to the Lord to heal me. Mom and dad and my younger sister Emma-Mary prayed with me. Then we started reading Psalms 23 and 91 and 100 and others. It helped me become calmer and I knew Jesus was with me. The pain went away and I stopped crying and feeling scared. No matter what happened, I could trust Jesus to take care of me. For the next hour while we waited for the test results, we prayed, read the Bible and sang Bible songs. The doctor came back with the results. He was amazed and puzzled. He told me the blood test was negative but that I had all the right symptoms for appendicitis. I didn t need an operation! I was so happy and relieved. The doctor decided to give me an entire saline bag drip before sending me home at 5.30am. Praise God for healing me and the power of prayer. We all gave thanks to God for such a healing miracle. Ashleigh PS (This happened when I was 8 and just before I was baptised into the Adventist Church in Malaysia and I am now 9.) 14 Ellen White Visionary for Kids

15 Click Here! Free Subscription to Ve.Z! mailman/listinfo/vez This is your bulletin board, so please share your talents and expressions. Our next topic will be on Relationships. us your creations relating to this theme, like art, poetry, or a short paragraph on what YOU RE DOING to live or promote happy relationships in your neighborhood, your school, or church. Or use a source from our Check It Out section and send us your take on it. But hurry, we re already working on next quarter s e Zine! Prayer Prayer to me Is like a plea Or a question. It comes from our hearts, An asking of sorts When we have no hope or direction. Why do we pray? Some people may say To get an answer to our question. But to me it s more like Talking to God for pleasure, Lending Him the weights on our backs, Or seeking an answer to life s questions. When weights are grave His spirit grasps them To drop into the sea. That s how I know Prayer is real enough for me. By: Andrea, Grade 9 Whitewater, Colorado YOUR C O R N E R Title: Adam and Eve Artist: Benjamin Age: 9 years We welcome unsolicited photographs, puzzles, articles, and other materials to Ellen White Visionary for Kids. This is done at the risk of the sender; the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc., and any of its subsidiaries cannot accept liability for loss or damage. Ellen White Visionary for Kids 15

16 16 Ellen White Visionary for Kids The Ministry of Healing, p. 253.

17 My Life Today, p. 16. Ellen White Visionary for Kids 17

18 Get Involved You like to get letters and messages, right? It doesn t matter whether it s snail mail, TM, , or whatever techie communication media you use, you like to hear from your friends. Well, God likes to hear from you, too! It s good to follow Daniel s example and kneel in prayer to God several times a day. But He listens to us wherever we are and whatever we re doing. One way to communicate with God is through journaling. It s like writing a letter to God. Taking the time to write a prayer journal makes you stop and think about God and what you d like to say to Him. It also provides a structure for your message which is helpful if you struggle with thinking about all sorts of other things when you re trying to focus on prayer. Here s a sample prayer journal. We ll provide some guidance, but you get to do the fun part filling up the lines with your own personal message to God. 1. Hello, God! I d like to praise you today for Who you are (In this part of your journal, you write down all the things about God that you like strong, loving, patient etc) 2. Jesus, I ve done some things I wish that I had not done. Right now I want to confess my sin to you. (List specific things kicking the dog, being impatient with your sister, etc.) Please send your Holy Spirit to help me not to do these things again, and to be more like Jesus. 18 Ellen White Visionary for Kids

19 3. God, I m thankful for so many things! Thank You for (again, be specific about the things or persons that make you happy my parents, my cat, tacos, etc) 4. Dear God, I m afraid about (my parents getting a divorce, darkness at night, violence etc) Jesus, please take away my fears about these things and give me peace. 5. OK, God, I have a list of prayer requests. Here they are (my grandma s sick, I need help with math, help my dad quit smoking, etc) I know you heard my prayer requests, God, and thank you for answering in whatever way You know is best. Jesus, that s my prayer for right now! I love You and I write my prayer in Your powerful name, Amen. PS I m going to take a few minutes to listen quietly in case You have something you d like to say back to me. My heart is tuned in to Yours! Ellen White Visionary for Kids 19

20 Ellen White Visionary for Kids RELATIONSHIPS Next Time in Ve.Z for Kids Our next issue focuses on Relationships. Send via your letters, questions, photos, drawings, and poetry before December 1, Send us your picture with your submission. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! (Not all submissions may be published, but all questions will be answered!) your submissions to: Chairman of the Board of Trustees: Kenneth H. Wood Director: James R. Nix Vice Director: Tim Poirier Associate Directors: William Fagal, Cindy Tutsch, Ivan Leigh Warden Editor: Cindy Tutsch Associate Editors: Joy Sorensen, Darryl Thompson Contract Designer: Mark Bond Artwork and Design: Mark Bond, Joy Sorensen, Darryl Thompson Writer-Researchers: Joy Sorensen, Darryl Thompson, Cindy Tutsch Online: Mark Bond, Joy Sorensen, Darryl Thompson Consultants: Larry Blackmer, Linda Koh, Kimberly Luste Maran, Baraka Muganda Other Resources Guide s Greatest Prayer Stories Helen Lee, compiler 100 Creative Prayer Ideas for Kids Karen Holford Alice, An Adventist Girl, Book 4 Sandy Zaugg Healing Prayer Ellen G. White A Little Book of Prayers for Parents Mary Barrett Prayer Ellen G. White (also available in Spanish) These great resources and more are available at any Adventist Book Center: phone: web: Contact Us address: Ellen G. White Estate, Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD vezforkids@gmail.com web: phone: fax: Ellen White Visionary for Kids (Ve.Z) is produced and published online four times a year by the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.