THE BATTLE PLAN FOR PRAYER:

FROM BASIC TRAINING TO TARGETTED STRATEGIES

Devotion Passages

By Tim Howie
Started: 20/07/2016
 Chapter 1: The Legacy of Prayer
Devotion 1:
Psalm 65:2
“Oh You who hear prayer, to You all men will come.” (Psalm 65:2)
We can talk directly to God, without any interference, without the help
of any other person, when we pray in Him.
We can achieve what God can achieve, through prayer. We can create
outcomes here on Earth, that God can make happen, through our
prayer.
Because our God is Almighty, there are no problems in our lives that
cannot be handled through our prayer.
In history there are great men and women of the Bible who walked in
faith because they were people who prayed a great deal: Moses was
known to speak to God as his best friend; the nation of Israel came
into being because Isaac interceded on behalf of his barren wife so
that she would produce a child Jacob; and King David was known to
talk to God, morning, noon and night.
You can read about Nehemiah, Daniel, Hosea and Hannah who also
made prayer their number one priority in life. They did powerful
things that could be seen and which glorified our Father God.
The prophet Elijah was a wonderful example of how ‘answered
prayer’ becomes so obvious in a faithful person’s life.
Question: Can you explain how prayer works in your life?
Additional Biblical References:
Genesis (25:21)
Exodus (33:11)
Psalms (55:7)
James (5:16-18)
Prayer: Holy Spirit, You raise us up so that we can see all things through Your Holy eyes. You
allow us to glorify our Father in Heaven like You want us to glorify Him. Thank You for Your
Holy power and strength in our hearts and in our lives. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 1: The Legacy of Prayer
Devotion 2:
Psalm 65:2
“Oh You who hear prayer, to You all men will come.” (Psalm 65:2)
We can talk directly to God, without any interference, without the help of any
other person, when we pray in Him.
We are blessed to have human examples of excellence in prayer life. They show
us that we can attain great things in prayer, through Christ Jesus who
strengthens us.
Speaking of Jesus, He is the greatest example of walking, talking prayer in action.
As an infant, Jesus, Mary and Joseph were greeted at the Temple by Anna, a
widow who prayed day and night. Prayer would have been the number one
priority in His earthly family.
As Jesus presented Himself for baptism, He was constantly in a state of prayer.
It is reported that Jesus prayed all night to God the Father, before He chose His
disciples and they quickly learnt about Jesus’ prayer routine of getting up before
sunrise to pray. His focus in pray was always to the Father. Jesus also took up
opportunities to go off and spend time praying to the Father, quietly in solitude.
Jesus’ first completely recorded sermon taught people how to pray. Jesus is also
famous for expelling money changers from the temple as He explicitly stated
that, “My Father’s House is a house of prayer!”
Question: Why is it so important to pray to God the Father?
Additional Biblical References:
Luke (3:21-22)
Mark (1:35)
Luke (5:15-16)
Matt (5:7)
Mark (14:38)
Luke (18:1)
Matt (21:13)

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please uphold us with Your Spirit of dedication to God the Father. Help
us to seek Him out more and more, each and every day. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 1: The Legacy of Prayer
Devotion 3:
Psalm 65:2
“Oh You who hear prayer, to You all men will come.” (Psalm 65:2)
We can talk directly to God, without any interference, without the help
of any other person, when we pray in Him.
Jesus Christ is Prophet, High Priest and King. He is our only pure
example of how we should develop our side of the relationship with
God the Father.
With the authority given Him by His Father in heaven, He gave us the
greatest model of prayer, of all time: The Lord’s Prayer. It teaches us
firstly to glorify God the Father and then praise Him for His perfect
plan to bring the Kingdom to Earth. We then go on to ask for
sustenance and then ask for the forgiveness of sins. Finally we
reiterate that God is in charge and that He is glorious.
Jesus also worked powerfully in His role and responsibility of High
Priest and gave us an incredibly powerful priestly prayer in John 17:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify
you. 2
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal
life to all those you have given him. 3
Now this is eternal life: that they know
you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4
I have brought
you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5
And now, Father,
glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world
began. “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They
were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7
Now they
know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8
For I gave them the
words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I
came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9
I pray for them. I am not
praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10
All
I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through
them. 11
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I
am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the
name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12
While I was with
them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None
has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be
fulfilled.
13
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world,
so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14
I have given
them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any
more than I am of the world. 15
My prayer is not that you take them out of the
world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16
They are not of the world,
even as I am not of it. 17
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18
As
you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19
For them I
sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20 My prayer is not for
them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their
message, 21
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am
in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent
me. 22
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as
we are one— 23
I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to
complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved
them even as you have loved me.
24
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to
see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the
creation of the world.
25
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they
know that you have sent me. 26
I have made you known to them, and will
continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in
them and that I myself may be in them.”

Questions: Did Jesus’ work finish after His death & resurrection upon
the cross? What was Jesus’ key emotion conveyed in this prayer? Jesus
mentioned to God that He had done certain things for His followers –
name some of them? What is one character of Jesus’ relationship with
His Father that is mentioned right at the beginning of His prayer?

Additional Biblical References:

Matt (6:9-13)
John (17:1-26)
Prayer: Holy Spirit, please uphold us with Your Spirit of dedication to God the Father. Help
us to seek Him out in prayer more and more, each and every day. In Jesus Holy name we pray.
Amen.
 Chapter 1: The Legacy of Prayer
Devotion 4:
Psalm 65:2
“Oh You who hear prayer, to You all men will come.” (Psalm 65:2)
We can talk directly to God, without any interference, without the help
of any other person, when we pray in Him.
We have a Saviour who is King of Kings, creator of the universe. Our
God Who made us and Who loves us desperately – more than we can
comprehend. Yet, despite His great love, some people who follow Him
also betray Him.
Jesus prayed so deeply and desperately at the Garden of Gethsemane
that He was crying tears of blood. Now that is full and total
commitment to His Father in Heaven. Jesus knew He was betrayed and
awaited His crucifixion. Again, Jesus is our perfect model of committed
love for the Father and expression of that love through prayer. He was
winning the battle that He was engaged in, in the heavenlies as His
flesh was being tortured in the natural realm.
As Jesus was dying on the cross, He continued to pray prayers of love
over His tormentors. He prayed at least three times on the cross.
After Jesus returned to Heaven, the Holy Spirit came to guide us,
encourage us and lift us up to pray more effectively for the greater
glory of the Father.
Question: Close your eyes and really concentrate on what it means to
focus totally upon glorifying God in prayer. Try to imagine Jesus’ level
of heart and mind focus upon God in prayer. What was the main role
for the Holy Spirit when He arrived on Earth as Jesus’ replacement?
Additional Biblical References:

Luke (22:44)

Romans (8:15-16)

Hebrews (7:23-28)

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please uphold us with Your Spirit of joy in prayer to God the Father, even
when we face big difficulties in life. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 1: The Legacy of Prayer
Devotion 5:
Psalm 65:2
“Oh You who hear prayer, to You all men will come.” (Psalm 65:2)
We can talk directly to God, without any interference, without the help
of any other person, when we pray in Him.
Christ was totally dependent upon God. He always deflected glory
directed at Him, to His Father in Heaven.
Christ’s life, work, suffering, death and resurrection were all totally
dependent upon God the Father.
Jesus had total trust in God. He knew His sustenance was from God.
He knew He had to totally surrender to God. He interceded for
Himself in prayer. Jesus lived His life for us and now lives in us. His
being in us and us in Him means our relationship with the Father is
restored.
Now that we are restored in Him, we can live life abundantly, but we
must pray and intercede on behalf of ourselves and others.
One day, I was walking through the PTC Mall, I was asking God to bless
those companies who were dealing with me honestly. God asked me,
“What about all of the rest of the companies?” Now that’s our God.
Question: Who do you need to intercede for in your life? Will you
intercede only for people you like or know? Who could you intercede
about that you have never met? What three things are core
foundation pillars of good relationships?
Additional Biblical References:
Luke (22:44)
Romans (8:15-16)
Hebrews (7:23-28)
Prayer: Father God, show us how to intercede in prayer, on behalf of others and ourselves.
Show us what we have to do to be successful in this. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 1: The Legacy of Prayer
Devotion 6:
Psalm 65:2
“Oh You who hear prayer, to You all men will come.” (Psalm 65:2)
We can talk directly to God, without any interference, without the help
of any other person, when we pray in Him.
Powerful prayer established and grew the early church. St. Peter and St. Paul the Apostles
were fervent and dedicated in their prayer.
Later on in the 17th and 18th centuries, during the era of the missionary movement,
missionaries like Hudson Taylor made a massive impact upon whole countries. In Hudson’s
case, he built over 120 schools in China and brought thousands of people to Christ Jesus. His
children describe him as someone constantly engaged in prayer on his knees everyday before
the Sun rose. He was following our Lord Jesus Christ’s example and also the prophet Daniel’s
example by dedicating a set time to face God, each and every day before the daily business
of life started up.
Another missionary in England cared for over 10,000 orphans over his life. George never asked
for money. He prayed and watched the Holy Spirit work miracles with the public who
supported the orphanage. He kept a journal which detailed answers to 50,000 prayers. His
examples and teaching on prayers have been a blessing for millions around the world.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a great English preacher. He wrote extensively about prayer.
He taught many how to pray and intercede on behalf of others. At his New Park Street Church,
he founded a pray group that would constantly pray for his ministry and intercede with God
on His behalf. Charles believed that prayer group was the strength behind his success.
John Wesley and John Edwards started the Great Awakening in the 1700s, in the United
States. Before the Awakening, the US was a lawless, hedonistic place. As a result of the Great
Awakening, the US became famous around the world for its Christian principles and faith.
They called upon believers to unite in prayer and that changed a nation.
Question: What could God do through you? What should you do to have your own spiritual
awakening in God? Are you ready for God to call upon you for an intimate relationship based
on obedience and service? What is the meaning of intimacy in this case?

Additional Biblical References:

Philippians (1:4-5)
Thessalonians (5:17)
Hebrews (7:23-28)
Prayer: Father God, show us how unite with each other in prayer to bring about big changes
in our lives and in the lives of other groups and organizations. In Jesus Holy name we pray.
Amen.
 Chapter 2: The Power of Prayer
Devotion 1(7):
2 Cor.10:4
“The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely
powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
Climbing out of the trenches and going on attack.
In World War 1, trench warfare was used as a defense against an attacker. It was
useful up to a point – you could defend but not attack and hence make no
progress against the enemy. You just had to sit tight and wait for them to give
up. Let’s face it, most enemies don’t give up. Satan is our enemy and the Holy
Bible says he never stops roaming the world looking for a way to attack believers
and the innocent and unprotected.
Some Christians have no idea about the spiritual battle going on in their lives
and the lives of their families, friends and communities. They are protected
defensively by God, through Jesus. However, they are not fully active in the
battle. Prayer in the Spirit is our battle tank in spiritual war. We can take the
battle to the enemy. The armour of our tank is the Whole Armour of God
(Eph.6:10-18):
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and
having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on
the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the
Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making
supplication for all the saints.”

Question: What does, “..taking the battle to the enemy,” mean? What do we do
in the natural world to engage in the battle in the spiritual world?
Additional Biblical References:
Eph. (6:10-18)
Matt. (16:18)
Prayer: Father God, remind us each day to put on the Holy Armour of God. Help us to
remember each step and what it represents. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 2: The Power of Prayer
Devotion 2(8):
2 Cor.10:4
“The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely
powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
Climbing out of the trenches and going on attack.
We should pray at all times in the Spirit. To do that, we pray to the Father,
through Jesus Christ Who is our Lord and Saviour with obedience, sincerity,
dedication and concentration, listening out for God’s response. With our
obedience and sincerity comes the Holy Spirit. He boosts our spirit, our heart
and fills us with His great joy. In John 17, Jesus often mentions His joy. It’s the
infilling of His Joy and Confidence that empowers us to fully worship and glorify
the Father.
So prayer is our ‘battle strategy’ for claiming the victory for the war that has
already been won through God’s sacrifice of His only begotten Son.

Question: When have you experienced God’s great Joy during your
life?
Additional Biblical References:
Eph. (6:10-18)
Matt. (16:18)

Prayer: Father God, please keep us in a state of joy given to us by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus
Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 2: The Power of Prayer
Devotion 3(9):
2 Cor.10:4
“The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely
powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
Climbing out of the trenches and going on attack.
With prayer, we can do anything, because with God, all things are possible. It is
a unique bond between us and God that the devil cannot break and also cannot
hear when we pray in silence.
We have direct access to God Almighty (Tuhan Maha Esa) and His Sovereignty
and consequently there is great power in that. Power that God has given us –
praise Him.
Through that power, we have a boldness that the enemy cannot steal from us,
so we should always consider that power and keep using it. That means, we
always pray, 24/7/365.
How do we pray 24/7? Obviously during the day we can consciously pray and
sing to God, all the time during any other activity. Then we have church
opportunities to pray and worship. However, what about when we sleep? Well,
how about this, just before going to sleep, listen to a song about God a couple
of times. Enjoy it and get into it with expression, either out aloud or in your head.
And then, when you wake up, you will hear your spirit singing that song to God.
It’s truly an amazing, beautiful thing to be awoken by your own spirit singing to
our Lord God Almighty.
“Prayer means that God’s miracle working power is always available to us.”
(text)

Question: When have you experienced God’s great power during your
prayer life?
Additional Biblical References:
James (5:16)
Matt. (19:26)
Prayer: Father God, we seek fullness of the Holy Spirit in our own spirit. We want to worship
You fully and we need Him to lift us up so that we can in turn lift You up in the greatness You
deserve. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 2: The Power of Prayer
Devotion 4(10):
2 Cor.10:4
“The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely
powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
Climbing out of the trenches and going on attack.
The Holy Bible asks us to pray without ceasing. We have special access to
God across the universe because Jesus Christ His Son paid for it with His
own Life.
The key issue here is that we must not let ourselves be burdened by
worries or overcome with fear. We must submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit
– give up our problems to God and let Him keep them – don’t take them
back. If we give our problems to God, He will solve them in His own way. If
we give them and then decide to take over the problems again because we
are not patient, then the burden comes back to us. Once again, pray your
problems to God. Then believe that He will handle them. Finally, relax and
rest in His presence. Allow yourself to be refilled with His joy – there is
nothing like it.
When we stand in prayer, we are being counselled by God. The Counsellor
is the Holy Spirit, as described by Jesus in the Holy Bible.
With the Holy Spirit, there are no secrets. Confess our sins. The
Righteousness of Christ abounds and covers us with His Grace. So
forgiveness is there for His own people who approach Him with their whole
heart.
Question: When have you experienced God’s great power during your
prayer life?
Additional Biblical References:
1 Thessalonians (5:17)
Philippians (4:6)
John (16:7)
Prayer: Jesus, You told us that Your burden is not a heavy one. Sometimes we don’t recognise
that. We ask that You will show us daily how to gift up our burdens to Your Holy Spirit. In Your
Blessed Name Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 2: The Power of Prayer
Devotion 5(11):
2 Cor.10:4
“The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely
powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
Climbing out of the trenches and going on attack.
When we work hard and diligently in life, we are displaying good,
Godly values. However, with prayer surrounding that hard work and
diligent focus, our work and efforts become greatly energised and
filled with power.
In that power, there is greater abilities and greater successes available
to us. It also gives us greater balance and perspective in regards to the
things we pray about. The Holy Spirit shows us our concerns in the
light of God’s universal plans. Quite often our worries can seem less
urgent somehow, once we have shared them with our Lord.
Prayer means hope and help. Prayer means relief and power. Prayer
means God’s perspective on daily life and upon our long term plans
and goals.
Question: When we talk about ‘power’ in terms of prayer, are we
talking about aggression or something else?
Additional Biblical References:
1 Corinthians (10:13)
Philippians (4:13)
1 Corinthians (4:20)
2 Timothy (1:7)
Prayer: Father God, helps to focus on and make use of the values you have taught us, each
and every day, in all the various situations that we find ourselves in. In Jesus Holy name we
pray. Amen.
 Chapter 3: The Priority of Prayer
Devotion 1(12):
Jonah 2:7
“My prayer came to you, into Your Holy Temple.”
God has made a sovereign plan for us built upon prayer.
Prayer is God’s invisible force driving our lives forward in love for Him.
Through prayer we glorify Him, which is our number one purpose in
life.
It’s the main way that God supports us. He is our Heavenly Father and
we are His children and we can have an intimate relationship like we
do on earth with our natural father.
Prayer keeps us lined up with the Head of the Body of Christ (Jesus).
Our human frailty joined with God’s perfection and purity. Prayer is a
big deal to God and so it must be for us.
Question: When have you felt weak and scared and then turned to
God for help? After you received that help, how did you react?
Additional Biblical References:
Matthew (7:9-11)
Luke (9:23)
James (3:2)

Prayer: Father God, All glory to You for Your magnificence and the pure, pure love You have
always directed to us. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 3: The Priority of Prayer
Devotion 2(13):
Jonah 2:7
“My prayer came to you, into Your Holy Temple.”
God has made a sovereign plan for us built upon prayer.
Sometimes prayer may feel like the last thing we want to do,
depending upon our circumstances. In this hectic world, where we feel
like we have always got to be doing something, we may feel like it is
almost wrong to stop what we are doing and pray. Or we may feel like
we will not achieve our goals if we stop.
However, if we stop, we will being saying ‘no’ to selfishness and our
own self-will and strong sense of independence, and saying ‘yes’ to
giving over our flesh to God who will handle things for us. It can seem
strange to deal with someone we cannot usually see or hear. It takes
faith, commitment and humility to reach out to an ‘invisible’ God over
whom we have no control.
Often our independence gets in the way of our relationship with God
and the opportunities He gives us to let Him take over our problems
and therefor help us towards a better, more joyful life. We usually
leave prayer for emergencies. But it shouldn’t be like that. Let’s value
the opportunity to commune intimately with God, 24/7/365 in prayer.
Question: Do you have a quiet place to spend focussed upon God in
prayer? Have you set aside a special time each day to pray and devote
yourself completely to God?
Additional Biblical References:
Luke (9:23)
James (3:2)

Prayer: Father God, please humble me in the face of my stubborn independence. Have Your
grace, bring me in line with You and Your Holy, Gracious will. In Jesus Holy name we pray.
Amen.
 Chapter 3: The Priority of Prayer
Devotion 3(14):
Jonah 2:7
“My prayer came to you, into Your Holy Temple.”
God has made a sovereign plan for us built upon prayer.
In reality, we are completely dependent upon God, 24/7/365. We awake each
morning after sleep, only because of Him. He knows when a single hair falls from
our head. We however have no idea what will happen in the future and we very
quickly forget about what has passed us by. That is why our first action each day
must be approaching Him with a heart full of love and devotion for Him.
When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He made prayer His number one thing to
do. His disciples saw Him pray in secret but walk in the Spirit in public. He walked
in great power because He devoted His life to praying to God the Father.
When Jesus cleared out the Temple of money changers, His words described the
Temple as ‘His Father’s House’ and that it was a House of prayer. Jesus’ focus
was on the house being a ‘house of prayer’ rather than a house of music etc.
Jesus was saying, ‘prioritizing prayer is prioritizing God’.
Question: Is God your main priority in life? Do you place singing or sharing
testimony above prayer? In what ways do you recognize that you are totally
dependent upon God?
Additional Biblical References:
John (15:4-5)
Psalm 139 (1:18)
1 Timothy (2:1-8)
Luke (11:1)
Mark (11:17)

Prayer: Father God, we want You to be our top priority, in all things of life. Show us the way
to bring ourselves to our knees before Your glory and really worship You the way You should
be worshipped – with all the power and grace of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus Holy name we pray.
Amen.
 Chapter 3: The Priority of Prayer
Devotion 4(15):
Jonah 2:7
“My prayer came to you, into Your Holy Temple.”
God has made a sovereign plan for us built upon prayer.
Jesus knew that everything else we do would fall short of its full
potential, if we didn’t make prayer our top priority. Thus, our
intentions and actions will be lacking in intensity, depth, love and
focus if we don’t step forward to pray first.
If we don’t make prayer to God our number one priority, we are
placing ourselves ahead of Almighty God. In time, our actions as
Christians become lifeless and our actions as a church start to die.
Eventually churches can close altogether as believers pay only
superficial attention to each other and worse still to God and His will.
We must not walk in our own wisdom but in His will. We can do that
by praying first above all other things. Rely on the Holy Spirit and live
our life is His Wisdom, through prayer.
Question: When have you put prayer to God above internet time?
When have you put prayer to God above going to the Mall? When
have you put communicating directly to God, one on one, above
meeting friends in a café? When have you turned a café meeting with
friends into a prayer session?
Additional Biblical References:
Jeremiah (33:3)
Colossians (4:2)
Matthew (6:6)
Matthew (26:41)
Prayer: Father God, our potential is unlimited in You. We don’t want to fall short in any aspect
of our lives because we live for You. You teach us that we can live life to the full, if we only
make prayer our number one priority. Strengthen us so that we can do that for You. In Jesus
Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 3: The Priority of Prayer
Devotion 5(16):
Jonah 2:7
“My prayer came to you, into Your Holy Temple.”
God has made a sovereign plan for us built upon prayer.
Let’s all press the ‘pause’ button in our lives and stop long enough to consider
prayer once again. Make praying your first step each morning when you awake
for your morning devotion. The you’ll see remarkable improvement in all that
you do and in all the answers to your prayers. We will do everything so much
better, and all for the glory of God.
Humble ourselves, confess our sins and ask the Holy Spirit to fill us so that we
can walk fully in Christ Jesus, with Him. At the same time, deny the desires of
our flesh – give them to God – break those negative, sinful habits if they exist in
your lives.
When dealing with your ‘natural self’, insist on making prayer first in your life.
Don’t let your body and mind tell you that you are too tired, or that God is not
really listening.
When the early church had challenges, it did not sacrifice prayer as the number
one thing they should do. It followed the directions of the Holy Spirit always. The
early church remains our ideal model of how to walk in the Spirit and remain
united in the Body of Christ. They were devoted to one another in Christly love.
Question: In your day to day lives, what would you replace prayer with as your
top priority, if prayer did not exist? How often do you struggle with the weakness
of your flesh (e.g. being tired, feeling bored, negative attitude etc.?)
Additional Biblical References:
Acts (1:14)
Acts (2:42)
Acts (6:4)
1 Timothy (2:1)
Roman (12:10,12)
Prayer: Father God, our natural selves sometimes take priority when we focus only on what
we want. Holy Spirit help us to daily sacrifice our selfishness upon the wooden cross . Give us
strength to place Your Holy Spirit first in our decisions. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 3: The Priority of Prayer
Devotion 6(17):
Jonah 2:7
“My prayer came to you, into Your Holy Temple.”
God has made a sovereign plan for us built upon prayer.
We can develop our focus a little to be: prayer & thanksgiving. The
Holy Bible says to devote (insisting and holding onto it) ourselves to
prayer and stay alert as you do? I agree with the ‘devote’ part but I’m
really interested in the ‘stay alert’ part of the clear direction. God is
wanting us to make sure we just don’t babble on and spend a long
time making long, long prayers that lose focus. He does not want us to
be like the ‘heathen’ who make empty noise.
Wherever we go, our prayer must always be sincere, focused and
considered.
Question: Remind yourselves about what ‘devote’ means. How do we
‘stay alert’ when we pray? Where could you go to make sure you could
stay focused on prayer?
Additional Biblical References:
Colossians (2:2-4)

Prayer: Father God, we thank You for Your mightiness. Bless us always as we sincerely try to
dedicate ourselves to prayer and thanksgiving, always uplifting You. In Jesus Holy name we
pray. Amen.
 Chapter 3: The Priority of Prayer
Devotion 7(18):
Jonah 2:7
“My prayer came to you, into Your Holy Temple.”
God has made a sovereign plan for us built upon prayer.
If we truly devote ourselves to prayer, these are the things we can do, according
to Holy Bible scripture:
Evangelise the lost: Colossians (4:3); 1 Timothy (2:1-8)
Cultivate discipleship: Luke (11:1-2); John 17
Engage in true Christian fellowship: Acts (2:42)
Wise decisions: James (1:5)
Obstacles overcome: Mark (11:22-24)
Needs met: Matthew (6:11); Luke (11:5-13)
True worship ignited: Matthew (6:13); Acts (2:41-47)
Revival sparked: 2 Chronicles (7:14)
In the early church fellowship, praise and worship, the breaking of bread, giving
alms to the poor and baptising the new converts, were all part of their life’s
experiences in Christ Jesus. However, it was prayer that breathed life into all of
it.

Question: Practice praying based upon having your Needs met. Keep a diary
record of your prayers and answers to those prayers. Select another topic above
like Obstacles overcome. Record your prayers and prayer answers. Compare the
two lots (i.e. Needs met vs Obstacles overcome). In which area did your prayers
have more impact?
Additional Biblical References:
Psalm (37:4)
Psalm 23
Philippians (4:19)
Prayer: Father God, encourage us to have faith in You that prayer can break chains and also
make provision for our life needs. May You Holy Spirit dwell within us, fully and completely so
that our faith is total and pure. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 4: Why: The Ultimate Purpose of Prayer
Devotion 1(19):
John 14:13
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.”
All prayer is for the glory of God.
Our driving force behind our prayer must be to glorify Almighty God. The
Hebrew for glory is about ‘weight’ and ‘importance’ or ‘majesty’ and
‘honour’. Through ‘glory’ God shows us a little of who He is; His nature; His
power; His Holiness and His lovingkindness.
God is complete as the Holy Trinity, the God-head; Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. He is all glory in all its forms. He is all powerful and forgiving; all
knowing and all seeing. God is our all in all.
God doesn’t need us but we need Him. He has all authority in the entire
universe and as such was/is able to create us and the world in which we
need to live in order to survive.
God created the planets, stars, moons and galaxies as a display of His
glorious condition.

Question: Does God deserve His glory? Explain your answer. How does
the ‘Trinity’ idea work? Is that, ‘one God three persons’ or ‘three gods
one spirit’?
Additional Biblical References:
Psalm (148:13)
Isaiah (43:7)
Romans (9:20-24)
Psalm (19:1)
Prayer: Father God, we recognise that You alone are the authority figure in the universe.
You are our glorious Creator. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Jesus Holy name we pray.
Amen.
 Chapter 4: Why: The Ultimate Purpose of Prayer
Devotion 2(20):
John 14:13
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.”
All prayer is for the glory of God.
In our history, God has gradually revealed different aspects of His character.
Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider, revealed Himself to Abraham as the whole
scenario unfolded of receiving a child as a hundred year old man only to be then
asked by Jehovah to sacrifice the very same child on the alter on Mount Moriah.
Jehovah gave Abraham the chance to learn that God does make great provision
and keeps His word. He really tested Abraham’s faith and consequently because
Abraham was obedient, he was able to truly glorify Jehovah Jireh. God revealed
that aspect of His glory at that special, unique moment.
It really didn’t make sense to Abraham that God would ask that of him but he
showed he was prepared to obey God to the very end. From Abraham’s
obedience rose a majestic moment enabling him and ourselves, to learn much
more about our Lord.
Obedience brings great blessings. Obedience is linked to the unveiling of God’s
glory. We remain obedient to God and give Him the glory because only He is
worthy.

Question: What does obedience look like? Explain your answer. How does God’s
glory come from our obedience?
Additional Biblical References:
2 Kings (20:5)
Ps. (54: 4)
1 Cor. (1:25)
Prayer: Father God, show us true obedience for Your glory only. In Jesus Holy name we
pray. Amen.
 Chapter 4: Why: The Ultimate Purpose of Prayer
Devotion 3(21):
John 14:13
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.”
All prayer is for the glory of God.
Mighty God, please reveal Your glory to us, through Jesus Christ Your Son.
Jesus had a very close friend, Lazarus who also had sisters. Lazarus and all of
his family members deeply loved Jesus. They knew who He was – God’s Son,
the Christ, the Anointed One. So they had faith but Jesus had plans to increase
their faith with the greatest test of all – a display of awesome power – the
resurrection of a dead man back to full life after four days of death.
Lazarus’s sisters were very upset with Jesus and didn’t understand why He had
waited until Lazarus had actually died before He finally arrived at their home. It
would have been very sad for Jesus to see their pain but He was determined to
glorify His and now Our Father in Heaven. Jesus told the sisters that their
brother’s death was for God’s glory and He then went and raised their brother
back to life. From then on people knew Jesus as ‘the Resurrection & Life’.

Question: What does it mean when someone is ‘resurrected’? Is faith in God a

limited quantity? Can the amount of faith we have in God, increase?
Additional Biblical References:
John (11:4)
John (11:1-45)

Prayer: Father God, You are awesome beyond understanding. You alone can breathe live
back into death. You alone have conquered death’s power. You raise up new life every day.
Glory to God - The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 4: Why: The Ultimate Purpose of Prayer
Devotion 4(22):
John 14:13
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.”
All prayer is for the glory of God.
St Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica and urged them to be faithful, walk
in the Spirit and do good deeds that Jesus Christ might be glorified in their
actions and that they may be glorified in Him.
We walk in the Lord Jesus that God the Father may be glorified through Christ
Jesus. St. Peter described Jesus as the ‘radiance of God’s glory’ and the ‘exact
replication of God’s nature’.
So, when we pray to God for anything, let us say, “…that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. We then should prepare ourselves to see God carry out His
will to maximize His glory. That is not egoism on God’s part – it is because of
His love for us. As He creates and displays His glory, we become blessed in the
process.
As we experience that attribute of God, we focus our attention on further
glorifying and edifying Him. This becomes a wonderful, ever strengthening
cycle of worshipping the Spirit of God.

Question: When have you experience God’s glory in your life?

Additional Biblical References:
2 Thessalonians (1:12)
1 Peter (1:11)
Hebrews (1:3)
John (14:13)

Prayer: Father God, thank You for making us the focus of Your glory. Your glory washes
over us like a flood and raises us up and we can in turn glorify You even more – an ever
strengthening cycle of spiritual life. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 4: Why: The Ultimate Purpose of Prayer
Devotion 5(23):
John 14:13
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.”
All prayer is for the glory of God.
King David glorified God in his psalms – beautifully written, Holy Spirit inspired
poetry, a lot of which was put to music – but all of it written to glorify God the
Father.
David wrote a great deal about how God was compassionate and loving
beyond imagination and understanding. He also showed us that God is slow to
anger and rich in patience, keen that no one person ever fall into darkness.
Appropriately, David’s reaction to experiencing these aspects of God, was to
glorify Him ever more.

Question: When have you experience God’s glory in your life?

Additional Biblical References:
Psalm (86:15)
Exodus (34:6)
Psalm (86:12)

Prayer: Father God, David and Moses have shown us through their Spirit-inspired love and
dedication how to open our eyes to see You Lord God. As You show us Your glory, may we be
ever more dedicated to loving and worshipping and praising You of God, full of Grace. In
Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
 Chapter 4: Why: The Ultimate Purpose of Prayer
Devotion 6(24):
John 14:13
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son.”
All prayer is for the glory of God.
King David exhorted God’s people to tell everyone they met about how He had
answered pray in their lives.
David reminded his own people, the Israelites, that they were God’s children,
as we are today. In being the children of God, of course we want to glorify our
Father in prayer.
Prayer’s greatest strength is that it allows us to experience, Holy Spirit joy –
true, righteous joy as we enter into God’s presence. We can be part of what
brings glory to God.

Question: What does Holy-Spirit joy feel like and also look like when you pray
to God?
Additional Biblical References:
Psalm (138:5-6)
2 Corinthians (4:16)

Prayer: Father God, Your ways are higher than mine. What I really want is that You receive
great glory from the way I live my life. Please Lord God, work in my heart and in each of my
situations so that You, not me, are truly glorified. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.