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SION QUESTIONS

a time when someone hung up on you on did it make you feel?

trities between hanging up the phone on ring one of the prayer killers? How do you :n we "hang up" on Him?

•uggle with different prayer killers. Of the ipter, which ones are you most susceptible larticularly difficult for you?

ency with God and others

thers

tod's sovereignty

will

the benefits of having open communication any spiritual hindrances?

rc>u do to prevent yourself from falling into :xhc ten prayer killers?

EXPANDING YOUR PRAYER FOCUS

My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God;

on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man

pleads for his friend.

Job 16:20-21

n the summer of 1876, grasshoppers nearly destroyed the crops in Minnesota. So in the spring of 1877, farmers were worried. They believed that the dreadful plague would once again visit them and again destroy the rich wheat crop, bringing ruin to thousands of people.

The situation was so serious that Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed April 26 as a day of prayer and fasting. He urged every man, woman, and child to ask God to prevent the terrible scourge. On that April day all schools, shops, stores, and offices were closed. There was a reverent, quiet hush over all the state.

The next day dawned bright and clear. Temperatures soared to what they ordinarily were in midsummer, which was very peculiar for April. Minnesotans were devastated as they discovered billions of grasshopper larvae wiggling to life. For three days the unusual heat persisted, and the larvae hatched. It appeared that it wouldn't be long before they started feeding and destroying the wheat crop.

On the fourth day, however, the temperature suddenly dropped, and that night frost covered the earth. It killed every one of those creeping, crawling pests as surely as if poison or fire had been used.  Grateful farmers never forgot that day.  It went down in the history of Minnesota as the day God answered the prayers of the people.

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5. Pray for Power in Their Lives

When Paul prayed, he also asked that the people would receive power. He wrote that he wanted them to be "strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that [they] may have great endurance and patience" (Col. 1:11). The power he was speaking of was that of God's Holy Spirit.

As Christians, each of us can be empowered by the Holy Spirit. If we are to do anything of value, we must have Him as the source of our power. Think of yourself as being similar to a vacuum cleaner in your home. Like us, a vacuum cleaner was created with certain inherent abilities, and it has a specific pur­pose. But if it's not plugged in and receiving power, it's useless. It depends on another source to make it effective. If you pull the plug, it's worthless.

We're like that. Without the power from our Source, Jesus Christ, we're not effective. We may be able to do some things on our own, but they have no eternal value. When we really understand this, we begin to see ourselves as we really are. We realize that we need and must depend on God.

That's why it's important to ask God to give others His power as we pray for them. Without that power, they won't be able to make a difference for Him. But with that power, they can show strength in the face of adversity, patience during trials, and I endurance to finish the race God has laid out before them. And then, in the end, we can hope that God will tell the Christian brothers and sisters we prayed for, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

6. Pray for Them to Have a Right Attitude

Finally, Paul prayed that the people in the church at Colosse would be "joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified

PARTNERS  IN  PR,

you to share in the inheritance of the saints in (1:11-12). In other words, Paul was praj maintain a positive, joyful attitude. You may; pray for people's attitudes?" You can find th< that I wrote a decade ago:

WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE?

It is the "advance man" of our true selves. Its roots are inward but its fruit is outward. It is our best friend or our worst enemy. It is more honest and more consistent than m, It is an outward look based on past experience It is never content until it is expressed. It is the librarian of our past; It is the speaker of our present; It is the prophet of our future.

Our attitude impacts nearly every aspect < ences our behavior, affects our ability to le; contentment, and colors our relationships, in( ship with God. It affects each person's life and C than you might think.

As you pray for others to keep a joyful attii joy is different from happiness. Joy is internal i Happiness is external and based on circumstanc linked to our salvation, where happiness is tern] fleeting emotions. Pray that your Christian broi

joy in their lives, and that as a result, they woulc

those around them.

As you spend an increasing amount of time

you will find that your attitude toward people in

more positive and compassionate. And your pi

mature. You will find that: