Does God answer prayer? (part 1)

Is your prayer life filled with POWER and EFFECTIVENESS?  

James said that "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective".  

Things I hear from people about prayer:

• I do not know how to pray - I ask God for things and they do not happen
• I read the Bible but praying isn't for me.
• I do not have time to pray because I am too busy with life.
• I don't pray because I don't feel like God is listening. 

This is the first of several blogs to address these issues from the experience of many people that have gone on before and from the Word of God. 

But first:

Can I share with you about a group of people that are wrestling in prayer each week for Osceola Grace and our community?

Each Wednesday night in the church office after the Driven Student Ministry and Highway 180 begin, a group of us meets to look at a principle of prayer from the Word of God and then we spend time praying.  

We don't take a lot of time collecting prayer requests - we spend time praying for what is on our hearts and whatever God has laid upon our hearts that week  - we pray and pray and pray.  

We want to see God move and praying together has helped us to catch the vision for what God can do!  

We have seen God moving!

• We prayed for visitors and we have seen more people that need more of Jesus in their life 
• We prayed for community and we are seeing relationships develop
• We pray for lives to be changed and I just heard of someone turning over their life to Jesus Christ for real last week and I hear many stories of people that are planting seeds of the gospel in their fields each week.
• We ask God for joy and contentment while we wait upon him and he gives it!
• We ask him for more passion to pray and we experience it.
• We ask for forgiveness and he grants it
• We ask for more people to pray and he has been bringing more in.  

God is in the business of answering prayer - If you want to be a part of the prayer movement at Osceola Grace then join us at 7pm.

• I have found that my heart is changed as we pray for others.
• I have found that I experience a humility and brokenness before God as we pray together and I hear others share their hearts with God.
• I have found that I am more sensitive to the sin in my life 
• I have discovered a more compassionate place in my heart for others. 

God is changing me as I have the chance to pray for others - it just reminds me that it is not about me at all!

Wrestle with us - Wednesdays at 7PM.

Stay tuned for the the rest of this series "Does God Answer Prayer?"