Prayer

What various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?

Prayer makes the darken’d cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.

Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian’s armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.

In its early days, Dallas Theological Seminary was in critical need of $10,000 to keep the work going. During a prayer meeting, renowned Bible teacher Harry Ironside, a lecturer at the school, prayed, “Lord, you own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please sell some of those cattle to help us meet this need.” Shortly after the prayer meeting, a check for $10,000 arrived at the school, sent days earlier by a friend who had no idea of the urgent need or of Ironside’s prayer. The man simply said the money came from the sale of some of his cattle!

The story is told about an old farm couple who were driving along in their pickup when the wife said, “We never sit all snuggled up in the truck like we used to.” The husband looked at her and said, “I haven't moved.”

When we discover as a church or as individual believers that we aren't as close to God as we once were, understand this, He didn’t move, we did.

Source: Unknown

A lady once took her children to a restaurant. Her six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As he bowed his head he said, “God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!”

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, a woman remarked, “That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!”

In the 1880s a young man who was an earnest Christian found employment in a pawnshop. Although he disliked the work, he did it faithfully as unto the Lord until a more desirable opportunity opened for him. To prepare himself for a life of Christian service, he wrote on a scrap of paper the following resolutions: “I do promise God that I will rise early every morning to have a few minutes—not less than five—in private prayer.

Many Christians spend six days a week sowing wild oats and then come to church and pray for crop failure.

Source: Unknown