Prayer

You are listening to daily insights on the three ABN Radio Network. And here is your host, Kaysie Butler. Thank you for tuning in. I am sure you'll be blessed by today's program. How many of you like a challenge? Well, I have one here for you. It's from the book. My Life Today. Page six. And it says this if you will find voice and time to pray, god will find time and voice to answer. How often do you pray? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month? Every hour. You know, prayer is such a precious opportunity to draw near to God and I'm sure we could all do it more and be blessed by it. Listen now as Melody Sinclair Randazzo sings sweet hour of prayer and she is accompanied by a Christian concert pianist named Greg Howlett. Sweet hour of prayer sweet hour of prayer that calls me from a world of care and pin to me at my father make all my wants and wishes known in season of distress and grief my soul has often found release and all escaped the tempters there by thy return. Sweet hour of prayer sweeter, sweeter of pray I feel the I share of those whose anxious spirits burn with strong desire for thy return with such I send to the place where God, my Savior, shows me his face and gladly take my station there and wait for the sweet hour of prayer we are. Sweeter of pray shall my petition bear to him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless. And since he bends me, see his face, believe his word and trust his grace, I'll cast on him my ever care and wait for thee and await for the sweet hour of prayer you one of the conditions of answered prayer is belief or faith that God will indeed hear and answer what we ask Him. Matthew 21, verse 22 says and all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive. Fountain view singers will expound on this now in the song Faith Unlocks the Door. Prayer is the key to heaven a faith unlock the door. Words are so easily spoken, but prayer without faith is like a boat without a nor. When you speak to the Master, that's all he asks you for. Where the key to heaven? My day I love the Lord. God word is a key to know and take on the door. If you can grasp what is written and doubts crowd your mind and it's too hard to trust his word, have faith. God will show you the answer in time when he says god is a key to the lost, the dark. One of the amazing things about prayer is the scope for what we can talk to God about is endless. Anything spiritual needs, emotional needs, physical needs, needs in our everyday life, anything we can take to God in prayer like we would a trusted friend, even children can come to God in prayer. It doesn't matter who you are or what age you can come just now. The next couple of songs I want to share are examples of prayer. One is called a child's prayer and following that is one called a sinner's prayer. The child's prayer is sung by Laura Williams. And the sinner's prayer is again from the Fountain View Academy. And after that, I'm going to share with you a story of answered prayer from everyday life which you won't want to miss. So stay tuned. Night time, quiet time loved ones gathered at days end I hold them, I help them know that God will always be their friend and just before I say goodbye my little one beside my chair I close my eyes, I dim the light and listen to the simple heavenly Father, are you really there? And do you hear and answer? Every child say that heaven is far away but I feel it all around me as I pray heavenly Father I remember now something that the children to come to me father coming down to me praise he is laid now surround he hears your pray he love the children of such is the king of the kingdom of heaven know heavenly you heavenly Father are you really there? Beyond each other. SA, why? I've come to pray. You see all I have inside, all the things I try to hide. Jesus, I believe that you are there and you're listening to this sinner prayer. Touch this broken heart. And make it new. I believe in you. Please forgive me for my sin. All I done and all I've been serving you forever. The moment, every day OB jesus, I believe that you are there and you're listening to this Inner Prayer knowing you remember what you heard. I believe your word in your name this prayer will end and a new life will begin. Now I know I'm not alone. Hold my hand and lead me home you heard a child's prayer by Laura Williams and the Reading Area Church Children's Choir, followed by the Sinner's prayer with the Fountain View Academy Singers. Now for the promised story. This story is shared by Elizabeth Yap in the book Ordinary People, Faithful God. And at the time, Elizabeth lived in Sydney, New South Wales. The Lord had been good, there was no doubt about that. Whenever there was a specific need, it seemed something or someone had stepped in to fill the gap. However, it'd been a hard couple of years. My husband had lost his job during massive retrenchments in his industry, and the cutbacks had made it impossible for him to find another one. He had started a new business, but things were still slow and money was tight. As the days grew warmer, it became obvious that we could not put off a trip to the shopping center much longer. Our two children needed new summer clothes. Some months earlier, we had started the practice of praying in the car park. Before we went into the shops, we always prayed the same prayer. Please God, help us to find the items we need at the best possible prices and please prevent us from wasting any of the money we have on things we can do without. On this trip, we prayed as usual and confidently entered the shopping center knowing God was with us. However, my faith was tried almost as soon as we walked through the doors, as the girls announced they wanted to look around East Spirit, a relatively expensive shop selling lovely clothes for children and teenagers. Just the sort of things my kids really liked. What should I do? Should I go in and risk them being disappointed at not being able to have something that they had set their hearts on? Or would it be better to put my foot down now, explaining that there was nothing in the shop we could afford? As we rounded the corner, the girls saw huge signs in the espirit shop windows and cried out enthusiastically, there's a sale on. So in we went. As we wandered from rack to rack looking for bargains, a sales girl approached us with a small pile of silver colored cards. Would you like one of these? She asked, handing each of us a card. Mystified, we took them, not knowing what they were. They're like scratchies, she explained. You scratch off the silver coating and it will tell you what reduction in price you will receive today. It could be anything from 15% to 75% off, the usual price. We all excitedly began scratching away. I had 25% off, and so did Arabella, my older daughter. But when eleven year old Abby scratched the silver coating off hers, we saw an almost unbelievable 75% off. Everything in the store written underneath. For a few moments, all was confusion. We didn't know where to start. But slowly the truth dawned. We could buy all the clothes we needed for a fraction of the usual price. We walked around in a kind of day saying, we can afford this, this and even this. Gathering up all the summer clothes we wanted for this year and next. We bought a pair of jeans for $12, reduced from $84, beautiful T shirts for $5 each, as well as pants, shorts and a blouse. Everything we had hoped for and more. Of course, some might say it was just a coincidence. After all, someone had to get the big prize. But we knew different. God was looking after us yet again. Amazing story, isn't it? It's so inspiring how God does answer prayer and looks after us in our daily lives. Another wonderful thing about prayer is that as we pray for others, god can answer those prayers and bless their lives. Diane Hope shares about this in the song. Because you prayed for me. And following that no. Bless the Romanian vocal trio. Sing. I will pray for you. I have seen the night fall and heard a thunder I have reached the edge of light and taken one step more I have found new courage to meet its rising day? Because I know you spoke my name when you knelt to pray his wisdom when every path grew down? I have sought his healing hand to ease my aching. I have known the blessing of heaven present mine because your voice was lifted up meetings there with mine. Many prayers are spoken. Some are left unsafe. Many prayers are upper dark as works of love instead when you strength at me and shout at me he heard you still unspokenly and though you stood beside me your soul was on its knee and sorrow and all that we end though we see imperfect sleep, of this much I am sure God hears every whisper and answers faithfully. And my heart is filled with gratitude because you pray for for you. I can promise I will pray for you find your way through this life. You might hope you live each day for only. Tomorrow way for you through every darkness through every night of you I cannot carry but I can promise I will faith for you for the it's when your time is through my final wish for you is to count your blessings, not your regret. With peace inside your soul and to you holy. We pray for you. I will pray for you. I can. I will pray for you. You promise? I will pray for you. Beautiful thought this. Road ahead of you. I cannot carry you, but I can promise I will pray for you. And dear listeners, it is my prayer that daily you will grow closer to the Lord. Until next time god bless you've. Been listening to a production of three ABN Australia radio.