why this module? · why this module? “keep it alive. serve the lord…when you pray, be...

Why This Module? “Keep it alive. Serve the Lord…When you pray, be faithful.” Romans 12:11-12 (NIRV) Conversation. Silent communion. Groans. Pleas. Tears. Meditation. How we pray is perhaps less im-portant than the faithfulness we bring to the task and privilege of prayer. Creator-God longs for consistent relationship with us. Consistent, faithful prayer from disciples whose hearts beat for Him helps them return to that “sweet heav’nly hour.” The programs in this module invite you to pray in familiar or new ways, all with the intent of rediscovering the God whose fire for you never goes out.

What’s In This Module? There are four programs: 1. Prayer in Dark Times (How do we keep the conversation going when it seems like

He isn’t there?)

2. A Concert of Prayer (Let the music of our prayers play on.)

3. Journalling Your Prayers (All the things you want to say to the One who taught us how to say them.)

4. Praying in Colour (When words are not enough.)

Module 4 — Faithful Prayer

Purpose This 40-minute journey in prayer can be part of a longer meeting or a retreat setting. It could also be used to help your women through a dark time in someone’s life, the church’s life or a world tragedy. It is designed to help the participants: To understand God’s compassion when times are

dark. To learn how to call out to God when they really

don’t know how to.

Please Invite Women who seem to be going through difficult

times. Women who are struggling with prayer. Women who are prayer warriors and walk closely

with God. All women: Dark times and the need to keep

praying, even during those times, are common to all women.

Prepare The gathering space should create an atmosphere

of intimacy and comfort, even if it is a large group. Make the room as casual as possible, with chairs put in loose groupings yet still facing the front.

If a gifted reader is part of your group, ask them ahead of time if they would read Psalm 13 during Section Three.

If there is a gifted leader in your group, ask them if they would be willing to lead the group discus-sion times such as the introduction.

Have Prayer in Dark Times handouts plus pens or pencils ready for each participant

Have the song Praise You in This Storm by Casting Crowns (Lifesong CD) cued and up ready to be played.

FAITHFUL PRAYER — Prayer in Dark Times

Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec Resources — FAITHFUL PRAYER 1

Keep It AliveKeep It Alive

Present This program is divided into four parts. As you com-plete one, continue onto the next. This program should not be rushed: Be sensitive to how God will meet women as they pray. Give women enough time to process what may happen during each part of the gathering. The four parts are: Introduction — Share and lead the introduction

to prayer during dark times. Be prepared to share stories of your own; however do not dominate the conversation.

God’s Words — a Bible study/worksheet on prayer in dark times. Hand out the Prayer in Dark Times handout and pens/pencils.

Praise You in This Storm — Introduce the song, play it and discuss.

Psalm 13 — Work through Psalm 13 with the group. Once everyone has completed her own Psalm 13, move into the response time.

Respond The response time is one of prayer. SAY: Your Psalm is now your own prayer in dark times. Keep it close to you and use it. It may be your only prayer during dark times, it may be the begin-ning of your prayer during dark times, but know God is listening, even if you cannot express anything. End the gathering with a quiet prayer of thanks for God’s continued listening and for His Spirit who inter-cedes for us. Incorporate the chorus from Praise You in This Storm into your prayer.



Invite the group to consider support-ing Baptist Women and its ministries. Baptist Women supports the spiritual growth of women in our CBOQ churches through the many resources and workshops it has developed. Visit www.baptistwomen.com/resources to find out more.

Program Introduction Welcome women to the gathering and reassure them that they are not alone in the dark times of their lives. SAY: Though we are going to touch on the dark times we’ve had in our lives, we do not want to remain there. This time together is meant to help us pray through those dark times, not “stay” in the memories of those times for the next 40 minutes! Open in prayer. SAY: There are moments, days, weeks, months and even years in every life that are lived in deep dark-ness, so deep in fact that even though we know we should pray, it is extremely difficult. We are sup-posed to praise God, lift up thankfulness, in all situa-tions (Rejoice always, pray continually, give thank in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), but we cannot do this. It seems to be hollow and we are too sad, lonely, de-pressed or overwhelmed. ASK: What are some things that happen that make the world seem like a very dark place? ASK: What are some things that happen that make our lives seem to be in dark places? SAY: We are told to pray and ask, and our prayers will be answered (If you remain in me and my words re-main in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you – John 15:7) yet nothing seems to change. Eventu-ally we question if God is listening, if He cares or even if He is there. God’s Words SAY: There are many references to prayer in the Bible, and there are many types of prayer recorded in the Bible. Let’s just look at a few of them. Please turn to the God’s Words part of your handout. Read

through each Scripture slowly, circling and marking words and/or phrases that speak to you. After the women have worked through this section (about 10 minutes or so)… SAY: Please take a few moments and share with your small group your discoveries, reassurances, comfort words, and more, that God revealed to you through His words. Ask the group to share some key discoveries or reas-surances. This should be a short discussion just to bring the group back together. Praise You in This Storm SAY: Now just sit back and listen to this song by Cast-ing Crowns. The words are on your handout. As you listen, feel free to mark on your handout, words or phrases which stand out to you. Play the song. ASK: What words and phrases caught your attention? Why? Lead a discussion of what the women responded to during this song. Psalm 13 SAY: Thousands of years ago, King David raised a similar cry to God in Psalm 13. Let’s look at his prayer during dark times Read Psalm 13:1-4 (or have the gifted reader read these verses). ASK: If David had stopped here, what would the over-all feeling of the psalm been? Read Psalm 13:5-6 (the last section of the psalm). ASK: With the addition of the last two lines, how does the Psalm change?



SAY: The end of the Psalm reflects David’s trust in God, and reflects God’s words we looked at earlier—that when we seek Him, He listens, He hears and when we don’t know what to say, the Spirit steps in and speaks for us. Even in our darkest days, like David’s dark times, we can cry out to God. Now it is your turn. Write your own “Psalm 13” using the prompts on the handout. Let’s take our time and be honest with God. He is listening. Have women fill out the appropriate section on their handout.

Resources Song Praise You in This Storm byCasting Crowns, from Lifesong CD, 2003

Leader’s Notes



HANDOUT / Prayer in Dark Times

Praise You in This Storm I was sure by now, God, You would have reached down And wiped our tears away Stepped in and saved the day But once again, I say “Amen” and it's still raining As the thunder rolls I barely hear Your whisper through the rain: “I’m with you” And as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives And takes away Chorus: And I'll praise You in this storm And I will lift my hands For You are who You are No matter where I am And every tear I've cried You hold in Your hand You never left my side And though my heart is torn I will praise You in this storm I remember when I stumbled in the wind You heard my cry to you And you raised me up again My strength is almost gone How can I carry on If I can't find You But as the thunder rolls I barely hear You whisper through the rain “I’m with you” And as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives And takes away

Chorus I lift my eyes unto the hills Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord The Maker of Heaven and Earth by Casting Crowns

j j j j j j j

God’s Words “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through the wordless groans.” (Romans 8:26) “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18)

j j j j j j j

HANDOUT / Prayer in Dark Times (continued)

Psalm 13 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise for he has been good to me.

Now it is your turn to write your own psalm . . . your own Psalm 13. How long Lord, will you . . .

How long must I . . . Look on me and answer . . . But I . . .

R.S.V.P. Please send this survey immediately following your event by e-mail, mail or fax.

E-mail: [email protected] / Mail: CBWOQ, 100 – 304 The East Mall, Etobicoke, ON, M9B 6E2 / Fax: 416-622-2308 I am responding to the program titled in Module # . Average age of women in our group: Number of women in our group: This material (check all that apply): was useful was challenging did not apply in our setting would be improved by: inspired us to do the following: We gave financial support: to Baptist Women (CBWOQ) to help its ministries, which include: mission overseas, mission in Canada, short-term missions, developing women leaders, helping vulnerable women and children, new Canadians and refugees, sharing our stories, developing resources and events, staff and office expenses. We supported CBWOQ through: Offerings at event (charitable receipts given for donations over $20) Encouraging MAD (monthly automated donations) through direct bank account withdrawal or credit card Donations IN HONOUR or IN MEMORY (recipient’s name will be published in The Link & Visitor) Giving a Circle Life Membership to this organization: Yes, we will share our stories or pictures from the event in Baptist Women publications such as The Link & Visitor, the CBWOQ website (www.baptistwomen.com) or in the next resource materials package.

Name of person sending in this report: E-mail: Phone: Mailing address: Church connection: City:

Please return this survey by e-mail, mail or fax immediately following your event.

Purpose This program is designed to facilitate corporate prayer— unified prayer done by women who have gathered specifically to pray or to discuss a particular issue. It may be used as a stand-alone call to rally around a specific issue or concern or it may be used as a 90-minute block during a larger event. You may choose to run the program for less than 90 minutes. However, women (and the Spirit) need time to reflect on and respond to the words and the Word. Prayer need not be rushed. This program: Invites women to pray, using the ACTS model. Gives women a model to follow in their own per-

sonal prayer times. Illustrates the variety of prayers that we are free

to employ in our approach to the Father.

Please Invite All women in your church. This is an all-ages

event. Women who are prayer warriors. Women who want to go deeper in their prayer

lives.

Prepare A few weeks prior to the event, find an experi-

enced woman from your church, gifted in dis-cernment and prayer, who may be ready to lead this event.

If there are strong readers in the group, assign four of them each a “letter” of the ACTS model and have them read the appropriate portions (marked READ). These readers should be found and their “letters” given to them a few weeks prior to the event.

Set up room so that it invites women to enter into God’s presence with a sense of peace. Chairs and tables should be placed around the room in small groupings.

Have index cards ready with Scriptures printed, one set per woman.

Scriptures are those listed for each movement of prayer. Each movement should have its own in-dex card with the appropriate verses written on them.

Photocopy handouts of Practical Helps for God Time and song lyrics for Sweet Hour of Prayer; Father, I Adore You; Search Me, O God; Give Thanks; Be Still and Know and Take Time To Be Holy.

Prepare nametags for the women. When women arrive, give them their nametags,

index cards and handouts.

FAITHFUL PRAYER — A Concert of Prayer


Present This program introduces women to what a “concert” of prayer is. It then leads them through a concert of prayer by tak-ing them through four movements of prayer based on the ACTS model: A = Adoration C = Confession T = Thanksgiving S = Supplication The leader leads or “conducts” women through each movement as it is written in the Program section. This is where assigned readers read their portions. If there is time, after the final movement, read and discuss Practical Helps for God Time. You may choose to read the handout or solicit volunteers before the event starts.

Respond End this concert of prayer with the following benediction: SAY: Daughters of God, go now in the deep knowl-edge that you are forgiven, that you are accepted, that you are loved, that you are free. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the peace and infinite mercies of God, and the presence of the Spirit go with you. Amen. SING: Take Time to be Holy



Consider signing up 10 or more women in your church for Baptist Women’s workshop Gifted and Called. This workshop invites women to name, claim and use all their gifts to lead — in their communities. Visit baptistwomen.com/resources for more information.

Program Introduction SING: Sweet Hour of Prayer ASK: What is a concert of prayer? SAY: Christians have used the title “Concert of Prayer” for more than 300 years. It derived its name in the early 1700s because of the similarities between how a symphony concert is conducted and this method of organizing a large group prayer meeting. People who pray offer “beautiful music” to God as they pray in their own homes. But when they come together for the purpose of prayer, guidelines for how to operate are helpful, especially if the group num-bers more than 20. A Concert of Prayer is a method of how people can pray in harmony with one another, yet retain their own identity (instrument) and pray (make music) as they are comfortable. Historically speaking, the primary focus of Con-certs has been on two major agendas: Christians prayed for Christ's fullness to be revealed in His Church to empower them to accomplish the task that was before them. They also prayed for the fulfillment of His saving purposes among the nations through an awakened, consecrated Church. The same two-fold agenda prevails today. And so “Concerts of Prayer” helps describe Christians united on a regular basis to seek fullness and fulfillment. Extraordinary united prayer is not determined so much by how long one prays or how often but rather that Christians do pray, that they pray for those things most on God’s heart, and that they do so together, “in concert.” Concerts of Prayer are effective for several reasons: 1. It is a way to involve everyone in prayer. 2. It provides an outlet for people to pray what’s on

their heart. 3. It allows quiet people to participate and choose

when or even if they pray out loud. 4. By hearing others pray, people learn how to pray. (Source: thetravellingteam.org)

Adoration READ: “Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee.” (Psalms 63:3) SAY: Adoration is to adore God, to worship Him and to fulfill the commandment to love Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. As we spend time in adora-tion, we praise God for who He is—our Creator, our Sustainer and our Redeemer. When we focus our at-tention on the One who can meet our needs, it takes our eyes off circumstances and allows us to experi-ence God’s sufficiency and peace. READ: Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing great-ness. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet, harp and lyre . . . tambourine and dancing . . . strings and flute . . . clash of cymbals resounding. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD. SING: Father, I Adore You Invite the group to pray their praise by finishing the following sentence: Our God, we praise You because You are our . After everyone has had a chance to say one or two praise sentences, sing Father, I Adore You again. Confession READ: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faith-ful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9) SAY: Confession allows us to clear away the things in the relationship between you and God that displease Him. All of us have sinned, and the Holy Spirit will reveal areas in our lives that are not pleasing to Him. Take some time to confess those sins. If the Spirit reveals sin in your life, name that sin specifi-cally and repent. This involves a change in your atti-tude and an active move on your part to no longer indulge in the sin.



Give the women a time of silence (at least 10 min-utes). During this time, women are free to pray si-lently or quietly. End this time with this song: SING: Search Me, O God READ: Thank God. He forgives us our sins on the basis of His promise in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” SAY: Finally, and most importantly, ask God to fill (control and empower) you by His Holy Spirit. Some-times confession involves restitution or making things right with friends or family you have wronged. If the Holy Spirit reveals this in your life, do not hesi-tate to obey. ASK: Ask women to list some of the things that the Spirit may be asking them to do. (They should not take longer than five minutes.) Thanksgiving READ: “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) SAY: Thanksgiving allows us to thank God for what He has done for us, and through us, right now, just as adoration is to praise God for who He is, in His pre-existent and eternal being. Whereas adoration is to praise God for His character, thanksgiving thanks Him for His actions toward us. Each day, God is blessing us! Every moment, we can recall the wonderful things that God has done for us, and the gifts that we have been given. We need to be constantly God for His blessings. “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honours Me.” (Psalm 50:23) Let us spend some time giving thanks. Invite the women to speak out their thanks to God in one or two sentences, using concrete examples from their lives. Encourage them to be as specific as possible. SING: Give Thanks

Supplication READ: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every-thing, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) SAY: Finally, we come to ask God for our needs and the needs of others. Pray for others: In the epistles of Paul, we read of him praying for those he has led to faith, and asking them also to pray for him. So, you too can pray for other Christians, and encourage them to pray for you. Pray for your family members, and for neighbours and friends. It’s also good to pray for those who don’t know Jesus to come to faith—many Christians have come to believe in Christ through the prayers of others. SAY: Take eight minutes now to pray for others. (pause) SAY: Pray for world issues: for peace in difficult situa-tions, for leaders and those in influential positions, for global issues such as the care of God’s creation, justice for the poor, those caught in human traffick-ing and slavery, relief of suffering in less developed countries, other issues that come to you as you pray. SAY: Take eight minutes now to pray, with those at your table, for world issues. (pause) SAY: Pray for your own needs. It’s easy to neglect this, but Jesus encourages us to do so in the Lord’s Prayer, the model for prayer that He gave us. “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk up-rightly.” (Psalm 84:11) Take eight minutes to pray for YOU. If the women at your table are comfortable, find a partner and share your requests. Then pray for each other. If you prefer, you may pray quietly for you. (pause) SING: Be Still And Know



HANDOUT / Practical Helps for God Time

Set a time The same time every day is the best way to establish a lasting habit. When will you devote time to your rela-tionship with Jesus every day?

Set a place The same place every day is also instrumental in estab-lishing a disciplined time with God. Where will you meet alone with God?

Avoid distractions What are the things that distract you from following through with your desire to focus only on God? TV? Music? Visitors or phone calls? The refrigerator? What-ever it is, how will you avoid this distraction?

Set reasonable goals You may know someone who spends an hour a day with the Lord, or another who reads through the Bible completely in a year. But these goals may not be rea-sonable for you to start out with. Perhaps at a later time these would be good goals for you! Be realistic. What can you pretty much guarantee you would do each day? The idea is to be successful at reaching your goal with consistency. Maybe 20 minutes of Bible read-ing and prayer. Maybe 30 minutes. Maybe 15. What can and will work for you?

Have someone hold you accountable It is always helpful to have another Christian know your goal and be praying for you that you will reach it. They could even call you daily or intermittently for a while to ask you if you spent time with Christ.

HANDOUT / Practical Helps for God Time

Set a time The same time every day is the best way to establish a lasting habit. When will you devote time to your rela-tionship with Jesus every day?

Set a place The same place every day is also instrumental in estab-lishing a disciplined time with God. Where will you meet alone with God?

Avoid distractions What are the things that distract you from following through with your desire to focus only on God? TV? Music? Visitors or phone calls? The refrigerator? What-ever it is, how will you avoid this distraction?

Set reasonable goals You may know someone who spends an hour a day with the Lord, or another who reads through the Bible completely in a year. But these goals may not be rea-sonable for you to start out with. Perhaps at a later time these would be good goals for you! Be realistic. What can you pretty much guarantee you would do each day? The idea is to be successful at reaching your goal with consistency. Maybe 20 minutes of Bible read-ing and prayer. Maybe 30 minutes. Maybe 15. What can and will work for you?

Have someone hold you accountable It is always helpful to have another Christian know your goal and be praying for you that you will reach it. They could even call you daily or intermittently for a while to ask you if you spent time with Christ.

HANDOUT / Songs

Sweet Hour of Prayer Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care, And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Father, I Adore You Father, I adore You Lay my life before You How I love You Jesus, I adore You Lay my life before You How I love You Spirit, I adore You Lay my life before You How I love You

Search Me, O God Search me, O God, and know my heart today. Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts I pray; See if there be some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.

Give Thanks Give thanks with a grateful heart Give thanks to the holy One Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son And now let the weak say “I am strong!’ Let the poor say “I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us!” (repeat) Give thanks

Be Still and Know Be still and know that I am God (x3) I am the Lord that healeth thee (x3) In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust (x3)

Take Time to Be Holy Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord; Abide in Him always, And feed on His Word. Make friends of God’s children; Help those who are weak; Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. Take time to be holy, The world rushes on; Much time is spent in secret With Jesus alone; By looking to Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be; Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Purpose To encourage women to pray faithfully. To follow our Lord’s leading on how to pray using

the Lord’s Prayer. To focus the prayers of women and record God’s

answers to prayer. To keep the fire in us alive through prayer

Please Invite Women from the church congregation. Women on the prayer team or prayer chain. Women who are interested in developing their

prayer life. Women who are interested in mentoring others

about prayer.

Prepare If you are having readers for the Lord’s Prayer,

ask them ahead of the event and give them the handout to review.

Set up tables and chairs for women to gather around and write ideas/thoughts down in their prayer journals throughout the event.

Light candles for each table as a reminder that this activity is meant to keep God’s fire in us alive through prayer.

If using PowerPoint to display Matthew 6:9-13, have it ready to be shown. This means setting up visual equipment (computer, television, projec-tor, etc.)

Provide Prayer Journal handouts to the women—as they walk in or at the tables—for recording their prayers.

Provide plenty of pens, pencils, coloured pens, etc., at the tables for ladies to use.

Have a basket of candles or tea-lights wrapped in ribbon and verse to give out during the Response time.

FAITHFUL PRAYER — Journalling Your Prayers


Present There are two parts to this program: Introduction Creating a Prayer Journal As women come in, encourage them to find a seat at a table of their choosing and allow some time for fellowship before beginning.

Respond INVITE: Ask the ladies to keep each other account-able in their prayer lives—to be able to ask each other how the prayer journal is going, if they have any prayer requests, etc. Refer them to any resources your church may offer such as a prayer chain or prayer team. ENCOURAGE: Suggest that the ladies add to their prayer journals and to record the answers to their prayers. PROVIDE: Distribute candles or tea-lights for the women to take home with them (maybe wrap them with ribbon and the verse “Never stop praying.” from 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT). Encourage them to light a candle whenever they pray to remind them they are doing this to keep God’s fire in them alive through prayer. Pray the Lord’s Prayer to close (or invite women from each table to say a portion of the prayer). Finish by singing Pass It On (lyrics included on the handout) or any prayer songs your group would know.



Raising awareness of the social injustices in our world and encourag-ing women to take action are priori-ties for Baptist Women. Consider supporting Baptist Women and you help us sponsor forums and offer women opportunities . . . to hear and learn from women around the world who are taking action. Visit www.baptistwomen.com to learn more.

Program Introduction Welcome women to the event. SAY: We are going to learn about prayer, about why we pray and about praying the way Jesus asked us to pray through the Lord’s Prayer. READ Romans 12:11-12. Tell women that this is CBWOQ’s theme for 2013-2015. Let them know that the event’s focus is on the sentence: “When you pray, be faithful.” Creating a Prayer Journal READ Matthew 6: 9-13 or ask one of the ladies to read it. If you have PowerPoint, put the verses on the screen so all can read along. SAY: A great way to be faithful in prayer is to keep a prayer journal. Make sure you have something to write with and let’s go through the prayer journal handout. Please write down your ideas or thoughts in the journal as we go through the handout. This prayer journal focuses on one thought from the Lord’s Prayer per day for seven days. Go through the prayer journal handout with the la-dies. Take as much time as is needed (about 15 min-utes per page). As you go through… READ the verse, focus and quotes on each page or have your designated readers do this. Take time to pause after each reading to let the group reflect on the reading and follow the prompts on each page. Invite ladies to discuss their thoughts and ideas. End each section (page of the journal) with the affirmation: “Be faithful in prayer.”

Resources Books Stormie Omartian books on prayer: The Power of a Praying Woman The Power of a Praying Wife (OR Husband) The Power of a Praying Parent Prayers and Promises for My Little Boy

(OR My Little Girl) What Happens When I Talk to God – The Power of

Prayer for Boys and Girls (ages 3-7) The Prayer That Makes God Smile (ages 3-7) The Power of a Praying Kid (ages 8-12) The Power of a Praying Teen Online 31 Ways to Pray for Your Children article by Bob Hostetler: http://www.d6curriculum.com/teacher/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/31ways.pdf Becoming a Praying Family article by Anna Sklar: http://annasklar.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/faith-at-home-becoming-a-praying-family/ Music Pass It On (music and lyrics; no singing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGwWSV3ePAc&feature=related



My Prayer Journal

based on the Lord’s Prayer as taught to us by Jesus

This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:9-13

Monday

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name...

Focus: Praise God for who He is and all He’s done in your life! Write down all the ways that God has shown Himself in your life. For example He has shown Himself as Creator, Comforter, Teacher, Friend, etc. Add to the list at home as God reveals more of Himself and His character to you. Write down the praise items in your life. Add to this list at home. Record what you are thankful for, and jot down the blessings in your life.

Tuesday

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven...

Focus: How can you bring about God’s kingdom of heaven, here on earth? Write down any ministries you support (financially, prayerfully or through volunteering). Jot down your church, and missionaries or persecuted Christians or countries where the gospel is forbidden. Use the prayer map handout. Write down the names of any unsaved family and friends that you want to see come to faith in Christ.

Wednesday

Give us today our daily bread...

Focus: God cares for our physical needs as well as our spiritual needs. Write down any physical needs you have (or even things you want! God loves to give good gifts to His children)! Thank God for His care for you and your loved ones. Write down a prayer for those around the world whose needs are not met on a daily basis—the poor and needy, widows, orphans, blind, lame. Ask God how He would have you to help meet their needs. Write down a prayer that God would give you His eyes to view the money He provides to you. Ask Him how He wants you to use it, and that He would give you wisdom to be a good steward of His resources. You may want to use the verses on finances to help you pray.

Thursday

And forgive us our debts...

Focus: God forgives us when we confess our sins to Him.

Keep this page of your journal empty. Bring before God anything you want to confess to Him and feel His forgiving grace pour out on you. Your sins are now as far removed from you as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). Nothing needs to be recorded here, since God forgets our sins as soon as we confess. Let the empty page remind you of this and thank God for His forgiveness.

Friday

As we also have forgiven our debtors...

Focus: God wants us to forgive others, just as He has forgiven us. Keep the first part of this page blank. Though it may be hard, pray for those who have wronged you, then forgive them and give them over to God. Release yourself from the hurt. Let God heal those parts of you that are wounded deep. Let the empty first part of this page remind you that you are free from unforgiveness. Write down a prayer for those in our world who are the persecutors to the persecuted. Pray for those who try and destroy the gospel, that God would open their hearts to Him and they will let others hear about Christ.

Saturday

And lead us not into temptation...

Focus: Accountability is found in a community of believers. Read John 17:15-23. Write down the names of people, friends or acquaintances that come to mind as you ask God to surround you with a community of believers. Pray for others with whom you can share your life and who will hold you accountable in a positive way. Ask Him to di-rect you to the friends He has for you; friends who will bless and encourage your heart. Pray for those people whose names you jotted down. After this event, go and ask them how you can pray for them. Share prayer requests and praise items and lift each other up to God.

Sunday

But deliver us from the evil one...

Focus: There is great power in prayer. The creator of this program was really burdened to pray for marriages. Her husband is a pastor and he has often per-formed marriages. She had seen a few of them fall apart in just a few short years. She believed God was calling her to pray for all the marriages her husband had ever performed. Then she added the marriages of her friends and family and church leaders to the list. She prayed especially for her own marriage and the future marriages of her children. Another woman was burdened for her son’s school. She started to pray with her sons for each child in their classes then she started to pray for the teachers, staff and volunteers at the school. These women were not called to carry the huge burden of the people for whom they prayed. That was and is God’s job, He simply asked them to pray. And the women saw answers to prayer in wonderful ways and praised God for them. Write down anything that is really pressing on your heart to pray for in our world. Another idea is to pray the armour of God (Galatians 6:10-18) over yourself and your loved ones.

HANDOUT / Praying About Finances

Be content with what you have: Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure. — Psalm 16:5

Wisdom for spending your money: Turn my heart towards your statutes, not toward selfish gain. — Psalm 119:36

Teach your children: Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife. — Proverbs 17:1

Put money in its place: Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for He has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.” — Hebrews 13:5-6

Seek out work: One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. — Proverbs 28:19

Work for God, not for gain: And whatever you do, work heartily, for the Lord, not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. — Colossians 3:23-24

Be free of debt: The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is a servant to the leader. — Proverbs 22:7

Give what you have: She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy. — Proverbs 31:20

HANDOUT / Prayer Map: Persecuted Countries

HANDOUT / Song

Pass It On C Em F G It only takes a spark to get a fire going. C F G And soon all those around, can warm up in its glowing. F That's how it is with God's love, Dm G Dm7 Once you've experienced it, G Dm7 C you spread His love to everyone; F You want to pass it on.

What a wondrous time is spring, when all the trees are budding; The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming. That's how it is with God's love; Once you've experienced it, you want to sing, It’s fresh like spring; you want to pass it on. I wish for you my friend, this happiness that I've found. You can depend on Him, it matters not where you're bound. I'll shout it from the mountain top (PRAISE GOD!) I want the world to know; the Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on. ©1969 Bud John Songs, Inc / Words and Music by Kurt Kaiser

HANDOUT / Song

Pass It On C Em F G It only takes a spark to get a fire going. C F G And soon all those around, can warm up in its glowing. F That's how it is with God's love, Dm G Dm7 Once you've experienced it, G Dm7 C you spread His love to everyone; F You want to pass it on.

What a wondrous time is spring, when all the trees are budding; The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming. That's how it is with God's love; Once you've experienced it, you want to sing, It’s fresh like spring; you want to pass it on. I wish for you my friend, this happiness that I've found. You can depend on Him, it matters not where you're bound. I'll shout it from the mountain top (PRAISE GOD!) I want the world to know; the Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on.

Purpose To explore a different way of praying. To encourage unhindered self-expression in one’s

quiet time.

Please Invite Women of all ages who desire a richer prayer life. Women who have a heart for intercessory prayer.

Prepare Familiarize yourself with Sybil MacBeth’s Praying

in Color system, either by purchasing and reading the book or studying the material available on the website www.prayingincolor.com.

Create some samples of prayers using this system. There are many examples online if you do a Google image search for “praying in color” (or at http://prayingincolor.com/examples) but it’s best to make your own, even if you’re copying these examples. Ideally, make at least one very simple one and one more detailed one to demon-strate that it doesn’t matter how artistic partici-pants feel they are.

Set up chairs around tables so that women can have a writing / drawing surface. If tables are not available, clipboards (one per participant) are a suitable alternative.

On slips of paper, have the following Bible refer-ences written or printed out: Jeremiah 33:3 James 4:8 1 Chronicles 16:34 Psalm 9:1 Psalm 32:5 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Isaiah 46:9-10 Daniel 4:7 Psalm 8:4

Have blank paper, index cards and/or, if possible, blank notebooks / journals available for all the women. (Or ask them to come with their own blank notebooks.) Also have an ample supply of pencils, markers, crayons or coloured pencils available, or ask women to bring their own.

Set up a whiteboard and dry erase pens at the front to demonstrate the activity. You could also use an easel with flipchart paper or an overhead projector with acetates.

Prepare one or two songs for the opening worship time. These should be songs that help partici-pants get into a spirit of prayer and communion with God. For example, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Open the Eyes of My Heart or As the Deer.

Bring some soft music to play during the Praying in Colour activity.

Have handouts (Praying in Colour prompts and Sweet Hour of Prayer ) copied for each woman.

FAITHFUL PRAYER — Praying in Colour


Present There are five parts to this program: Welcome, prayer and worship The Importance of Prayer Ways to Pray (and Not to Pray) Praying in Colour Praying in Colour activity

Respond Ask women to share their observations about the ac-tivity. Some questions you may ask: Did praying in colour make any difference to the

focus of your prayer? Did any thing surprise you as you drew and col-

oured? What did God say to you about your prayer re-

quest as you drew/coloured? Ask for one or two volunteers to show their drawings and give a few words of explanation. Close with two verses of Sweet Hour of Prayer (see handout) and a prayer.



Baptist Women began over 135 years ago because one woman believed that God’s promises were for all women everywhere . . . and women in Baptist churches across Ontario and Quebec also believed — in her vision, and like her, that God’s prom-ises were for every woman. As a group, consider supporting Baptist Women so that its mission to enable women in our CBOQ churches to reach others for Jesus Christ continues. Visit www.baptistwomen.com to find out more.

Program Welcome, Prayer and Worship Welcome participants and begin with prayer, asking God to open the hearts and minds of the women pre-sent and to help each one find ways to connect more effectively with Him through prayer. Sing one or two worship songs to help participants get into a spirit of prayer and communion with God. The Importance of Prayer SAY: We all know that prayer is essential to the Chris-tian’s life and relationship with God but sometimes it’s good to be reminded why. Invite participants to share some of the reasons prayer is important to them, or at least should be a vital part of their walk with God. If you’d like, record the responses on the white board. Hand out slips of paper with Bible references to nine volunteers and ask them to be prepared to read those verses when you prompt them to. SAY: Prayer is essential because it gives us an oppor-tunity to connect with God and invite Him to be part of our everyday lives. Let’s read Jeremiah 33:3. Ask volunteer to read verse. SAY: Not only does God want us to talk to Him but He also wants to talk to us. Now let’s read James 4:8. Ask volunteer to read verse. SAY: We can’t have intimacy with God unless we move toward Him. SAY: Prayer is essential because it is a way for us to thank God for the blessings He pours into our lives. Let’s read 1 Chronicles 16:34. Ask volunteer to read verse.

SAY: Giving thanks is a commandment! Now let’s read Psalm 9:1. Ask volunteer to read verse. SAY: We need to daily acknowledge God’s provision and faithfulness. SAY: Prayer is essential because it allows us to con-fess our sins and receive forgiveness. Let’s read Psalm 32:5. Ask volunteer to read verse. SAY: God already knows our sins but unless we con-fess them, our relationship with Him will be hindered. SAY: Prayer is essential because it is an act of worship and obedience. Let’s read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Ask volunteer to read verse. SAY: God wants us to pray on a regular basis, so how can we think it’s not necessary for us? SAY: Prayer is essential because it keeps us humble and reminds us of who’s really in control. Let’s read Isaiah 46:9-10 and Daniel 4:17. Ask volunteer to read verse. SAY: God is sovereign over all and He deserves our worship and praise. Now let’s read Psalm 8:4. Ask volunteer to read verse. SAY: This is a great reminder of the amazing privilege it is to pray. Ways to Pray (and Not to Pray) ASK: Are there are any rules in the Bible about how to pray? Allow a couple of minutes for discussion. Ask a vol-unteer to read Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the tax collector.



ASK: What can we learn from this parable, the differ-ent ways these two men prayed and Jesus’ comment at the end? Allow a couple of minutes for discussion. Ask a vol-unteer to read Matthew 6:5-7. ASK: What do we learn from this passage? Allow a couple of minutes for discussion. SAY: So, there are some guidelines in Scripture about the attitude and motivation we should have when praying, but not to the point that there is a special formula or format that we have to strictly adhere to. God is a creative God and has created us in His image, so it’s reasonable to believe that He welcomes us to be creative in the way that we express ourselves when talking to Him, so long as we remember to maintain a reverent and humble attitude and position. ASK: What are some different ways we can connect with God during our quiet times? Encourage women to brainstorm and record their responses on the whiteboard. You may want to get them started with some of these suggestions: Take it outside (e.g. walking, sitting on a park

bench, riding bicycle, etc.). Create a special place with no distractions. Sing. Use the buddy system and pray with someone

(e.g. spouse, child / parent, best friend, mentor) Write out prayers as letters to God. Keep a journal of things you’re thankful for. Sit quietly and let God speak to you. Meditate on prayers in the Psalms that relate to

your situation and let that lead you into a more personal prayer.

Praying in Colour SAY: A way that one woman, Sybil MacBeth, has found to pray is called “praying in color,” and she’s written a book describing this method. Basically, this involves combining words and doodles while one prays, not only creating a visual reminder of the prayer but also helping the mind hone in on the

prayer topic. We’re going to explore this method a little deeper today. MacBeth explains why she likes praying in col-our on her blog. These are her words… READ this quote from MacBeth: Using a pen, markers, and paper invites my whole body into the prayer. I don’t have to close my eyes, fold my hands and force my body to be still. The movement of pen on paper helps me to get still on the inside without necessarily being still on the outside. I don’t need words to pray. If words come while I doodle I don’t chase them away. Sometimes praying in color buys me time until words come. Sometimes it buys me time until inner silence and real listening to God come. When I started praying this way, I was praying for other people. Now I also use praying in color as a way to just be with God with no agenda. I draw as a way to focus and spend time with God. It’s also a good way for me to study and pray a passage of scripture, make a gratitude list, or make a confession. Praying in color is not the only way I pray, but it has given me a way to pray when words fail. It has freed me from the guilt of being a lousy pray-er. Or maybe God has set me free from that guilt. Matthew 6:6 in The Message Bible says it for me: “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. SAY: You might wonder how one can concentrate on talking to God while doodling. It does seem counter-intuitive because we wouldn’t dream of doodling while talking to a friend (unless, of course, we’re talk-ing to them over the phone). And yet how many of us find that we’re easily distracted while praying, our minds wandering off to think about the next load of laundry, or what to cook for supper, or the meeting we need to prepare for? Allow women to respond. SAY: A study published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology seems to show that doodling may actually help people to pay attention. Tedious tasks can tempt us to daydream. When we daydream, much of the brain’s processing power gets wrapped up in paying



attention to the daydream rather than being directed toward taking in information. In contrast, doodling takes up very little proc-essing power. Rather, it can hold enough of our atten-tion to keep us from disappearing into daydreams, while giving us enough leftover mental ‘juice’ to ex-amine and record information that’s presented in a tedious context. If that’s the case, then it’s feasible that praying while doodling may help some people stay focussed on the topic of their prayer. Praying in Colour Activity Give women exactly one minute to jot down all the prayer needs they can think of (in the front of their notebooks or on a piece of paper), in no particular order; just flow of thought. If using notebooks, suggest that participants can di-vide them into four sections, as follows. (They can later use tape flags to mark off the sections.): Worship (prayers of adoration and praise to God

for who He is) Thanks (prayers acknowledging specific bless-

ings) Personal (prayers of confession and supplication

regarding personal needs) Intercession (prayers for others) SAY (while demonstrating on the whiteboard with an example from your own life or a hypothetical prayer need): In a few minutes, we will look at different ways to pray in colour but here is one example. You can draw a shape and write the name of the person you’re praying for, or a one-word description of a situation, inside the shape. Then, slowly add detail, doodles and shapes in whatever way comes naturally, without try-ing to create something artistic. While you’re doo-dling or colouring, continue to pray for that person or situation, keeping yourself open to God’s promptings. When you are finished praying, say “amen” or start again with another prayer. Show samples prepared beforehand of other prayers using this system and point out the different elements.

SAY: Here’s a list of other ways you can approach praying in colour. These are only prompts to get you started. You may think of your own creative ways to do this.” Give out Praying in Colour prompts handout. SAY: We’re now going to take about 15 minutes to pray silently and I invite you to use this method if you feel comfortable doing so. First, ask God to help you clear your mind of distractions and your heart from worries so that you can focus on talking to Him. When you feel ready to pray for someone, pick up a pen or marker and begin. If you’d like, play some soft instrumental music in the background while the participants work on their prayer doodles. Alternative idea: Weather permitting, you could take a younger group outside to “pray in colour” on the sidewalk with chalk.



Resources Book Praying in Color by Sybil MacBeth; Paraclete Press, 2007, $11.53 from Amazon.com Video Praying in Color - The Workshop DVD ; Paraclete Press, 2007; $17.95 from Paraclete Press Website www.prayingincolor.com

Leader’s Notes



HANDOUT / Praying in Colour prompts

Here are some ideas to get you started with praying in colour. r Write a name, or one word describing a

situation, in the middle of the page and draw a simple shape around it. Outline that shape by drawing it again about a centimetre bigger, creating a wide border around your word, and then doodle or colour in that border while you pray.

r Write the name or word you are focusing

your prayer on in the middle of the page in large block letters and, as you pray, doodle inside the letters with designs or other words relating to the prayer request. Continue to pray as you colour the page.

r Write the name or word you are focussing

your prayer on in the middle the page in small letters and then go for a “walk” with your pen or pencil around that word. You can make regular circles, another shape, or squiggly lines… however you feel inspired to “walk” while you talk with the Lord.

r Draw the first initial of the person you are

praying for as a large block letter taking up most of your page. Inside the letter, jot done a couple of specific needs this per-son has that you want to pray about. As you pray, embellish the border of the let-ter or doodle either on the inside or out-side of the letter with different colours.

r Create a page for a family or other small group and continue to add to that page’s doodles as you pray for different members of that (i.e. in one sitting or over a period of time). For example, each name can be-come a petal in a flower, a fruit on a tree, a brick on a wall, a patch on a quilt, a sheep in a flock, a pane in a stained glass win-dow, etc.

r Using a regular monthly calendar, doodle

one “prayer” in each day’s square. You could, ahead of time, write in the names of 30 people you want to pray for each month and then pray/doodle each day for five minutes or so.

r If you are tech-savvy and prefer electronic

gadgets to paper and pen, try download-ing a drawing app and using that to pray in colour.

Remember... There are no rules to praying in colour except that the focus should be on talking to God and not creating artwork. How your page looks after your prayer (i.e. whether you think it’s beautiful or ugly) does not matter! This is about the means and not the end (as far as the artwork goes). Again, the goal is to con-nect with God and not to make art.

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HANDOUT / Song

Sweet Hour of Prayer Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care, And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare By thy return, sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! The joys I feel, the bliss I share, Of those whose anxious spirits burn With strong desires for thy return! With such I hasten to the place Where God my Savior shows His face, And gladly take my station there, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless. And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His Word and trust His grace, I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolation share, Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight. This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise To seize the everlasting prize, And shout, while passing through the air, “Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!” By William W. Walford, public domain

HANDOUT / Song

Sweet Hour of Prayer Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care, And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare By thy return, sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! The joys I feel, the bliss I share, Of those whose anxious spirits burn With strong desires for thy return! With such I hasten to the place Where God my Savior shows His face, And gladly take my station there, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless. And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His Word and trust His grace, I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolation share, Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight. This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise To seize the everlasting prize, And shout, while passing through the air, “Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!” By William W. Walford, public domain

why this module? · why this module? “keep it alive. serve the lord…when you pray, be...

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