Announcing New Preaching Series at Condell: Prayer, More than Just Conversation with God

Prayer is so much more than just conversation with God.  Prayer is positively powerful.

Mark 9: 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

This kind can only come out by prayer.

Wow.  This should tell us something about how Jesus viewed prayer.  Far more than just a conversation with His Father, it was the effective agent in driving out demons, multiplying fishes and loaves, and securing our forgiveness.  Jesus prayed a lot which ought to prompt us to pray more.  Most of us probably feel a bit deficient in the kind of powerful prayers that Jesus prayed.

The new preaching series at Advocate Condell runs April 27^th through August 31^st and will focus on prayer.  Whether prayers that are included in the Bible or historic ones in the life of the Church, we could all benefit from learning more about prayer.  Note to the participating churches, please select a date and if you have a particular topic or Scripture in mind, please let me know.  Blessings to you always, Barbara <><

Date	Participant	Topic
April 27	Barbara Shafer	Why Bother to Pray?
May  4	Barbara Shafer	Healing and the Thorn
May 11	Bill Slater, Christ Church Lake Forest and Bill Slater Ministries	A.C.T.S. of prayer
May 18	Barbara Shafer	Praying when there are no words, Romans 8:22-27
May 25	Bill Slater, Christ Church Lake Forest and Bill Slater Ministries	Habakkuk
June 1	Nicole Collins
June 8	Claudia Nauman Libertyville Covenant Church	Watch and Pray
June 15	Barbara Shafer	Imprecatory Prayers: Should we pray them?
June 22	Bill Slater, Christ Church Lake Forest and Bill Slater Ministries
June 29	Barbara Shafer	The Prayer God Never Fails to Answer: the Prayer Asking Forgiveness
Services at Advocate Condell Medical Center	are concluding at the end of June	Thank you all for your faithfulness.