Quote from Forum Archives on July 8, 2010, 11:17 am

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net
www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more
than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is
made up of more than 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive
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You can view photos of our recent trip to South Dakota in my facebook album
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www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=222697&id=649161254&l=7dff272825

The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 660 new subscribers since January 1, 2010!!
There were 1367 new subscribers during 2009!!

07.08.10

Let Us.Pray!

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it
will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks
finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. - Matthew 7:7-8.

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that
you receive them, and you will have them. - Mark 11:24.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore
come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace
to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:15-16.

Xiao Chen, a Chinese man, went down to the Changjiang River for a late night
swim but became stuck in the silt of the river. Two fishermen saw the
predicament Xiao was in about four hours later, and they called for help. It
took another seven hours for firefighters to pull Xiao out of the silt. When
he was finally pulled from the silt he still had a red plastic bag in his
hand.containing his.cellphone! He was embarrassed about becoming stuck and
had refused to call for help even though he had the phone with him the
entire time!

It appears incredibly strange and puzzling that if you are stuck for four
hours that you would not call for help. I find it equally as puzzling that
not only do non-Christians refuse to pray during difficult situations but
many Christians refuse to pray. I am sometimes troubled by the years during
which I prayed every day but sometimes for only a small amount of time.
During those years, I did always turn to God during difficult times and God
was always faithful to carry me through those times. Each time God answered,
my prayer life increased. Each time in response to prayer that I heard God's
still small voice whisper the answer to my problem, my confidence in Him
increased.

The Bible tells us very plainly of the power of prayer and of God wanting us
to pray, desiring for us to pray. The writer of Hebrews explains that we
have a "High Priest" who knows what it is like to be a weak human being. We
are urged by the writer of the book of Hebrews to not only go to God with
our needs but to go to Him "boldly." Amazing that as a child of God we do
not just have a cellphone to call for help but we can talk directly with
Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe. He is always ready to hear our
pleas in the Name of Jesus. We can talk with God anytime, any place about
anything that is on our hearts and minds. The apostle Paul says in
Philippians 4 that we should not be anxious about anything, but instead take
our "requests" to God.

When I think of the time that I have wasted when I could have been praying,
asking for God's hand to move across my life, and the lives of others.it
brings great sadness. Each day brings new opportunities to shape the world
around you through prayer. Martin Luther said that, "Prayer is not
overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness." The
apostle John writes, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that
if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that
He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we
have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15)."

It is time to lay down our prayerlessness and go boldly to the throne of God
with our requests. Let no more time be wasted when we could be talking with
the Creator of all things. Let us.pray!

Copyright © 2010. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals
in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first devotionals was
primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities
throughout the United States and Canada.

Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer
Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be
forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need
of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can
leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks
designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach
those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me
reach out to them.

For information about how to hear my testimony in your church visit this
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If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
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Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube (now Tangle) at:
www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

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