Pastor Norman Chan and his wife are currently visiting our church as part of the Easter-sermon series. Last night, we had a session on Prayer. Here are some of the things I have learned. 

Prayer is not simply talking to the empty space between your bed and the ceiling. Prayer is not about ordering something from a vending machine. 

Prayer is POWERFUL. It is a way of communicating with our God, the creator of Heaven and Earth! The pastor gave many examples of the importance of prayer in our everyday life. We should pray whenever we embark on a journey, when we are on the journey and when we reach our destination we should not forget to pray in thanksgiving. 

What can we be thankful for? Today, my sunday school class and I are thankful for great weather. But more than just the outing today, I am thankful that my sunday school class have bonded and worked together. I am thankful that they have love in their hearts and are willing to learn about God. What can you be thankful for? We can be thankful that we have the opportunity to know the one and true God. We should be thankful if others come to Christ because of our input. 

Many people go to the USA to learn things that are most up to date. But the first University was actually in France and they studied Theology there- they learned about God. God lead the Israelites out of Egypt to the promised land filled with milk and honey, not because they were better than other people, but because God wanted to let them learn to be thankful. And to turn to him, the one and only true God. 

The pastor used a visual example. Prayer is part of an equilateral triangle. Prayer- Faith- Thanksgiving are mutually supportive of each other. And as we get stronger in each of the areas, the other areas must also grow to support the structure. 

How can we know what to pray for then? 

- thanksgiving- what do we have that isn't from God?

- we need to know God to know how to communicate with him- read his word

- the more we pray, the more we want to pray

We should pray CONTINUOUSLY without CEASING. The pastor bought up an example of Uganda. The Christians under the old ruler had to hide in the bush. They prayed in their thousands on shift 24 hours a day for the people of Uganda. After the old ruler was abolished, the new ruler gathered all these Christian leaders and they prayed for their country. The rates of AIDS has now greatly decreased in the country. The power of prayer.

The pastor also pointed out several other examples of how prayer is powerful. An example of how a dead person being alive after 20 minutes of being pronounced dead, because of the power of prayer. How evil spirits are sent out of people. The power of prayer. 

If you don't know how to start praying, here's one for you. 

A.C.T.S

Adoration. 

Confess your sins.

Thank him for the many blessings

offer Supplication (petition, ask him for something).

BUT DON'T FORGET TO BE THANKFUL. 

¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit^[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.