I've been reading quite a few books on prayer lately in an effort to truly learn about the different types of communication we have with our heavenly Father. I am amazed at the things I am learning in the process.
I was provided with an opportunity to review the book, Pray Big, The Power of Pinpoint Prayers by Will Davis Jr, compliments of B & B Media Group, and here are just a few of the things I have discovered from the pages.
The Lord's Prayer that is found in Matthew 6:9-13 is an example of a pinpoint prayer. Jesus obviously was giving us a model outline for how our prayers might flow. There's no fluff, no fat, no extra words or theologically heavy terms. There's just simple, spot-on, pinpoint accuracy from Jesus. With a mere fifty-eight Greek words, Jesus acknowledged the character and sovereignty of God, surrendered to the Father's will, and sought provision, protection, and guidance from God. That's pinpoint praying.
You've heard these types of prayers before, "Lord, Please be with Tom and Jill. Please bless Joe and Sally and Be with Sue..." yet when you are praying these prayers what have you actually accomplished? It's like Christians have developed their own prayer language, and I don't mean the ecstatic kind.
Lord, please bless Bill. - What exactly do we mean by that? Do we want God to make Bill more holy or more disciplined? Are we hoping his business will prosper or that he'll be a better husband?
God, please be with Joan. - God's already with Joan. His Spirit lives in her, and he promised to never leave or forsake her. What do we really want God to do for Joan?
God, we ask that you give Sue an extra helping of your grace. - What is that? Does God dole out grace in measured proportions? That prayer makes God s
So what do you really need? What walls need tearing down, and what strongholds need obliterating? What captives need freeing, and what lost people need saving? What Christian led business in your city do you want to prosper and adult bookstore do you want to see shut down? What terminally ill person do you want to see healed? What poor or unethical leaders need to either change their ways or be removed from leadership and what godly leaders need to be given more of a platform? What do you really want and need God to do? Whatever it is, if you're serious about receiving it from God, then you need to pray with the same focus Jesus did. (pg.13-14)
If you interested in more about this book, the author or where to pick up this amazing book for a small group study or home Bible study, click on the links below:
Praying with Boldness and Confidence
Author Will Davis Jr. helps readers pinpoint their needs and pray with passionate faith
Have you ever encountered a “Big Hairy Audacious Prayer”? Author Will Davis Jr. is a man who not only knows about asking big things from God, but he believes that all Christ-followers are equipped with the faith to make “Big Asks” from God! Beginning with the Lord’s Prayer as a biblical example, Davis teaches believers that God honors requests of His children that are specifically and biblically asked. Once believers learn to view God’s word as a prayer guide, the entire Bible becomes a treasure chest of promises and foundational prayers that enable Christ-followers to storm heaven’s gates with pinpoint accuracy!
Prayers should be so God-sized, so humanly impossible, and yet so utterly appealing that they totally consume you and drive you to your knees. Davis is not talking about a genie-in-a-lamp approach to prayer, but a prayer life that is founded upon God’s Word and one that gives new meaning to the biblical exhortation to come boldly before God’s throne. Davis, pastor of Austin Christian Fellowship in Austin, Texas, has written four books that offer a biblical foundation for making “Big Asks” of God and expecting miraculous results.
Pray Big: The Power of Pinpoint Prayers introduces the concept of Big Hairy Audacious Prayers (or BHAP’s) and reveals how vital our prayer lives are in the process of learning to submit to God and trusting Him with every detail of our lives. Whether you are begging for the salvation of a spouse, the removal of a cancerous tumor, or the resolution of a difficult financial situation, it is exciting to bring your requests before God when you are standing on biblical ground. Davis encourages believers to use Scripture intermingled with prayer so that requests can be made specifically and accurately. The practice of searching the Bible for God’s promises and direction will establish a solid foundation for making requests from your Heavenly Father. Examples of these requests might sound like this:
- “Father, help my children delight in your law and meditate on your word day and night.” (Psalm 3:3)
- “Mighty God, be a shield about me. Shine your glory on me and be a lifter of my head.” (Psalm 6:9)
- “Father, I pray you will hear [my loved one’s] cry for mercy and accept his prayer.” (Psalm 6:9)
Every believer is equipped with the mustard-seed of faith that makes prayer possible. So quit holding your breath, believer, and start breathing your heart to God in prayer! You will live differently, love differently, and begin to learn what it means to pray without ceasing.
Pray Big: The Power of Pinpoint Prayers by Will Davis Jr.
Revell/ISBN: 978-0-8007-3204-2/201 pages/softcover/$12.99
Awesome.
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