Women's Devotional Bible:The Secret of Power

Devotional

Author:

Rosalind Rinker

Matthew 18:19                                 Matthew 18:18-20

Jesus teaches us to pray together in dialogue prayer in order to release God's power to bind evil and release good. Dialogue prayer is simply conversational prayer, two people praying back and forth. The audible words are necessary for agreement and for giving love. This prayer-power requires the presence of our risen Lord and our cooperation in audible prayer. This changes us and the situations for which we pray.

      We abandon cliches and use short childlike sentences that are honest, specific and personal. In a nutshell:pray to Jesus, our risen Lord, from the child in your heart. This enables the child we each keep silent in our hearts to pray with others and together find love, freedom and joy.

Here are four subjects to guide you: 1) Jesus is here(worship). 2)Thank you Lord (for gifts given:spiritual, physical, material,for people and for the good earth). 3) Forgive me, Lord (confession, using "I" not "we"). 4)n Help my sister/brother (intercession).

     Experience has taught us that first worship, and then thanksgiving, open our hearts and mouths. Confession, the third point, is necessary because without it, we do not easily receive the Spirit's guidance for intercession.

    Here's an example of confession:"Lord, help us to love others more than we do." But when urged to be personal, honest and specific, the woman's confession becomes:"Lord, help me to love that person I work with."

   This then leads into the prayer partner's intercession, when she can pray, "Lord, you promised forgiveness when we confess (1John 1:9). Now show her what next she should do in her life, " or similar comforting words blended with thanksgiving.

   In this way we share one another's joys and burdens and become living members of our risen Lord, who teaches us to love one another as he loves us.  

Heart Light

 Lord Jesus, that you remind us that we are required to love everyone just like you love. That we all are blessed with pray partners that will hold as accountable and pray with us and for us diligently. That you unite your body and rise us to be the might warriors that we are ask to be. That you show us our sin and helps us to become more like you. Jesus' name I pray Amen.