From Bill— The next five days will detail 5 traits for effective prayer. All borrowed from a sermon by John MacArthur. The setting is Mark 11 and the day Jesus cursed the fig tree. The apostles had Jesus with them so they did not really have a great need to become prayer warriors. They preferred to, well, sleep! But before He left, Jesus taught them to pray. The end result was a profound move of God in Acts 1 where “they were continually devoting themselves to prayer” and eventually thousands were saved. Now it’s billions! So, the first key is TO REMEMBER v 20, 21: As they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots. 21 Peter remembered it and said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered.” When we pray REMEMBER what God has done in your life previously. REMEMBER what you have read He did all through the Bible. Deuteronomy reminds us 15 times “to REMEMBER what the Lord your God has done”. Isaiah 46 says to REMEMBER “there is no God like me”. So, point 1, REMEMBER the personal, Biblical and historical events God has wrought in response to prayer. Side point: worship is to recite what God has done. 4 more coming. REMEMBER. Love Mel
