72 Reasons to Pray
1. The Holy Spirit sanctifies your prayers (changes them), so that God answers them for your good, Romans 8:26.
2. God loves to answer the prayers of his people, Proverbs 15:8; Psalm 17:6; 65:2.
3. Apart from Christ and prayer, you can do nothing, John 15:5, 7.
4. God acts when you pray, Daniel 9:20-23; 10:12.
5. Prayer keeps you from temptation and sin, Matthew 6:13; 26:41.
6. Jesus prayed, Hebrews 5:7; Luke 6:12.
7. God gives you peace when you pray, Philippians 4:4-6.
8. God healed Miriam’s physical sickness when Moses prayed, Numbers 12:13.
9. God sent rain when Elijah prayed, James 5:15.
10. God gives you daily sustenance when you pray, Matthew 6:11; James 5:18.
11. Spiritual growth happens in others when you pray for them, Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 4:12.
12. Prayer is how we thank God, Philippians 1:3-5.
13. God gave Ezra safety on his journey when he prayed, Ezra 8:21-23.
14. Prayer is necessary to know spiritual truth in the Bible, Psalm 119:18; Ephesians 1:15-19.
15. It takes supernatural ability, that only comes through prayer, to know the love of God, Ephesians 3:14-21.
16. Prayer keeps Christians in His name, John 17:11.
17. Paul asked for prayer so that his evangelistic efforts would be effective, Ephesians 6:17-20.
18. To have opportunities for sharing the gospel, you must pray, Colossians 4:2-4.
19. Christ told us to pray for more believers to be fishers of men, Matthew 9:37-38.
20. Prayer is necessary to repent, Daniel 9; 2 Chronicles 6:37.
21. In prayer you praise God, Psalm 66.
22. Prayer is needed to sustain your resolve to live for Christ, 2 Thessalonians 1:11.
23. Prayer humbles you, 1 Peter 5:6-7; Philippians 4:6.
24. Prayer was the early church’s pattern in sending missionaries, Acts 13:3.
25. Prayer enables sweet fellowship with your Christian friends, Romans 1:10.
26. Paul prayed for the unsaved to be saved, Romans 10:1.
27. You can complain to God in prayer, Psalm 64:1.
28. When you pray, you are being obedient, Romans 12:12.
29. To live in Christian harmony at your church, you must pray, Romans 15:5.
30. Paul prayed for believers to abound in joy, peace and hope, Romans 15:13.
31. Pray deliverers you from harmful people, Romans 15:31.
32. For your acts of service to be effective you must pray, Romans 15:31.
33. Prayer is the means by which your fellowship with other Christians will be refreshing, Romans 15:32.
34. Paul prayed that the God of peace would be with believers, Romans 15:33.
35. To live a peaceful life, you should pray, 1 Timothy 2:1.
36. Prayer is war, 1 Timothy 1:18; 2:1.
37. Paul prayed that the Word would lead Timothy to live a holy life, 1 Timothy 4:5.
38. Pray and fast, so that your fasting will not be wasted, Nehemiah 1:4.
39. You express sorrow in prayer, Nehemiah 1:4.
40. Prayer is asking that God would be attentive to your prayers, Nehemiah 1:6.
41. Prayer moves God to remember his promises, Nehemiah 1:9; Isaiah 62:6-7; Moses’ whole life.
42. When you pray, you know you are doing God’s work, Isaiah 62:6-7.
43. In prayer, you can tell God your problems, Psalms 3:1-2.
44. Prayer gives relief from our enemies, Psalm 5:10.
45. Prayer is the method which you use to ask God questions, Psalm 10:1.
46. To bring the judgment of the end times, we pray, Revelation 5:8; 8:4.
47. Pray because the end is near, 1 Peter 4:7.
48. Paul prayed to be released from prison, and for others to be released from prison, Philippians 1:19.
49. The highest privilege is knowing God. When you pray, you can pray to know God, Ephesians 1:17.
50. God listens when we pray, 1 Peter 3:12.
51. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him, Luke 11:13.
52. The early church prayed, Acts 2:42
53. Believers, in the Bible, prayed to have children, Luke 1:12; 1 Samuel 1:17; Genesis 25:21.
54. Failure to pray for others is a sin, 1 Samuel 12:23.
55. Prayer opens your eyes to that you can see the hand of God at work, 2 Kings 6:18.
56. In the New Testament, the believers prayed that the gospel would be accompanied by signs and wonders, and the casting out of demons, Acts 4:29-30; Mark 9:29.
57. When we pray, God delivers miraculously, Acts 12:5, 12.
58. Pray is needed to have qualified leadership in the church, Acts 14:23.
59. The church is unified when the church prays for unity, John 17:20-21.
60. Greater discernment and knowing God’s will is the result of prayer, Philippians 1:9-10.
61. Greater faith is gained through prayer, Mark 9:24.
62. God protects us from the evil one when we ask him to do so, Matthew 6:13.
63. No other religion has a God who hears them when they pray, Deuteronomy 4:7.
64. Prayer is an awesome privilege, Deuteronomy 4:7; Ecclesiastes 5:1-3.
65. Prayer is designed so that instead of not having, you have, James 4:2.
66. Nothing of significance will happen unless you pray. Prayer gives God the glory and that alone is significant, John 15.
67. When we pray, God gives grace, Hebrews 4:16.
68. The church was gathered to pray when Peter was led out of prison by the angel, Acts 12:12.
69. The book of Psalms is a series of prayers to teach us how to pray, Psalm 1-150.
70. When Hezekiah got a nasty letter from Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, he prayed and the Lord answered and killed 185,000 Assyrians, 2 Kings 19.
71. Effective self-soul-work is done in prayer, Psalm 139:23-24, Psalm 1-150.
72. Prayer is the necessary response to reading the Bible, Psalm 119.
Here’s are some good links to help you pray.
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/start-asking-god-for-more
Bob’s Trips: December 2019 – December 2020
Asia
December 2-14, 2019 – Minneapolis office time, (TLI’s headquarters is in beautiful downtown Minneapolis) and then to Asia teaching Course 4 in our 9 course curriculum: “Gospel of Mark“. Course 4 equips the trainees to understand Gospel literature accurately and to communicate it clearly and relevantly. Mark has been chosen as a representative of this genre. Sample passages from Mark will be the focus (e.g., 1:1–15; 2:1–12; 8:27–9:13; 10:32–45; 15–16:8).
Here’s a link to a TLI Asian story of God at work.
https://trainingleadersinternational.org/stories/874/the-prodigal-pastor
I have not been to Asia for several years. I have great memories! Below are a few pics from those trips.
Ethiopia
January 6-18, 2020 – I will go to Minneapolis for a few days and then to Ambo, Ethiopia teaching Course 3: “Understanding and communicating Narrative and Law (Genesis and Exodus).”
Liberia
March 2-27, 2020 – Minneapolis office time, before and after the trip. 2 weeks teaching in Liberia: one week teaching Course 9: “2 Timothy”, and the next week teaching Course 1: “Knowing God, Scripture, and Ourselves.” Course 1 provides the foundation and orientation for the entire 9 course curriculum. It introduces (1) God’s character, focusing on his sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness, and God’s nature as one and three (triune). It introduces (2) Scripture as our diverse and unified authority, with a fundamental hermeneutical question tied to its diversity, its unity, and its authority respectively. And it introduces (3) our own purpose and role as leaders within God’s church.
Here is the link to TLI’s Liberia site information
https://trainingleadersinternational.org/short-term/381/liberia-march-2020
Here’s another link to the story of the Liberia site’s history!
https://trainingleadersinternational.org/stories/857/higher-power
Ethiopia
May 11-23, 2020. I will be teaching Course 4 in our 9 course curriculum: “Gospel of Mark“. Course 4 equips the trainees to understand Gospel literature accurately and to communicate it clearly and relevantly. Mark has been chosen as a representative of this genre. Sample passages from Mark will be the focus (e.g., 1:1–15; 2:1–12; 8:27–9:13; 10:32–45; 15–16:8).
Tanzania in August 2020, exact dates to be determined.
I am slated to be the site director at this new TLI site. The first trip will be in August. As the director I will travel to Tanzania 3 times every year and work directly with the in-country partner on scheduling, curriculum, accommodations, budgets and anything else that is necessary to make our training effective.
Somewhere in October
Tanzania in December.
57 Reasons to Proclaim the Gospel
57 reasons to continually bear witness to the truth of Christ work on the cross. There are more reasons.
- Because eternal conscious punishment, hell, is God’s righteous judgment on all, Revelation 19:11-21; 20:14-15; Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 13:50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30.
- There is no other way to be saved except by trusting in Christ, Acts 4:12; John 14:6.
- The Lord strengthens and stands by those who share the gospel, 2 Timothy 4:17.
- When unbelievers come to faith, they come to their senses, 2 Timothy 2:25-26.
- When unbelievers come to faith, they are saved from hell, and they know Christ, 1 Peter 3:18.
- The lost escape from the snare of Satan when they come to faith in Christ, 2 Timothy 2:6.
- Witnessing is a holy calling, 2 Timothy 1:8-9.
- When we are obedient to the call to preach the gospel, the power of God is at work in us, 2 Timothy 1:8.
- The words of the Gospel cannot be bound, they will do their work, 2 Timothy 2:9.
- When the Gospel is preached to the elect they will be saved, 2 Timothy 2:10.
- If we never proclaim the gospel, we will be denied by Christ at the judgment, 2 Timothy 2:12; Luke 12:8-9.
- Paul rejoiced when Christ was proclaimed, Philippians 1:18.
- The good news of God’s deliverance is glad news, Psalm 40:9.
- In all four gospels, Jesus’ call to follow him is synonymous with his call to be fishermen for men, Mark 1:17; Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10; John 20:21.
- There are blessings and rewards when Christians are persecuted for proclaiming the gospel, Matthew 5:1-12.
- People glorify God when they hear the words of the gospel, Matthew 5:16.
- Jesus sends his followers to live and preach in the same way the Father sent him to live and preach, John 20:21.
- The Abrahamic Covenant is fulfilled when the gospel is proclaimed to all the nations, Genesis 12:1-3.
- We are commanded to make disciples, which entails going and telling the good news, Matthew 28:16-20.
- Telling the greatness of the glory of God, as seen most fully in the work of Christ on the Cross, is the means by which the glory of God fills the whole earth, Psalm 67:2; 72:19
- When the Gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed in every nation, then the end will come, Matthew 24:14.
- When believers proclaim the testimony of Christ, and die in the process, it fulfills the number of saints who need to die before the end will come, Revelation 6:11; 12:11.
- Christ weeps for the lost, Luke 19:41.
- Paul wept for the lost, Romans 10:1.
- Non-believers need to be warned about judgment, Colossians 1:28.
- The Bible says that the task is so vitally important that every effort, except sin, should be made so that people would believe, 1 Corinthians 9:22.
- There is rejoicing in heaven when sinners, repent, Luke 15.
- Jesus’ name means savior, Matthew 1:21.
- In Jesus’ estimation, preaching the gospel was more important than healing sick people, Mark 1:35.
- Jesus will crush everyone who rejects him, Acts 2:37.
- There is no other way to be saved from our sin and God’s wrath, Acts 4:12.
- Jesus saves all who come to him in repentance and faith, Acts 2:21.
- The gift of the Holy Spirit is intimately tied to the mandate to witness, Acts 1:8.
- When Christians evangelize, they are working with God, 2 Corinthians 6:1.
- We are ambassadors of reconciliation to God, for Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20.
- We fear God; therefore, we share the gospel, 2 Corinthians 5:11; Luke 12:4-5.
- When these bodies are destroyed in the caldron of mission work, we get new ones, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.
- When people are saved, it increases thanksgiving to God, 2 Corinthians 4:15.
- When we speak of Christ, we are following the example of those who have gone before us, 2 Corinthians 4:13.
- When we suffer for Christ, there will be an eternal weight of glory awaiting us far beyond comparison to the suffering we endure here, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
- Evangelism pleases God, 2 Corinthians 5:9.
- Witnessing is evidence that God’s love has been poured out in our hearts and controls us, Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.
- Christians are God’s new creatures, made new to proclaim his greatness in the Cross, 2 Corinthians 5:16-18.
- We know that just as Christ is majestic beyond description, even though we cannot see him, the unsaved are also eternally majestic souls who must be saved, 2 Corinthians 5:16.
- Jesus came to seek and save the lost and we are called to follow his example, Luke 19:10; John 20:21.
- The early church went everywhere preaching the word, Acts 8:4.
- God commands everyone to repent. Most are unaware of this command, Acts 17:30.
- We have proof that Jesus can forgive sins because he came back to life, Acts 17:30.
- Those who preach the good news have beautiful feet, Isaiah 52:7.
- God is watching over his proclaimed word to accomplish his purposes, Jeremiah:12.
- We cannot not speak of that which has enflamed our hearts, Jeremiah 20:9.
- It is the privilege of old age to tell of God’s greatness, Psalm 71:15.
- We share the good news so that all might worship God, Psalm 117:1; Romans 15:9-11.
- When we share our faith, God promises to be with us, Matthew 28:20.
- Sharing the gospel gives Christians great joy, Philippians 1:18.
- When we evangelize, and endure hardship, persecution, and stresses it gives us great joy, Acts 16:
- God is a missionary God, John 20:21; Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1.
