Prayer
Prayer is such an important part of our lives but at times can be so hard to do. Listen to the below messages and gain some insight into how to pray, how to build it into your everyday life, the importance of prayer and be encouraged in your own personal prayer life.
Click on pictures below to listen to messages on Prayer.
Janine Clow and husband Carey are the senior leaders of Park City Church New Plymouth. God uses her to encourage and uplift through many aspects of the church including worship and hospitality.
Janine uses her life story to motivate everyone to keep on track with Jesus.
Maree Brown along with her husband Mark are long standing members and leaders of Park City Church. Mother of two, occasional preacher, prophet oriented encourager, and in recent years passionate teacher at a local primary school. Maree has a strong faith that she draws on to encourage and equip those around her.
Marina Walsh has been married to Pastor John for 20+ years and together they have 5 children and 3.5 grandchildren. Marina loves serving the church, encouraging others dreams and spreading the love wherever she is. Marina currently works as an Assistant Hostel manager after working 10 years at Park City Church which she loved with all my heart and still does.
Zoey Penwarden is a passionate encourager, worshiper and leader. Born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Zoey along with her husband Simon and two sons, have been living in New Zealand for 10 years. By day an intermediate school teacher ...and at all times just-a-girl who loves Jesus !
Prayer is about having a relationship with Jesus. Janine, Maree, Marina and Zoey have all shared about their personal prayer lives but the overall message coming through is prayer is all about your relationship with Jesus.
It is personal, so the way we pray will be personal too. We will all pray differently but the awesome thing is, God hears every prayer no matter how it is prayed. He hears every prayer, the eloquent, the structured and the messy, even the ones which don’t use words.
Zoey shares how her most powerful prayers are often “Help me Jesus” and that’s about it. At that time, that is all her prayer needs to be. “It so much more that eloquent words, it is a heartfelt situation. Help me Jesus.” In those times when we cry out to God, when we don’t know how to pray, our heart prays for us.
“You don’t have to have it all right, say the right thing, just have a heart for Jesus and He will do the rest.” – Zoey Penwarden
Romans 8:26-27 (NLT) –“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
When we don’t know how to pray the Holy Spirit will pray for us. Trust God and call on His name. We know who to go to; we know where our help comes from. Zoey encourages us to not wait for the perfect time or to be the perfect person; you can pray anywhere, in any situation no matter how you feel.
Make prayer personal to you. Develop your own style but don't be religious about it as your prayer life will change and grow as you change and grow.
Maree shares how her prayer life has changed over the course of her life as the situation around her has changed. The way she prayed as a young mum is different to how she prays now having no children at home. Don’t struggle with how to pray, the length of time or the words you use, pray your way, how it works for you.
Philippians 4:6 (NLT) – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Thankfulness is a huge part of Maree’s prayer life. Thanking God for all He has done in her life and in her friends and families lives, but not stopping there, going a step further and thanking God for the things He has promised and the things He is going to do.
Prophetic prayer is a way of praying that Maree finds works for her. Praying into the future, what you want for your friends and family. Call God’s promises into being. Those words you have had over your life, pray them out, speak them into being. Remind God of the promises He has given you and your family and thank Him for them.
Marina also speaks about praying prophetically using a slightly different approach by praying scripture. This is a very effective way to pray because you are quoting God’s word back to Him and He says His words will not return void. Put yourself into the scripture for whatever situation you are facing.
Don’t fall into a religious trap of thinking you have to pray a certain way, at the precise time for a set amount of time in the right place, wearing the right clothes.
God wants a genuine relationship with you, not a religious act from you.
Like Janine mentions, prayer is organic, it is not religious, overly structured or boring. It is your personal relationship, your connection to God. It is like a conversation, talking with your best friend.
If you have too many boxes to tick around your prayer life you will feel like you have failed when you don’t accomplish them. Anytime you talk to God is good. Any prayer you pray is a good prayer no matter where you are or the circumstances you're in.
Ephesians 6:18 (NLT) – “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
If you know how to pray in tongues, do that, it edifies your spirit and is a direct line between you and God.
Prayer is one of the greatest things you can have as a believer and no one can take it away from you. Whether you pray in tongues, out loud or in your quiet time, God hears it all. He loves you and wants to have an intimate relationship with you and that is why prayer is so important.
Prayer doesn’t have to be a whole lot of words. It’s about spending time with Jesus.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Listen to what He has for your life, look to His word and trust in what it says. Take the time to build your relationship with God through prayer.
Pray your way.