Tag: Marybeth McCullum "Extraordinary Prayer: Using God's Word to Expand Your Prayer Life"

Daily Bread

Hungry children lined both sides of the long tables in the orphanage, their bellies growling with hunger. Brightening as their headmaster entered the room, they expected to see him carrying steaming trays of porridge. Instead, he walked in empty-handed. He spoke gently, “Children, will you bow your heads with me and thank the Lord for providing our morning meal?” 
 
Hiding their disappointment and confusion, the children joined George Müller as he prayed to their Heavenly Father, thanking Him for providing their daily bread, even though their pantry was bare. Before they’d said “amen,” a knock at the door interrupted them. It was a local baker offering enough fresh, warm bread to feed all the children. No sooner had the loaves been served than a clatter in the street interrupted them once again. They looked up in surprise as the milkman entered the room wringing his hands. He’d just broken the axel on his cart and, knowing the milk would spoil, he offered to give it to the orphans. A broad smile spread across George’s face; once again the Lord provided for their needs at just the right moment.
 
George Müller’s incredible faith and trust in God led to many amazing events like this one. He cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime and established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000 in Bristol, England in the 1800’s. Through all of this, Müller never sought donations from specific individuals. Time and time again He turned to God to provide as he cared for thousands of orphans he found living in the streets. 
 
While I’ve never been in circumstances quite so dire, I’ve experienced the desperation of pleading with God to give me something I needed. I think many of us would agree that asking the Lord for what we want and need often takes center stage in our prayers. Thankfully, we have a good and loving Heavenly Father who invites us to make requests, as Jesus taught in the third statement of the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us today our daily bread.”  (Matthew 6:11, NIV)
 
Requesting daily bread isn’t only about physical provision. It can also refer to asking God to provide for our less-tangible needs. In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

The Lord’s Prayer uses bread as a symbol of God’s provision. This is profound when we consider Jesus’ words in the book of John: “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:47-51, NIV)
 
Those listening to Jesus’ teaching would have noted the significance of daily bread by remembering the Father’s provision for His people in the book of Exodus. After fleeing from slavery in Egypt, God provided food for them as they wandered in the wilderness: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.'” (Exodus 16:4 NIV)
 
God’s provision in the wilderness saved the Jews from physical death during their 40 years of wandering. Similarly, the Father’s provision through Jesus saved us from spiritual death, meeting our greatest need for forgiveness of our sins. Through Christ, the Lord made a way for us to have a restored relationship with Him now and for eternity. (Colossians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; John 20:31). 
 
There’s one key word in the Lord’s Prayer we can’t overlook: “daily.” Just as our bodies were made to need sustenance from food every day, our hearts were made to need daily connection with God. Going to Him consistently reminds us self-sufficiency is only an illusion. Everything we have, including our ability to earn a living, ultimately comes from God. George Müller’s faith and trust in the Father provides an inspiring example for us. Asking the Lord to meet our needs daily keeps us humble, but also enables us to grow in our connection to Him and our dependence upon Him.
 
One commentary explains,“Yes, God sustains us physically and meets the less tangible needs of this life. More than that, He fulfills our spiritual needs. He is the bread that satisfies our spiritual hunger. He sustains our hearts. When we ask God for our daily bread, we are humbly acknowledging Him as the sole giver of all we need. We are living day by day, one step at a time. We are exercising simple faith in Him to provide just what we need, when we need it – for every area of life.”
 
If you want to become a person of extraordinary prayer, practice connecting with the Lord daily, just as you would with your closest family members or friends. Start by offering a word of praise and seeking His will. Then, bring your requests before Him humbly and watch expectantly for His answers. Ask the Lord to increase your awareness of His presence. Talk with Him throughout the day and notice where He provides answers to your prayers. Daily connection with God is one of the keys to cultivating a richer, deeper relationship with Him. Will you try it this week and see what happens?

If you’d like some tools to enhance your prayer life, check out my new book, Extraordinary Prayer. You’ll be inspired by the prayers of different biblical characters and can follow their examples using prompts incorporated into each session.


The best place to be is near our Heavenly Father. Let Jordan Feliz’ song “Next to Me” call you back to the Lord daily for prayer.
 

Commentary quotations from https://www.gotquestions.org/daily-bread.html
 
Learn more about George Müller and his extraordinary prayer life by clicking here: https://www.georgemuller.org
 

Why Prayer Matters

What is the purpose of prayer? I know, that’s a big question with a lot of different answers. Many of us see it as a way to ask God for what we want or need: healing for a loved one, a solution to a big problem, or a positive outcome for a challenging circumstance. So, when we get what the desired result, we say our prayers “worked” and that God is good. The challenge comes when God keeps us waiting or gives us a different answer–which can lead us to become confused, angry, or disillusioned. 

Megan Fate Marshman offers a different perspective on prayer. She describes it as “connecting with the one who loves you most.” (page 79) I agree with her– prayer isn’t only about asking God for what we want but about cultivating a relationship with Him. This is also what Jeremiah describes when he writes from God’s perspective saying: “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13, NIV)

Prayer is so much more than just a tool for making requests of God or a last resort when we’ve run out of all other options. Over the years, I’ve discovered many truths about it through consistent practice and study. It’s changed me and caused my faith in God to grow deeper and wider.  Prayer is more powerful than most of us realize. Today I’ll share just three of the many reasons why:

Prayer Invites God Into our Circumstances: Psalm 139 tells us that God perceives our thoughts and knows what we’re going to say before we speak. Some would argue that there’s no reason to talk to the Lord since He already knows everything about us. However, the purpose of prayer isn’t to inform God of our circumstances; it’s to invite Him into them. Prayer opens the lines of communication between God and you, just as you talk regularly with people you love. It gives the Lord permission to speak into our lives and to share His wisdom. Often, prayer changes our hearts more than it changes our circumstances. 

That’s exactly what we see at the end of Psalm 139 when David says: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV)

Prayer is the Healthiest Way to Manage Fear and Worry: Anxiety is on the rise in our culture. Many of us feel a constant undercurrent of fear and worry at all times. We try to control our surroundings, our circumstances, our plans, and our relationships as a way to stave off those panicky feelings. Our minds churn over worst-case scenarios and “what-ifs” that fill us with dread. The irony is, all the time we spend worrying and fretting does nothing to change our circumstances. It wastes our energy, overwhelms our thoughts, and steals our joy–preventing us from living life to the fullest. In contrast, taking all that angst and laying it before God frees us to trust Him and to expend mental energy in more meaningful and productive ways. No one says it better than the Apostle Paul:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:6-9, NIV)

Prayer Lets Us Take Action When We Feel Powerless: When circumstances unfold the way we want or expect, we have the illusion that we’re in control, which makes us feel powerful. But here’s the harsh truth: There are few things we can actually control beyond our reactions. When we realize this and accept our humble position, we give God more opportunity to work in our lives. As we recognize that only the Lord is sovereign and in control, we can trust His power.

One of my favorite examples of this is the prayer of a lesser-known king in the Bible named Jehoshaphat. When he learns that three enemy armies have combined forces to invade Israel, he gathers his people and prays humbly before the Lord: 

“Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12, NIV)

Isn’t it amazing that the most powerful man in Israel admitted that he didn’t know what to do in front of all his subjects? The Lord answered Jehoshaphat’s prayers by delivering their nation from enemy attack. Through miraculous circumstances, they faced their opponents and experienced victory without spilling a drop of Israelite blood.

How freeing it is to accept our frailty and weakness and to recognize humbly that we have no power on our own. Acknowledging we don’t have control and looking to God to rescue us gives us access to true power from the One who loves us most of all.

Truth be told, I have so many thoughts about prayer that it was hard to write so little in this post. In fact, I’ve spent the last year studying and writing about it. So, if this is a practice you’d like to explore further, I’d be honored to have you consider my new Bible study Extraordinary Prayer: Using God’s Word to Expand Your Prayer Life. (The story of Jehoshaphat is just one of the many you’ll discover in it.) You can find it on my website under the “Book Table” tab or on Amazon.

Phil Wickham’s “Battle Belongs” is an incredible song filled with Scripture that reveals the power we have through prayer. Listen and celebrate this incredible truth today.

Megan Fate Marshman, Meant for Good: The Adventure of Trusting God and His Plans for You, Zondervan, 2020.