It's true prayer changes things and if we don't pray very little if anything will happen.

In addition, if we don't pray we will begin to self-destruct physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, pray, and pray some more!

A Korean student shared about how his home church started out as a very small church, until now it is very large. When asked about what his pastor did to help bring this about he responded by saying his pastor "prays 'lot." He went on to say that his pastor fasted and prayed beginning on Thursday through the services on Sunday. We also know that in Korea they have a prayer meeting every morning at five and on Fridays they pray all night, even though most have to work on Saturday.

Prayer: Lord, give us such an insatiable desire for spiritual growth that we would be willing to make real sacrifices in the time we spend in prayer and fellowship with You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

When you were a child, did you ever "talk back" or say something disrespectful to one of your parents, only to hear them ask you, "Who do you think you're talking to?" Sometimes our heavenly Father must feel like asking us the same thing when we pray! So many times our prayers only include phrases like, "Do this;" "Give me that;" "Look what they did to me!;" "Why are you letting this happen to me?" or "Fix this."

Of course, our heavenly Father wants us to share all our thoughts and feelings with Him, including our requests, but when these prayers are the only words heard from His children, we must sound like whiny, spoiled brats to Him. Jesus taught us to pray recognizing God as our holy Father in heaven. He, above all, deserves our utmost adoration, respect, and honour.

Prayer: Father God, today, as we pray, help us remember to give You our praise, love, and thanksgiving as we honour Your holy name and remember Who we are talking to! Amen.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."

"Wait? You say 'wait'," my indignant reply,
"Lord, I need answers. I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked and am claiming your word.
My future and all to which I can relate hangs in the balance,
And YOU tell me "Wait?"

I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
And, Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And, Lord, I've been asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate.
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut.
And grumbled to God, "So I'm waiting… for what?"

He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want — but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;

You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence were all you could see;

You'd never experience the fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart,

The glow of My comfort late in the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked,
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for thee".
Yes, your dreams for that loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the loss! If I lost what I am doing in you!"

"So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still,
"WAIT".