The Prayer Manifesto for the Globally Conscious: How to Develop a Heart to Pray for Others

By Lischa T. Brooks

Our willingness and faithfulness to pray for others is the hallmark of an effective prayer life. Sometimes our prayers are hindered because we focus only on our needs or requests. But the church has been commissioned to make disciples of all nations, and it is the responsibility of each member to pray for others in our world.

Well-organized and inspirational, The Prayer Manifesto for the Globally Conscious explores the importance of having a heart to pray for Gods people across the world by denying ourselves and taking up our cross to follow God. Author Lischa T. Brooks uses scriptural examples and humorous, personal stories to illustrate how to develop an effective personal prayer life and focus on our responsibility to pray for others.

In addition to finding a deeper purpose and understanding of prayer principles, you can learn how to:

begin your prayer with worship;
conduct an examination of your attitudes and actions;
pray with the Word of God;
take time to listen to the Father;
establish prayer partners; and
connect with a local church body.

Establishing a life of prayer requires more than just passion and desire; it involves a commitment to applying the principles outlined in the Word of God every day. Develop a rich prayer life committed to God with The Prayer Manifesto for the Globally Conscious.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781475965056

Lischa T. Brooks

Lischa T. Brooks is a Dartmouth College graduate, award-winning educator, and a freelance writer who has served as an educator for more than sixteen years in the Memphis public school system.

Book preview

The Prayer Manifesto

for the

Globally Conscious

How to Develop a Heart to Pray for Others

Lischa T. Brooks

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

The Prayer Manifesto for the Globally Conscious

How to Develop a Heart to Pray for Others

Copyright © 2013 by Lischa T. Brooks

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

All scripture, unless otherwise noted, is taken from the New International Version of the Bible (NIV).

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6504-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6505-6 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6506-3 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012922747

iUniverse rev. date: 12/21/2012

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Creed IPray Now

Chapter 1 Why Should We Pray?

Chapter 2 Taking Authority of Your Thought Life

The First Scroll

Creed II Seven Tips for an Effective Personal Prayer Life

Chapter 3 First Tip: Begin Your Prayer with Worship

Chapter 4 Second Tip: Conduct an Examination of Your Attitudes and Actions

Chapter 5 Third Tip: Pray with the Word of God

Chapter 6 Fourth Tip: Pray Continually

Chapter 7 Fifth Tip: Take Time to Listen to the Father

Chapter 8 Sixth Tip: Establish Prayer Partners

Chapter 9 Seventh Tip: Connect with a Local Church Body

The Second Scroll

Creed III Pray for Others

Chapter 10 No Excuses

Chapter 11 Pray for Children

Chapter 12 Pray for Women

Chapter 13 Pray for Men

Chapter 14 Pray for Neighbors

Chapter 15 Pray for the City or Town

Chapter 16 Pray for the Leaders in the City, State, and National Government

Chapter 17 Pray for the Unsaved

The Third Scroll

Creed IV Seven Prayers for a Highly Effective Local Body

Chapter 18 Parts Represent the Whole

Chapter 19 Prayer 1: The Feet

Chapter 20 Prayer 2: The Arms

Chapter 21 Prayer 3: The Hands

Chapter 22 Prayer 4: The Heart

Chapter 23 Prayer 5: The Eyes

Chapter 24 Prayer 6: The Ears

Chapter 25 Prayer 7: The Mouth

Chapter 26 The Prayer Ministry

The Fourth Scrool

Creed V Seven Steps toward Unleashing Supernatural Strength in Difficult Situations

Chapter 27 The Attitude Arsenal

Chapter 28 Courage

Chapter 29 Determination

Chapter 30 Hope

Chapter 31 Faith

Chapter 32 The Seven Steps

Conclusion

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Everything I am, everything I have, everything that is good and perfect in my life comes from God. Every mountain, every roadblock, every situation that tried to knock me out of this race is nothing when compared to the love and faithfulness of God. Every day, every minute, every second of my life is given to me because of God’s purposes for my life. Thank you, Father, for who you are and continue to be to me.

I would like to acknowledge my best friend, companion, and husband of fifteen years, Harold Brandon Brooks. He is the love of my life and has been my most ardent supporter since high school. He is the father of our two wonderful boys, known as the Brooks Brothers, Aldon Marcell and Andrew Miles. I thank God for my sons and for my goddaughter, Tanzye Marie Hill. Collectively, my brood is known as the M&Ms (Marie, Marcell, and Miles). They are like chocolate to my sweet tooth, and I cannot get enough of them!

My mother, Alberdeen De Clayborn, has been a constant supporter and mentor. She instilled in me from a young age that I should always do my best in everything I do and to speak distinctively so people can understand you. She is a fighter and the most beautiful woman I know. My other parents, Bettye and Harold Brooks, have always been a blessing to our family, and I love them dearly. I would also like to acknowledge my brother, Marion, who has the most compassionate and loving spirit.

I thank God for the Clayborn sisters, Rosella, Dorothy Jean, Johnnie, and Mary Virginia—much of who I am today is because of who they were to me. They are women of God who are faithful members of their church communities and families. The memory of my grandmother Ozell Clayborn is a constant reminder of the Proverbs 31 woman, and I know I will see her again one day.

My pastors, John and Leslie Siebeling, have such a heart for God’s people, and I am indebted to them and their staff for their obedience to start the Second Mile leadership program at my church. My participation in this leadership program was the catalyst for my finishing this book. The experience of finishing Second Mile opened a door for me in my spiritual walk, and I love my Life Church family for it. I would also like to thank Travis and Carol Moody for reading my manuscript and being supportive throughout this process.

Introduction

Job, once considered a wealthy and prosperous man, lost all his camels, sheep, donkeys, oxen, and, most importantly, his children. His health was failing him as his body was covered in painful sores. Job’s wife added to his grief by telling him to curse God and die. The only thing worse that could have happened to Job was death. Job’s friends blamed him for the current state of events and were not very good friends to him at all. How could Job’s life get any worse? In the face of all Job was experiencing, God instructed him to pray for his friends (Job 42:8). Job had lost everything that was precious to him. He was beginning to question everything.

Have you ever been in a state of mind where you wondered whether God was aware of what you were experiencing or if your suffering would ever end? When faced with challenges, is your initial reaction to pray for others? In the midst of his suffering, however, Job was instructed by God to pray for the friends that should have comforted and encouraged him. Instead, they lied about God and blamed Job for his own misfortunes. After he prayed, something miraculous happened. Everything Job lost was restored, and he received even greater blessings. Job’s decision to obey God and pray for someone else was the catalyst for his own restoration. Job prayed many times for himself and his situation, but it was not until he prayed for his friends that we see a change in his situation (Job 42:10).

James writes that when we pray with selfish motives, our prayers are hindered (James 4:3). James goes on to remind us that we are to pray for each other so we can be healed (James 5:16). According to the Amplified Bible, being healed refers to being healed and restored to a spiritual tone of mind and heart. Our own spiritual health and well-being, therefore, is directly related to our commitment to pray for one another. If you would not like your prayers to be hindered and you desire to have a healthy physical and spiritual life, you must commit to praying for one another. Let’s make the commitment now!

In this book, I am looking at prayer from a different perspective. Most books about prayer focus only on the principles