Praying: Bringing Power and Purpose to Your Prayers

By Julie B. Cosgrove

PRAYING is a Biblcally based step by step guide to bring purpose and power to your prayers and to enrich your relationship with others and with God. Questions at the end of each chapter make this book an excellent Bible study guide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257299959

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Praying: Bringing Power and Purpose to Your Prayers

P-R-A-Y-I-N-G

MPj04341350000[1]

Bringing power and purpose to your prayers

By Julie B Cosgrove

P.R.A.Y.I.N.G.: Bringing Power and Purpose to Your Prayers

Copyright © 2009, 2011, 2016   Julie B Cosgrove

CrossWords Press

* Note-all Scripture reference are from the The Holy Bible, New International Version® Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society, Zondervan Publishing House.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at www.juliebcosgrove.com/contact

Artwork from Microsoft Clip Art, royalty free including front cover.

Author’s photo courtesy on Burke Photographers, Burleson, TX

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-1-257-29995-9

ASIN: B005REL6RA

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Also available in paperback

ISBN-10: 0557181348

ISBN-13: 978-0557181346

Dedicated to the Divine Mercy Chapter of the Daughters of the King,

St Johns, Fort Worth - 2009

Preface

As child of God, I am a pray-er. In my times of prayer, and growing through my prayer life, I have learned some basics along the way.  I have read about prayer techniques, attended workshops, and am a member of a group or women dedicated to prayer and service called the Daughters of the King/Daughters of the Holy Cross.

Not that any of that qualifies me to write a book on the subject.  God does that—through His Word, through the talent He gave me to put my thoughts into words, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Thus, I give Him the glory.

If you laugh, nod your head in response, feel comforted, or draw closer to God in prayer, then this book is a success.

Either way, the journey in bringing this written work to fruition has brought my prayer life more into focus. My prayer is that this little book will do the same for you.  The rest? Well, that's between you and God.

May you nestle in His grace –

Julie B Cosgrove

Introduction

Is there a right way to pray? In my opinion, yes, and no. 

Max Lucado says in his pamphlet, Prayer, A Heavenly Invitation—

"Prayer is a window that God has placed in the walls of our world. Leave it shut and the world is a cold, dark house. Throw back the curtains and see His light. Open the window and hear His voice.  Open the window of prayer and invoke the presence of God into your world." Pg.1

For me, prayer is the way man communicates with God. But, it is only one of the ways God communicates with man. It is one of the windows. He may also speak to us through the words of a hymn, or a Bible passage, or the profound common wisdom of a friend, written or spoken. Sometimes through a child!

We hear the swoosh of the curtain, the creak of the sill and see the light piercing in - an answer, a comfort, a truth, or an admonishment that drops us to our knees.  But sometimes, if we listen carefully, communication from God comes in the still quiet voice while we are in prayer.  Answer put in our brains from what we know has to be an outside source. Maybe, it comes just as a warm, caring feeling that surrounds us in peace - perhaps that is all the answer we seek.

Maybe it would be best to define what prayer is. Google what is prayer? and you can get 68,200,000 responses. Don't have time to read them all? Don't worry. I didn't either. But I scanned quite a lot. Here are just a few:

Wordnet Web - the internet equivalent to Webster's Dictionary, states that it is the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving).

The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry website says this - "Prayer is the practice of the presence of God. It is the place where pride is abandoned, hope is lifted, and supplication is made."

The WebBible™ defines prayer this way: "Prayer is conversation with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him."

The Roman Catholic catechism says, "Prayer is a form of communication, a way of talking to God or to the saints."

The Greek Orthodox Church Archdiocese in America says, Prayer is the way to renewal and spiritual life. Prayer is aliveness to God. Prayer is strength, refreshment, and joy.

"Prayer makes your heart bigger until it is capable of containing the gift of God himself," writes Mother Teresa.

Prayer is obviously a conversation with God.  But not all conversations are meaningful. Some are gibberish. Some are filled with words and thoughts but have no structure, no meaning. Surely you have had conversations with people and not really felt involved. Most likely it was at a social gathering where