Acts 20:36, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

I wonder what type of a prayer that must have been. Not that because Paul was involved this prayer was somehow better than most "ordinary" prayers, but there are those times where you are gathered with people important to you, or who you've never met before, or all alone, or etc, etc, etc, and God's Spirit just fills those involved and a very special time of prayer begins.

Sometimes a prayer begins as one to remember, and sometimes with a hesitant start those praying seek after the Spirit for their time of prayer and the Spirit comes and fills their willing hearts with words of rejoicing and revelation of those things that should be prayed for.

Since first taking part in the IGNITE365 program more than 9 months ago I have developed a true love for prayer and discovered the joys of truly and passionately taking the time to commune with God throughout the day. Whereas before I, while knowing the importance of prayer, could not personally say that I understood those who talked or wrote about passionate time spent on fallen knees.

God has grown me so much in my prayer life over the past several months, but I don't want to ever say, "I've grown enough." If I did, that would simply be a sign of how much more growing I truly need.

I love prayer. However, I want to be someone who will take the initiative to pray and bring everything to the Lord, not only alone, but also with others.

Coming to the ranch for this month of reentry our group put together a list of commitments that we were making for our time here. One of them included time each week for group prayer and at least two times a week spent praying with a prayer partner. I will be switching my bracelet back and forth between wrists as a reminder everyday to go to my partner for time spent in prayer and supplication, but also with thanksgiving spending time just worshiping and appreciating the God who made us and saved us and adopted us as sons that we might come to him in prayer and faith knowing that he will listen.

More than this, I want to use this discipline to create the habit in me of taking everything before God with my brothers and sisters with Christ in corporate prayer. Whether this means instigating prayer among a large group, just between myself and two or three friends, or even with someone who before I had never met but can hope to one day know more fully with Christ Jesus our Lord after his coming or in heaven should he tarry.

Lord fill my life with prayer.
Give me the strength to always be seeking after you.
Change my focus to the things above and on your power in every trial and circumstance.
My Lord and Jesus,
Brother, Priest and King,
My life,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Thank you.

Let your love shine in me.

From Olivia's study: "I suppose prayer really is just talking to yourself when there's no faith behind it."

Today I would like to share Michelle's study in full.

Written April 10, 2012

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Break my heart for prayer
Break my heart for yours
For the children that are crying
For the people all alone

For a world lost to darkness and calling out for light
Needing you and never knowing what it means to cry

Reaching out for anything they think might satisfy an aimless soul

For love and riches with deceit
The efforts of dark and empty souls

Break my heart in a new way
Break my heart as you never have before
Break my heart for those things that God have broken yours

Reveal your son
Reveal you light
Pour out your love on the world through my willing contrite life

God open up your floodgates
And let your mercies pour forth
Reveal yourself to a lost and fallen people
Show us love

Open my heart God
As Christ opened his and bled for yours