It's great for you to be here this week! If you've been away from our Sunday morning get-togethers for a while, please take a few moments to catch up. Don't ever put off coming because you feel as though you're out of the loop... no such thing! The driving force behind this Update each week is to recount what's going on so everyone can feel some point of connection.

Guys Night THIS FRIDAY, November 12 at 6:30 pm. Bring a snack to share.

Ladies Night The third Wednesday of October is the 20th. Make your plans to spend an evening with the ladies of Life Answers ABF. RSVP

Last Sunday's ABF Recap - Spiritual Disciplines: Prayer
rg & tg

But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.
1 Timothy 4:7 (New American Standard Bible)

Prayer is a vital Spiritual Discipline, second only to the intake of God's Word. If we are to be like Jesus, we must pray. Knowing that without prayer we will lack Godliness, God expects us to pray, and what a great blessing it is to know that He hears every prayer of His children.

Do you pray more than or less than 7 minutes per day? If you're less than, you're part of the majority... the big majority. This, though, is neither what the LORD desires for us nor is it what He expects of us. So what can we do about it?

Matthew recounted Jesus' words for his disciples:

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 'This, then, is how you should pray...'

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

"And when you pray..." "...should always pray..." Notice the lack of...

• "...if you pray..."
• "...when you have time to pray..."
• "...some people find praying helpful..."

Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, told them to "devote [themselves] to prayer, being watchful and thankful," and he told the Thessalonians to "pray continually." It can be confusing to think that Paul meant to have our heads bowed and hands folded 24/7. But that's not the point. Marissa's group gave the analogy of breathing while we do other things, and the idea was spot-on. We breathe while we cook, clean, watch television, work, mow the lawn, etc., etc. Incorporating prayer, a conversation with God, into our lives is something that He wants for us.

What does it look like when we are devoted to something? Picture an Ohio State fan at a game dressed up in full Scarlet & Gray attire. When one is devoted to a thing, he/she makes it a priority and makes sacrifices for the priority.

If you're ever tempted to view prayer as more of an obligation than an opportunity, recall what we're told in Hebrews:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Finally, Paul told the Ephesians (and us by extension) to:

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

The context of this passage is Spiritual Warfare. Tony reminded us of our role in this Spiritual War. We are not Generals or Majors. We're foot soldiers. Communication between soldiers and their superiors is of vital importance. Something that cannot be lost in this concept and illustration is that when it comes to Generals and Privates, the Generals do most of the talking. In this way, listening to and for God is an important component of a Christian's prayer life.

This Week's Assignment: Commit a block of time to pray.
We'll talk more about prayer this coming week.

Around The Bend
What is Around The Bend? It's an opportunity to learn from the real-life experiences of a Christian couple who has been there. There's no need to feel isolated, like what is happening to you and your family is unique. Is it not God's design for us to learn from each other and to encourage each other? Instead of having a periodic "marriage series," we've set up a monthly schedule of welcoming "marriage veterans" to our ABF so that they can share their stories. The points of connection that have been made at previous Around The Bend mornings are the type of "coincidences" that only the LORD can arrange. On Sunday, November 21, Kris and Ann Jaenicke will join us.

Expect good things.

Have a great week. Send an encouraging e-mail (or Facebook message) to a friend.

RG