Date: May 9–15 [cite: 3]
Memory Verse: "People, trust God all the time. Tell him all your problems. God is our protection" (Psalm 62:8, ICB)[cite: 9].
Prayer serves as the unchanging connection between us and Jesus[cite: 17]. Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches[cite: 5, 17]. To grow spiritually, we must receive strength and "sap" from the Living Vine[cite: 18]. If we separate from Him, we lose our strength[cite: 18].
God always hears our prayers, though His answers may not always match our expectations[cite: 19]. He responds in His perfect time and way[cite: 20].
Elijah lived during the reign of King Ahab, a ruler who did many bad things that angered God[cite: 27, 28]. Although Elijah saw powerful victories, such as the challenge at Mount Carmel, he also experienced deep exhaustion and fear[cite: 29, 35].
Sometimes God answers with power, and other times we must trust His thoughts and plans, which are wiser than ours[cite: 41, 45].
The Bible encourages us to keep asking God for what we need (Matthew 7:7)[cite: 60]. Hannah is a prime example; she prayed persistently for a child, and God answered at the right time[cite: 63, 64].
Jesus' followers noticed that His prayers were honest and heartfelt, unlike the "showy" prayers of the religious leaders of that day[cite: 88, 89]. He taught them the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:5–15) as a model[cite: 84, 93]:
| Prayer Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "Our Father in heaven" | Honor your personal relationship with the Creator[cite: 93, 94]. |
| "Your kingdom come" | Praying for the Holy Spirit and Jesus' return[cite: 97, 98]. |
| "Give us our daily bread" | Asking for physical needs and spiritual food (the Bible)[cite: 102, 103]. |
| "Forgive us... as we forgive" | Confessing sins and letting go of hurts from others[cite: 104, 105]. |
Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:4–19 highlights essential elements we can include in our own conversations with God[cite: 120, 126]:
Why pray if God already knows everything? Prayer doesn't bring God down to us; it brings us up to Him[cite: 152]. It invites God to solve our problems and reminds us He is in control[cite: 154, 155].
How should we listen? We listen by reading the Bible as we pray[cite: 171]. We should fill our minds with its verses rather than just listening to our own thoughts[cite: 172, 173].
Rompas, a 16-year-old Maasai boy in Kenya, wanted to become a pastor and study at Bugema University[cite: 200, 204]. He needed 7,000 Kenyan shillings to travel and start school[cite: 207, 208].
While Rompas and his family were praying, a government leader named Alex knocked on the door[cite: 209, 210]. Alex asked what Rompas needed and immediately gave him 15,000 shillings—more than double what he had asked for[cite: 214, 215, 216]. Later, Alex provided enough money to pay for three years of university[cite: 220]. Today, Rompas is a pastor who has helped start six churches[cite: 221, 222].