Welcome back to the Bible Cafe™ as we continue looking for How Many Promises Are in the Bible. In our fourth week of study, we learned about Prayers of Intercession and Prayers for Guidance. These prayers guide us to the promises. For this study, we are learning 200 promises and prayers of the Bible.

Which method do you use most often: prayers of intercession or prayers for guidance? Both. I pray intercessor prayers but need the guidance prayers so I know how and what to ASK for in those prayers. This is why we study the prayers and promises of the Bible. They work together.

The Bible says three things about coming boldly before the throne: We can come boldly to the throne because: of the finished work of Christ; we have Jesus who sympathizes with us, and we have been cleaned by the blood of Christ. I love that the door is opened by Christ! To honor Him is to enter that door, into the prayer room, and petition God without shame.

Think about someone you have authority over. What might happen if you “call down the presence of God on this person? Sometimes I will take a phone directory or contact lists, such as my kids’ teachers, or my coworkers when I worked in real estate. I would pray through the list of names, a few each day, for 40 days. Asking the Lord to bless these people with wisdom, kindness, and love.

The result of praying down the presence of God was not important to me. Because it is His work and His glory. In fact, I don’t need to see the result because that might lead me to pride. Instead, I do my part with obedience while God does His part, answering the prayer in His timing and His way! I am a small piece of the bigger puzzle.

God is listening to your words. God is watching you.

Knowing God is watching and listening makes me 100% comfortable. He’s a Father and these two actions would be part of His protection and correction. If He was not watching and listening, how would He give me wisdom? How would He guide my feet? How would he know when I needed green pastures of rest?

Perhaps as the study book author suggests,  we should pray with one eye on the past and one eye on the future. Then we are keeping our hearts on His faithfulness and holiness. As we encounter new seasons and struggles, the past helps us stand firm in affliction and praise the Helper.

This week I was reading my 2012 journal. In that PAST the Lord was showing me how He was present in my struggles, and how I remained faithful to Him.

Love needs both knowledge and discernment. We had some private and interesting conversations about this in our Zoom groups at Bible Cafe™ University this week. Discernment helps us to see God when our emotions (or advice from friends) are misleading us.

Remember, Gideon asks God for a sign.  We need to understand the difference between belief and unbelief, to understand why this is permissible. Unbelief is thinking God is not able to do something. Belief is knowing God is able. So Gideon was asking in belief, He knew God was able and wanted to fully obey the calling. It was not an act of disobedience to God.

When you pray for guidance from the Lord do you ask specific questions, or assume you heard the answer? Use discernment, make sure the answer is in alignment with Scripture, and decide to be still or move forward only as the Holy Spirit leads you,

How Many Promises Are in the Bible? Look in the back of your study book (page 321) and you’ll find an index with 200 prayers and promises. This is a handy list for your prayer journal or memory verses.

You can access the entire Prayers and Promises of the Bible course on-demand at Bible Cafe™ University.

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Christine Abraham writes for the Bible Cafe™ community. Learn about living by the Fruit of the Spirit as you enjoy her online Bible studies. Join Christine at the Bible Cafe™ University for weekly Bible teaching.