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Hello I posted this a few weeks ago but I was ignorant about where the proper place to post it was so I hope this is more apt. I hope someone on here can help me. In June I was diagnosed with an incurable disease and it has basically devastated every part of my life. I have put my life on pause for now as I am on a spiritual journey. My past consists of a very spirit filled family but much tragedy. My family used to consist of a pretty good number of people but because of disease many people died far too early. All of these tragedies happened before I was born but all of the miraculous events also happened before I was born. So the faith I have always had was more like "belief." Which consisted of the basics. Fast forward 25 years, I myself am a chemical engineer, so when I found out I was sick I intially turned to my mind and exhausted every possible option that mankind has to offer which left me back at square 1. I figured I was like the story of the guy who gets lost at sea and prays to God to save him, while a boat and a kayak come up to pull the guy out of the water, he says no no God will save me, he drowns, asks God why he didn't save him and God says, I tried. So I turned to God in September which was in the midst of what can only be described as the worst depression that you can imagine. I lost 30 pounds in a matter of a couple weeks, wasnt eating, was so anxious I couldnt sleep for days, I would pace like a lion at home, constant racing thoughts and I was so suicidal I thought of myself as too worthless to even kill myself, all I would be is a further burden. Fast forward a bit, saw a counselor which helped and started to meet with multiple religious figures and spiritual learders weekly. So I went further into it (faith). My prayer life started to increase and things, coincidences, which I hear don't exist with people of faith, started to happen regularly. Thankfully my family has ties to many still living spiritual people, one in particular, prayed for me and in the middle busted out in tongues which I had never experienced or heard before and he was the only person I had a physical manifestation from after his prayer, 5 or 6 surges, kind of like goosbumps, but very quickly all in a row. I had further medical testing done which could not pick up the previously detected disease, however still left room for error. I took to scripture as I did science, reading and researching, studying all I could. After enough preparation I performed a self-deliverance which rid me of all the voices and constant thoughts in my head. Which I was told sounds like a successful deliverance. I prayed, almost constantly, almost every waking moment of the day I was praying or studying scripture. "Things" really started to happen (which if anyone cares to know I'll post as a response I have a directive for right now). I had joined a bible study group and they had been pushing me to be baptized for weeks and weeks. I was resistant, I was still somewhat suicidal, and when I make a commitment to something as big as baptism I don't quit, and my battle wasnt that I could quit on God, but quit on life. I also wanted it to be genuine, I didn't want to feel like I was using God to get something, which I really was all in all, but I didnt want it to feel thag way. I eventually was baptized in late Oct/early Nov. I started to research about the gifts of the holy spirit, a hot topic I soon learned, not something openly talked about. I wanted these gifts, I coveted them. Not because I wanted more from God but because, - Im not acquainted with any of you but if you have ever had something happen to you that no one can do anything about, where divine intervantion is your only option, and don't say your grandma or even your kid was sick yadda yadda, I know these things are sad, but there js something different when it happens to you, something innately different. This caused me to change, my whole perspective on life, you appreciate anything and everything, I havent driven in my car with the music on in 6 months, so I can look outside, feel and smell the air, your desires, aspirations, goals, and dreams all change - but because I wanted to help people. My family had two miracles happen, both to people who sadly died of other things not too long after, but both were miraculously healed of things with no medical expliantion. I not only wanted to be healed but I wanted to spread the love and the possibilities and the power that is God. Just before thanksgiving I began speaking in tongues, so for all you doubters, its real, its not fake, and I have even recorded and looked up some phrases that I noticed I kept repeating, and they turned out to be real words in other languages. These languages changed, from Italian all the way to Japanese. Mind you all I speak is a little bit if German, and fluent English and pig latin....ha. I was practicing this daily, yes you can voluntarily do it, its some not power that takes over your body, I would do it and shortly after I would be exhausted no matter what time it was and I would have vivid dreams if I spoke in tongues before I fell asleep. For me to remember my dreams was highly unusual. Then I started to do it less and almost not at all last week. Then last Friday I decided to do it right before I went to sleep, I didnt do it for very long, just something quick and I ended up having the most intense dream I have ever had. A dream within a dream, which I have never had before, and it had the D....the devil in it. (A pretty detailed summary of that I also have if you're interested and I would be interested especially if someone on here has the ability to interpret dreams). So now what I wrote all of this for, I am looking for a legitimate, credible, person with the gift of healing. Not exactly found in the yellow pages. Don't direct me to any of these televangelists, Binny Hinn, and all his wannabees. These people are frauds, Matthew 10:8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Jesus was humble, he didn't broadcast his abilities, his apostles did, the believers did, and he didn't turn anyone away. I have found some in my couple months of searching. These are people you won't find on TV or on the news or in a legal investigation. These are humble quiet people in regular houses with no microphones, no radio stations, and lead the average life. The man who prayed over me believes he has the gift of healing. I found an elderly woman who has documented healings near me. I also found out about a lutheran pastor on the East coast after pulling my own pastor's teeth if he knew someone, apparently he knows another but this guy's job could be injeopardy if it got out. Apparently much of the modern church is against people being relieved of suffering at the hand of those blessed with spreading the work of God. I live in the Chicago suburbs, so in that general area would be nice, but this isnt just finding a good pizza place, this is to ascertain a miracle, I'll go anywhere. If you would need to contact me perosnally we can figure that out, not sure how lol, but I don't intend on having anyone's name blasted out who prefers privacy. Thank you for your time, this platform, and your help. God bless.

I'm going to be honest here. I've seen a number of prayers work miraculously. Some instantly and some over some hours or days. Then I've seen some prayers that seemed overly carnal to me in the first place and never seemed to work. Then I've seen some prayers that seem fairly spiritual and unselfish yet never seemed to work. Maybe they did but I just couldn't see the progress that was being made. My question is, how many of you have seen prayers that worked in obviously miraculous ways? How many of you honestly believe you have seen the power of God work through your own prayer or that of a man, woman or child you personally know? One man prayed for cancer to leave a boy and it left him the next morning. Doctors called it a "miracle". This man was a Pentecostal pastor and he literally said it was "the most faithless" "unbelieving" "prayer a pastor's ever prayed" and it seemed to work. This same pastor also spoke a miraculous word of knowledge over a deaf man and his daughter in Church. This BOOSTED his faith and he then confidently prayed to end his deafness but it didn't seem to work. Then the next morning the deaf man said he could hear and he heard birds chirping that morning for the first time in years (I think 10 years). Honestly I've seen most of these sorts of prayers over the net by people like Todd White, Pete Cabrera Jr., and Tom Loud. To me theirs are obviously real but I've seen some obvious fakes too (Benny Hinn and other "megachurch" preachers). I'm going to say I think the heart is more important than the prayer itself. I'm going to say the integrity of the heart is what determines whether the prayer is answered or not. Maybe, despite the pastor's experience, it really is as simple as "when you ask you must believe and not doubt". God answers some GOOD prayers but then denies other GOOD prayers. Has anyone else seen this? If so, why do you think that is?

Hello all, I am wondering if people have any good resources (and advice) on learning how to really pray well? I am realizing that first off, I am sure I don't pray enough. And I think part of why I don't pray enough, is that I often don't know how to pray or what to say, really. And then because of this, my first instinct (especially when something happens or my anxiety kicks in) is not necessarily to go to God. But I want it to be - I want to feel like my prayer is changing me and developing a relationship with God, and of course increasing my faith. So, I am looking for any good input, books, sermons online, other resources, that will help me both in effect learn how to pray and also help me to make it a habit, if that makes sense? Thoughts?

“I ought to pray more”. “I ought to do more exercise”. “I ought to eat healthier”. Is your inner monologue anything like this? If it is, there’s a good chance that you might be… a normal human being! I think we are all plagued with feelings of guilt and inadequacy, especially when it comes to our spiritual lives and exercise routines. However, Christ came to set us free. Free from guilt and regrets; he wants us to be joyful and light like little children, who can laugh and rejoice and feel thankful. How can we achieve this? I am no expert on the topic, but I wanted to share some reflections that have come to mind: Sing more! Even if you’re really bad at it, singing is good for your soul. We let go of tensions, we forget ourselves and our deep worries and we let the music take us. When we praise God with all our heart, mind and lungs, we focus on Him and His greatness, rather than on our own feelings of guilt and failure. Improve your body language Studies have shown that the position of our bodies has a massive impact on our mind and mood. There’s no need to feel uncomfortable or shy about standing up with your arms outstretched when praising God; it will lift your spirits to Him! If you don’t believe me, search for Amy Cuddy’s TED talk about this topic, it’s very impressive. Simplify your life Of course, this is easier said than done, but there is no other way. Finding more time to pray or exercise is not a matter of seeing how you can “fit it in” to your already busy schedule, you will only end up feeling frustrated and exhausted. Technology and entertainment can take up a massive amount of our time, and are often a waste of it. You may have to take some extreme measures, like trading in your smart phone for a Neolithic one or cancelling your subscription to Netflix, but whatever you feel led to do, be sure that the result will be FREEDOM; more free time without distractions, to be able to reconnect with God in prayer and with His Word. Don’t let the devil trap you with a false sense of guilt The devil wants to trap you in these feelings of inadequacy and guilt; he will sap you of all joy and lead you into self-doubt and recrimination. I was once told: “if you feel a general sense of un-ease and guilt, this is from the devil, whereas God will usually pin-point a specific sin you have committed, so that you can repent and be freed from it”. Of course it’s impossible to say if this is the case without lifting up all these feelings to God in prayer, but if you do find that after praying deeply and repenting you’re still weighed down with the same burden of shame and heaviness, it is not because God hasn’t forgiven you or that you don’t deserve His love. Many dedicated and faithful Christians suffer from anxiety and depression, this is not a sign of a lack of faith or sinfulness, it’s part of being a broken human being in a frail, mortal body. As Christians we shouldn’t shun modern medicine or psychology; admitting that we can’t control how we feel is a brave and important step and a sign of a humble attitude, and we know that: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)

This testimony is so inspiring and hopeful. No matter how far we fall into spiritual destitution – God can pick us up, breathe new life into us. Ateba Crocker was once a high paid escort but now she advocates for Christ. http://www.godfruits.com/13741/from-being-a-prostitute-to-being-a-professor-all-glory-to-god.php

Listening to these children’s prayer is absolutely beautiful. I encourage you to have your children watch this video with you. Today, children are bombarded by truth claimed by the media, teachers and friends. If you are not successful in teaching them that truth and wisdom come from the Bible, they will struggle greatly with faith challenges later. This means you must regularly include statements like the following in your conversation: “We can always trust what God says”; “God’s Word is always right”; “Obey the Bible, and you’ll never be sorry. http://www.godfruits.com/13535/these-childrens-prayer-will-completely-melt-your-heart.php

Should You Pray ? Why ? Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you (James 4:8) It is said that God knows knows what we want, need before we open our mouths to ask. He sees our hearts and knows our thoughts (Matthew 6:8). Why then do you need to pray ? Good question!! Here we will understand the values of Prayer, why you should cultivate a praying habit; - Prayer draws us close to God: God is interested in our innermost thoughts, because he wants us draw close to him. (Psalm 139:23,24; James 4:8). So Jesus encouraged his followers to pray even though the Father knows our needs. (Matthew 6:6-8) - Prayer reveals our true needs God does not necessarily need be reminded of your needs, only you need to show how truly you want something. We are likely gonna relent in praying about a trivial need. A constant prayer exposes a constant need. Worshippers today may have to persevere in prayer until they perceive God's response to their petitions.__Romans 12:12 - Prayer helps build confidence in God How many times have you prayed, thereafter your mind feel at rest, all worries gone. That is the power of prayer giving you assurance in God's faithfulness and clearing worries about your problems. -1 John 5:14 So next time you find yourself in doubt or worried, kindly pray.

I wanted to share with everyone just how important prayer is. I have started a new website that my prayer group work on praying for everyday. My website is not really getting anywhere so I will need people to like my facebook page. I pray that noone sees this as selling because our website is for praying not for profit. My vision is to be praying for our nation 1 person at a time. Please like us on facebook so that I can get the word out!!! We have a blog, poetry, and I will direct all of my traffic to this forum for people who want to discus prayer with others. I really hope and pray you guys can help me out.. not asking for money just support with a like on facebook. Here is my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/unitedchristianprayers

Jesus made this promise: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). There is only one part of this verse that most Christians really look at and that’s “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” I myself long ago wanted to treat God as if he was some magical genie who was there to give me everything I’ve ever wanted. The problem with that, is there’s another part of the verse that we must notice here. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you” The Greek word for abide is Thayer’s which is a strong word and means to remain, abide or not to depart. If we want to receive the life God calls us to have we must first remember to not depart from his ways. He makes us a pretty incredible offer here, but most of us choose to ignore following Jesus to focus on the desires of our flesh. The offer: you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you The terms: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you”

What scriptures mention things that could and will hinder the effectiveness of our prayers and relationship with God? I'm thinking right now of these three passages: Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he cannot hear. Psalm 24:3-5 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall recieve the blessing of the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. I'm sure there are many more scriptures along these lines in the Bible; please post if you think of some more.

In the OT, and maybe even in the NT, when sin became so abundant most God fearing people couldn't stand it, they would all start to cry out to God. Usually we'd read something like "the cries of my people have reached my ears". Something like that. As someone just reminded me homosexuals are here to stay. So is fornication and many other sins. I blame a lot of this on my generation, because I can remember when things were not so. But in my youth and foolishness, I thought things like porn was good. I especially remember when porn became available at a local video shop, which made it so easy to get. At the same time more and more pretty girls were doing porn, because us older men were accepting it. This was before I knew God, or before I took Him seriously, as I do now. Two years ago I was discussing homosexuality with a 33 year old friend I had. He was very disgusted by male homosexuality. I asked him, and what about girls on girls? His reply was female homosexuality was always accepted. I told him no, it wasn't. I told him my generation had a lot to do with making it accepted. But the point is, this 33 year old man didn't know Lesbianism wasn't always accepted. So I'm old enough to remember when no one was openly gay, and it was a better world. I remember when to see porn you had to go to a seedy movie theater in a seedy part of town. The world was better back then. People had emotional security, and teenagers didn't need psychotherapy because they think they're sick because they want to fall in love, get married only once, and have a few kids. I remember that world. It wasn't perfect, but it was better. So I'm asking for all God's people to cry out to Him until He answers us. I think the only answer can be the return of Jesus. Too many people no longer believe God is real, or if He is real, they think He's an impersonal energy force that doesn't care what we do. They think sin if a figment of man's imagination, created by men to control other men. I think the only thing that can change their minds is seeing Jesus and the Heavenly host up in the sky. So I say we should all pray and cry out like never before. We don't want to live in a world like this (I don't anyway) so please come back Lord Jesus. Now or as soon as You can get here. Amen

I am fasting tomorrow (Monday) for the elections. Please pray with me that our Father in heaven would bless us with a President and Congress with a heart for holiness and truth. Thank you and God bless you for your sacrifice.