On Aug 5, 2007, Brenda Goode said:

SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU... The problem with our prayer lives is that we get this command backwards, seeking the things instead of seeking the King. I am so in love with Jesus, so in awe of the Father, how can I not desire to speak with Him! I have seen God move powerfully in my life and in the lives of my family in answer to prayer, and I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit within me teaches me to pray according to God's will. The power of prayers is directly related to our relationship with Christ. It is Him we seek, and it is to His Word that we look to know how to pray for whatever it is we need. It is through faith in Him that we know our prayers are answered, because we know He hears us. Case in point: Last spring our oldest daughter sent the family a desparate emal...our granddaughter, a third-grader in Texas was miserably failing the practice Texas TAKS educational tests. Erin has had a history of reading problems, and if she couldn't pass these state tests, she couldn't promote to fourth grade. Melani's email said "Erin is READY for fourth grade!" So I replied to all that I would be fasting and praying for Erin as she took the test. No details, just the commitment. I had been reading Esther, and I felt the Spirit lead me to fast and pray for three days, as Esther had called on Israel to do -- oh, no, Lord three days? well, OKAY -- it turned out to be the easiest fast I've ever done. Later I found out that my daughter, her husband and my other two daughters had all picked up on this commitment and had also fasted for different time periods as they prayed for Erin. The test scores came a few weeks later along with my nine-year-old's thank you note which read, "92%! Dear Nana and Grandad, Thank you for praying for me to pass my TAKS test! God listened! 92%!!!!!! GOD IS GOOD! Love, Erin" That prayer was God-initiated in us that Erin might not only succeed in her testing, but that she would glorify God and see Him at work in her life. What a lesson for our family too! GOD IS GOOD! Time fails for me to tell all that God has done and is doing in my life through prayer. When I rise up early, sometimes I struggle to get awake, but He is so GOOD, I must. Yes, it is a sacrifice of my time, but nothing compared to His sacrifice that I might have this privilege. All is summed up in what happened tonite as I prayed with four of my grandchildren, putting them to bed...I had felt my normal prayers with them were too brief, too perfunctory, and I had been asking God to help me pray BETTER with them, and tonight I really focused on each of them, and prayed at length OUT LOUD for their individual needs and circumstances. I was nearing the end of the long prayer, but was still praying when the six-year-old said, Nana, I have something more I want to say to God (he had done his praying first with the others). Tyler said, "And THANK YOU GOD FOR DYING FOR US!" I finished my prayer with heart bursting. Oh, amen and amen, Dear Lord, my little grandson in the midst of my praying that God would heal his sister's swollen eye thought to THANK you for Your sacrifice! This is power in prayer, seeking Him and His will, His kingdom, and Him letting me see the answer to my prayers for my grandchildren to know Him. Oh, thank you, Father, for making it possible for us to come boldly to the throne of grace and to tarry there in Your presence! It is You we seek. In Christ's love, Brenda

---