This is the Truth Network. Encouraging prayer. God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On Encouraging Prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray.
And now, here's James.
Well today I'm encouraging prayer. We're going to talk about how to pray when you really hardly know which way is up. And James, what a great topic for this time of year. Yeah. Yeah, it really is.
Rob. Yesterday it was Black Friday and uh We were on the road just coming back on a family trip and man, talk about craziness. You know, I thought about writing this talk while we were on the road and it just wasn't going to happen. Yeah, they're a lot of people traveling this weekend right now and I know the traffic is crazy and then in some cases the weather's crazy and so It makes it a combination punch for sure, but then Go ahead. I was just going to say, and then family, you know, it could be crazy.
And so I can relate to this which way is up. Yeah, yeah, you know, and and the thing about Black Friday too is that Here.
So many people are running after stuff, and you just think about Jesus' words. Because we all. Think about, oh, do I really need this? You know, should I get that? Do I have the money to get it?
And all of this really comes down to a hunger in our souls, doesn't it? And The greatest hunger in our souls is for the king of kings. And so. That's where we're going today, and just the absolute best. prayer.
that we can pray and and especially at this time of year, is just what you would call the Jesus. Prayer. And I love that prayer when everything is frazzled because all that you do. Is you just Pray his name. You just call on the name of Jesus.
Isn't that good? Oh, it it's it's Beyond Rich, and say, You made me remember a moment. And I didn't even know I was doing it. You know, that's the neat thing, is that the spirit sometimes just gives you the wisdom in the moment. And uh you know, and I was crushed between those two cars.
Um you know, back in nineteen ninety six and almost, you know, severed my left leg, the very words that came out of my mouth because I didn't I ta I didn't know which way was up. I I just called out, Jesus and The resulting miracles of a saved leg and a saved life, and all that he did in the midst of that will forever. Changed my life. And I didn't even think about it until you just said all you have to do is say Jesus. Yeah.
Now scripture tells us whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. There there's power in calling on his name. Absolutely have to recognize that. And it's such a beautiful thing to do, especially when you just don't know what to do. You just don't know what to pray, what words to pray.
And so you just Call on him. Yeah. That's so beautiful because You know, i in a way our desperation when we get to that point Where we know that we got nothing. And oh, do we need help? You know, he kind of has us just where he wants us.
Yeah, now you got it figured out, Robbie. That's right. And at this time of year as well, when we're so busy running after stuff, I mean, talk about the devil's bait and switch, right? Here. here we're to be celebrating the greatest gift ever given.
And we get distracted with with stuff. And Just to be able Yeah. Two. crawl back into that place. you know where where we can say oh there's nothing there's nothing there's wor worth more.
And then Jesus, then calling on his name, then then then You know, I mean, again, it's like coming back to Christmas, what it's all about, isn't it? Oh, absolutely. It j it just is. Uh The more, you know. you get that idea of it was the best of times, but it was the worst of times.
And it was it seems like in those worst of times that he gives us a special something at his name that we don't get any other way. Yeah. Yeah. And I really want to encourage our listeners to go there to just pray in Jesus' name. to pray his name before you put your head on the pillow at night to pray his name the first thing when you get up in the morning.
You know, just pray his name before each meal. Just, again, call on the name of Jesus when you're in the car. Traffic is a great trigger for me. Yeah. Just again, pray his name because the Jesus Prayer is.
powerful. Because he's powerful. And the more we call him to mind and to heart, the better off we are. Yeah, like he said in the Last Supper, do this in remembrance of me. The second you remember, oh, yeah.
I I I don't have this. I need Jesus. You know, the second you remember, it's really like repenting. like turning back towards home. Because he's there waiting for you like the prodigal father, just ready to give you a steak.
Well, and it's so simple and and it's so quick. And You know, again, it's about so much more than words. Oh, it is. And in the The amazing thing to me is that in Hebrew, Yeshua is salvation. And so so many times when they were calling out, Lord, I wait on your salvation, that was a common phrase that, you know, clear back to Abraham.
That When they said that, I'm waiting on Jesus because that's the way they would have said it. And it was fascinating that he built it into the equation that that's our salvation. He is his name. Yeah. Yeah.
And on that note, it's probably a good place to pray, isn't it? I couldn't agree more. Go ahead. Lord, I do thank you so much for this time of season, this time of the year, and for all of us that are struggling. As it does leave us in that place of knowing what else to do but to call on your name, Jesus.
I pray that you will remind us in that moment, oh, yeah. That Jesus prayer I heard about, an encouraging prayer. Remind us, Lord, that we might turn to you for that sweet place that only you have for us. even as we put our heads on our pillow tonight. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen. Take a map. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.
