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Transforming Prayers

Bong Baylon

Everything else that we have talked about so far in this series is really about preparing for this last topic. This is really the most important question: How do we pray Transforming Prayers? Prayer is part of the classical disciplines of the Christian church. It is essential to our identity. But not everyone knows how to pray in this way. Often our prayers fall short of actually transforming us, other people, or even the world we live in. In other words, we pray only as needed or when there are emergencies, but not for transformation.

Purpose of Prayer

May 22, 2022 • Bong Baylon

What is our purpose when we pray? Is it simply to ask God for the things that we need? Is it just to intercede for the needs of others? If we don't understand the real purpose of prayer, we will either do it or not do it for the wrong reasons. If we're doing it for the wrong reasons, we will become self-righteous. If we're not doing it for the wrong reasons, we will only feel guilty and ashamed. Either way, we are missing out on the true purpose of prayer.

Unanswered Prayers

May 15, 2022 • Bong Baylon

Even if we overcome all the hindrances to prayer, there is one that almost always discourages people from praying -- unanswered prayers! How do we deal with that problem? Let us assume that someone prays sincerely and fervently, but God does not answer. Or, it takes a long time. Sometimes the answer is even different or it's totally opposite to what he or she prayed for. What then? This experience can be very discouraging and disorienting. No wonder some people stop praying altogether. How can we overcome this problem?

Hindrances to Prayer

May 8, 2022 • Bong Baylon

It is not easy to pray. All of us struggle in this area. We know we need to pray but something or someone always hinders us. Sometimes, it's even us! The apostle Peter says, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray." (1 Peter 4:7) It's important to understand these hindrances so that by God's grace we can overcome them.