2 • LivingLIFE Abundantly

From The Publisher • Hello friends,

Hello friends. Welcome to the third issue of Living Life Abundantly. I cannot tell you how excited I am to bring you the stories that are contained in it. The amazing story of Miracle Surgeon will, without a doubt move you beyond words. And, let me also say that Go Girls Ministry “Project Hope” is far from being a project. This team of dedicated women of God self-lessly and tirelessly serve Him by serving the families of critically ill children week after week. Truly inspiring!

One of the fulfilling rewards of being the publisher of LLA is seeing how God is working in the lives of people. I never know in great advance what story of God’s amazing love will be in the next issue but what I do know is God is moving in Sacramento. I am finding evidence of that in the people I meet who are so eager to share what God has done for them in hopes to inspire you or someone you know.

Please write to me and let me know your thoughts and suggestions. I also want to hear your God Love Story. God could use you to bring hope to someone you don’t even know. What a blessing! Until next time……Brightest Blessings.

LivingLIFE Abundantly Contributors

Ana BillingsleyPublisher • Senior Editor

Chandra has lived in the Greater Sacramento area for 15 years, with her husband of 18 years and her two daughters. She has served as an Elder at Church of the Harvest, in Citrus Heights, for 14 years, and in that time has been involved in various ares of ministry, including Counseling, Christian Education, Worship, and Pulpit Ministry. She has a strong desire to see the people of God realize their potential and find their place of service in the Kingdom of God.

Jessica is a full time English and journalism major as well as a full time worker. It has been her childhood dream in becoming a writer and hopes that her words will one day inspire others. She currently resides in Roseville, CA

Candace is a sophomore at Harvest Academy in Citrus Heights. From a young age it was evident that she had a strong interest in creative arts. As a budding photographer, she hopes to one day pursue a career in photography.

Jim is the graphic designer of LivingLIFE Abundantly as well as the advertising that appears in the magazine. A native of Sacramento, Jim is also a publisher of his own Magazine, MeowDigest as well as a published photographer. (Jim with his little sidekick Lil’ Bubba J)

Ana

Chandra JonesWriter • Editor Jessica Noelle Hayes

WriterCandace JonesPhotographer

Jim SterlingGraphicDesigner

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“You Go Girl”By Jessica Noelle Hayes

Cindy Costa is a woman who wows immediately upon meeting her. One can’t help but be mesmerized by the pink bubble that is her office. She is like Glinda from the wizard of OZ and just as sweet. She is as incredible as her story. She wears many hats but her favorite is “Go Girls Ministry,” the women’s ministry at Church of the Harvest, a non-profit ministry in Citrus Heights. Seven years ago this past April, Cindy and her team of “Go Girls” celebrated the birth of their women’s ministry, and what a journey it has been.

Cindy’s God-given desire to start this ministry began when her own daughter was in the hospital with appendicitis. Cindy watched as the other parents of sick children paced back and forth in distress, worry, and anxiety. She saw that some had nothing, and were neglecting their own needs in order to take care of their child. She shared that her most cherished moment in those days where when her husband arrived and she could take a few moments to herself and go to dinner. It was her time of peace within the chaos and her time to be stress-free and unwind.

She not only observed, but also experienced how uncomfortable being in that situation could be. It was in that exact situation, in October of 2007, that Cindy made a promise to God. She vowed, “God if you heal her (Cindy’s daughter),

I will come back into this hospital and bring hope.” She had prayed this prayer on a Thursday, after being in the hospital for almost a week, and by the next morning her daughter was discharged and ready to go home! She did not take her promise lightly. She had vowed to God that she would bring hope, and since that time, the hope she has brought has been immeasurable.

Thus began “Go Girls Ministry.” This is a ministry that is not limited to the four walls of the church. Cindy’s greatest desire was to be involved within the community, and just like Cindy promised to God, she went back into that hospital and brought hope to those who need it.

As a twelve-year-old girl, Cindy felt the desire and passion

to become a NICU nurse. She followed her passions into the medical field, but as an EMT she knew that working with children would be too difficult for her because she bonded to them too strongly. So she blocked that desire and followed it no further. After eleven years in the medical field, she felt the call of God to leave her medical career behind. God had a greater plan for her life! Cindy followed His will fervently and has never looked back!

Now, Cindy works full time within her church and gives tirelessly of her time and love to “Go Girls” and the parents and patients they serve. Every 2nd and last Tuesday of the month a group of around 4 “Go Girls” dress up in their hot pink shirts and, through Project Hope, bring comfort to the child patients, ages 0-18, that are in Sutter Memorial Hospital. They come

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hospital for her appendix, but also, two of her children were “preemies.” She took her own personal experience and let it drive her toward encouraging others.

If you would like to learn more about Project Hope and Go Girls Ministry, you can check them out on Facebook under “Go Girls Ministry. If you would like to help spread the hope, prayer is always appreciated! There is also an opportunity to be a monthly partner or a volunteer. If you would like to make a donation, they accept cash, check, gift cards, merchandise, or you can make an online donation at www.churchotharvest.com. Be sure to designate your gift to “Go Girls Ministry”.

They have asked for nothing, but greatly appreciate anything offered to help in the reaching of their goals. In order to help all of the families in need, the ministry hopes to one day receive $1,200 a month, 100% of which will go toward helping these families.

Cindy is a woman who made a promise to God and watched

Him grow it into something spectacular. She and the “Go Girls” have touched many people’s lives, brought hope, and watched the Lord create miracles daily. Even the cover story of this magazine, about Miracle and Bonnie, has been affected by the loving hearts of Cindy and the “Go Girls” Ministry. God can provide anything and everything that is needed, and as Cindy says, “God puts us in the right place at the right time.”

with prayer and warmth as well as blankets, food baskets, desserts, toiletries, etc., to meet the needs of these patients and their families. One of their food baskets has been specifically designed to feed the family of the child patient for a whole month, and the cost can add up to almost $200 per family. These women provide a whole four weeks of food for these families, which provides for them and eases their stress.

The women involved in Project Hope put such loving care into these baskets that they even coordinate the food and dessert to the current seasons. In the summer they bring the BBQ, during Thanksgiving, there is a whole feast of traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings! During Christmas they have a huge celebration of winter desserts, Christmas trees trimmings, and presents for EVERY child. No one misses out!

The whole point of Project Hope is to “give hope to the hopeless” with sincere conversations with the parents of the children. It can be as simple as talking about the weather or the color of the sky, but to these parents, who are daily stuck behind the walls of a hospital, it is such an encouragement. It also provides “real examples of real women dealing with real life issues, and trusting a real God. All subjects are open for discussion.” Some parents simply need to know they aren’t in this struggle all by themselves.

Cindy and her “Go Girls” have witnessed many miracles

during their visits twice a month for seven years. They have seen children healed, the power of prayer at work, parents saved by the grace of God, and so much more. They have seen hurting families cry out to God asking him why? and, How could this happen if God truly does exist? but these women, in their brightly colored pink shirts, come to offer hope. One parent explained that she knew for sure there was a God when one of these pretty in pink ladies offered her something as simple as a cupcake. To that mom, a cupcake was a miracle.

To Cindy, seeing a baby boy, who had a very low percentage of surviving to the age of one, turn three years old, and be beautiful and healthy is also such a mighty miracle. These are the things that these women often witness. “We walk this journey with our patients.” They get the opportunity to build real relationships with those whose hospital stay is prolonged or repeated.

The gifts that these “Go Girls” bring are not solely for those parents experiencing the depression of their hospital stay, but also for the staff that works there. Cindy makes sure that everyone she comes in contact with receives something special. Again, no one is left out! She will feed anyone who needs food, even if they are capable of doing it themselves.

Cindy has seen how the Lord’s plans are so much greater

and miraculous than she could ever have imagined, even in her personal life. Her dreams as a twelve year old girl, to work with sick children, seemed too much for her while in the medical field. Yet, that passion was given to her by God and He gave her the opportunity to live out her dream in an unexpected way. He provided a way for her to live her passion and be fulfilled. Cindy knows how to encourage the families, children, and staff of the hospitals she visits because she has lived each of those situations. She once was part of a hospital staff and remembers the stress it brings, as well as the wear of being a mom with a child in the hospital. Not only was her youngest daughter in the

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My writing and speaking is all about proclaiming the Lord’s favor upon His people, comforting all who mourn and encour-aging them to know there is a loving God who cares for them. He has a crown of salvation, beauty and joy for us!

Noteworthy Quote:Fire is refining when used by God, our Fire King. Mostly, fire is the degree and passion with which God loves us. He loves us with an intense, red-hot, fiery heart; so much so that He never stops thinking about us. He loves us too much to leave us where we are.

In this book as you go through your fiery trials you will learn:

• What your primary suffering personality style is so you can be more aware of your emotional tendencies and reactions. • How the Holy Spirit pours out His faithful love and comfort. • His great fire suppressant gel called grace can pull you through any charred situation!

Holly LaChappell is a speaker, author and educator. She and her husband Jeff just completed the 24 hour Agony Bike ride in the Sierras. This is a benefit for Christian Encounters Ministry. They have been helping restore youth for the past 30 years. She also serves as a volunteer lay counselor at Anew Day in Grass Valley, CA.

She can be reached for any speaking engagement at (530) 272-3262 or email: Holly@heartforthe-cross.com Find her books on www.amazon.com

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has

sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners”

(Isa. 61:1).

The Lord has awakened me in the early, still quiet morning whispering, “I want you to write for me. I want you to speak for me.” I was afraid; actually terrified because I knew I would be getting out of my comfort zone in a really big way. At the time, I was an elementary school teacher. Growing up in an alcoholic home, I had low self-esteem and felt no one would want to lis-ten to what I had to say, let alone what God had to teach them.

God proved Himself faithfully to me. He showed me how my life experiences of being a business owner and a teacher/trainer in my home based business added up to all the experi-ence I needed. Plus, I have His great love, strength and encour-agement poured out into my heart through the amazing power of the Holy Spirit. So, I stepped out in faith and answered His call on my life.

This journey of writing and speaking Jesus’ transformational heart healing and love began six years ago. Since this time, I have been so blessed to write three books with two more on the way. My first book really was a result of my morning journaling with the Lord. It is titled, “Flowers of Grace: Discovering God’s Lavish Love and Extravagant Promises.” I feel the premise of this book is we can have great hope, joy and peace knowing the promises of God’s love through the Bible. I believe our identity is to be truly rooted in His great love for us. Once we start to really understand this, the world’s ideas and standards do not matter anymore. I sure wish I had learned this great truth in my early teen years!

My second book is titled “Reigning Fire: Discovering Holy Spirit Grace and Hope in Your Fiery Trials.” In this book I actual-ly give twelve good purposes for going through your pain. I have incorporated fire terms throughout to help us understand our fiery trials.

In our sufferings, we have a decision to make: do we surren-der in our pain to His love or go our own way? I really believe if we know that something good can come out of our sufferings and God is with us, then we can not only survive, but thrive! He lovingly covers us in His fire suppressant gel called grace! The cross and Jesus’ suffering reminds us we can go the distance with Him. At the end of each chapter is a short bible study with a personal reflection so you can apply what God is teaching you during your suffering time. I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to lead the men at Teen Challenge through this bible study over the past five months as well as teaching a few chap-ters to the teens at the Sacramento Youth Detention center.

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In 1973, when Bonnie, a former foster child, and an unwed mother, first turned her heart from a life of loneliness to the refreshing acceptance of Jesus

Christ, she had no idea what the future would hold for her. Little did she know that she would marry Leon Surgeon, a man she had barely known 3 weeks, and that they would have a long and happy marriage. She also didn’t realize that God would use them to do something big for somebody else. But today, she and her husband, Leon, have become the love of Jesus, and a home of refuge, to their 5 grandchildren.

Tears glisten in her eyes as she shares how she and her husband battled in family court, for 4 long years, to win custody of their son & daughter-in-law’s children. They chose this path because each of their grandchildren have physical and emotional issues, ranging from moderate to severe, due to their parents’ battle with drug addiction and alcoholism. She says, “Meth is a very evil drug, and we see the effects of it every day!”

Bonnie did not want to see her grandchildren grow up in foster homes like she did. She and Leon knew that if these children were to have a fighting chance at a life worth living, they would need heroes to rescue them, and they would need to know the love of Jesus Christ. So they decided to give them both. The children range in age from 22 months to 14 years old, and Bonnie and Leon are now their legal guardians, and have been since March of 2012.

Our story focuses on the 5 year old of the family, little Miracle Joy. She was born at 23 weeks gestation, and weighed 1 pound and 12 ounces. Since her mom refused to call 911, Miracle was actually born in the van on their way to the hospital. When Bonnie arrived, just hours after Miracle’s birth, the hospital staff told her to go ahead and touch her and hold her, and told them to be sure to take lots of pictures. It was obvious that they expected her to eventually succumb to her dire situation, and pass from this life.

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If her premature birth, her extremely low birth weight, and unsanitary birth conditions were not enough to convince everyone that Miracle would not be long in this life, she also had a level 4 cerebral hemorrhage at birth, which is the worst form, and usually causes death. These circumstances would be daunting to the strongest of people, but never underestimate the power of a praying grandmother!

Miracle spent the first 129 days of her life in the NICU of Sutter Memorial Hospital. Bonnie would go in every day and sit with her, pray with her, hold her and sing “Jesus Loves Me.” The nurses would ask Bonnie if she was OK, and she would reply, “We are just having our prayer time!” What she was doing was building a foundation of Faith! The baby’s name, Miracle Joy, was chosen, on purpose, to usher in the plan of God for her life!

When Miracle left the hospital, after 129 days, the prognosis was very grim. Her doctors predicted that she would be a severely handicapped child: she would be blind, deaf, and in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. But Miracle far surpassed every prediction made by man, and none of them came to pass! Bonnie attributes Miracle’s “miracle” to the awesome power of God! She says they prayed, God told them what to do for her, and they obeyed. It’s as simple as that!

Understand, however, that receiving a miracle did not mean that there was not plenty of hard work ahead! There were too many procedures and therapy sessions to count. Bonnie says they worked with her at home even more than they did at therapy. They continuously challenged her to reach new goals – even those that seemed impossible – but she far surpassed any and all challenges they put before her. She continued to grow, develop, and improve. Bonnie states that it’s Miracle’s “I CAN” attitude that caused her to excel.

You see, Bonnie and Leon have never allowed the children to say “I can’t. They have always encouraged them to at least try whatever is before them. Bonnie says, “When you say ‘I can’t’ you have already defeated yourself!” and they REFUSED to allow these children to be defeated! She

emphatically states that God’s plan for these children is to be “productive! They will feel worthy, and they will know that they are way better than the life they would’ve had otherwise!” When presented with the idea that what she and her husband are doing to save the lives of these children is heroic, Bonnie simply says, “we’re only doing what we feel God would have us do.”

Keeping the Faith through adversity is not a foreign concept for this family, and they had to draw on that strength, recently, when Miracle was faced with another severe battle with her physical issues, which include Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus, and Epilepsy. Bonnie had planned to pull Miracle out of Head Start, in April, so she could have her annual MRI to check the shunt that had been inserted into her brain at birth. She would have been out of school for only two weeks, but that plan never came to pass.

On February 14, 2014, Miracle had a seizure at school. When Bonnie called to report this to the neurosurgeon, she also reported that Miracle had been experiencing pain in her head and in her stomach, along with elevated temperatures. The doctor attributed these symptoms to normal Cerebral Palsy symptoms, and did not seem too concerned. However, the next day, Miracle had a massive seizure. She was transported by ambulance to Sutter Memorial Hospital, where her seizure lasted more than 2 hours! But, after 3 days in the hospital, she was sent home, where for the next 3 days, she slept almost constantly, continued to have high fevers, and finally, she had another seizure. Back to the

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hospital they went.

It was clear to see that something was desperately wrong! When Miracle had to be admitted into the ICU, the doctor decided to perform a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Tap of the shunt in her head, to drain the fluid and relieve the pressure. What they actually found was horrifying! The shunt was completely contaminated with Enterococcus bacteria, which is deadly to humans! This bacterium was the culprit causing the pain in her head. Further testing showed that the drain tube, going from the shunt in her head to her stomach, had punctured the bowel and caused a pseudo cyst the size of a softball, with 2 smaller cysts growing off to the side, which was the cause of her stomach pain.

This discovery caused a flurry of activity, which included a total of 7 brain surgeries for Miracle in two month’s time! She turned 5 years old on April 6th, and on April 7th, she had her first brain surgery, to remove the contaminated shunt from her brain. Between then and May 20th, she would have 6 more surgeries to try and repair the damage done by that deadly bacteria.

After one of the surgeries, Miracle was sent home to recover, but she began to worsen, and was rushed back to the hospital. Bonnie gathered her close and began to carry her toward the entrance. About half way across the parking lot, Miracle lost consciousness. That night, she had a seizure that lasted more than 6 hours!

Sitting beside Miracle’s bed that night, in her darkest hour, Bonnie tried to remember some scriptures that would bring her comfort and peace. But, all she could think of was the story in Matthew 26 where Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and He asked his disciples to watch and pray with Him. When He found them sleeping, He said, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?”

Bonnie remembers that this story resonated within her, and she KNEW that this was her watch, and as tired as she was, she knew God wanted her to stay awake, keep watch, and pray, so she obeyed! She did not go to sleep! As Miracle continued to convulse, there was a terrifying moment when Bonnie heard the “death gurgle” coming from Miracle! She says she screamed so loud! She sounded the alarm and the medical staff came in and gave Miracle some medicine, and began to prepare her for another surgery.

Bonnie knows that, had she not been obedient, had she given in to exhaustion, had she fallen asleep, Miracle would’ve passed from this life, in that moment, and Heaven would’ve had a new angel. “But, I didn’t fall asleep on my watch!” she cries. “God gave me that little girl to take care of! She’s my life, and I wasn’t going to fall asleep on my watch! I knew Jesus wanted me to stay awake!”

Miracle had emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in her brain, and to insert a new shunt and drainage tube. She remained unconscious for 2 ½ days. When she finally woke up, she could no longer see. Although Bonnie admits that this was never what she wanted for Miracle, she also admits that that little girl sees more than most sighted people! Miracle has been known to sit with mothers of other sick children and pray with them, holding their hands…while

still in the hospital herself! Blind and sick, she reaches out to those around her and draws them in!

Even lab technicians and janitors at the hospital know Miracle Joy Surgeon! Her smile is most precious, and her attitude is absolutely amazing. Where you might expect bitterness, anger, regret and frustration, all you get is pure Joy! When she sits by you, she snuggles up close, and she becomes your best little girl, and when you leave, she keeps a piece of your heart, and you are forever changed!

“Without God, I would not have made it through! And that baby girl, right there, she renews my faith in God!” Bonnie says that on her darkest day, God sent a couple of ladies from Project Hope to lift her up and encourage her. Pastor Cindy Costa and Lisa Doyle are part of the Go Girls Ministry from Church of the Harvest in Citrus Heights. He sent them to Bonnie when she needed someone to hold her up! They brought peace, love, and Hope, and helped her make it another day!

Bonnie also finds encouragement and strength in the little things that Miracle says on a daily basis. Things like, “Jesus lives in my heart!” “Jesus is in my head, my heart, and my stomach!” As she smiles mischievously, she looks up, and you would swear she is not blind, but looking right at you as she says, “Do you know who my very best mates are? God and Jesus!” She is so pure, so innocent, and so full of the joy of the Lord!

You may wonder how Bonnie was able to be so strong

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through all of this adversity and uncertainty. To you, she would say, “There is a saying: Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I just follow His will, and He makes sure the way is there!” “Everything God has lain on my heart to do, I have done it! I’m just doing what He wants me to do!”

She had to. It was her only option. Her hope was not in the doctors, because there were many times along

the way that the doctor’s guess was incorrect. She says, “The neurosurgeon told me that there were at least 3 times, between the beginning of April and the end of May, that he KNEW Miracle was going to be his dead patient this year…BUT, GOD! And that’s what I told him…BUT, GOD!” To this, he replied, “Grandma, you’ve always been a woman of faith, and that faith didn’t fail you this time either!” You see, this neurosurgeon was the same one that treated Miracle at birth, and he had seen the power of a praying grandmother once before. Disease and death may have tried to conquer, But, God Brought A Miracle!

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12 • LivingLIFE Abundantly

Ten Good Tips on Packing Lunches for Your Kids Chef Jan •Catering By Design

As a caterer, I love to cook

and add new trendy ingredients but when it comes to preparing foods for children, I have think foremost, keep it simple. A couple tricks for a limited palate- make it interesting and colorful. For school lunches, invest in an easy to clean lunch sack that has a frozen blue ice, along with a simple to open and clean water bottle. Let your child pick out their sack and water bottle with their favorite colors, patterns and characters.

Get your kids involved in making their own lunch list preferences. Put it on the bulletin board and adjust it when a new idea comes up.

• Explain why you must Include the 4 food Groups: Grains, Fruits & Vegetables, Dairy and Protein.

• Get some small containers. Fill it with things that can

be spread on like nut butters (sunflower seed butter for nut-free environments), cream cheese, hummus, tuna fish or chicken salad and then put in the crackers, celery sticks, carrot chips, pretzels and other finger foods such as whole olives, pickles.

• Take cookie cutters and cut breads, sliced cheese, sliced turkey. Make it fun!

• Try using a plain low-fat yogurt or ricotta cheese instead of mayonnaise to mix with tuna fish, chicken or deviled eggs

• Prepackaged: Puddings, Fruit Cups, Apple Slices and Yogurts are good for a quick add in.

• Include fresh fruit -make sure it is not bruised. Grapes are easy and available year round. Familiarize your child with seasonal fruit that grows locally. Children love anticipation and celebration, fruits and vegetables provide this in natural ways.

• Plant a small garden with your child. Including easy to pick and pack items such as cherry tomatoes, green peas, and strawberries. Produce become extra special when they are grown and harvested at home.

• A container with homemade snack mix- corn Chex, nuts, pretzels, raisins, dried cranberries and M&M’s can go a long way and are lot healthier than potato chips. You can make a larger batch to have available for after school snacks. When you plan ahead it is easier to watch for high fats, sodium and hidden sugars.

• Include milk and encourage filtered drinking water instead of juice/soda.

• Start good habits early.

For more healthy ideas and a printout please visit my website at www.CateringByDesignRocklin.com or feel free to call me. Chef Jan 916-792-6485

Chef Jan has been in the food industry for over twenty years. She studied dietetics but found she preferred the creative side of cooking and has really found her passion and strengths were in catering for private and corporate events.

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Bible Minutes - Types of PrayerPerhaps the most common type of private praying is the whispered or mental prayer.Prayers do not have to be spoken.

• Consider the Book of Psalms. Randomly select a Psalm. Think about whether this Psalm is a “private” prayer and wheth-er it was meant to prayed by the reader. Give reasons: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• The Book of Psalms is generally considered to be a collection of prayers to be sung. Singing prayers is a legitimate way to pray. Singing prayers engages the prayer’s heart and mind. It also helps the pray-er to recall God’s faithfulness and presence at those times when praying is difficult. The next time you find it hard to pray and you’re alone, try singing your prayers.

• Another great way to pray is by writing. Some refer to this type of prayer as “Prayer-Journaling”. The next you find it difficult to speak your prayers, try writing a daily prayer down in a Prayer-Journal.

• Writing your prayers down also has the added benefit of having a record to which you can refer back to when your prayer is answered.

• Some scholars regard Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians as a written prayer. Can you see why they might think that? Could you give an example of what Paul prayed for for the Ephesians? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Some believers have found great comfort and strength from reciting prayers. Repeating prayers is however seen by some as pointless because God doesn’t forget what we pray so why keep praying the same thing?

• Read Matthew 26:40-44. What do we learn about praying from the Master of Prayer in this passage? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Some of the prayers of famous past Christians have been recited by other Christians down through the centuries. Do you know of any of these type of prayers? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• While there is great benefit to gained from praying prepared prayers, there is the need for each of us to develop sponta-neous prayers.

• Consider the prayer of Nehemiah 1:4-11. Do you think this prayer was spontaneous? Did Nehemiah intend for this to be a private prayer? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________• How is this prayer of Nehemiah (1:4-11) different to his prayer in Nehemiah 2:4?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________• When praying privately you have the wonderful privilege of being able to pray unscripted, spontaneous prayers. You can pray at any time, from your heart, using words that you might not otherwise use in public because they are too personal. Spontaneous prayers don’t have to be long. These spontaneous prayers might be just two words! Like, “God, help!”

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