by Pam Geib
Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).
Many years ago in the early days of homeschooling, my children I attended a CHEA Annual Convention at the Disneyland® Hotel. I was blessed to attend workshops given by Emilie Barnes. She revolutionized how I pray. Emilie set before us a model. First she gave us a lesson in how to pray.
These are the Scriptures she gave us:
- He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed (Luke 22:41-42).
- But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matt. 6:5-7).
- Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Matt. 7:7-8).
These were the Scriptures she gave us to begin. Obviously these are not all the scriptures in the Bible that refer to prayer and if you look them up they continue on in discussion about prayer. I encourage you to read the entire context. Then she gave us the acronym of A.C.T.S. A standing for Adore God, C standing for Confess to God, T standing for Thank God for everything, and S standing for Supplication–submission unto God.
Next she asked us to make a list of our prayer needs. Here are some that I listed that day:
- Family (children, in-laws, parents, etc.)
Friends, church and church family/friends, country (including state and national leaders)- School
- Husband
- Missionaries
- self
She suggested we assign each of these to a day of the week Monday through Friday. I immediately went home and set up a notebook for each day of the week (resting on Sunday and recognizing I would be praying in church on Sunday). Then I assigned my list in the order of priority as I saw it:
- Monday–my husband,
- Tuesday–my children and extended family,
- Wednesday–friends,
- Thursday–my church and church family/friends, missionaries, and our country and leaders,
- Friday–homeschool, and
- last of all Saturday–myself.
Emilie suggested we place our prayer notebooks in a basket with our Bibles and perhaps a small flower arrangement so it might catch our eye and draw us to it. I have had many different baskets and locations for my notebook and Bible over the years (and frankly I never once put a flower in it). I also personalized my notebook entries a little by adding the use of folding the prayer in half and writing Prayer on one column and Answer on the other column. I also date both the prayers and the answers. It gives me a great sense of how timely those answers are.
My Friday “school” section is divided into the following:
- Our homeschool needs,
- Support group,
- Family Protection Ministries,
- Christian Home Educators Association of California,
- and Home School Legal Defense Association.
Each organization will list from time to time their Board of Directors and specific prayer needs (CHEA has a prayer day each 10th of the month and they send me a list to pray about). CHEA Prayer Partners.
Recently I was challenged in my thinking about this day of prayer. What if each homesc
“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:13-16). (emphasis added)hooling family in California committed to praying at least once a week for the organizations that have done so much for them? Think of the impact that committed prayer would have?
Chuck and Pam Geib have been involved in home education since 1985. First they were involved by homeschooling their two youngest sons. They also served on many home education leadership boards throughout California. They are now grandparents to seven spectacular grandchildren whose parents are homeschooling them. Chuck and Pam are always honored to speak to groups and/or individuals when requested. Currently they serve on CHEA’s Regional Advisory Board.