Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition [Paperback]

Louis Gifford Parkhurst (Author), L. G. Parkhurst Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

Pray more effectively and deepen your personal relationship with God by praying through Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition. The sixty short meditations will inspire your Quiet Time with God and provide a basis for discussion and prayer in your Bible Study or Prayer Group. Within thirty days, you can learn how to pray through and practice the Prayer Steps to Serenity as you: Discover Your Needs, Reach Beyond Yourself, Trust in God, Examine Your Life, Admit Your Mistakes, Transform Your Thinking, Remove Your Defects, Think of Others, Right Your Wrongs, Practice Doing Right, Pray to God, Seek to Serve.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. is the author of How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer and Prayer Steps to Serenity: The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition. Since 1989, he has written more than 800 Bible Lessons for The Oklahoman, Oklahoma's largest circulation newspaper. He is the compiler and editor of numerous prayer books; including, How to Pray in the Spirit from the works of John Bunyan, Answers to Prayer and Principles of Prayer from the works of Charles Finney, and The Believers Secret of Intercession from the works of Andrew Murray and Charles Spurgeon.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Source of All My Power

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.—John 15:5

Because of pride, we can proudly begin to think that we are making ourselves better and do not need anyone else. Yet, apart from God, we are powerless. Without God, we do not have the power to do anything good, either for others or ourselves. Without God, our weaknesses will always defeat us. In fact, apart from God, we only fight against God, others, and even ourselves. Without God’s help, we are unwilling to make the necessary and needed changes in our lives.

Jesus truly offers to change our lives and bless us when He promises, "apart from me you can do nothing." We need to remember that apart from Jesus, we cannot even pray or go to God for help. Apart from Jesus, we are not able to discern God’s purposes or receive the power to achieve God’s will for our lives.

Today, I have many good reasons to give thanks. For one, Jesus promises that when I come to Him, for Him to direct my life, He will unite himself with me. He will dwell within me and never leave me. I need to admit that I cannot manage every area of my life perfectly. In some areas, I just feel powerless to do the right thing, even when I know the right thing to do. When I ask Jesus to give me power to change so I can bless others, He will. Through daily prayer, meditation on the scriptures, and obedience, I can open my life to Him. Then, He will be able to live in me, to work in me, and to work through me each day—all day long. I may be powerless all by myself, but God’s power will work in me and through me.

I can have good reason for continuous joy and encouragement—the Lord Jesus can work in me! I need to remind myself daily that without God I am powerless. I need to depend on Him to care for me, and work through me all the day, one day at a time—sometimes moment-by-moment. Whenever I recall, "apart from Me, you can do nothing," I need to remember Jesus’ other promise, "The one who abides in Me bears much fruit." I want to start bearing much good fruit to bless the lives of others, especially those whose lives I have been hurting through my selfish or self-centered behavior. I will abide in Christ, and share His love with others. In Christ, I will bear much good fruit. I will believe His promises today.

Today’s Date:__________
Today’s Requests:
Answers to Prayer and Thanksgivings:

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Agion Press (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977805379
• ISBN-13: 978-0977805372
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,712,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My writing career began in the Spring of 1979, and I published my first book in 1980. Since 1989, I have written more than 800 weekly Bible Lessons for "The Oklahoman," Oklahoma's largest circulation daily newspaper.

As pastor of Stonegate Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, I enjoy preaching, teaching, and facilitating Serenity Groups. My most recent books are "Prayer Steps to Serenity: The Twelve Step Journey" and the new Finney's Principles Series book, "Principles of Righteousness".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pathway of Prayer, September 21, 2006

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D. Newton "mimidjn" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition (Paperback)

Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition takes the reader through steps from hopelessness to hope, identifying needs and the One who can supply the need. The lessons mirror a time when people who believed in God did not have volumns of instruction on walking with God, but walked with Him in the present moment.