As your new National Chaplain, I want to encourage each and every one of you to avail your prayer needs upon a wide audience of prayer warriors. Any requests that I receive are automatically forwarded to 70+ Chapter Chaplains and Prayer Warriors around the world who, in turn, forward each request to chapter members and prayer warriors within their circle of influence. God wants us to pray for each other, and, though it is a mystery how it works, He uses our prayers to accomplish His Will.

Does our praying really make a difference? The Biblical answer is yes. The difference prayer makes, though, is in us and in those around us, not in God, for God is immutable. God does answer prayer, but He answers in accord with His Will. Prayer is for our sakes, for it is through prayer that the believer is learning more about Himself through his lifeline to God. In this spiritual conduit of power he can better understand that the Lord is his only protector, foundation, strength and fortress. For it is in this conductor of prayer to God, that His will is revealed to His servants. It is how we consciously petition and receive power from on high, that we may live the life that God intends for us. The practice of petitionary prayer is very Biblical, and the truth of its efficacy is deeply rooted in the scriptures. God desires us to petition Him that we may grow in grace and communion with God, by our identification with Him. It instills God-consciousness in an individual, for an integral part of the purpose of prayer is to assist us in aligning ourselves with God's Will. In the act of repentance and petitionary prayer, God teaches us to submit to His will. The whole purpose of prayer is conformity with the Will of God, not the commanding of our own will in self-gratification.

So, final thoughts, send in those prayer requests but spend some time of your own praying about them. It's not only good for you, it's what our Father wants us to do.

Blessings,
JW "Bear" Gardner
National Chaplain
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