Abundant Life Church
440 Furrows Road
Holbrook, New York 11741
Senior Pastor:
Gregory A. Wilk
General Info. 631-588-7704
Email: Welcome@
Spiritual Guidance
"The sheep are never so safe from the wolf as when they are near the shepherd." - Charles Spurgeon
Fast Facts: Although 90% of Americans say they pray (60% say they pray every day), the ways they pray vary significantly, according to pollster George Barna. Two out of three unchurched Americans (63%) pray regularly, but only one out of three (34%) is sure that praying makes any difference. In contrast, nearly 70% of the "born-again" respondents think God personally responds to their prayers.
Among those who pray:
* 95% express gratitude to God
* 76% ask God to forgive particular sins
* 61% make specific requests of God
* 12% pray in tongues
- National & International Religion Report
How is your prayer life? If you are like most of us, it has seasons, and sometimes lacks consistency. I cannot think of anything more important than intimacy with our Heavenly Father. "It is good to be near God." (Psalm 73:28) Nearly fourteen hundred verses in the Bible talk about prayer. A rich and fulfilling prayer life is essential to our spiritual growth.
1. Find Your Ideal Time. Are you a morning person or a night person? When are you most alert? "Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." (1 Peter 4:7) "Be faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12)
2. Isolate Yourself Somewhere Private, Quiet and without Distractions. "But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father." (Matthew 6:6) This will be your "refuge," your place of retreat.
3. Be Quiet and Listen. "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) Contemplate His presence. Take a moment to realize that Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, is waiting to hear from you! "God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer." (Psalm 66:19)
4. Talk with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. When you pray, to whom are you praying? Speak to all three members of the Trinity. Tell God you want to be His man. Tell Jesus you want to be more like Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with God's power. Ask Him to open your spiritual eyes to see and your spiritual ears to hear what God is saying.
5. Pray with A.C.T.S. - A.C.T.S. is an easy way to remember key elements of prayer. It's simply prayer in four parts:
Adoration - "Praise be to God!" (Psalm 68:35) Tell God how much you appreciate Him. Express your love for Him. Praise His power and majesty. This is a great way to begin your prayer time. "How awesome are your deeds!" (Psalm 66:3)
Confession - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Tell Him where you have fallen short. Be specific. I thank Him for the forgiveness I have in Christ, and ask for help and strength to turn away from future temptations.
Thanksgiving - Always "glorify him with thanksgiving" (Psalm 69:30) You have plenty of reasons to be thankful. Thank God for His love, His faithfulness, His patience and a million other things. Express gratitude for what He's doing in your life. Thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you. Thank the Holy Spirit for indwelling you, and never leaving. Thank Him for being your conscience, your counselor and that "still small voice."
Supplication - "Make your requests known to God." (Philippians 4:7) Tell God what you want, no matter how small it seems to you. Do you really think any of your requests are big to God the Creator? You should have lots of intercessory prayer here. Remember: you are committed to pray for pastor and the church every day.
