The Time Is Now - Developing A Lifestyle Of Prayer

3. Unity toppedjesus'prayer request list Oohn 17:11, 20-21). How would greater unity in your relationships be a blessing to you?

Notice that Jesus made unity within the Trinity the standard for believers as well. How can people ever become as unified as the Godhead? Only through prayer and God's resultant blessing.

4. Now turn to Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32. Notice in 2:42 the devotion to praye1: Describe this community in your own words.

C. Prayer deepens your relationship with God, enhancing the power of His presence in your life. When I was twelve, my Uncle Bill, whom I had never met, vis­ ited my family. One day early in his visit, he beckoned me and handed me a nickel. Being a well-mannered young man, I thanked him and moved on. A little later, he handed me another nickel. I then noticed that his pocket was full of the coins. In 1960, a nickel was worth much more than it is today, especially to a twelve-yeat '- old boy! Soon I worked up the courage to ask my uncle for a nickel. My mother was on me in an instant. But Uncle Bill interrupted her lecture about manners. He pulled me over and said, "Dee, you ask me for a nickel any time you want." So I did! At first I politely spaced my requests out over reasonable intervals, which became shorter as my cash account increased. I took sudden interest in everything Uncle Bill did. Where he sat, I sat. When he watched TV, I watched. When he went for a walk, I went too. A couple days later, I worked up the nerve to say, "Uncle Bill, I have an idea. This is going to save you a lot of time. How about just giving me all your nickels now; so I won't have to keep bothering you?" But Uncle Bill said, "You know, one reason I came was to spend time with you kids. Now, I know how boys are. You don't have time for your old Uncle Bill, so I came up with this plan to bribe you into spending time with me. If I gave you all the nickels now, I wouldn't see you again. I'll keep the nickels. You keep asking as often as you want, and I'll keep giving them to you." I got a lot of nickels during that visit. I also gained a valuable relationship with an uncle that I would never othe1wise have known as well. Similarly, God calls us to frequent, increasingly intimate conversation, so that He might pour out more blessing into our lives. Now, if I were God, I would have designed a more prac-