The S.I.S.T.A.H.S. Ministry International

Have you ever watched a talented mechanic or craftsman work? He always has the right tool. You or I might strain to reach underneath an engine or struggle with pliers to put together some little piece of furniture. But for a master mechanic or trained craftsman, it seems that no problem is too great. The mechanic whips out a long instrument that has a ratchet on the end, slithers it up through the crowded engine compartment, and has a blot out in seconds. A craftsman can affix the perfect-sized screwdriver head to an electric drill and assemble a complex-looking bookcase in minutes. If you talk to these people, they will always tell you that it is critical to use the right tool. A screw won't come off easily with pliers-if at all, and you can't drive in a nail with a screwdriver.

A failure to understand that there are different kinds of prayer and that they don't all do the same thing has led some ministers to claim we cannot pray correctly at all, or to conclude each prayer with "if it be Thy will." They frequently use Romans 8:26 as a proof text to show that we do not know what we need, so, in essence, we can't possibly pray correctly: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. --Romans 8:26

It helps to know from the outset what the different prayer tools are-to know a ratchet from a screwdriver, as it were, in the realm of prayer. We have no problem understanding that baseball, basketball, and soccer all have different types of balls, different playing surfaces, and different rules. Why is it so hard to think that prayer is any different? In fact, there are six different types of prayer mentioned in the Bible, and God intended them for different functions. These six types of prayers are:

1. The Prayer of Agreement
2. The Prayer of Faith
3. The Prayer of Consecration and Dedication
4. The Prayer of Praise and Worship
5. The Prayer of Intercession
6. The Prayer of Binding and Loosing

Each of these prayer tools God has provided has a specific purpose. While you may use more than one at any given time, you need to be clear on which tool you are using, as well as its limitations. Given that we have His Word-the Bible-there is no reason for us not to use them properly and when we do answered prayer is guaranteed.

"When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, "Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die; so of what {use} then is the birthright to me?" And Jacob said, "First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. hen Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright." ~Genesis 25:27-34 (NASB)


Scripture confirms that the familiar expression, "You reap what you sow," is accurate (Job 4:8; Prov. 11:18). Esau learned this truth the hard way. Famished, he returned from hunting and requested a bowl of the stew his brother was cooking. Jacob seized upon the opportunity--he agreed to share the food in exchange for his older twin's birthright.

Like Esau, we all face critical choices at times. While God offers forgiveness for poor decisions, the consequences remain. So we must learn how to choose wisely.

We should take to heart two warnings from this story. First, to be able to distinguish our best options, we should wait until we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually stable. Esau allowed hunger to cloud his thinking.

Second, it is often important to delay gratification. For example, though a person may be eager to purchase a car, it is wise to shop around for the best deal. Though our human desires feel overwhelming at times, we should prayerfully wait for God's timing.

Think about the longings that you have. Pray for wisdom and patience so that you can make godly decisions during critical times.

"Thou shalt not be afraid for the by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday." ~Psalms 91:5 - 6 (KJV)

Do not be afraid of terror, dangers, pestilence or destruction of any kind. When God is your refuge, you have no need to fear. Jesus repeatedly said, “Fear not,” because fear opens the door to the enemy. These days you can do all the right things yet still be attacked by the enemy. Your victory, then, must be based on your trust in the Word of God.

Well, the Word of God says not to be afraid of the enemy in order to receive the promise of Psalm 91. Peter said that we have been made partakers of his divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through Christ Jesus. The world is corrupt. But Christians are able to escape the world’s corruption because they use the Word of God. One of the reasons why you don’t have to be afraid of AIDS is that you are keeping yourself in the Word.

From a natural standpoint, you can’t get away from corruption. Contamination is in the earth—radon, radiation, chemicals from plants, etc. You can’t escape the corruption that’s in the world, unless it is through the divine nature. And if you are born again, you have that divine nature, and you can escape.

A person doesn’t have to do something to get cancer. They can get cancer just from living in certain areas. There are some folks who do everything right and still come up with sickness and disease. So you can’t fear the pestilence that’s in the world. When you do, you get out of faith and get over into fear, and you are not in Psalms 91.

But when you are in faith, God’s word said that whatever you eat and drink is sanctified by the word and prayer. Therefore, you continue to do the right thing concerning what you eat, and your environment, but you keep your faith in God, not in all the right things that you do. When your faith is in God, then you escape the unknown dangers that are out there to trap you.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." ~Ephesians 3:20-21 (NASB)

Jesus knew firsthand what it meant to live with limited financial resources, to have family question His actions (Mark 3:21), and to be rejected by those He sought to serve (John 6:66). However, He never allowed such circumstances to control His emotions or dictate His actions. Instead, He chose to trust that the Father was able to carry out His Word.

We are called to follow Christ's example and believe that God is able to do what He has promised. For example, the Bible pledges eternal salvation for everyone who asks for forgiveness in Jesus' name (Heb. 7:25). The Son satisfied His Father's justice by dying on the cross for all our sins--from "white lies" to unspeakably vile acts. When we have true faith in Jesus, God will forgive us and make us a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). No matter what trouble we have caused, He invites us to draw near in faith and receive the gift of everlasting life.

Having saved us, God says He will establish us in truth (Rom. 16:25); after giving us a firm foundation in Christ, He builds us up in righteousness. Through the ministry of His Spirit and the Word, we start to see things as the Father does and learn what pleases Him.

By believing that God keeps His promises, we will become stronger in our faith and more at peace. Hardships that once would have thrown us off course will lose their power to shake us. Hope will replace discouragement, and trust will overcome doubt. Each time trouble comes, focus your attention upon your loving heavenly Father and His ability to care for you.

Turin, Torino in Italian, is an interesting and often overlooked city in the Piedmont region of Italy. Famous for the Shroud of Turin and Fiat auto plants, Turin has a lot more to offer. Turin is in the northwest of Italy in the Piemonte region between the Po River and the foothills of the Alps. Turin has many museums. Walking around the city with its arcades, Baroque buildings, and beautiful piazzas can be very enjoyable.

Nigeria is situated at the extreme inner corner of the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa. It borders with Chad to the northeast, Cameroon to the east, Benin to the west, Niger to the northwest and by the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Guinea) to the south. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. The capital city is Abuja.