It was the spring of 2001 during my second semester of seminary that I enrolled in a class titled Biblical Exposition of Prayer. I was very excited about the topic, since Dr. James Rosscup, who had recently completed a book on every prayer of the Bible, was teaching the class. One of the requirements was to pray every day, for one hour, journaling as well, for 16 straight weeks. The other students in the class were eager to pray as well. We had visions of becoming great prayer warriors like the Apostle Paul, E.M. Bounds, and George Mueller. However, by the end of the first week, many of us were tired and frustrated. One cried out it was legalistic to force us to pray. Another said it was an impossible assignment. Most of us ran out of ideas for prayer by the middle of the week. We were humiliated by our inability to pray effectively.

It was at that moment, I realized why so many of us struggle to pray consistently. It’s hard work. It requires time, thoughtfulness, and teamwork to discover, learn, and listen to the needs of others. It entails compassion and love to hear and set aside time to pray for the needs of others. It involves an effort to faithfully pray and follow up to know how to continue in prayer. This can only be done with the help of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the 16 weeks, we looked at each other and thanked the Lord for helping us finish the course. We desired to continue in the discipline of prayer after the class was over. Praying daily is difficult. That struggle gave birth to this book.

After that semester, I had an opportunity to preach on prayer and what I had been learning from studying all the prayers of the Bible. It was during the preparation of that sermon that the principles of R.E.F.L.E.C.T. the Glory of God were born. You are probably thinking, who needs another prayer acronym, let alone one that is seven letters long! However, the approach of this book is not about formulas, methodologies, or extreme workout routines. Instead, it is about a journey through which you will grow more intimate with God. It is about being transformed into an intercessor for those in need of prayer. It is about engaging in an incredible spiritual adventure that can change lives and impact this world. Are you ready to pray? Let’s pray!