In 2007 the Lord directed us to spend the year in prayer and in seeking His will for Western Meadows and for the world of cowboys.  Below are portions of the letter we mailed to 2000 people.  This was the beginning of ‘Going To The Lord”.  We continue to pray once a week for the world of cowboys.

  

April 26, 2007
My dear precious ladies,

Over the last few years I have been seriously studying ‘prayer.’  Wondering why so many of my prayers went unanswered or were answered no.  I also wanted to know what the Bible truly, in totality, said about prayer.  I have read through, some of the essays multiple times, the 600 page book on prayer written by E.M. Bounds.  He spent the last fifteen years of his life studying what the Bible taught about prayer and writing down his findings. 

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When Mr. Bounds wrote his book over a hundred years ago, he saw a serious lack of prayer in the church.  We see that today, also.  As Mr. Bounds knew the importance of prayer, we too, value prayer.  We want to encourage each of you to pray, pray, pray. 

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God listens to his children as they pray.  However, many things hinder prayer.  As we grow in our Christian faith, it is only reasonable that we also grow in our understanding of the Biblical principles of prayer.  We encourage you to learn more about prayer and the privilege we have been given in being able to boldly approach God’s throne, the throne of grace, and always receive mercy in our time of need.

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​Read a few quotes by Mr. Bounds.

 

•     Few Christians have anything but a vague idea of the power of prayer, fewer still have any experience of that power. 
•     The church seems almost wholly unaware of the power God puts into her hand.
•     The gospel moves with slow and timid pace when the saints are not at their prayers early and late and long. 
•     The prayer closet is the battlefield of the church.
•     Poor preaching comes from poor praying, on the part of the preacher and on the part of the congregation.
•     We are too busy to pray.  Business comes first.  Other things are given the right of way.  Prayer is set aside or maybe secondary.  And this means not always that prayer is second, but that prayer is put entirely out.

Perhaps my favorite quotes from this book come from the essay “PRAYER FILLS MAN’S POVERTY WITH GOD’S RICHES.” 

 

•     Prayer is the contact of a living soul with God.
•     In prayer, God stoops to kiss man, to bless man, and to aid man in everything that God can devise or man can need.
•     Prayer fills man’s emptiness with God’s fullness.  It fills man’s poverty with God’s riches.
•     Prayer is the seeking of God’s great and greatest good, which will not come if we do not pray.

And in another essay entitled, “GOD SAYS PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL,” we read:

 

•     It must never be forgotten, that Almighty God rules the world.  He is not an absentee God.
•     Nothing is more important to God than prayer in dealing with mankind.
•     He who does not pray, therefore robs himself of God’s help and places God where he cannot help man.

God answers prayers that are according to his will. 
 

“If unanswered prayers were drops of water they could fill an ocean.” 

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There are right prayers and wrong prayers.

 

•     If we are living in a sinful lifestyle, prayers, other than those of repentance, aren’t heard. 
•     If we have selfish motives, those prayers are not answered. 
•     If we are half-hearted in our prayers, they aren’t answered. 
•     If our prayers are against God’s will, they are not answered.  You see some of the things we ask for are not good for us or for others and God says no.  God sees everything and knows what is best.  We often have tunnel vision. 

Read carefully and discover many of the right attitudes to have in prayer.  When we pray Scripture, we know we are praying in God’s will. 

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To pray successfully we must:

 

•     Pray in the Spirit; asking God to direct our prayers.
•     Stay alert and persistent in praying, never lazy in prayer
•     Pray day and night, continually
•     Be thankful while praying
•     Be devoted to prayer, pray because you mean it, believe it, have faith
•     Pray in love, love for God and love for others
•     Be humble, acknowledging your needs to your Heavenly Father
•     Be obedient—repent when you sin and long to be holy as God is holy

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WE BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS US TO ENCOURAGE AND TEACH YOU HOW TO PRAY

What the Lord has laid on my heart for us to do at this time is to pray.  In Colorado, between the drought of the last few years and then this year with the harsh winter, the farmers and ranchers are struggling financially.  Rodeo cowboys have a hard time making ends meet too.  The drought and fires that have occurred throughout our land have had to be hard on many.  And the devastation of the hurricanes, who can measure?  Many people are sick and hurting.  Relationships at every level are being fragmented.

"We need God’s help! 

We need God to intervene in our lives in a mighty way.

God is in control of everything—even the weather!"

(Job 37)

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In all of my study of Scripture I believe that E.M. Bounds is right!  And let this quote sink into your heart!

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“He who does not pray, therefore robs himself of God’s help and places God where he cannot help man.” 
 

Our lack of prayer and seeking God and asking our gracious, generous Heavenly Father for help has robbed each of us.  We have been too proud, not wanting to humble ourselves and ask for help.  We have thought we were too busy, all the time our heavenly Father sits and watches as we struggle needlessly because we just won’t get our priorities right. 

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God loves us so much and so wants to bless us, if we would just slow down, listen to Him, live for Him, and do it His way. 

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We must repent of our stubborn pride and listen and follow God or else we will lose much if not all of the wonderful life God has planned for each of us.  (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

We at Western Meadows want to help each of you
to make prayer a priority in your life.
We are going to pray for you.
We ask you to pray for every Christian cowboy ministry.

 

•     We are currently praying for God to purge us of all sin and make us holy so that we might be fit vessels for Him to use. 
•     We are also praying that evil would be purged from the world of rodeo and that it would be an organization of integrity; a family oriented      organization where cowboys and cowgirls can make a living to support their families. 
•     We are also praying for unity among the Christian cowboys and ministries; and that the Christian leaders in rodeo would be holy as God is holy. 
•     We are praying that we would be good witnesses and be an example of Jesus.  We want Jesus to be glorified in our lives. 
•     We have been praying for western women—cowgirls, the wives of cowboys, daughters, and every other woman that loves cowboys.   I cannot express to you how awesome it is, as the Holy Spirit guides our prayers and shows us how much God loves each of you.  Isaiah 40:1-2, 11, 25-31 and 41:9-13, 20 have been scriptures we have been praying for you lovely women.  The Lord beautifully directs us each week in giving us the most unbelievable promises to pray for you. 
•     We are praying that cowboys would repent of their selfishness and serve as Jesus served.

E.M Bounds says that prayers add up like drops of water, until they are like an ocean, and have great force.  God will hear us and help and rescue us, if we pray and ask Him for help.  That is his job.  He is our Father, we are the child.  He never tires of us asking for help, and no request is too small.  God can move mountains, and prayer moves God.

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    Thank you so much. 

   

Be encouraged.
   

Jesus loves you and wants to use you to glorify Him. 
   

You have purpose and meaning. 
   

We love each of you so much and want you to experience all that God has planned for you.  ​

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Let’s get to praying.