A House of Prayer: Daily Devotional

AuthorHouse™ UK

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403  USA

www.authorhouse.co.uk

Phone: 0800.197.4150

© 2012 by Avril English. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse    04/18/2016

ISBN: 978-1-4772-3452-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-3453-2 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

January 1    Complete Surrender

January 2    Family

January 3    Help Me To Live a Godly Life

January 4    Wear God’s Armour

January 5    Confidence in You

January 6    Moving on Towards Maturity

January 7    Confidence in Distress

January 8    Determined to Depend upon God

January 9    Teach Me To Pray

January 10    Stay in Agreement with God

January 11    Prove My Faith

January 12    Spiritual Ears and Eyes

January 13    Teach Me How To Listen

January 14    Set Me in a Larger Place

January 15    Give Me Grace Daily

January 16    You Rescued Me from Darkness

January 17    Breaking Down Strongholds

January 18    Be Content

January 19    I Am What I Am

January 20    A Heavenly Position

January 21    I’m At My New Address

January 22    God’s Presence

January 23    God’s Mercy

January 24    Change Me Lord

January 25    Claiming Victory

January 26    Breathe Upon Me Holy Spirit

January 27    You Are Clearly in My Sight

January 28    I Will Listen For Your Instructions

January 29    Spend Time with God

January 30    Obey by Faith

January 31    A Specific Role

February 1    Live in Christ

February 2    Mission for God

February 3    God Will Fight for Us

February 4    The Locusts

February 5    Stop Struggling

February 6    Surrender to God

February 7    Temptation

February 8    Grow Deep in Christ

February 9    The Enemy’s Tactics

February 10    A Godly Influence

February 11    God Reassure Me

February 12    Do Not Run from God’s Call

February 13    God Know His Plans for Me

February 14    You Will Be with My Mouth

February 15    Clear Insight

February 16    God’s Vision

February 17    Godly Self-Acceptance

February 18    Limitations

February 19    Making an Impact

February 20    Made Holy Through God’s Grace

February 21    Trials

February 22    I Need You, Holy Spirit

February 23    Your Characteristics

February 24    The Power of the Spirit

February 25    He Understands Everything

February 26    My Great Companion

February 27    I Commit My Life to God

February 28    Forgetting the Past

February 29    Help Me To Be Strong

March 1    Help the Unbelievers

March 2    God Has Anointed Me

March 3    The Lord Protects Me

March 4    I Am in Christ

March 5    Jesus Prays for Us

March 6    The Power of the Holy Spirit

March 7    Revival to God

March 8    You Carry All My Burdens

March 9    Spiritual Leprosy

March 10    Fill My Family

March 11    Conviction

March 12    My Mind Is on Christ

March 13    Life in its Fullness

March 14    Guard Your Lips

March 15    Give Up Reasoning

March 16    Remove All the Hindrances

March 17    Birth Your Vision

March 18    Established in Faith

March 19    God’s Heart

March 20    Let Me Die for the Gospel

March 21    Take My Weaknesses

March 22    Be Self-Controlled

March 23    Do Not Be Judgemental

March 24    Stretch My Faith

March 25    I Want To Be in Your Timing

March 26    I Wear Your Yoke

March 27    Jesus Matters Most

March 28    The Lord Keeps Me

March 29    Listen to God

March 30    God Gives Me Power

March 31    I Need Your Favour

April 1    Critical Attitude

April 2    God Will Come and Be Near to You

April 3    Steadfast upon Christ

April 4    Jesus Prayed

April 5    Revealed the Mystery

April 6    Lord, I Will Not Compromise

April 7    God Blesses the Poor

April 8    Weapons of Warfare

April 9    Help Me Grow

April 10    Get Wisdom and Understanding

April 11    Trusting God for the Answer

April 12    Stop These Cravings

April 13    God’s Ways Are Right

April 14    God Will Remove the Stone

April 15    Unforgiving Spirit

April 16    I Cannot Control Anything

April 17    God Will Never Change

April 18    Your Will

April 19    Recovery to My Soul

April 20    The Spirit’s Power

April 21    He Protects Me

April 22    You Will Speak Your Word

April 23    Habitual Discontentment

April 24    You Are on My Side

April 25    Surrender to Your Spouse

April 26    God’s Secret Plan

April 27    I Cannot Predict Tomorrow

April 28    Fountain of Life

April 29    Meeting with God

April 30    Holy Spirit Lives in Me

May 1    Let Go of the Pain

May 2    The Slave Bonds

May 3    Secured in Your Presence

May 4    Plant the Seeds

May 5    Mend my Heart

May 6    The Robe of Christ

May 7    I Need Your Help

May 8    We Need the Fire

May 9    Transform my Mind

May 10    Divine Favour

May 11    Reconstruct Me

May 12    The Unavoidable Evil

May 13    Wait for the Lord

May 14    Praying for All People

May 15    Demolishing Strongholds

May 16    Discouragement

May 17    God’s Nearness

May 18    My Source of Strength

May 19    Utterly Faithful

May 20    Plead the Blood of Christ

May 21    Godly Friends

May 22    Don’t Let Me Go Anywhere

May 23    Turn the Hurt Over to God

May 24    Lord Save Us

May 25    Overcoming My Imagination

May 26    My Destiny

May 27    I Belong to Christ

May 28    Having God’s Wisdom

May 29    God’s Assurance

May 30    God’s Power

May 31    Don’t Get Involved in Arguments

June 1    Be Cheerful

June 2    God Lives in My Body

June 3    He Will Be with Me

June 4    I Am Secure in You

June 5    Do Not Leave God Out

June 6    Confidence in God

June 7    Be Separated from Them

June 8    Chosen People

June 9    The Deep Truths

June 10    Rest in the Almighty

June 11    Present Your Case Before God

June 12    Who Is Going To Harm You

June 13    You Are Mine

June 14    Do Not Get Drunk on Wine

June 15    Offer God a Sacrifice

June 16    Stop Quarrelling

June 17    My Deliverance

June 18    My Joy Is Complete

June 19    The Breath of the Almighty

June 20    Control My Life

June 21    He Will Work Out His Plans

June 22    Grateful and Joyful

June 23    Do Not Fall into Sin

June 24    Still Strong Today

June 25    God’ Strategy

June 26    Fight Mine Enemies

June 27    Teach Me

June 28    God Is Not Unfair

June 29    Be Honest and Trust Him

June 30    God Fights for Me

July 1    You Call Me by Name

July 2    You Are My Strength

July 3    New Life in Christ

July 4    I Will Not People Please

July 5    Spiritual Birth

July 6    Walk In Wisdom

July 7    Don’t Slip Back

July 8    The Foundation of Christ

July 9    Taking Care of Myself

July 10    Begin Again

July 11    Control My Mind

July 12    The Best Pathway

July 13    Blessing Through Scriptures

July 14    Serving God

July 15    Worship the Lord

July 16    A Holy People

July 17    Praise Be to God

July 18    You Will Answer Me

July 19    You Are the Gate

July 20    He Will Convict the World

July 21    Examine My Heart

July 22    My Friend Is Jesus

July 23    You Do Not Need Weapons

July 24    Do Not Be Angry

July 25    A Little at a Time

July 26    I Have Your Gift

July 27    Special Favour

July 28    He Will Pardon Me

July 29    Your Eyes Are upon Me

July 30    God’s Peace

July 31    Walking in Righteousness

August 1    Be Confident

August 2    Have the Mind of Christ

August 3    Be Clear

August 4    Believe in God’s Love

August 5    Develop My Roots

August 6    His Divine Power

August 7    The Storm Will Pass

August 8    Sing Praises to God

August 9    Give Me Victory

August 10    Let My Mind Be Focused upon You

August 11    We Constantly Pray

August 12    Extend My Land

August 13    Lord Watch over Me

August 14    I Will Not Get Tired

August 15    Make Music to the Lord

August 16    Worthy of the Gospel

August 17    Do Not Worry about Your Life

August 18    Remember Your Promise

August 19    Your Ways Are Perfect

August 20    Pass This On

August 21    My Heart Rejoices

August 22    Be Reminded

August 23    I Speak the Truth

August 24    My Greatest Friend

August 25    Fight the Battles

August 26    Godly Wisdom

August 27    Nothing Will You Withhold

August 28    Make My Steps Firm

August 29    Great Boldness

August 30    Let Me Come

August 31    Trust in God

September 1    Family and Friends

September 2    Life of Faith

September 3    Crucified with Christ

September 4    Shout In Triumph

September 5    Come Into Your House

September 6    You Do Marvellous Things

September 7    You bring Me into the Land

September 8    You Are My Lord

September 9    God Will Provide

September 10    Help Your Brother

September 11    I Lift Up My Soul

September 12    You Do Not Change

September 13    Don’t Ever Stay Away

September 14    He Has Seen My Misery

September 15    You Are My Hiding Place

September 16    Bend Down and Hear Me

September 17    Send Your Holy Spirit

September 18    You Have Called My Name

September 19    Help Me in My Mistakes

September 20    Shut the Door and Pray

September 21    Relationship with God

September 22    Removed My Transgressions

September 23    I Delight in You

September 24    You Are the Vine

September 25    I Shall Pray

September 26    I Want to Learn Your Laws

September 27    Let Me Listen

September 28    The Power of the Spirit

September 29    The True Head

September 30    Inspired by God

October 1    The Lord Holds Me

October 2    New Ideas

October 3    Cry Out to the Lord

October 4    Come Quickly

October 5    Appeal to God

October 6    God Will Not Forget

October 7    Be Joyful

October 8    Be Not Afraid

October 9    I No Longer Live

October 10    Restore Me

October 11    Observe Your Statutes

October 12    Keep My Thoughts

October 13    Take the Veil Away

October 14    The Words of the Wise

October 15    Do Not Argue

October 16    Mourned Long Enough

October 17    You Chose Me

October 18    My Captivity Has Ended

October 19    I Am in the Race

October 20    Spiritual Birth

October 21    Keep Me in the Storm

October 22    We Must Do the Work

October 23    Join Me in My Struggles

October 24    Resist the Devil

October 25    Do Not Stifle God

October 26    Centred upon Christ

October 27    Strong Faith

October 28    Do Not Oppose God

October 29    Fill Our Hearts Full of Faith

October 30    Jesus I Need to Know You Better

October 31    The World Is Crucified to Me

November 1    The Keys of the Kingdom

November 2    My Old Nature

November 3    Do Not Alter God’s Word

November 4    Don’t Worry About Anything

November 5    You Are My Strength

November 6    Cloud of Witnesses

November 7    My Thoughts Are on God

November 8    Do Not Be in a Hurry

November 9    You Will Guide Me

November 10    Revealed to Me by His Spirit

November 11    Christ Suffered for Me

November 12    I Will Tell the World

November 13    Follow My Example

November 14    Never Give Up

November 15    He Loved Us First

November 16    We Commit to God

November 17    Don’t Look Back

November 18    Your Will Be Done

November 19    I Have an Inheritance

November 20    We Are Living Stones

November 21    In Obedience

November 22    You Called Me To Trust You

November 23    Discovering God’s Will

November 24    Garments of Splendour

November 25    My Ears Are for God

November 26    We Are Your Masterpiece

November 27    Committed to Him

November 28    Rebellious Ways

November 29    How to Trust

November 30    Unfailing Love

December 1    It Will Be Done

December 2    God’s Rest

December 3    All Things Work Together

December 4    God Will Establish Me

December 5    Grafted Into Christ

December 6    You Have Appointed Me

December 7    The Certainty of God’s Promise

December 8    My Soul Waits for God

December 9    Be Not Intimidated

December 10    We Have Heard About Your Faith

December 11    Double-Edged Sword

December 12    Grace to Meet My Needs

December 13    Your Word Sustains Me

December 14    Wear the Robe of Christ

December 15    Jesus Prays for Me

December 16    What Is Faith?

December 17    He Will Not Forget

December 18    I Have Your Power

December 19    Press on in Faith

December 20    Faith Brings Joy

December 21    I Am His

December 22    Found Your Favour

December 23    All Has Been Heard

December 24    Commissioned

December 25    Made Known the Mystery

December 26    Called an Outcast

December 27    Discerning His Voice

December 28    Repeatedly Persecuted

December 29    Facing My Enemies

December 30    Give Yourself into Service

December 31    You Are My Shield

About the Author

About the Book    Let Me Listen

Preface

It was the morning of 23rd March 1989. The Lord woke me early in the morning, and it was five o’clock when I heard the Lord say to me, Ask your husband to buy you an electric typewriter for your birthday.

I replied, Why Lord?

And He said, Because you are going to write a book.

I laughed at God’s humour. My husband was getting ready for work when I came out with these words, I know what you could buy me for my birthday—an electric typewriter.

He inquired, Why?

I answered him, Because I am going to write a book.

My husband replied, Well, I had thought of buying a word processor.

I replied, Well, that’s even better.

But to my great surprise, I did not get the reaction from him that I had anticipated. I thought that he was going to ridicule me because he knew my education was limited. All day long I could not stop giggling, because I was reflecting upon the vision of my husband getting ready for work and my words to him, which were totally out of character for me.

My husband did buy me a word processor. I knew then that I had to step out in faith and do what God had called me to do. In faith, I began writing the book. I did not have any knowledge of how I was going to do this. I was totally dependent on God. I knew my English and grammar were not very good, but this did not deter me. I began writing an earlier draft of this book, A House of Prayer, which was originally called Life Begins at Forty. I kept praying and asking the Holy Spirit to fill me with His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and to fill my mind with His thoughts to enable me to put the book together. I did not want to be out of God’s will. I wanted to obey Him.

I knuckled down and began writing Life Begins at Forty. I finished the initial draft some months later and sent the book off to the publisher God led me to. They sent it back to me and said they were not going to publish. Although at the time I was greatly disappointed, at least I had done what God had called me to do and had walked in obedience to His will.

I put the book aside and prayed, Lord, I believed You when you told me to write a book. Now, I shall not touch it again until I hear a clear word from you.

I put the book behind me and got on with my life.

Later, God once again caused my heart to stir. A friend from church asked me if I was going to write a book. Once again, I knew that it was God calling me not to forget what He had asked me to do. I had confirmation through a friend who said, You do realize that was a prophetic word from God.

I began to redraft Life Begins at Forty. Once I had completed the redraft, I asked my friend if she would be willing to read it and to give me her opinion of it, as she herself was an established author. I waited patiently for two years for her response. I did not want to put any pressure upon my friend and knew that when she had read the book, she would let me know and provide me with much needed comments. She had a busy life, and I did not want to give her any additional pressures by nagging her to obtain a response. I prayerfully left all in the hands of God.

I received sad news about my friend; the cancer she had previously defeated—she thought she had a successful remission—had returned. Whilst praying for her healing and restoration, news came that my precious friend had died and was now with the Lord. This really upset me.

Life Begins at Forty came to a standstill. I had to let it go. In the meantime, God was stirring me up yet again.

People kept saying to me, You know, Avril, you should write a book on prayers, as that could help a lot of people.

Praying about this, I felt God was leading me to write this book.

One day, my husband said to me he was thinking of buying me a laptop computer. I said to him, Why do I need a laptop? We have a computer upstairs.

In the meantime, God began working in me. He reminded me that He was going to provide me with an electric typewriter and that if I had a laptop computer, then I could use it only for God’s glory. My husband bought me a new laptop computer and installed the software, and I was ready to go.

I received constant demands from my family and friends to write a book about how to pray. I took their advice and through prayer felt God was asking me to write a book containing daily devotional prayers for the complete calendar year, I called the book Daily Prayer—Devotional.

I completed the draft and sent it to a number of publishing houses in the United Kingdom and America. I had a reply from one of the publishers in America who wanted to publish the book and sent me a draft contract. I constantly sought the Lord’s advice and asked for His wisdom by praying, Lord, do not let me sign or do anything unless it is by Your Sovereign will.

I did not want it to go to the wrong place, nor did I want to do things in my own strength. This was God’s book, not mine. All I wanted was to magnify and glorify God and help God’s people. I was about to sign the American contract when I received a call from a publishing house in the United Kingdom.

This UK publisher said to me, Avril, you seem like such a nice lady that I probably should not say this to you, but have you read the reviews of the American publishing house that issued you a contract on the Internet? If I were you, I would take a look.

I took the advice and investigated the American publisher on the Internet. I could see the comments from other authors about this American publisher advised not to go with them. I was so grateful to God for alerting me, and publishing the book with them was not an option now. I praised and thanked God for His love and faithfulness to me, protecting me from making the wrong decision.

Another American publisher gave me a good review but required a large publishing processing fee. At that time, I decided to put the book on hold until God advised me to publish at His appointed time. The experience gained from this was the encouragement I received from the publishers who had been interested in the Daily Prayer’s—Devotional. My faith, love, and trust were in God completely. He would honour what He had said and promised me it would happen.

During the next few years, I did not pursue this book because of personal circumstances. I believe God was testing my faith in Him and demonstrating that only true believers of His word would He take under His wing and truly guide them on the righteousness path and look after them.

During this period, I felt God was leading my family to move from our accommodation to a new location. I had read Scripture where God was telling me to look and that I had to leave the land I was in and go to the land He would lead me to. My husband was of the same mind. We were all going to America on holiday when I suddenly became ill. I went to see my doctor who advised me not to go as I would not get any insurance as this illness was relating to the sickness I had experienced earlier in another country. So, my husband and I decided that my daughter, her friend, and my husband would still go and I would remain at home. At that time, I was devastated at this decision.

Well, to cut a long story short, my husband said to me before he left for vacation, I think we should put the house on the market and move.

So, my husband arranged for an evaluation of our home by local estate agents before leaving to go on holiday. We had three valuations from the estate agents and chose the one we felt was right for us. My family left that Saturday, and by the Tuesday of the following week, we received an offer on our home and I accepted it.

I e-mailed my husband and told him what had happened. He was shocked. He did not expect that the house would sell so quickly. In the meantime, I had to look for somewhere for us to live. My stepson and his wife helped me to look for houses in Basingstoke, Hants. We found a property, which was being built, so I sent the details of this home to my husband in America for him to review.

We e-mailed to-and-fro, and we came to a decision that we should put a holding fee on this new home. We concluded that we could at least hold this home until he returned from holiday. If he did not like the home, then all we would lose was our holding fee. It began to get exciting. We had never owned a brand-new house before, but still I had to accept whatever decision my husband made would then determine whether we would go ahead on this new home or not. He was the head of our household, and I would be obedient to him. I believe that this is one of the reasons God did not want me to go to America, so we could sell our current residence and find a new home for our family.

When my husband returned home from holiday, we looked at the new home, and we decided to buy it. The plot of the new home was Plot 98; we did not know at that time what the address was going to be. When we moved into the house, my husband called the house ‘Pastures New, and the address was Priest Down. I felt that this was clarification from God that this was the house He wanted for my family.

The years went by in our new home, and God began to deliver me from all the influences I had previously encountered. He was using the new home to do this by giving us a fresh start. Things began to surface, and His light began to shine in the darkness. He was setting me free from my past and giving me a new life in Him.

When the deliverance was done, God spoke to me through His Word in

Genesis 12:1: The Lord said to Abram, Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you, and Hebrews 11:8-9: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise."

Through these two Scriptures came the confirmation I needed to be obedient to God and do what He was telling me—to move again.

My husband and I both had strong desires to move again. My husband’s son and his family had recently moved to Plymouth, so there was nothing keeping us in Basingstoke any longer. We had provided them a home whilst they were waiting to move into the house they had bought in Plymouth. So, maybe the whole purpose of us moving to Basingstoke was to help them out when they needed it. I had no idea where we would end up, but trusted in God for the outcome.

On the 18th November 1996, I had a accident where I was getting into my car and my leg gave way and I began to fall. The Lord had already told me that morning the enemy would trip me up but He would be there to catch me. As I was falling I remembered what the Lord had said to me, I shouted out in the name of Jesus Christ, Satan I come against you. As I landed on the ground. I could not move my leg it was in a awkward position. I could not get up so I shouted to my neighbour to phone for an ambulance and also to inform Brian. The paramedics arrived and they administered pain relief then took me to hospital. The diagnoses was I had a serious knee injury where I had damaged the Posterior Cruciate Ligament and I had torn the Cartilage. I had two operations to try to put the injuries right but now they had registered me disabled and I was left with a serious leg injury. This was something I was going to have to live with but one thing I was certain of, I was determined to get off the crutches and nothing would stop me serving the Lord.

My health began to improve and I could manage to walk without my crutches and things seemed to be better all-round. My future seemed brighter. I was not materialistic, and just because it was a nice home, I did not want this house to hold us. My first concern was being obedient to Jesus Christ. God was so good. My husband and I agreed to sell the home in Basingstoke with the view that God would determine our next location.

God moves in mysterious ways. We sold our home in Basingstoke just before the house market crashed, and God led us back to a smaller home in the village of Burghfield Common where we resided before moving to Basingstoke.

We managed to get everything packed and ready for the removal men to come in December 2007. What we did not expect was to learn two days before the contracts were to be exchanged that the people we were buying from could not vacate what was to be our new home. The house they wanted to buy was in probate. We had no choice but to pull out of the deal. We did not want to lose the buyers of our home in Basingstoke as the chain would fall through, so we decided to sell our home, and God found us temporary rented accommodation. We lived there for six months. Whilst living here, I went to have a routine mammogram—thankfully it was clear. Eventually, with God’s direction we found a home to purchase, and this time the sale did go through and we moved and settled in Burghfield Common.

We had enrolled at a new GP practice, and after we completed our move, my new doctor called and asked me to take a mammogram once again. Initially, I was not going to go as I had a mammogram in 2008, and I felt that I did not need another one. My husband thought I should go, as it would not do any harm. So, I went to the Mobile Mammogram Unit in Mortimer. I never thought anymore about it until a letter came from the hospital in Reading asking me to go in for a consultation on my mammogram results. My spirit was alerted. When the letter came, I just knew in my heart this was not going to be good news.

I prayed to God and asked Him outright, Lord, I am asking you for a clear ‘yes’ or a clear ‘no’ if I have cancer?

His reply to me was yes. So, I said, Okay, Lord, I cannot tell you what to do. All I ask from You is that You will be with me in this and give me Your grace, strength, and courage to carry me through.

I felt God was preparing me so I could handle it before my family knew about it.

The day came for me to attend my appointment. My husband came with me, and we waited to see the doctor. We were called in, and the doctor asked us both to sit down. Then, he began discussing the results of the mammogram. The doctor told me straight away that it was cancer, but he still wanted to do a biopsy, which he did immediately.

My husband could not get his head round the news confirming the cancer, and he went into denial. The breast-cancer nurse told him he had to listen to what I wanted and let me handle things the way I needed to. Although God told me that I did have cancer, I was still digesting this bad news. The breast-clinic nurse arranged an appointment to see a cancer surgeon as soon as possible. When I saw the surgeon, he talked me through the procedure with my husband and set a date for surgery. The surgeon said they would remove a number of lymph nodes from under my arm and hoped they were clear. After the operation, I would have to go for a consultation with my surgeon after six weeks.

I can honestly say I was so pleased God had prepared me for this, because it helped me to cope with my family as I leaned upon God. God supported me right all the way through my procedure, and in addition, I had to be strong for my husband and daughter. My daughter was completing her final year of her master’s degree at university when I told her of the bad news. I told her not to worry, to get on with what she needed to do, and that I would be okay. Of course, this did not help her, and she lost concentration. I felt bad that this had to happen during a crucial time in her studies. When I had the operation, she had arranged to be at home and worked from home until she knew I was alright.

When I went in to see the breast surgeon, he told me that the cancer was aggressive, and we could only hope that it would not spread into the other breast. He explained the treatment I was going to have to go through.

Thankfully, I am still in remission two years later. I believe God has healed me.

God had given me so much of His mercy and grace, which carried me through the whole ordeal. It has taken me a long time to get back on my feet, because alongside the cancer I was also dealing with a thyroid problem and I felt absolutely exhausted. It was a good job we moved because I would not have known of my condition. It was God who decided we move from Basingstoke and set circumstances in such a way to save my life. God has really been with me all the way through the testing, diagnosis, surgery, recovery, and treatment. I am God’s child, and my life is in his hands. I trust in Him whatever the outcome, and I accept God’s will.

It was not until October 2011 when my sister Annette in Switzerland said to me, Avril, you need to get that book of yours published.

My first reaction was I did not want to do it, but yet again, God was sending me subtle messages to finish what I started. God was using all kinds of people this time to get His message out. My brother in America was encouraging me to complete the book by helping in any capacity to complete this book. God has put all the right people around me enabling me to draw on their expertise and finally complete this book. In the midst of writing this book, God has spoken to me and asked me to change the title of the book into A House of Prayer—Daily Devotional, so I have done this in obedience to His will.

Acknowledgements

I acknowledge the faithfulness of my God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has been faithful and has fulfilled His promises to me. He is my top priority, enabling me to write this book for Him through the Holy Spirit of God.

I thank Elaine Peplow for obeying God. If she had not been obedient to God and spoken the Gospel of Christ to me, I may have missed the greatest opportunity life had to offer me, accepting the Lord Jesus Christ into my heart and life.

I thank my husband Brian for being so generous and helpful throughout these past years in compiling this book. He bought me the tools necessary to accomplish the writing of this book. He helps me in my walk with God as well as embracing my Christian friends. He has also donated his personal time and our old computer system, setting the system up and training my Christian friend.

I thank my brother Stewart Marshman in America for assisting me in the editing of this book. During this time, he has helped me to develop my computer skills in areas which I lacked experience. He has challenged and encouraged me that the book I was developing would help Christians in all walks of life to understand and show them how to pray.

A special thank you to my daughter Katie Francis for helping me put the format of this book together.

I would like to say a big thank you to all my family and friends who have the faith to believe I could achieve this task in writing this book. Thank you for all the prayers you petitioned to God on my behalf; this has encouraged and helped me to be obedient to God, trusting Him to fulfil the promises He had made with me twenty-three years ago.

In conclusion, I want to thank my friend Janice Donnachie for getting the Introduction of this book into the right perspective.

I have been granted permission from the International Client Manager from Tyndale House Publishers to use Scriptures from their NIV Life Application Bible.

Bibliography

Life Application Bible

Bible Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois. All rights reserved.

Introduction

It was May 1988 when my life changed radically. I was waiting to go into Basingstoke Hospital to have an hysterectomy. I prepared everything beforehand so my daughter would be taken care of by my husband whilst I was in hospital and during my convalescing. We had no family living nearby so my husband applied for special leave from his job.

My brother found a partner who introduced me to tarot card reading. I had no knowledge of