Welcome bloggers! My name is Stephen Nielsen, from Mounds 
View, Minnesota, just north of Minneapolis. Much of what I blog on will be from my books. My sources are from the Holy Bible and from holy men of God, particularly known for their studies on prayer, such as: E. M. Bounds, Andrew Murray, and Charles Spurgeon. I welcome your comments.
MY TESTIMONY
I grew up on a farm near Montevideo, Minnesota. One of my most vivid memories was that I often wandered off into the woods to enjoy all the beautiful things that nature provides. I now know that God was pursuing me and was giving me a desire for Him. At age twelve a camp counselor helped me to receive God’s Son, Jesus Christ, into my life. Ever since that day I have had a wonderful peace and an assurance of eternal life. He is my constant joy. He continues to give me a desire for Him and to do His will. For the last eighteen years or so God has been leading me toward the ministry of prayer. (Notice, I have a more complete salvation testimony on another page of this blog.)
EDUCATION
I have A Bachelor of Arts degree in Ministries from Northwestern College in Roseville, Minnesota. I also took classes at Western Seminary in Portland Oregon.
CHURCH AFFILIATION AND STATEMENT OF FAITH
My earliest memories of church were in the Evangelical Free Church. I have also attended Baptist churches and Evangelical Community churches. I am now a member of Grace Church Roseville, an evangelical church in Roseville, Minnesota, where I have attended for about sixteen years.
I believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error. I believe that salvation is by faith alone and not a result of works or by the observance of any ordinance. I believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and that every believer can be filled and empowered by the Spirit through prayer and personal surrender to Christ. I believe in the pre tribulation rapture of the church, and that the church will reign with Christ for 1000 years on a beautiful restored earth, and then for eternity in the new heaven and new earth.
MINISTRY EXPERIENCE
From 1971 to 1975 I was involved with the ministry of the Navigators, where I was trained in all phases of spiritual grow and discipleship. I learned the art of personal evangelism, how to study the Bible, how to have a daily quiet time, and I learned the discipline of regular scripture memory and review. I was involved for a time in the Evangelism Explosion ministry, where I became a certified teacher/trainer. I have been involved in the Billy Graham Telephone Ministry for about ten years, where we offer prayer, encouragement, and guidance over the phone. I continue to attend and lead Bible studies and prayer groups as the need arises. I also consider my blogging and book writing to be a vital part of my ministry.
OCCUPATION
I have had my own residential house painting business for the last thirty years. I enjoy painting and working with both new and repeat clients.
Prayer A to Z 
Dear Stephen,
I want to share with you that I was blessed by your comments on prayer as well as your photograpy. Somehow I was on your site today as a result of looking for Wesley Duewel’s books on prayer. Wesley is actually my second cousin. I am blessed and priase the Lord for directing me to your website. I teach a Life Group at my church called Women of Prayer and see that you have a book on prayer as well which I must order. Blessings on you, Mariann Knipmeyer Livingston
Mariann,
Thank you for you comments. I actually got started in my interest and writing on prayer after I read Wesley Duewel’s book Mighty Prevailing Prayer. i love that book. I have alot of quotes from him in my books. I have just started getting my books published. I have three now that are in print at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/lordteachustopray. I will pray for you and your Life group at your church.
Stephen
Hi,
Please pray for my sister Tracy. She has just finished her final exams for winter semester. Pray that she finds favor in the eyes of the examiners who will correct her papers. I pray that God will grant her excellent results and open the doors so that her transfer to the required program will be approved. Pray that she gets the required GPA to get the transfer and be able to graduate next summer. I pray that God keeps blessing her. Thank you God for all you have done for her., all you will be doing. You’ve seen the sacrifice she made this year to focus on studying even giving up on someone she cares and loves dearly. Please grant her prayers. Listen to her prayers. Fill her heart with your divine presend. In Jesus’s name, Amen,
Okay Jenna, I will pray for Tracy.
Please pray for Yves Xavier that he will return back to the Lord and recommit his life to faithfully serve the Lord Jesus Christ again. That God would draw him closer to Him.
Okay I sure will pray for him.
Stumbled across your blog as I was finding out some comments on prayer from the portion of scripture I read this morning in Luke 11. I am delighted to learn that you have firm roots connected to the Navigators . I will be forever grateful for the Navigators for the discipline I learned from them while in Nigeria. It bears fruits and I am interested in learning as well from your example, life and ministry.
Good to hear from you.� Yes, the Navigators played a vital part in my early Christian development.� I still am very consistent having quiet times, and I memorize verses–but not as much.� I have studied alot on prayer and I plan on getting a community prayer Bible study started soon.� That is really the extent of my ministry–besides my blog.� So I feel I am really just getting started.� � Please share something about yourself.� � Stephen
Hi Stephen! My family and I live in Minnesota also. I just love what you are doing with your blog!
Thanks Kimberly, Yes I really like it in Minnesota. I like your blog also. Keep it up!
Hi Stephen. I live in New Zealand and wanted to understand the meaning of words and passages in a deeper way, enjoyed the study on ‘fruit’ – must say the sunset on your page attracted me to look further so enjoyed reading about your walk with God.
Hi JoAllan,
I’m glad you took the time to visit my blog. Of course you can click “follow” and be notified every time I write a post. I also have a few books for sale on my book page, and I will have another book soon entitled, Prayer A to Z. I don’t travel much and have never been to New Zealand. I will have to read about your country, and I will of course pray for you as I pray for all those who comment on my blog.
May our Lord bless you every day,
Stephen
Thanks for the follow, Stephen. I look forward to reading your posts! Blessings, always. Sue
Glory to God! What a love you have toward God. I love E.M Bounds, Spurgeon and Murray. You are certainly in good company! Prayer is perfect because it is the means to intimacy with the Almighty. I wish you lived in Atlanta, I would hire you to paint my house while praying over it! 🙂
God’s best as you make Him known!!
Marlene
Welcome Marlene!
Hi Stephen
My name is Veronica originally from Uganda, now living in Massachusetts and a proud US citizen. I love prayer and love to intercede. I am in the process of writing a book why Africa should pray for America. The Lord has put it upon heavily on my heart to pray for America based on 2 chronicles 7:14. This is how I landed on your web site. Please join me today as we pray for our land. Thank you for the good work. God bless you.
I will join you in prayer for America and for your writing too.
Thanks for for comments. God’s blessing to you.
Thanks Stephen
I and a few ladies are separating this month in prayer and fasting based on Daniel 9 for America. We pray via conference call at 3:00AM for about an hour as the spirit of God leads us. And we shall be meeting at our church too every Saturday specially for intercession. If you are available you can join us for the AM session. If not however way you do it is good. You can also find this man of God whom God is using mightily. He had a prophetic word for America. You can find him on you tube his name is John Mulinde prophetic word for America. God bless you mightly
Blessings to you. Keep it up!
Sorry this was Veronica Magembe
WOW! What a valuable blog-site you have, Stephen! It was through LEE’S BIRDWATCHING ADVENTURES PLUS that I learned of your website (FYI, I occasionally contribute devotionals to Lee’s Birdwatching blog.) Prayer is very close to the most demanding duties (and privileges) that a believer in Christ has, and I hope to frequent your teaching/exhorting blog to improve my prayer life. Recently I’ve been studying Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians, and looking especially at the doxologies that Paul plants therein, here and there. So now I have a goal (within what’s left of this calendar year, God willing) of locating and appreciatively analyzing ALL of the doxologies of Paul (and after that the same for the other N.T. writers). Thanks for emphasizing that real (i.e., Biblical) prayer is NOT just “asking God for stuff”, with the focus on us and our “needs”. What a worthy website you have — it’s like finding treasure trove in a rural forest.
Thank you. You are welcome to come anytime and use anything on my blog.
Thanks, Stephen — by the way, I’m not sure why, but today [11-10-AD2016] I tried to comment on your DRAIN THE SWAMP post and I show up as “Anonymous” (with my usual photograph, wearing an orange baseball cap). Anyway, I’m not trying to be “Anonymous” — it’s just me, JJSJ (James J. S. Johnson). And yes, it’s time for some serious “swamp-busting”, God willing!
Thanks.
Please pray for God to remove secret lover in my wife’s life. Pray for God to break demonic bondage between my wife and her occult related relatives, who have caused serious troubles to our family. Pray for Jesus to save my wife Tellervo and our marriage. Pray for our children’s mental balance and their health. Pray for Jesus to heal our daughter. Depression. Pray for Jesus to heal me. Pray for God to intervene in this situation. God bless you. Heikki
I will continue to pray
Hi there. I am looking to start a personal study on prayer. I feel a little lost and don’t know where to start. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
I could give you all kinds of verses, but If you want to study it out yourself, I would just read through the New Testament and every time you see a passage on prayer, make note of it and think about it. In the old Testament, the Psalms would be a great start. Let me know what you decide to do.
Hi there. Thank you for you reply. Yes that has been how i’ve been starting to do it. I used a concordance and am currently looking up all scripture with the word “prayer”, then I was going to look up the word “pray.” As I was doing this, I realized it might be helpful to look at different prayers in the Bible, such as the prayers of David and Solomon. these verses don’t necessarily have the word “prayer” in them. The biggest question I have about prayer is when prayer should be short and to the point and faith-filled, ie trusting God hears and will answer, vs prayer that is long, drawn out and sort of appealing or begging, for a lack of a better word. I grew up with a background that promoted more of the appealing time of prayer to the point of bargaining, which I’ve come to realize is not good. I keep seeing the words prayer and supplication together in the Bible… which I’m trying to understand..
I think you have a great start. When I wrote my book Prayer A to Z, I read through the entire bible trying to find all the prayers of the bible. But I haven’t done much work on the Psalms yet. The Psalms are mostly prayers and also songs, or like songs of prayer. Keep at it.
Ironically, My wife and I went to Grace Church in Roseville before you ever got there. I went into YFC and moved away from city life, then on to country living after YFC. I have a nephew in the Navigators in the cities there.
I Gary. I am going to Revive church in Brooklyn Park now. I’m glad for your nephew. He is in a good place.