About Prayer
I've been saved almost forever (greater than 40 years) , but I'm still an amateur when it comes to praying. I can relate to the disciples when they ask Jesus to teach us to pray:
Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer
11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord,teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord,teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
Jesus gives a similar version is his discussion on the sermon on the mount:
Matthew 6:5-14 King James Version (KJV)
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But before we talk a lot about prayer, I want to set a stage for prayer. This verse establishes the heart or attitude of the effective prayer.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But before we talk a lot about prayer, I want to set a stage for prayer. This verse establishes the heart or attitude of the effective prayer.
John 4:23-24 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
In John 4, Jesus meets up with a Samaritan woman. Samaritans were a mixed race of people and the Jews would not associate with them. But Jesus desires the Samaritans to come to Him. This is not surprising to us because we know God has called all men to Jesus. This woman has had 5 husbands and is now living with a man she is not married too. Her life must have been a big disappointment for herself. Life does that, our dreams, hopes that we've invested in become failure and despair. In life the water jar always gets used up or soiled and we need to get a fresh bottle of water. However, Jesus explains to her that He is the source of 'living water'. Who ever drinks of this water will never thirst again. This water is not an example of life's failures but in life's successes. In the conversation, the woman brings up that the Jews worship on that mountain and the Samaritans worship on another mountain. Jesus gave her a new principle that the place of worship was less important than the heart and attitude. The first principle is going to God in honesty. God is not interested in pretense, or pompousness. God wants you to present yourself in who you really are. The second is praying spiritually. Is this not a key to a successful relationship with God?
To get there, to a successful prayer session we have to 'enter in'. The psalmist David has given us a model for this.
1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
In John 4, Jesus meets up with a Samaritan woman. Samaritans were a mixed race of people and the Jews would not associate with them. But Jesus desires the Samaritans to come to Him. This is not surprising to us because we know God has called all men to Jesus. This woman has had 5 husbands and is now living with a man she is not married too. Her life must have been a big disappointment for herself. Life does that, our dreams, hopes that we've invested in become failure and despair. In life the water jar always gets used up or soiled and we need to get a fresh bottle of water. However, Jesus explains to her that He is the source of 'living water'. Who ever drinks of this water will never thirst again. This water is not an example of life's failures but in life's successes. In the conversation, the woman brings up that the Jews worship on that mountain and the Samaritans worship on another mountain. Jesus gave her a new principle that the place of worship was less important than the heart and attitude. The first principle is going to God in honesty. God is not interested in pretense, or pompousness. God wants you to present yourself in who you really are. The second is praying spiritually. Is this not a key to a successful relationship with God?
To get there, to a successful prayer session we have to 'enter in'. The psalmist David has given us a model for this.
Psalm 100 King James Version (KJV)
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
In verse 2, the psalmist says come before his presence with singing. Singing is an expression of joy. Be joyful in your approach to God in prayer. I mentioned earlier about being truthful of who you are. We have to be truthful about who God is. He is our Creator. He is our Lord. He is our Shepard, our caregiver, the one who sustains us and all creation.
When we approach Him, we should express our thankfulness and give our Lord praises magnifying his great nature and his wonderful character and his mighty works and His glorious name.
Know that God is holy and that His name is holy. Know that the God you pray to is the God of heaven and earth. Know that He has a will and a purpose. Pray that his will be done here on earth as His will is done in heaven. But mostly, pray that God's will can be made manifest in your life and in your 'today'.
Express to God your needs for today. Illustrate your ambitions and your desires. Ask God for direction for you to lead you through the day. Matthew chapter 7 gives us a perspective on God's intent to give us good things.
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
In verse 2, the psalmist says come before his presence with singing. Singing is an expression of joy. Be joyful in your approach to God in prayer. I mentioned earlier about being truthful of who you are. We have to be truthful about who God is. He is our Creator. He is our Lord. He is our Shepard, our caregiver, the one who sustains us and all creation.
When we approach Him, we should express our thankfulness and give our Lord praises magnifying his great nature and his wonderful character and his mighty works and His glorious name.
Know that God is holy and that His name is holy. Know that the God you pray to is the God of heaven and earth. Know that He has a will and a purpose. Pray that his will be done here on earth as His will is done in heaven. But mostly, pray that God's will can be made manifest in your life and in your 'today'.
Express to God your needs for today. Illustrate your ambitions and your desires. Ask God for direction for you to lead you through the day. Matthew chapter 7 gives us a perspective on God's intent to give us good things.
Matthew 7:7-12 King James Version (KJV)
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 6 verse 5 says to ask for forgiveness, this is the purpose for which Christ came to forgive us of our sins. But note the catch. We must forgive those that have sinned or trespassed against us. This is something I've struggled with but I have purposed to forgive all that have in some way offended me. It is a continual fight. There are some very deep wounds. But still I have purposed in my heart to forgive and when salt is poured on those old wounds, I have to go back to Jesus and ask for help to continue to forgive my offender(s). If you are struggling to forgive specifically with why you should forgive, I have a book recommendation: The Bait of Satan by John Bevere. There is a video teaching series that goes with the book that our church has played as a quarterly Sunday School class. Maybe God will make it available too you. But if you don't forgive, you will struggle to receive the greater blessings from God. Not to mention that your salvation is in jeopardy. But the promise is that if we forgive men of their offenses, God will forgive us.
The bible says that God does not temp any man. Know this, but pray for God to deliver us from evil.
And Know that God owns it all, He has the ultimate power, He is the ultimate glory.
I believe in the pattern of the Lord's prayer. It has helped me when I did not know how to get started. It always provides a major influence to my prayers. But I'm not constrained to follow the pattern exactly every time. It is not our prayer recipe. It is a guide.
I want to continue on with the praying in spirit. Read what Paul said:
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
I want you to know that there is a place for you in your prayers to participate with the Holy Spirit. For we don't always know what to pray for. We don't always see God's will. But we need help from the Holy Spirit. Regard these scriptures from 1 Corinthians 14:(KJV)
2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
I want to express a need to let the Spirit of God help you in your prayer time. Paul confessed to praying in tongues more than us all. Now in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is mainly discussing order in the church and the proper place for tongs, interpretations and prophesying. However, from these nuggets of scriptures I have laid out, I want to show you that there is a proper place speaking in tongues in your personal prayer time. In verse 4, praying in tongues edifies you. You should pray in your mind and with your spirit. I have presented a lengthy discussion on a pattern for praying with your mind. There is no pattern to give for praying in the Spirit since the Holy Spirit is controlling that for you. Just be obedient and give place for the Holy Spirit to cause you to speak in tongues on a regular basis. Verse 39 says not to forbid to speak with tongues. God gave this gift so the Holy Spirit can show us He is interceding for us. Speaking in tongues also lets us know we have 'entered in' to Gods presence in worship.
But wait, have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? If you are going to be able to pray in tongues you need to be 'filled' or baptized in the Holy Spirit. For more explanation on being baptized in the Holy Spirit see my third post. We can't even imagine what we are missing out on if we will not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, prayer is not about being seen by others and being recognized as a 'spiritual' person. But prayer is really getting in contact with God. God hears our prayers, He said that He already knows what we are going to pray, what we need and what we want. He has promised to give us the desires of our heart. But sometimes we don't know what those desires really are. I have found many things I've wanted did not satisfy me at all. But God knows what will really satisfy us and He wants to give those things to us. Prayer is about developing a relationship with God. Letting His Spirit move in us. Letting God really be God in our lives which is something more like a great father than a strong disciplinarian. Yes, God has to discipline us. He disciplines those he loves. God wants us to get to the place where we know His voice. Do you remember Jesus said "I only do the things I see my Father doing". Where did he get to where he could see those things? In his prayer time. Where did He stay to maintain the close relationship with God? In his prayer time. If you want to develop a close relationship with God you must do it in your prayer time.
Thanks to www.biblegateway.com for providing a searchable internet bible resource. On this site you can search and read many versions of the bible. I recommend that you read the scriptures I have referenced and get the whole context. Bible are are also available in several different languages.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 6 verse 5 says to ask for forgiveness, this is the purpose for which Christ came to forgive us of our sins. But note the catch. We must forgive those that have sinned or trespassed against us. This is something I've struggled with but I have purposed to forgive all that have in some way offended me. It is a continual fight. There are some very deep wounds. But still I have purposed in my heart to forgive and when salt is poured on those old wounds, I have to go back to Jesus and ask for help to continue to forgive my offender(s). If you are struggling to forgive specifically with why you should forgive, I have a book recommendation: The Bait of Satan by John Bevere. There is a video teaching series that goes with the book that our church has played as a quarterly Sunday School class. Maybe God will make it available too you. But if you don't forgive, you will struggle to receive the greater blessings from God. Not to mention that your salvation is in jeopardy. But the promise is that if we forgive men of their offenses, God will forgive us.
The bible says that God does not temp any man. Know this, but pray for God to deliver us from evil.
And Know that God owns it all, He has the ultimate power, He is the ultimate glory.
I believe in the pattern of the Lord's prayer. It has helped me when I did not know how to get started. It always provides a major influence to my prayers. But I'm not constrained to follow the pattern exactly every time. It is not our prayer recipe. It is a guide.
I want to continue on with the praying in spirit. Read what Paul said:
Romans 8:26 King James Version (KJV)
I want you to know that there is a place for you in your prayers to participate with the Holy Spirit. For we don't always know what to pray for. We don't always see God's will. But we need help from the Holy Spirit. Regard these scriptures from 1 Corinthians 14:(KJV)
2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
I want to express a need to let the Spirit of God help you in your prayer time. Paul confessed to praying in tongues more than us all. Now in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is mainly discussing order in the church and the proper place for tongs, interpretations and prophesying. However, from these nuggets of scriptures I have laid out, I want to show you that there is a proper place speaking in tongues in your personal prayer time. In verse 4, praying in tongues edifies you. You should pray in your mind and with your spirit. I have presented a lengthy discussion on a pattern for praying with your mind. There is no pattern to give for praying in the Spirit since the Holy Spirit is controlling that for you. Just be obedient and give place for the Holy Spirit to cause you to speak in tongues on a regular basis. Verse 39 says not to forbid to speak with tongues. God gave this gift so the Holy Spirit can show us He is interceding for us. Speaking in tongues also lets us know we have 'entered in' to Gods presence in worship.
But wait, have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? If you are going to be able to pray in tongues you need to be 'filled' or baptized in the Holy Spirit. For more explanation on being baptized in the Holy Spirit see my third post. We can't even imagine what we are missing out on if we will not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, prayer is not about being seen by others and being recognized as a 'spiritual' person. But prayer is really getting in contact with God. God hears our prayers, He said that He already knows what we are going to pray, what we need and what we want. He has promised to give us the desires of our heart. But sometimes we don't know what those desires really are. I have found many things I've wanted did not satisfy me at all. But God knows what will really satisfy us and He wants to give those things to us. Prayer is about developing a relationship with God. Letting His Spirit move in us. Letting God really be God in our lives which is something more like a great father than a strong disciplinarian. Yes, God has to discipline us. He disciplines those he loves. God wants us to get to the place where we know His voice. Do you remember Jesus said "I only do the things I see my Father doing". Where did he get to where he could see those things? In his prayer time. Where did He stay to maintain the close relationship with God? In his prayer time. If you want to develop a close relationship with God you must do it in your prayer time.
Thanks to www.biblegateway.com for providing a searchable internet bible resource. On this site you can search and read many versions of the bible. I recommend that you read the scriptures I have referenced and get the whole context. Bible are are also available in several different languages.
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