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 WHAT IS PRAYER?
Prayer is an intimate conversation with God that comes from a personal
relationship with Him.
Anybody can pray, even a
child in the simplest language, in fact it is a command to all God's
children to pray. 1 Tess 5:17 says "pray at all times", and Col
4:12 "be persistent in prayer".
We do not only have a
command from God that we must pray, we have an invitation to speak to Him
about anything. "So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely
before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with
undeserved kindness, and we will find help". (Heb 4:16)
Prayer is not to give your
wish list or shopping-list to God, it is not a way to manipulate Him so
that you get the things that you desire.
God is waiting for us to
pray: "The LORD said, "I was ready to answer my people's
prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find Me, but they
did not even try. The nation did not pray to Me, even though I was always
ready to answer, 'Here I am; I will help you.'" (Isa 65:1)
Billy Graham said:
"If you do not feel like praying, it is a sure indication that you
should start praying immediately"
No one can believe the
power of prayer, except the one who has learnt it from experience
..
so, start praying, and experience the results in your life and the lifes
of those whom you pray for!
DIFFERENT WAYS TO PRAY
Go to a quiet place and pray alone as Jesus did
·
He went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in
prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)
· In the morning, long before sunrise, Jesus went to a place where he
could be alone to pray. (Mark 1:35)
Come together with
other people and pray
· Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with
you. (Mat 18:20)
· Many people had gathered at her home and were praying. (Act 12:12)
Pray for others (this
prayer is called intercession)
· First of all, I ask you to pray for everyone. Ask God to help and bless
them all, and tell God how thankful you are for each of them. (1Tim 2:1)
· Never stop praying, especially for others
. Stay alert and keep
praying for God's people. (Eph 6:18)
WHEN CAN I PRAY?
In the morning
You hear my voice in the morning; at sunrise I offer my prayer and
wait for your answer. (Ps 5:3)
In the evening
Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising; my raised hands are my evening
prayers. (Ps 141:2)
Day and night
I cry out to You during the day and at night. Let my prayer come into your
presence. Turn your ear to hear my cries. (Ps 88:1,2)
In times of need
So all your loyal people should pray to You in times of need; when a great
flood of trouble comes rushing in, it will not reach them. (Ps 32:6)
In times of trouble and illness
If you are having trouble, you should pray. (James 5:13)
If you are sick, ask the church leaders to come and pray for you. (James
5:14)
Before you eat
Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven
and blessed the food. (Mat 14:19)
GOD LISTENS TO OUR
PRAYERS AND ANSWERS IT
God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He
doesn't change his mind. When He says something, He does it. When He makes
a promise, He keeps it. (Num 23:19)
If God said it, we can
believe it
and He says He listens to our prayers:
· When good people pray, the LORD listens. (Prov 15:29)
· When his people pray for help, He listens and rescues them from their
troubles. (Ps 34:17)
· Ask, and it will be given to you. (Mat 7:7)
· The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect. (Jam 5:16)
· Even before they finish praying to Me, I will answer their prayers.
(Isa 65:24)
· Stay joined to Me and let my teachings become part of you. Then you can
pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered. (Joh 15:7)
· The LORD is compassionate, and when you cry to Him for help, He will
answer you. (Isa 30:19)
· Call to Me, and I will answer you. (Jer 33:3)
· Ask and you will receive so that you can be completely happy. (Joh
16:24)
Remember: God
answers prayers in three ways: He says YES, and gives you want you want,
He says NO, and gives you something better, He says WAIT and gives you the
best.
SOME WARNINGS ABOUT
PRAYER
Are there unconfessed sins in your heart and life?
Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That's why He
doesn't answer your prayers or let you see his face. (Isa 59:2)
Do you worship idols?
these people are devoted to their idols, and they are allowing
themselves to fall into sin. Should they be allowed to ask Me for help?
(Eze 14:3)
Do you help others or are you stingy?
He whose ears are stopped at the cry of the poor, will himself get no
answer to his cry for help. (Prov 21:13)
Are there doubt or unbelieve in your heart?
But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone
who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. (Jam 1:6)
Are you unforgiving or bitter?
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against
anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your
trespasses. (Mark 11:25)
Are you selfish in your prayers?
And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you
ask for things to use for your own pleasures. (Jam 4:3)
HELP, I DON'T KNOW WHAT
TO PRAY
If you feel this way, you can pray the "ACTS" - prayer:
A - Adoration: in
your prayer take time to praise and honour God for His goodness, mercy,
kindness, glory, holiness, wisdom, love, faithfulness, salvation, etc.
Exalt Him and glorify His name.
C - Confession: Ask
God to reveal to you any sin that may be in your heart. Confess them one
by one and thank Him for cleansing you through the blood of Jesus.
T - Thanksgiving:
Thank God for what He does for you and others. Thank Him for Himself, his
answers to prayers, and his blessings. Name specific things that you are
grateful for.
S - Supplication:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God" (Phi 4:6) Speak to God about your own specific needs or the
needs of others. "
give us this day our daily bread". Pray
for
yourself, your family, for the authorities, for the city and the country.
If you want to pray a
blessing on someone, you can pray "BLESS":
B - Body : pray for
the person's health, protection, strength and energy.
L - Labour : pray for the person's work, income, security and
finances.
E - Emotional : pray for the person's emotions, like joy, peace,
hope, love, etc.
S - Social : pray for the person's marriage, for his relationships
with family, friends and children.
S - Spiritual : pray for the spiritual life of the person; pray for
his salvation, for faith, grace, growth, etc.
GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS
PRAYERS (Dr Robert Schuller)
When the idea is not right, God says "NO"
No - when the idea is not
the best
No - when the idea is absolutely wrong
No - when though it may help you, it could create problems for someone
else
When the time is not
right, God says "SLOW"
What a catastrophe it
would be if God answered every prayer at the snap of your fingers. Do you
know what would happen? God would become your servant, not your master.
Suddenly, God would be working for you, instead of you working for God.
Remember: God's delays are not God's denials. God's timing is perfect.
Patience is what we need in prayer.
When you are not right,
God says "GROW"
The selfish person has to
grow in unselfishness
The cautious person must grow courage
The timid person must grow in confidence
The dominating person must grow in sensitivity
The critical person must grow in tolerance
The negative person must grow in positive attitudes
The pleasure-seeking person must grow in compassion for suffering people.
When everything is all
right, God says "GO"
Then miracles happen:
A hopeless alcoholic is set free
A drug addict finds release
A doubter becomes as a child in his belief
Diseased tissue responds to treatment, and healing begins
The door to your dream suddenly swings open and there stands God, saying
"GO"
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