Prayer

Today we will learn that prayer is
communicating or talking with God...

Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Jesus gave them a sample - or model - prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13.  We can read that prayer here.

 

Let's look at what this prayer teaches us:

• Who should pray?
  Everyone! Those that are happy, sad, in trouble, sick, righteous, rich, poor, etc. But, we all  must first deal with our sin for God to hear our prayers:

  • Includes those that are not  saved - pray to be saved - repentance.
    "The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous"  Proverbs 15:29
    (See Good News! God's Great Plan for more on how to be saved)

  • Includes those that are  saved - pray to be forgiven of daily sins.
    "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me"  Psalm 66:18

  What limits our ability to be forgiven? We must repent, ask for forgiveness, and have forgiven those who've trespassed against us. "For if ye forgive men (others) their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  Matthew 6:14,15

  Pray for God's will in our lives - to help us be obedient to God and do right. He will listen to us!

   Here's a few questions....

• Why should we pray?
  Why pray? To talk to God and to get His direction for our lives. God will help us when we are happy, sad, sick, or even when we're in trouble. God will give us wisdom, strength and understanding if only we ask. God is willing to give us many good things as long as we ask for them in accordance to His will.

  • Prayer strengthens our relationship with God. Could you imagine trying to have a great relationship with your parents or friends without communicating with them?

  • Prayer is seeking God and His direction in our lives. We pray for peace, forgiveness, health, needs, concerns, to know God better, to know ourselves better, to become dependent on God, and because He wants us to. "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him."  1 John 5: 14,15

  • Praying also keeps us out of trouble. In Matthew 26: 41 Jesus says, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation..."

  God wants to be involved in our life, like a friend. He wants us to include Him, to be close to us. He is always willing and ready to talk. He leaves it up to us to approach Him. When we pray our relationship with God grows.

  God answers our prayers for our physical needs. By supplying food, clothing, homes, medicine, etc., He shows that he cares for us. God speaks to us through His written word, the Bible. The Bible is much like an owner's manual or a map for our life. God also speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. That's the part of us that feels guilty or bad when we know in our hearts that we did something wrong or we're thinking of doing wrong. It is also the part of us that feels happy and joyful when we do things that please God.

   Here's a few questions....

• When should we pray?
  Anytime! "Pray without ceasing."  1 Thessalonians 5:17

  • Always - Don't stop talking to Him - constantly be in connection with God, as if He were standing next to you all the time.

  • Throughout the day - make prayer a continual part of your life. God wants us to pray about everything. Nothing is too small to pray about!

  Praying before meals and bedtime is good, but He wants to hear from us more often than that. He wants to be involved in our lives, to comfort us when we're sad, strengthen us when we're scared and laugh with us when we're happy.

   Here's a few questions....

• How should we pray?
  When we pray, God wants us to pray with all our heart. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29:13

  • We should pray earnestly and not half heartily.

  • We should pray in God's will "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  2 Peter 3:9

  • We should pray believing God will answer, without doubt or wavering. "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."  Matthew 21:22
    "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."  James 1:6,7

  • We should not  pray just so others will think we are godly.

  • We should not  pray vain, or repetitive prayers.
    "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him."  Matthew 6:7,8

  God does not want us to pray mechanically, He wants us to pray heart-felt prayers. He wants us to tell Him our desires, our fears, our hopes, and He wants us to sing songs of praise to Him when we are happy.

  God will give true meaning and direction to our lives. We need to make Him part of our lives throughout the day by reading His Word, the Bible, and seeking Him through prayer.

   Here's a few questions....

• What should we pray?

  • Give praise and adoration to the Lord. "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord."  Psalm 150:6
    "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable."  Psalm 145:3

  • Pray in God's will not your own - things that will please and glorify God, not yourself. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"  Matthew 7:7

    Will God do everything we ask of Him?  No - because we don't always know best and He does... Jesus taught us to pray "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10  God wants what is best for us and will provide it, sometimes against our wishes. James says in 4:3 "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures)."

  • Ask for forgiveness "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  1 John 1:9

  • Pray for others - leaders and government, the sick, those greiving or in difficult times, etc.

  • Ask for our daily needs and for God's protection from evil "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made unto God."  Philippians 4:6

  • Give thanks "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"  Ephesians 5:20

  • Pray in Jesus' name "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."  John 14: 13,14

     Here's a few questions....

  God wants to be involved in our lives on a daily basis, so we need to pray, read our Bibles - God's Word, and acknowledge that the world we live in was created by God. Look around, see the beauty, and be thankful.