|
| |
What is Prayer?
Prayer is speaking with God. Psalm 4:3, TLB. "Mark this well: The Lord has
set apart the redeemed for Himself. Therefore He will listen to me and
answer when I call to Him."
Prayer is an awesome privilege. Hebrews 4:16, TLB. "So let us come boldly to
the very throne of God and stay there to receive His mercy and to find grace
to help us in our times of need."
God is approachable. Psalm 65:2, TLB. "And because You answer prayer, all
mankind will come to You with their requests."
How willing is God to hear and answer prayer? Matthew 7:11, NIV. "If you,
then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"
Upon what conditions are we promised needed blessings? Matthew 7:7-8, NIV.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door
will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;
and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
One of the many things you should pray for is wisdom. James 1:5-8, NIV. "If
any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he
must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea,
blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive
anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
Under what condition does the psalmist say the Lord will not hear prayer?
Psalm 66:18-19, NIV. "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not
have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer."
Does God ever refuse to listen to a prayer? Proverbs 28:9, TLB. "God doesn’t
listen to the prayers of men who flout the law."
In whose name are we to pray? John 14:13-14, TLB. "You can ask for anything,
using My name, and I will do it, for this will bring praise to the Father
because of what I, the Son, will do for you. Yes, ask anything, using My
name, and I will do it."
Don’t forget to thank God for His answers to prayer. Philippians 4:6, TLB.
"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your
needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers."
How often should we pray? Ephesians 6:18, TLB. "Pray all the time. Ask God
for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. Plead with Him,
reminding Him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians
everywhere."
I Thessalonians 5:17, NIV. "Pray continually."
Sometimes God answers our prayers before we ask Him. Isaiah 65:24, TLB. "I
will answer them before they even call to Me. While they are still talking
to Me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"
Sometimes God says no to our prayer requests. II Corinthians 12:8-9, TLB.
"Three different times I begged God to make me well again. Each time He
said, ‘No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best
in weak people.’"
Sometimes God answers our prayer by saying, wait awhile. Psalm 37:7, NIV.
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him."
There is no limit to God’s ability to help! Ephesians 3:20, NIV. "Now to Him
who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to
His power that is at work within us."
How fully has God promised to supply our needs? Philippians 4:19, NIV. "And
my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ
Jesus."
How do I know what to pray about? Romans 8:26-27, TLB. "And in the same
way--by our faith--the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in
our praying. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray
as we should; but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it
cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of
course, what the Spirit is saying as He pleads for us in harmony with God’s
own will."
Upon what condition does Christ say we shall receive the answers to our
prayers? Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
What petitions may we confidently expect God to hear? I John 5:14-15, NIV.
"This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hear us--whatever
we ask--we know that we have what we asked of Him."
Does the Bible give a model prayer? Matthew 6:9-11, NIV. "This is how you
should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom
come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily
bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen."
Prayers are not magic. Matthew 6:7-8, TLB. "Don’t recite the same prayer
over and over as the heathen do, who think prayers are answered only by
repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you
need even before you ask Him!" |
|
