Prayer is an link to intimacy with God. There is much instruction in the word of God on prayer; in this lesson we only touch some highlights.
Luke 6:12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 9:28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
Peppered throughout the 4 gospels are many verses that shows Jesus regularly went and prayed to the Father. Our example Jesus Christ should be emulated.
Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,.“
God calls us into relationship with Him. Here is a command to continue earnestly in prayer! Prayer is communication with God. You talking to God and God talking to you! When you hear the adverbs earnestly and vigilant recognize the heart of God in the command. The Father longs for relationship with you and His heart is that it might be cyclical. His heart is for you! Another secret of prayer is doing it with thanksgiving! A thankful heart and a complaining heart can not co-exist! Coming with thanksgiving will erode the complaint in the presence of God! A clear prayer directive; pray that the mystery of Christ will have a wide open door to be preached!
James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
The first reaction to suffering should be prayer; many traditions keep the believer from this word of instruction. Are you cheerful? Sing a psalm. Sometimes we just read over words of instruction as merely a good idea; it is the call of God to intimacy with Him! God’s way: if you are sick call for the elders of the church; a great promise is attached to the instruction. Our traditions have us calling the doctors; however God’s intimacy instructs us to call for the elders and the prayer of faith will take effect! ** note I’m not against the doctors; I’m for putting the word of God 1st! The promise is the prayer of faith will heal the sick! Does your experience or traditions disagree with this promise of God? Exalt the word of God above past experiences and traditions that deplete your expectation. God wants to raise your expectation to the level of His word! Expect to be healed when you are prayed for. This is not a prayer try out! This is the word of God coming to pass in the believers life.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Has the blood of Jesus been applied? You are the righteous man with prayers that avail much. Effective is praying the word; fervent is surrendering to the intimacy with the Father as you pray! God made it clear Elijah was a man like us; God heard his prayer. Elijah prayed according to the word of God and he prayed fervently that the word would come to pass! God is a prayer answering God!
Luke 11:1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
Another example of Jesus had a prayer life between Him and the Father! Jesus started with the believer hollowing the Father. Recognize God is your Father. You have been given the Spirit whereby you might cry out “Abba Father”
Luke 11:2 So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.“ 5 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 'for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 "and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? 8 "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend,yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!“
Pray from the perspective that God is your Father! Pray His kingdom come in your life as it is in heaven. How is it in heaven? Pray that for your life and for the body of Christ. It starts with praise and putting His kingdom 1st place. Then we pray for our daily bread; this includes the bread for spirit, soul and body! Forgiveness is often connected to instruction with how to pray! Keep praying for His deliverance from the evil one.
The ask, seek, and knock, principle has been shoved aside by some as not praying in faith. However Jesus taught to be persistent in prayer until we see the manifestation! The promise is clear, if you ask it will be given, if you seek you will find, and if you knock the door will be open. God is a good God and He only gives good gifts!
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
You can leave the anxious heart and pray with supplication and thanksgiving! Earnest prayer coupled with thanksgiving yields the peace of God! His peace will guard your heart and mind. It starts with a joyful heart to the God of your salvation.
Revelation 5:8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Revelation 8:3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand.
The prayers of the saints are eternal. Prayers are stored in heaven to be poured out to God again and He answers!
Isa 56:7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."
Mark 11:17 Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
Here is one of the reasons my favorite service is prayer service. It is the heart of God for the church to be called a house of prayer!
2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,
1 Kings 8:26 "And now I pray, O God of Israel , let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father.
Nehemiah 1:8 "Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 'but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.‘
Pray the word of God! Put God in remembrance of His word! He will bring it to pass!
Matthew 6:5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Have a prayer closet! The church sets aside time for the body to pray in the church prayer closet. You need a prayer closet at home. When you pray secretly to your heavenly Father he will reward you openly! Jesus does not teach against repetition in your prayers; he teaches against vain repetitions. Prayer not based on the word or prayers that are filled with traditions in disagreement with the word are vain prayers. We are joined to the Father Spirit to spirit and He calls us to pray from that intimacy!
Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints;
Mark 11:20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.“ 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
Prayer begins with the object of your faith being exclusively in God and in no other! You can speak to the mountain and it will move. Believing God in your requesting will bring it to pass! Put it in your mouth; you can have what you say! Complaint and not living in forgiveness is the greatest prayer blockers! You have been given the Spirit; it is in you to forgive! Nursing the offense and holding onto the hurt is not forgiveness! Does the offense still stir in your heart when you think of them? Obedience is the key, bless them that persecute you and pray for them who have despitefully used you!
Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
God longs to answer your prayer because of His intimacy with you; allow the intimacy!
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