Pray (Talk to God)
1 Kings 3:5-14: In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you." Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days."
Nehemiah 1:4-11: When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.' They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man."
Now I was the cupbearer to the king.
Psalm 116:1-2: I love the LORD because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
by Study-Leader @ 6:10 AM
1 Comments:
Like any relationship, our personal relationship with God benefits greatly from two-way communication--and suffers greatly from withdrawal.
Like a loving earthly parent, our Father desires that we deliberately share our hearts in intimacy with Him.
Matthew 6:7, ironically given just before what must surely be one of the most repeated prayers in the world, is given to us as a reminder that memorized and recited "prayers" have more in common with paganism than with a vital relationship with a living God.
In the Luke account, Luke 11:1-13 shows the disciples' understanding of the crucial dynamic in Jesus' prayer life that had Him getting up "very early, before dawn" (Mark 1:35 and praying. They asked Him to teach them how to pray as He prayed, and the examples He offers after His model prayer for them share these common themes: persistence in seeking good things, expectancy like a child can have toward his parent, and trust that God has our best interests at heart.
We pray to: the Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:9; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 12:5)
We pray in: the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:13,14; 15:16; 16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:2)
We pray enjoying: the help of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26,27)
Prayer is for: praise, worship, thanksgiving, requests, confession, intimate sharing, intercession and realignment of our purpose with His.
Prayer is for: the repentant. The repentant sinner can receive Christ in prayer, the repentant Christian's prayers are heard by God.
We should pray because we are commanded to (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1)
We should pray because we have the disciples as examples (Acts 6:4)
We should pray because we have Jesus as an example (Mark 1:35)
We must pray because Christianity is a genuine two-way relationship with the Living God
We need prayer because it changes us (Psalm 51:10)
We trust that prayer changes others (Colossians 4:12)
We know that prayer changes our circumstances (Luke 11:9-13; James 4:2)
A few hindrances to prayer:
•Unbelief (Hebrews 11:6; James 1:6,7)
•Improper motivation (James 4:3; 1 John 5:14)
•Disobedience (Proverbs 28:9)
•Vain repitition (James 5:16; Matthew 6:7)
•Domestic Disharmony (1 Peter 3:7)
•Unforgiveness (Mark 11:25,26; Matthew 5:23,24)
Prayerlessness is sin (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1; 1 1 Samuel 12:23; James 4:2)
I like the acronym ACTS (or CATS) to remind me of important elements to remember in prayer:
A - Adoration (because my purpose in life is GOD'S PLEASURE-Revelation 4:11)
C - Confession (because my ability to abide in Him depends on continual restoration because of my sinfulness - 1 John 1:9 )
T - Thanksgiving(because thankfulness in all circumstances is God's will for me. 1 Thess. 5:18 )
S - Supplication(because, as a loving Father, who ALREADY provides all my needs, God wants to be asked and acknowledged in so asking. It's also "His pleasure to give me the Kingdom--Luke 12:32 and, having given me Christ, will He not also with Him FREELY GIVE ME all things? Romans 8:32)
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