Monday 16 July 2012

Prayer

Many will say there is no need to pray as it will not be answered but is this true? If we are to believe the Bible we will find that there are many instances whereby we have been told to pray as our heavenly Father will answer our prayers. Let us take a look at some interesting Scriptures on the subject of prayer.

When we pray will God hear our prayers?
Yes God hears every prayers. "I call to the Lord for help,  and from his sacred hill he answers me. Psalm 3:4

 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me;  he freed me from all my fears. The helpless call to him, and he answers;  he saves them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:4,6

We are reminded that when we pray we should pray according to the will of God. Jesus himself prayed likewise and we are encouraged to do the same. "Father, he said, if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done." Luke22:42. Many when praying forget that it is the will of God to give good gifts to his children and so whenever we pray we should remember that God is all wise and knows what is best for us. Sometimes we may desire things that seems important to us but may harm us and therefore we need to trust God and allow him to direct us. 
James 4:3  "And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures." Here the scriptures shows us that if our motives are wrong God will not answer our prayers.

Let us come boldly to our father in prayer. Mark 11:24 "For this reason I tell you: When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it, and you will be given whatever you ask for.
Matthew 7:7-12 " Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks will receive, and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to those who knock. Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and of the teachings of the prophets.

Often many express doubt, that is due to failure to trust God completely in answering our prayers;as a result of impatience whenever we do not receive the answer we await, or receive the answer immediately we become despondent and often displease God because of our unbelief;The fact is though we do not receive immediate response to our prayer, does not mean that God has not answered. James 1:6. "But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind."

"You hear my voice in the morning; at sunrise I offer my prayer and wait for your answer." Psalm 5:3. Like the Psalmist let us endeavour to call unto God in the morning and allow Him to direct us throughout the day, and at evening to thank Him for his mercies in taking us safely through another day. 



Elijah was the same kind of person as we are. He prayed earnestly that there would be no rain, and no rain fell on the land for three and a half years. James 5:17. 




Be Persistent


The Parable of the Widow and the Judge explain why we should persevere in our prayer life.
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged. 
In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. And there was a widow in that same town who kept coming to him and pleading for her rights, saying, 
Help me against my opponent! For a long time the judge refused to act, but at last he said to himself, Even though I don't fear God or respect people, yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me, I will see to it that she gets her rights. If I don't, she will keep on coming and finally wear me out!  And the Lord continued, "Listen to what that corrupt judge said. Now, will God not judge in favour of his own people who cry to him day and night for help? Will he be slow to help them? Never give up.



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