On Prayer
Prayer is one of, if not the most important thing a Christian can do. The main reason we would want to pray is to know God. Another reason we would want to pray is because nothing happens without prayer. No ministry is ever accomplished without prayer. No one is saved unless someone, somewhere, has prayed for them to be saved. “We have not because we ask not” (James 4:2). It is evident in all the writings of Paul, that He was a man of prayer.
We know that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, yet His Kingdom is not everywhere on Earth. Why? The world we live in is in rebellion to the rightful ruler, Christ Jesus. So we must pray for His Kingdom to come, and His will to be done on Earth as it is done in heaven (Matthew 6:10). God through our prayers can accomplish anything, move some mountains (Mark 11:23), change the weather, heal the sick (James 5:16-19), control wild animals (2 Ki 2:24), cast out devils (Mark 9:29), multiply food (2 Ki 4), call up whole companies of angels (Matt 26:53, 2 Ki 6:16), release prisoners from jail cells (Acts 12) and raise the dead. Yet our lack of praying can stop God from moving, and from anything happening.
God can do anything and He hears everything, but He may choose not to answer our prayer for a number of reasons.
Are we coming to God “through Jesus” ? :
Rom 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
There is only one way to come to God, by trusting in Jesus. Without Jesus we have no access to the Father. (John 14:6). Through Jesus we can come to God with full assurance of faith, full assurance that He is hearing us, trusting in Christ’s merits and righteousness not our own. (Hebrews 10:19-22). This gives us boldness and confidence in our praying.
Now that we have the assurance that we can come before God through Jesus, we can pray and ask God whatever we wish. But God will only choose to answer those prayers that are acceptable to Him. Here’s a look at some things to consider:
Are we praying according to God’s will? :
Jesus prayed “not my will but Your Will be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus knew that the human will may be opposed to God’s Will, and so hinder God from accomplishing His purposes. Prayer is about God bringing us into alignment with His will, it is not about seeing our will accomplished. Prayer is not about twisting God’s arm or manipulating Him into doing what we want or what we think should be done.
Are we praying with the right motives and attitudes?
Do we have any unforgiveness in our heart towards another? Mar 11:25 And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive it so that also your Father in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Are our prayers self-centred and for things to spend on our own pleasures?
If so, God won’t answer those kinds of prayers. (Jam 4:3).
Are we praying to impress others?
If so, God won’t answer those prayers (Matt 6:5).
Are we repeating ourselves over and over thinking that God will hear our prayers because of our repetition, or many words, or even the right jargon?
God won’t answer those prayers. (Matt 6:7) Prayer must be sincere.
If our motives and attitudes are right in prayer, then God will hear us for sure and be willing to answer us. But prayer must be done in faith. If we don’t have the faith to receive our answer to prayer we’ll never see the answer.
Mar 11:24 Therefore I say to you, All things, whatever you ask, praying, believe that you shall receive them, and it will be to you.
Where is faith?
Faith is not in our mind, it is in our heart. We must not doubt in our heart that God will answer our prayer (Mar 11:23, James 1:6-7). [Note that it is possible to doubt in the mind but not in the heart, and vice versa - are you sure what you believe to be true in your mind is also rooted in your heart?] The issue is usually not that we need more faith, the issue is that we can doubt. Doubt kills faith. Faith is not just believing that God can answer. It is believing that God has answered. It is assurance and confidence in your heart with expectation, that God has answered. In other words - Believe that you have received the answer, even though you may not yet see the results.
Are we listening to God speak to us? Are we watching? “Watch and pray”, (Mark 13:33). Prayer is not just one way conversation. God speaks back to us. We need to watch God, listening for His answer or what He would want us to do, and watch ourselves that we aren’t asking amiss. Sometimes we are the answer to our own prayers, and that what we are asking God to do, God is telling us that we must do that ourselves. God will reveal that to us.
The most important thing about prayer is that we have a Helper, we don’t have to do it on our own:
The Holy Spirit helps us pray, and tells us what to pray when we have no clue. He leads us in prayer, and even intercedes for us. You have a prayer partner with you at all times and all places. (Rom 8:26, Eph 6:18).
The final and important principle is: don’t give up. If your motives are right, you have faith, and yet don’t see an answer to prayer, be fervent and persistence, keep praying and keep believing, and be thankful at all times. (1 Th 5:19, Luke 18, Col 4:2).
In prayer, we often gain an acute awareness of God’s presence. It is not because God has visited us from afar, but it’s because we too often live in our flesh, then we lose the sensitivity to God, and perhaps feel less close to Him.
A continual lifestyle of prayer can help attain and maintain a constant awareness of God's presence, leading to greater faith, and greater answers to prayer.
Prayer is one of, if not the most important thing a Christian can do. The main reason we would want to pray is to know God. Another reason we would want to pray is because nothing happens without prayer. No ministry is ever accomplished without prayer. No one is saved unless someone, somewhere, has prayed for them to be saved. “We have not because we ask not” (James 4:2). It is evident in all the writings of Paul, that He was a man of prayer.
We know that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, yet His Kingdom is not everywhere on Earth. Why? The world we live in is in rebellion to the rightful ruler, Christ Jesus. So we must pray for His Kingdom to come, and His will to be done on Earth as it is done in heaven (Matthew 6:10). God through our prayers can accomplish anything, move some mountains (Mark 11:23), change the weather, heal the sick (James 5:16-19), control wild animals (2 Ki 2:24), cast out devils (Mark 9:29), multiply food (2 Ki 4), call up whole companies of angels (Matt 26:53, 2 Ki 6:16), release prisoners from jail cells (Acts 12) and raise the dead. Yet our lack of praying can stop God from moving, and from anything happening.
God can do anything and He hears everything, but He may choose not to answer our prayer for a number of reasons.
Are we coming to God “through Jesus” ? :
Rom 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
There is only one way to come to God, by trusting in Jesus. Without Jesus we have no access to the Father. (John 14:6). Through Jesus we can come to God with full assurance of faith, full assurance that He is hearing us, trusting in Christ’s merits and righteousness not our own. (Hebrews 10:19-22). This gives us boldness and confidence in our praying.
Now that we have the assurance that we can come before God through Jesus, we can pray and ask God whatever we wish. But God will only choose to answer those prayers that are acceptable to Him. Here’s a look at some things to consider:
Are we praying according to God’s will? :
Jesus prayed “not my will but Your Will be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus knew that the human will may be opposed to God’s Will, and so hinder God from accomplishing His purposes. Prayer is about God bringing us into alignment with His will, it is not about seeing our will accomplished. Prayer is not about twisting God’s arm or manipulating Him into doing what we want or what we think should be done.
Are we praying with the right motives and attitudes?
Do we have any unforgiveness in our heart towards another? Mar 11:25 And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive it so that also your Father in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Are our prayers self-centred and for things to spend on our own pleasures?
If so, God won’t answer those kinds of prayers. (Jam 4:3).
Are we praying to impress others?
If so, God won’t answer those prayers (Matt 6:5).
Are we repeating ourselves over and over thinking that God will hear our prayers because of our repetition, or many words, or even the right jargon?
God won’t answer those prayers. (Matt 6:7) Prayer must be sincere.
If our motives and attitudes are right in prayer, then God will hear us for sure and be willing to answer us. But prayer must be done in faith. If we don’t have the faith to receive our answer to prayer we’ll never see the answer.
Mar 11:24 Therefore I say to you, All things, whatever you ask, praying, believe that you shall receive them, and it will be to you.
Where is faith?
Faith is not in our mind, it is in our heart. We must not doubt in our heart that God will answer our prayer (Mar 11:23, James 1:6-7). [Note that it is possible to doubt in the mind but not in the heart, and vice versa - are you sure what you believe to be true in your mind is also rooted in your heart?] The issue is usually not that we need more faith, the issue is that we can doubt. Doubt kills faith. Faith is not just believing that God can answer. It is believing that God has answered. It is assurance and confidence in your heart with expectation, that God has answered. In other words - Believe that you have received the answer, even though you may not yet see the results.
Are we listening to God speak to us? Are we watching? “Watch and pray”, (Mark 13:33). Prayer is not just one way conversation. God speaks back to us. We need to watch God, listening for His answer or what He would want us to do, and watch ourselves that we aren’t asking amiss. Sometimes we are the answer to our own prayers, and that what we are asking God to do, God is telling us that we must do that ourselves. God will reveal that to us.
The most important thing about prayer is that we have a Helper, we don’t have to do it on our own:
The Holy Spirit helps us pray, and tells us what to pray when we have no clue. He leads us in prayer, and even intercedes for us. You have a prayer partner with you at all times and all places. (Rom 8:26, Eph 6:18).
The final and important principle is: don’t give up. If your motives are right, you have faith, and yet don’t see an answer to prayer, be fervent and persistence, keep praying and keep believing, and be thankful at all times. (1 Th 5:19, Luke 18, Col 4:2).
In prayer, we often gain an acute awareness of God’s presence. It is not because God has visited us from afar, but it’s because we too often live in our flesh, then we lose the sensitivity to God, and perhaps feel less close to Him.
A continual lifestyle of prayer can help attain and maintain a constant awareness of God's presence, leading to greater faith, and greater answers to prayer.
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) between these two quotes, they appear to be contradictory but I know they are not.
