WORDS OF LIFE

The Importance of Prayer

To Pray means to talk to God, to communicate. To communicate means > To transmit thoughts, information & feelings, so it is understood.      

James 5:16...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.               *How should we pray?   

Luke 18:1    And he spake a ^parable unto them to this end, that men ought ^always to pray, and not to faint;  (^In every instance; with no exception)

^ Luke 18:2   Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

*The widow woman would not give up until she had an answer! When we pray, we may not get the answer we want, but God is Faithful to answer the prayer of a righteous person when they pray according to His teachings on the subject of prayer. Sometimes, He wants to see our effort!

Luke 21:36   Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

I Thess. 5:17   Pray without ceasing (stopping)

*God wants us to pray about things that trouble us, things that hinder us & He wants us to bring our needs before Him.

Ps 5:1   Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. (deep continued thought)

2   Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

3   My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.  *We should start our day with prayer inviting the Lord to draw near unto us as we go about our day. We can continually pray throughout our day, but He also wants to hear your voice sometimes.

  *In Jesus’ day, there was an appointed time of public worship & prayer observed among the Jews >

Acts 3:1   Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the ^hour of prayer... (a man that was lame from birth was healed at the gate of this temple.       When he asked Peter & John for alms, Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and

walk” v. 6

^ Ps 55:17  Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Dan. 6:4...he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed, and gave thanks...  *It’s good to have a certain time each day to seek God

Rom 12:12   Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (without delay, ready) *If a need should arise, we should be ready to pray with faith in the spirit. You never know when someone might need God to move right away.

Col 4:2   Continue in prayer, and watch in the same (prayer) with thanksgiving; (keeping on, no matter what, staying alert in prayer, giving thanks)

1 Peter 4:7   But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (along with prayer)

Phil 4:6   Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. *Don’t be troubled, worried, or fretful...give it to God!

I Tim 2:8  I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath, and doubting   *I desire that all of you pray in every place, lifting up guiltless hands with no hatred toward anyone, & no doubt toward God.

Praying in the Spirit:  When you speak in tongues – you are speaking God’s language.>

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication (humbly, earnestly) in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance (persistence, enduring) and supplication for all saints; 

Ro. 8:26 ..likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; (weakness) for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings  (burdened, weighed down to the point of groaning)  which cannot be uttered.  (voiced, expressed)

1 Cor 14:15  ..I will pray with the spirit, (by means of) and I will pray with the understanding (comprehension) also:...

Jude 20   But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, *Be strengthened by the means of your faith by praying in the Spirit, instead of praying carnally.

Matt 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, (private place) and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Matt 17:21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. *Some things such as casting out devils requires more than just praying, but seeking and fasting, so that the spirit within is stronger than our flesh.

*Praying has many facets or aspects, such as starting off each day with a simple prayer of thanksgiving, talking to God while driving to work, while doing chores at home, giving thanks at the dinner table, and saying a bedtime prayer, but there should always be a time set aside for spiritual prayer. This is when you pour out your heart to God making your requests known. This is when you learn how to yield to the spirit of God, so that he can make intercessory prayer for you, for we don’t always know what we need to pray for at the time. The more time spent in private prayer with God, the easier it becomes to get out of the flesh and into the spirit, and a child of God needs  to pray in the spirit because it  > builds us up in faith, humbles us, comforts and blesses us, and restores hope (because we are reassured that this supernatural power is real when we speak in tongues). If we will keep a strong prayer life at home, then when we gather together in church we are more apt to use the spiritual gifts because we don’t have to ‘pray through’ first. We will also be ready to worship and praise the Lord and that brings God into our presence.

(Ps 22:3  But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.)

 

*Examples Of The Power Of Prayer:

(Christ’s’ Example =  Luke 6:12   And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God

Mark 1:35   And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Luke 5:16  And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Luke 22:44   And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

*Other examples:

Acts 12:5   Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Acts 1:14  These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Acts 10:2  (Cornelieus) A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

4   .....Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.         

Luke 2:37-  And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. *she gave obedience and reverent honor to God.

2 Kings 20:2   Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

3    I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. (grievously)

Dan 6:10  Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Num 12:13   And Moses cried unto the LORD......... *In several places - Moses cried unto the Lord for the Israelites & God answered.

2 Chr. 20:3   And Jehoshaphat feared, and set (determined) himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

Job 42:10   And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends:.... *Which had not shown themselves to be friends....

Why did Christ pray? For our example / He was the Spirit and the Word, but also he was flesh – flesh must be kept under subjection to the Spirit and power of God.

  If we desire to know God and have fellowship with him, we must communicate with him. How can you get to know someone if you never talk to them? We’ve learned in this lesson that it is good to pray in the Spirit, but we can also pray by meditating, or just speaking to God as we would to each other.

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