PRAYER

Jesus, in His earthly walk, was a MAN of PRAYER. He would go off by Himself to be with His Father in prayer.... Lk. 9:18. To a mountain....Mt.14:23; Mk.6:46; Lk. 6:12, LK. 9:29. To a solitary place...... Mk.1:35. To the wilderness...... Lk. 5:16.     In Gethsemane.... Mt. 26:36-46; Mk.14:32-42, Lk.22:39-46. Jesus prayed for His disciples of that time and all His followers to come..... Jn. Chapter 17.           Prayer, to many people, means asking God for a favor: however, the Bible explains that prayer is much, much more than that. Actually, prayer is our talking to God, even if we aren't asking for anything. In order to really get to know someone, you must talk with him (or her). We talk to the Lord through prayer, and He answers us through His Word. **** WE ENTER GOD'S PRESENCE WITH **** **** PRAYER AND PRAISE. WE THEN **** **** FIND REST AND JOY THERE ****           "And Moses said unto the LORD, See, you say unto me, Bring up this people: and you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found grace in your sight, show me now you way, that I may know you, that I may find grace in your sight: and consider that this nation is your people. And he said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:12-14           "But you are holy, O you who inhabit the praises of Israel (GOD'S people)." Ps. 22:3           "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit." Ps. 34:15-18           "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms." Ps. 95:1,2           "Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing." Ps. 100:2           "The LORD is near unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them." Ps. 145:18,19           "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matt 18:20           "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded." James 4:8           "For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Glory and honor are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place." I Chronicles 16:26,27           "You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fulness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Ps. 16:11           We are given guidelines as to how to pray and what to pray for.           Jesus gave a SAMPLE PRAYER in Mt.6:9-13 & Lk. 11:2-4           "After this manner therefore pray: Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts (sins), as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."           * The prayer is started with praise to God as suggested in Psalm 100:4,5 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth  endures to all generations."           * Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us." Ps. 67:5,6           * Prayer that His will is to be done in this world, and since we are made of the earth, in us also.           * Prayer for all of our daily needs.           * Prayer for forgiveness, because "But your iniquities have separated between you  and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isa. 59:2           * For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Mat 6:14,15           We are never to pretend to pray to impress others "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation." Mat 23:14; Mk. 12:40; Lk.20:47           Real prayer is not to be used to show off of to impress others, either. Jesus teaching in the sermon on the mount, "And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Truly I say unto you, They have their reward. But you, when thou pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly." Mat 6:5,6           We are told to pray in the congregation also, though. "Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints." Ps. 149:1 - " For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matt. 18:20           We are not to use the same prayers over and over, but rather should speak from out heart"But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Therefore, don't you be like them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him." Matt. 6:7,8           God has recorded for us in His Word many principles of prayer and examples of what to pray for:           He knows all your needs, but often waits for you to ask His help before acting.           ".....your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him." Matt. 6:8           "..... you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts." James 4:2,3           "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will listen to you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart." Jer. 29:11-13           "Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not." Jer 33:3           "Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt. 26:41; Mk.14:38; Lk.22:40,46           "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love them which love you, what reward do you have ? do not even the publicans the same?" Matt. 5:44-46; Lk.6:28           "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;" I Tim. 2:1-3           "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love you." Ps. 122:6           "Brethren, pray for us (those in ministry)." I Thess. 5:25           "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith." II Thess. 3:1-2           "Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." Matt. 9:38 ; Lk.10:12           "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thess. 5:17,18            "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, you do even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matt. 7:7-12           "And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give you. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity (troublesome, overly persistent request) he will rise and give him as many as he needs. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Luke 11:5-13           "And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Lk.18:1-8           "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? 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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:13-16           "And he spoke this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted." Luke 18:9-14 **** QUALIFICATIONS TO PRAYER RESULTS ****           "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" Ps. 66:18           "Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." I Pet. 3:7           "And Jesus answering said unto them, Have faith in God. For truly I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, You be removed, and you be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he said shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11:22-26           "Jesus answered and said unto them, Truly I say unto you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, You be removed, and you be cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." Matt. 21:21,22           "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." James 1:6-8           "And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them; because they put their trust in him." I Chronicles 5:20           "And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." John 14:13,14           "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7           "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." John 15:16           "Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time comes, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day you shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:" John 16:24-26           "He that turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." Prov 28:9           "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight....... The LORD is far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous." Prov 15:8,29           "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." I John 3:22           Prayer is recorded in the Bible in a number of bodily positions - standing, kneeling, lying down, and even with hands lifted up. Prayer was said out loud, and quietly too, and God responded regardlessly. The thing that really matters is that you talk to Him from your heart.           When we often get to the point where we can't figure out how to pray for a certain situation we can rely on the Holy Spirit to help us pray properly... (after all, He is the One whose ministry has brought us to Jesus to begin with!.. "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" John 16:8) "Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Rom 8:26,27                      It is important to remember that God is not a genie in a magic lamp that we use to get our wishes granted by! It must be stressed, though, that if you are BORN AGAIN then you've been adopted by The Father, and He loves to act in our behalf when we come to Him!           "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yes, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant." Ps. 35:27           "Delight yourself also in the LORD; and he shall give you the desires of your heart." Ps. 37:4           "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them." Ps. 145:19           "When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Prov 16:7           "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than clothing? Behold the birds of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one foot unto his height? And why do you take thought for clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:24-33           "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32           "But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Cor 2:9           "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb 11:6           "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." I John 5:14,15                      One last thing..... believe it or not: prayer is actually a service to God! "And she was a widow of about eighty-four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day." Luke 2:37