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Prayer and So Forth...

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From what I can tell, almost all Christians pray. In Matthew 6:5-6 it talks about Praying.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt 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. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, 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.../(KJV)

It tells us how not to pray, and how to pray. Interesting that it says, when you pray, not if you pray. I believe that phrase,'when you pray' clearly tells us that the Lord expects us to pray. Like it's almost a commandment or duty for being a follower of Him. Would you agree with that?
 
I believe God wants us to pray (talk to Him). I can't imagine a Christian not wanting to do so. When you think about it, that is a great privilege that the Almighty God desires us to talk to Him. I always feel a blessing, peace, comfort and safety after praying. We can be entirely open and honest. I find myself talking to God and askIng Him about all sorts of things without even thinking of praying.
 
The Lord was pretty specific there. Don't pray like that, but do pray like this... it makes it a given that we are to pray. In another passage it says to pray without ceasing! I, kind of do that. I drive around and and just talk to Him like I would my friend being with me. (Because He is!)
 
How many Christian duties do we have. I can think of 4 or 5 right off the top of my head...
 
From what I can tell, almost all Christians pray. In Matthew 6:5-6 it talks about Praying.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt 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. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, 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.../(KJV)

It tells us how not to pray, and how to pray. Interesting that it says, when you pray, not if you pray. I believe that phrase,'when you pray' clearly tells us that the Lord expects us to pray. Like it's almost a commandment or duty for being a follower of Him. Would you agree with that?
What does it mean to be a Christian? Is it just a declaration or is it something more. Can one be a Christian without having a relationship with Jesus? I don't believe so.

Can one have a relationship in which there is no communication, interaction, etc? Prayer is communication with God. How can anyone claim the title "Christian" and not communicate with God?
 
The Lord was pretty specific there. Don't pray like that, but do pray like this... it makes it a given that we are to pray. In another passage it says to pray without ceasing! I, kind of do that. I drive around and and just talk to Him like I would my friend being with me. (Because He is!)
Don't pray like what? Oh, you mean by going out of your way to draw attention to yourself, boast, or puff out your chest with pride. "Look at me praying! Am I great or what?"
 
From what I can tell, almost all Christians pray. In Matthew 6:5-6 it talks about Praying.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt 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. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, 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.../(KJV)

It tells us how not to pray, and how to pray. Interesting that it says, when you pray, not if you pray. I believe that phrase,'when you pray' clearly tells us that the Lord expects us to pray. Like it's almost a commandment or duty for being a follower of Him. Would you agree with that?
amen - and paul told us to pray without ceasing -

for me that means communicate with the Lord all the time all day about everything -

one thing i like to do when something/someone needs prayer is to ask God how to pray and then keep listening for His leading on how to specifically pray for the situation/person

i used to think a lot about a lot of things - now i pray a lot instead - i ask God to tell me what to think/do/say
 
Don't pray like what? Oh, you mean by going out of your way to draw attention to yourself, boast, or puff out your chest with pride. "Look at me praying! Am I great or what?"

Yeah, don't pray like the hypocrites. He is actually going into some detail here about praying. That is showing how important it is. The Lord starts off with a negative, about don't do it like the hypocrites and then finishes with a positive note, do it like this... then He even gives us a model prayer in that chapter. All of this emphasizes how very important prayer is.

I think we all pretty much know how powerful prayer can be. Like is illustrated in James 5
15 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.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.../

What does it mean to be a Christian? Is it just a declaration or is it something more. Can one be a Christian without having a relationship with Jesus? I don't believe so.

Can one have a relationship in which there is no communication, interaction, etc? Prayer is communication with God. How can anyone claim the title "Christian" and not communicate with God?

Right Brother. You are right there with me on this...and I'm going someplace with this, lol. Let us all remember that prayer is not a monologue, it is a dialogue. So I try to not pray too fast and pause and listen for His voice to speak being sensitive in our heart to hear Him...

So we know prayer is very important. It can move mountains, raise the dead, save souls and add to the harvest of the Kingdom...

Stay with me now...lol.
 
I believe God wants us to pray (talk to Him). I can't imagine a Christian not wanting to do so. When you think about it, that is a great privilege that the Almighty God desires us to talk to Him. I always feel a blessing, peace, comfort and safety after praying. We can be entirely open and honest. I find myself talking to God and askIng Him about all sorts of things without even thinking of praying.

It is! It's like having a hotline to the throne room of God. Scripture evn lists it in Ephesians as part of the armor of God, a weapon of spiritual warfare for us. Call in an air strike! so to speak...and where two or more are gathered, in agreement and pray for they same thing, it is like multiplied in it's intensity and power. It gets the Lord's attention! SO yeah, I can't imagine any Christian not wanting to pray either. But your point is timely and spot on to where I am going with this. ;)

We all seem to be on the same page...
 
amen - and paul told us to pray without ceasing -

for me that means communicate with the Lord all the time all day about everything -

one thing i like to do when something/someone needs prayer is to ask God how to pray and then keep listening for His leading on how to specifically pray for the situation/person

i used to think a lot about a lot of things - now i pray a lot instead - i ask God to tell me what to think/do/say

Exactly, Brother! That is where it takes us all when we press in like that.
Now then, let's go back to Matthew 6, and skip down a little to verses...

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.../

See what the Lord did here? He's talking about fasting here. But He does the very same thing that He did about prayer, He even used the exact same phrasing, be not as the hypocrites, but do it like this instead...

The Lord is putting Fasting on the exact same level as Prayer! as if it is as powerful (or perhaps even moreso?) than prayer...But! How many Christians fast? Not many that I know of. I have even had Christian Brothers and Sisters tell me that they do not fast, and wont! (For whatever reason).

We need to understand how very important that fasting is. I wish I had more time but we have an early morning meeting at work, so i have to run for now...

Have a blessed day Brothers and Sisters!
 
Notice He doesn't say, if you fast...He said, when you fast...Like it is a given that we will, like praying or something. and we just established how important prayer is.
 
Notice He doesn't say, if you fast...He said, when you fast...Like it is a given that we will, like praying or something. and we just established how important prayer is.
Great point Edward, that one word 'when's
Makes you think deeper about it.

I think it would be fabulous to have a prayer circle on the forum. When members can pray for the same things at the same time, and those who wish to fast before hand. Praying for things requested by each other and by other people
 
Notice He doesn't say, if you fast...He said, when you fast...Like it is a given that we will, like praying or something. and we just established how important prayer is.
On the subject of fasting, not trying to take this off topic but do you think fasting is something the Lord requires of us today or was it something required of the Israelites?
 
Exactly, Brother! That is where it takes us all when we press in like that.
Now then, let's go back to Matthew 6, and skip down a little to verses...

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.../

See what the Lord did here? He's talking about fasting here. But He does the very same thing that He did about prayer, He even used the exact same phrasing, be not as the hypocrites, but do it like this instead...

The Lord is putting Fasting on the exact same level as Prayer! as if it is as powerful (or perhaps even moreso?) than prayer...But! How many Christians fast? Not many that I know of. I have even had Christian Brothers and Sisters tell me that they do not fast, and wont! (For whatever reason).

We need to understand how very important that fasting is. I wish I had more time but we have an early morning meeting at work, so i have to run for now...

Have a blessed day Brothers and Sisters!
amen - this is very inspiring - great posts you are making

before i was married i used to travel and sing and play the guitar and keyboard for special music at prayer breakfasts/luncheons/dinners etc

i had this thing about fasting 3 days before the meeting so that the music would be anointed and people would experience God - i did that almost every weekend for a few years so was fasting 3 days/week most weeks - fasting really does work - i think because the flesh gets quiet and allows us to connect with God more powerfully

i have also done a few 40 day fasts when praying for a breakthrough for people who really needed God's help - EVERY TIME i did this for someone they got everything i was praying for -

i have also done intermittent fasting - fasting 23 hrs a day and only eating 1 meal a day - that is powerful too

i guess anything that silences the flesh is a good thing - it seems like when the body is denied food the flesh gets quiet and stops clamoring for things - it learns to be still and behave itself Praise God
 
Great point Edward, that one word 'when's
Makes you think deeper about it.

I think it would be fabulous to have a prayer circle on the forum. When members can pray for the same things at the same time, and those who wish to fast before hand. Praying for things requested by each other and by other people
awesome idea

StoveBolts JohnDB
 
Just for some background information on prayers...
There were four types of prayers:

Simple Prayers,
"Thank you God of the Universe for this food", is the translation of the prayer Jesus said after breaking the matza at every meal. It's a basic simple prayer, memorized and repeated by everyone.

Petitions,
These prayers (memorized or not) made a request to God for something. When Zachariah was putting the incense on the altar with the Temple cleared out he had a specific prayer he said for the people of Israel. Part of which was a request for God to send the Messiah. When Gabriel told him his prayers were going to be answered his mind was blown away. Zachariah only asked for the Messiah...not for a son at this specific time although previously he probably did.

Loud Cries,
Might be a memorized prayer but probably not. But people believed that they needed their prayers to be heard by God inside of the Holy of Holies. (Where God's mercy seat was) The emotions and needs were rather urgent for people when they did this. The Widow who gave the mite whom Jesus applauded obviously gave her last coins just so she could pray to God and be heard. Jesus actually sat and watched and waited for her to show up instead of his usual relentless schedule.

Tears,
Prayers, obviously petitioning, accompanied with emotions running so high that they cause tears cut through every barrier. There's not a mother or father out there that can't hear their child's cry out of the din of a crowded room. God obviously pays attention to these prayers as well.

Now then, let's look at the prayer Jesus said for us to pray. The very first word in "Our Father..." Is "our". As in one voice speaking collectively for a group...as in we aren't supposed to do it alone.


Then,
One last thing I want to show is how God answers prayers. This lesson comes from Genesis when Abraham is talking to God about Lot and Sodom. Genesis 18:20-21
God hears the outcry,
God sees the sins because He looks our way
God investigates and considers the situation,
God then acts.
This one section in Genesis delineates how God answers prayers more clearly than most others and is repeated often throughout scriptures at least partially.

Prayer is powerful... something to be very careful with. Something not to be disrespectful with in any shape.
 
Great point Edward, that one word 'when's
Makes you think deeper about it.

I think it would be fabulous to have a prayer circle on the forum. When members can pray for the same things at the same time, and those who wish to fast before hand. Praying for things requested by each other and by other people

It does make you think deeper about it. Something stirred in my memory when I read this. Something about humbling our self before God. I think I have more on this in my notes somewhere. I am going to look for it.

It would be great to have a prayer circle like you describe. Things come up quick sometimes and need prayer. Since I have posted here on this, the Lord has put more before me about these things and taught me that, if we knew how very powerful our prayers really are and their effect in the spiritual realm, that He could not keep us out of prayer! That struck deep to me! I knew that, but not to that extent!
 
On the subject of fasting, not trying to take this off topic but do you think fasting is something the Lord requires of us today or was it something required of the Israelites?

I'm beginning to believe He does. I believe they're is scripture on this in the OT and they humbled themselves before God by fast I think....I'll look for that.

if He required it of the Israelite's...would not that also be for us too? For we are grafted into the branch, and the Lord does not change...so it would be for us too I believe.
 
amen - this is very inspiring - great posts you are making

before i was married i used to travel and sing and play the guitar and keyboard for special music at prayer breakfasts/luncheons/dinners etc

i had this thing about fasting 3 days before the meeting so that the music would be anointed and people would experience God - i did that almost every weekend for a few years so was fasting 3 days/week most weeks - fasting really does work - i think because the flesh gets quiet and allows us to connect with God more powerfully

Jesus said our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak - so fasting seems to silence the flesh so our spirit can take preeminence and align itself with the Holy spirit without the interference of the flesh -

i have also done a few 40 day fasts when praying for a breakthrough for people who really needed God's help - EVERYTIME i did this for someone they got everything i was praying for -

i have also done intermittent fasting - fasting 23 hrs a day and only eating 1 meal a day - that is powerful too

i guess anything that silences the flesh is a good thing - it seems like when the body is denied food the flesh gets quiet and stops clamoring for things - it learns to be still and behave itself Praise God

Fasting does work. The longest I have ever fasted was 7 days. It's actually pretty easy. The hunger goes away after 3 days or so and I was amazed at how much energy that I had. I'm kinda scared to do a 21 day or a 40 day fast, but the Lord showed me through teachings that, anything that we deny ourselves of that is of this world is an acceptable fast. Even entertainment! It is a sacrifice that we make unto the Lord.

That was an eye opener for me.

I notice in scripture, Daniels 21 day fast...it was not a no food at all only water fast, but a no delicacies fast where he ate only vegetables and so forth. That encourages me!
 
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