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Growth How to pray

for_his_glory

for_his_glory

Fight the good fight of faith
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Prayer is very hard for some people as they do not know how to pray or they think there should be some grand format to follow to make a perfect prayer. Some are even afraid to even approach Jesus as they feel he is unreachable in their lives for the way they live, but Jesus will hear the prayers of anyone who has a sincere heart for the Lord no matter who they are and in all boldness will come to him.
Hebrews 4:16; 7:25

Praying is humbling ourselves before the Lord and making a petition before him in simplicity of words for whatever our need is. Jesus, as our mediator, sits at the right hand of God making intercession for the saints of God as he presents our petitions before the Father. You do not need eloquent elaborate words or long prayers that use vain repetitions like the Pharisees used as God called them hypocrites because they were arrogant in their ways loving to have others see them in such formality who made the outside of themselves look good, but were nothing more than full of iniquity.
Romans 8:34; 1Timothy 2:5; Matthew 6:5-8: Matthew 23:27, 28

Jesus is our mediator to the Father and just wants us to sit and talk with him like we would sit and talk with our best friend. Our prayer language needs to be in this same way. When you have a need just talk to him and speak from your heart. We do not have to be repetitious in our prayers as Jesus already heard you the first time. Pray once and then stand strong in faith to know God has heard your prayer and then just keep praising him and thanking him for his answer to your prayer even though you might not see an answer yet, but know that God in his timing will answer you. Gods answer may not be what we want to hear at times and his answer can be no at times, but God knows what is better for us then we do and we need to trust in this.

Prayers consist of faith, consecration and commitment. There are prayers of worship and prayers of agreement that unite the whole body of Christ together as one in unison in Gods Spirit.
 
The disciples asked Jesus how to pray in Luke 11...

11 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”


2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”


5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.


9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” - Luke 7:1-13, NKJV
 
We are to pray as a child.We talk to God with our hearts.We pray standing up,walking down the hall,behind the wheel of our car,kneeling and sitting down.Eyes opened or closed.He wants to hear all that is on our hearts.Even if we are in so much pain and we can't speak to Him the Holy Spirit will send up those words for us.
 
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Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Vs. 26 is the key to why some prayers are never answered.
 
for_his_glory said:
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Vs. 26 is the key to why some prayers are never answered.
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I think God hears our prayers even when we have not forgiven someone but surely it could hinder them being answered depending on who and what they are about and why we may be having trouble forgiving. He always sees our hearts and understands our pains and helps us on the journey to true forgiving of someone else.
 
Deborah13 said:
I think God hears our prayers even when we have not forgiven someone but surely it could hinder them being answered depending on who and what they are about and why we may be having trouble forgiving. He always sees our hearts and understands our pains and helps us on the journey to true forgiving of someone else.
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Lord help me with forgiveness as I can't do it on my own, but only through your love I can forgive others, amen
 
Was good until the part that God might say no and you might not like The answer. Zero scripture to back that.


3 things that stop prayer.

Disobedience to the love command (love works faith) as in having ought against any one.

Lack of obedience, doing what you know in your heart to do or not be doing. Doing things you question about being right or wrong is not faith but sin.

Not knowing the will of God before asking will get nowhere. Faith starts where the will of God is known
 
Brother Mike said:
Was good until the part that God might say no and you might not like The answer. Zero scripture to back that.


3 things that stop prayer.

Disobedience to the love command (love works faith) as in having ought against any one.

Lack of obedience, doing what you know in your heart to do or not be doing. Doing things you question about being right or wrong is not faith but sin.

Not knowing the will of God before asking will get nowhere. Faith starts where the will of God is known
Click to expand...

What I meant by God saying no to what we are asking for depends on what we are asking and what the condition of our heart is. If God says no then He has a reason for it.

1John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
(If it's not in Gods will then God says no.)

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
(Paul's thorn in the flesh, God said no to Paul's prayer)

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psa 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
(God says no because we harbor sin in our heart)

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
(We do not forgive others so God says no to our prayer)
 
for_his_glory said:
What I meant by God saying no to what we are asking for depends on what we are asking and what the condition of our heart is. If God says no then He has a reason for it.

1John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
(If it's not in Gods will then God says no.)

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
(Paul's thorn in the flesh, God said no to Paul's prayer)

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psa 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
(God says no because we harbor sin in our heart)

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
(We do not forgive others so God says no to our prayer)
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Ah, my point. I was on a phone and it was to much a hassle to flip bible program and typing on a small box.

Anything we ask according to the will of God, we have confidence that God hears us, and we have OUR petition that we desire. Not praying according to the will of God, means we are not praying by faith. I can't have faith in someone if I don't know their will about an issue, and without faith we can't please God. (Heb 11:6)

Re-examine Paul's thorn. No place in scripture does God answer prayer no if it's in Line with his will. It can't be the will of God for Paul to have been tormented by a messenger of Satan. That messenger stopped Paul from spreading the Word of God, so it can't be God's will for his Word not to go fourth. Something else happened there.

Did Jesus actually tell Paul NO................... No he did not. Mans religious thinking adds that to the Word.

I would just tell you, but best the Lord show you as it will be a revelation.

What was the thorn? Paul knew the OT like the back of his hand, and often quoted it. What was Paul quoting?

What did Paul do Wrong? It can't be God, so it had to be something Paul did. No, it was not pride, Paul said I would glory, about my knowledge but did not because he was aware of it. What did Paul do?

What did Paul learn?

What did Paul associate the thorn with? distresses, infirmities? what else can a messenger of Satan bring?

What did Paul say in a latter book (Gal) about what he learned?

What does Christ mean? Same from Hebrew Messiah.

Blessings.
 
Paul's thorn in the flesh was that of Satan's messenger trying to buffet him. Buffet here means to strike repeatedly as Satan used his evil angels to come against Paul and persecute him everywhere he went. Paul prayed three times for God to take these persecutions away and God said no as God said "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness".

God is not going to keep us from being persecuted as even His own Son Christ Jesus was persecuted to death on the cross and many martyrs after him in other ways, even so still today as many are persecuted even to death for the witness of Christ. God gives us His power and authority through His grace to give us strength when we are persecuted like Paul said:
2Corinthians 12:9 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
 
for_his_glory said:
Paul's thorn in the flesh was that of Satan's messenger trying to buffet him. Buffet here means to strike repeatedly as Satan used his evil angels to come against Paul and persecute him everywhere he went. Paul prayed three times for God to take these persecutions away and God said no as God said "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness".

God is not going to keep us from being persecuted as even His own Son Christ Jesus was persecuted to death on the cross and many martyrs after him in other ways, even so still today as many are persecuted even to death for the witness of Christ. God gives us His power and authority through His grace to give us strength when we are persecuted like Paul said:
2Corinthians 12:9 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
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God is not going to keep us from what?

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. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
(2Th 3:1-3)

Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
(Heb 11:35)

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
(Luk 10:19)

Your close here. Your adding to scripture still caused by ingrained religion. We all have it, and we see it and get corrected. You would be amazed at what we believe to be true, but have no scriptural support for it or many counter scriptures. Man has done a horrible job of teaching us the word.

Jesus never told Paul "NO" Not one time. People just add that in there. We never add to any scriptures, it's dangerous.

What Jesus said after Paul asked the 3rd time is that My available Grace that is already on you is more than enough to fix this. Sufficient means more than enough. I know some folks us it to mean barely get by, but that is not what the Greek Word means.

You have to understand that Grace means we as believers are anointed with the power of God. That is what Christ means, it means the anointed one and his anointing for us. The Power of Christ is just that, it's power for us to overcome things we physically could not do or spiritually do from the Holy Spirit.

Paul's issue was already mentioned by Ediff below.

Paul went in to share the gospel based on all the wonderful revelation knowledge he had personally gotten. Paul knew the answers, and figured that folks would hear such great convincing wisdom.

Like the Lord asking someone to play the piano for church, and they already are masters at it. Would not occur to some to spend time in prayer and lean on the anointing and God's ability to help them. After all, they already know what they are doing and have played the songs hundreds of times.

Like the man who studied the Word of God for years and figures he needs to teach it. Without that anointing to teach and grace, He will come up dry, and not effect hearts as he could. Our own ability will never get the job done.

Satan sent a messenger to clobber Paul and stop the message Paul was giving. Paul's message was not to be exalted or heard, it just made people mad at him by that Satanic spirit.

The grace and power was already there to stop the enemy cold in his tracks, Paul was not figuring into that grace and power, but by what he knew.

So Paul said......... I would rather be weak in a area to not think I am more than I am, that the Power of Christ (anointing and help) will rest on me. For where I am weak and lacking, then Christ is strong.

This is why God often calls people with no ability in something because God wants it to be all him, and not the person's personal accomplishment or efforts.

Paul later wrote.............

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
(Php 4:12-13)


If Paul had this revelation when Satan sent that messenger to stir up the people, then the messenger would have run with it's tail tucked between it's legs.

For Paul quoted the OT.

Jdg 2:3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
(Jos 23:13)

But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
(Num 33:55)
--------------------
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.


I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
(Php 4:12-13)

Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

God never said weapons won't be formed, but bless God they can't touch us, nor do we need to be afraid of anything.
 
First I am not taught by religion as I do not believe in the traditional doctrines of man, but only the word of God for what He has already spoken and taught to me by His Holy Spirit. One must learn to Spiritually discern that of what they are being taught from the pulpit by comparing scripture with scripture as only the Holy Spirit can discern for us what is truth or error, 1John 4:1-6.

I explained what the thorn was and just as we are still persecuted by that of Satan's messengers we have been taught by Gods grace that we have Gods power and authority to be overcomers as Christ has already overcame the world for us. We are only delivered by the strikes of Satan when we take that power and authority over him by taking no care for our self, Matthew 10:28, in that of any persecution that can come our way for witnessing that of Christ to others.

You said "God never said weapons won't be formed, but bless God they can't touch us, nor do we need to be afraid of anything." Have you ever heard of martyr's who were persecuted to death for the witness of Christ, even so today in many countries many die for that witness of Christ, but we need not fear what man can do to us, Mathew 10:28.

The answer to Paul's prayer, even though he prayed three times for the persecutions to stop, was in fact that of no as God was not going to keep him from them, but gave him a way of overcoming them by His grace in the power and authority to stand strong and not fall to the temptations of giving into Satan just to save his own life, James 1:1-4.
 
for_his_glory said:
You said "God never said weapons won't be formed, but bless God they can't touch us, nor do we need to be afraid of anything." Have you ever heard of martyr's who were persecuted to death for the witness of Christ, even so today in many countries many die for that witness of Christ, but we need not fear what man can do to us, Mathew 10:28.
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More than enough grace and power to overcome. Keep in mind.............

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
(Luk 10:19)

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.
(2Th 3:1-2)

2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Not everyone has been taught, or knows about faith. Fear of anything will kill, give the enemy a place. Despite thousands who get killed that are believers, it won't come near me, and it does not have to come near you or those you teach.

If Paul felt we could be taken out at any time, He would be the one to know. He took more beatings than a Timex and kept on ticking.

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
(2Ti 4:6)

If we will believe the Word over physical circumstances and sudden tragedy, the devil is not big enough to take us out before God's plans are accomplished. Only after every thing is done we are suppose to do, then we can get out of here.

Stay in the plan of God, we need to teach this. What reason was Paul given to be saved by the shipwreck?

Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
(Act 27:24-25)

God had plans for Paul to go before Caesar. All things work together for Good, for those called according to his purpose.......

Blessings.
 
If God keeps us from all persecutions as you have said, then why are so many killed for the witness of Christ and even Christ died a martyr's death through that of Gods plan.
What God said no to, when Paul actually prayed three times for, was that God was not going to stop the persecutions, but to give him strength to endure them as Gods power and authority given to Paul by Gods grace was enough for him to stand and not be weak so Paul could continue in being a faithful servant until the day he died.
 
Paul went through more valleys like any other servant of God. Though Jesus went through the most and we can never stack up to the valleys Jesus went through to save our souls and give us eternity. But Paul kept being a servant of God until he died. Despite facing death and beatings. Plus from his own people, who he used to be Saul and used to persecute Christians, and went from that to saving them in the name of Christ.
 
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