PRAY
BREAD
23 As
for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the
way that is good and right. 24 But
be sure to fear the LORD and serve
him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for
you. 1 Samuel 12:23-24 (NIV)
14 If
my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek
my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will
forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now
my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this
place. 16 I have chosen and
consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my
heart will always be there. 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 (NIV)
7 What other
nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray
to him? Deuteronomy 4:7 (NIV)
16 Be
joyful always; 17 pray
continually; 18 give thanks in
all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of
prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying
for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a
door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which
I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may
proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be
wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of
grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:2-6 (NIV)
5 “And when you pray, do not be
like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on
the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received
their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray
to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for
they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like
them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 This, then, is
how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom
come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today
our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” Matthew 6:5-13 (NIV)
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while
you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; you will
protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in
the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which
have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not
come to you. 10 Many are the
woes of the wicked, but the LORD's
unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are
upright in heart! Psalm 32:6-11 (NIV)
BUTTER
“Prayer is always the preface to
blessing. It goes before the blessing as
the blessing’s shadow. When the sunlight
of God’s mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far
down upon the plain. Prayer is thus
connected with the blessing to show us the value of it. If we had the blessings without asking for
them, we should think them common things; but prayer makes our mercies more
precious than diamonds.” Charles H.
Spurgeon
“God
is looking for those who will worship Him not only in spirit and in truth – as
Jesus says in John 4:23 – but also in crisis.
He seeks those who can look beyond the clouds that threaten and hover
over them to His radiance that thoroughly surrounds them. And when He finds them, He blesses them. That’s a difficult maturity for most
Christians to learn. Our natural
reaction in a trial is to flee, or to beg for relief. And we have plenty of biblical examples;
asking God for deliverance is thoroughly recommended throughout the Word. But is there panic in the asking? Our weak souls are easily unnerved, but
there’s a better pose: We can praise
God, knowing that when we call, He will answer.
He may not answer exactly the way we expect – though often He does – but
He will answer, and His answer will be good.
We can count on that. Those who
do will pray for deliverance not in a panic, but in a rock-solid trust. God will save. It’s His nature.” Chris Tiegreen
“How can we but love Him when we know that
He numbers the very hairs of our head, marks our path, and orders our
ways? Specially is the great truth
brought near to our heart, when we recollect how attentive He is, not merely to
the temporal interests of His creatures, but to their spiritual concerns. Though leagues of distance lie between the
finite creature and the infinite Creator, yet there are links uniting
both. When a tear is wept by thee, think
not that God doth not behold; for, ‘Like a father pitieth his children, so the
Lord pitieth them that fear Him.’ Thy
sigh is able to move the heart of Jehovah; thy whisper can incline His ear unto
thee; thy prayer can stay His hand; thy faith can move His arm. Think not that God sits on high taking no
account of thee. Remember that however
poor and needy thou art, yet the Lord thinketh upon thee. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose
heart is perfect towards Him.” Charles
H. Spurgeon
“Teach
yourself to replace worry with prayer.” Chuck
Swindoll
“Do not think that your prayer, however weak or
trembling, will be unregarded. Our God not only hears prayer but also loves to hear it. ‘He does not ignore the cry of the
afflicted.’ True, He does take into
consideration haughty looks and lofty words; He doesn’t care for the pomp and
pageantry of kings; He doesn’t listen to the swell of martial music; He doesn’t
regard the triumph and pride of man; but wherever there is a heart big with sorrow,
or a lip quivering with agony, or a deep groan, or a penitential sigh, the
heart of Jehovah is open; He marks it down in the registry of His memory; He
puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the pages of His book of remembrance,
and when the volume is opened at last, a precious fragrance will release itself
from it.” Charles H. Spurgeon
“If
God knows what things we have need of, before we ask him, where lies the
advantage of
prayer?
If he is ready, of his own free will, to assist us, what purpose does it serve
to employ our prayers, which interrupt the spontaneous course of his
providence? The very design of prayer furnishes an easy answer. Believers do
not pray, with the view of informing God about things unknown to him, or of
exciting him to do his duty, or of urging him as though he were reluctant. On
the contrary, they pray, in order that they may arouse themselves to seek him, that
they may exercise their faith in meditating on his promises, that they may
relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into his bosom; in a word,
that they may declare that from Him alone they hope and expect, both for
themselves and for others, all good things.”
John Calvin
“The
prayer of the feeblest saint on earth who lives in the Spirit and keeps right
with God is a terror to Satan. The very
powers of darkness are paralysed by prayer; no spiritualistic séance can
succeed in the presence of a humble praying saint. No wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy
in active work till we cannot think in prayer.” Oswald Chambers
HEART SAVOR
- · Humble prayer demonstrates our dependence upon the One who is able to do all things. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)
- ·
I
am to pray continually being ever faithful in prayer.
- ·
I
am not to be anxious about anything, rather pray about everything. To will what He wills brings peace. 6 Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And
the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
