Prayer

Through prayer, we are able to carry on an intimate and personal relationship with God; it strengthens our relationship with him. It helps us to overcome temptation through divine intervention.

Jesus gave us a basic outline, not a substitute for our own thoughts, on how and what we need to be thinking when we pray to our father, it should not be a prepared prayer that we are to memorize and repeat over and over again. God does not want to hear prepared prayers, speech's, or chanting's, they are meaningless to God, God expects to hear from your heart as you would speak to a close friend. Give glory and thanks to God, you don't need to be long winded, ask for the important things you need, such as knowledge and the strength to over come the temptations of this evil world. There is no need to ask for things like food, shelter, or clothing, for he provides these without our even asking.

There are two types of prayer found in scripture, private prayer as stated in Matthew 6:6, and public prayer as found in 1 Kings 8:22-23.

True prayer should be done in private, this is very important, you can talk to God while driving your car, or out walking your dog, there are many times in the day you can communicate. In private prayer, we pour our heart out to God and tell Him all that is on our mind.

2 Chronicles 6:19-21 "Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee: That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive."

Daniel 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."

Matthew 6:5-13 "When you pray, you are not to be as the Pharisees are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, that people may see them. Instead I say to you, they have their rewards. But you, when you pray, enter into a closet, and when you shut the door, pray to God in secret, and God which sees in secret will reward you openly. Now when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that they will be heard because of their long speeches. Be not like them, for God knows what you are in need of before you ask him. In this style you should pray, Our father which is in heaven, holy is your name, your kingdom will come, and your desire will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those that sin against us. And give us strength to over come temptation, also protect us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

Matthew 21:22 "With all things, what ever you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Mark 9:17-29 "And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."

Luke 11:1-4 "And it came to pass, as he finished praying one day, one of his disciples asked him, Lord teach us how to pray, like John taught his disciples. So he said to them, When you pray, communicate like this, Our father who is in heaven, holy be your name. your kingdom will come, and your will be done, even as it is in heaven, so also on earth. Thank you for our daily bread. Please forgive us our sins, for we also forgive those that sin against us. And give us strength from temptation; also protect us from evil."

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."

Romans 8:26-27 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious for anything, but in every thing use prayer, and appeal with thanksgiving to let your requests be made known to God."

James 5:16 "The fervent prayer of a righteous man will profit much."

1 Timothy 2:8 "I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will [are you asking for what is right?], he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

The purposes of public prayer is different from private prayer. We are leading others to look on God and directing their attention to the Lord to rely on Him.

1 Kings 8:22 "And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:"

1 Kings 18:36 "And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word"

Ezra 10:1 "Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore."

Act 20:36 "And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all."

John 11:41 "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me."

Most of the book of Job was about unanswered prayers of intervention, and yet he lost everything dear to him.

Heman the Ezrahite (Psalm 88) prayed for healing, but his prayer was never answered that we know of.

Paul prayed for relief from an affliction three times, and what was the answer he received? No!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "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. 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."

When trials come upon us, the Lord supplies the faith and strength to endure it. This world is a training ground for God's people, we can accept the trials and tribulations of it, or we can  turn our backs on him for not giving us what we ask for.

Proverbs 28:9 "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination."

This may be the biggest reason, everyone has fallen for the once saved always saved, and the nailed to the cross when it comes to keeping the laws 

Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways (conditions); then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Psalms 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:"

Mark 11:25-26 "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. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."

John 15:7 "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you (do you live according to scripture?), ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

James 4:3 "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

1 John 3:22 "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight [if you want an answer to your prayer, remember the conditions]."

Prayers Towards the city of Jerusalem in Israel

1 Kings 8:38 "What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:"

1 Kings 8:41-42 "Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;"

1 Kings 8:48-49 "And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,"

1 Kings 9:3 "And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."

If you pray with a need, do it in a humbled attitude and it's a good idea to fast. Remember that, prayer is worship!

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