HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN CHURCH WHEN THE PREACHER CALLED ON SOMEONE IN THE CONGREGATION TO PRAY? HAS THE PRAYER EVER BEEN SO LONG THAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD NEVER END? I KNOW I HAVE. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT PRAY MEANINGFUL PRAYERS AND THEN THERE ARE THE OTHER ONES AND IF YOU LISTEN TO THEIR PRAYERS YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE NOT REALLY PRAYING TO GOD BUT PRAYING SO THE CONGREGATION WILL THINK THEY ARE VERY RELIGIOUS.
I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. IF SOMEONE IS PRAYING AND SAYS "I JUST ASK GOD THAT HE WILL PUT A SPECIAL BLESSING ON US TODAY". SOUND GOOD? WELL, IF YOU ARE PRAYING TO GOD, WHY WOULD YOU SAY "I JUST ASK GOD TO PUT A SPECIAL BLESSING ON US TODAY" INSTEAD OF SAYING "GOD, WOULD YOU PLEASE PUT A SPECIAL BLESSING ON US TODAY". THAT IS JUST PRAYING FOR THE CONGREGATION.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK TO SEE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PRAYER. FIRST LET'S TAKE LONG PRAYERS. JESUS TELLS US IN MATTHEW 6:6-8 "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. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." NO ONE HAS TO HEAR YOU EXCEPT GOD.
HE GOES ON TO TELL US HOW TO PRAY IN WHAT WE CALL "THE LORD'S PRAYER". THAT PRAYER IS JUST A GUIDE. LOOK WHAT HE SAYS JUST BEFORE HE QUOTES THE PRAYER IN MATTHEW 6:9 ''After this manner therefore pray ye:" THEN HE GOES ON TO TELL US TO HONOR HIS NAME, TO ASK THAT HIS WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, TO PROVIDE FOR US, TO HELP UP TO AVOID TEMPTATION AND EVIL AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIS POWER AND GLORY. THAT IS WHAT IT IS TELLING ME.
I DON'T MEAN ANY DISRESPECT WHEN I CALL "THE LORD'S PRAYER" JUST A GUIDE BUT IT IS. IF YOU WANT TO READ THE REAL "LORD'S PRAYER", READ JOHN, CHAPTER 17. JESUS IS PRAYING FOR HIS DISCIPLES AND IN VERSE 20 HE STARTS PRAYING FOR YOU AND ME. IF YOU WANT TO BE BLESSED, READ THAT PRAYER.
THERE IS ONLY ONE MORE VERSE I NEED TO QUOTE AND THAT IS MARK 11:24 WHERE JESUS SAYS "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." DON'T KEEP PRAYING FOR SOMETHING OVER AND OVER. THAT MEANS YOU DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE RECEIVED WHEN YOU PRAYED. SOME HAVE SAID THAT WOULD BE LYING BUT GOD DID THIS IN ROMANS 4:17 WHERE IT SAYS "(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."
THIS ALSO GOES FOR CALLING YOURSELF HEALED WHEN YOUR BODY AND EVEN THE DOCTORS SAYS YOU ARE NOT. IN THIS INSTANCE, THERE ARE TWO REFERENCES ON THIS. IT SAYS YOU WERE HEALED IN 1ST PETER 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." AND ISAIAH 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
I PRAY THAT WITH THIS INFORMATION, OUR PRAYER LIFE WILL BE MUCH BETTER. I AM PRAYING FOR EACH OF YOU WHO ARE READING THIS.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
AND THANK YOU, WAYNE AND GOD BLESS YOU.
AND ISAIAH 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
The word of God is LIGHT! HEAR THE WORD OF GOD.
Thank you david.
Amen