6/23/13

Prayer - What Does the Bible Say About Prayer?

Christianity
BasicstoPrayer
WhatDoestheBibleSayAboutPrayer?
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Haveyoustruggledwithprayer?Doesprayerseemlikeanexerciseineloquentspeechthatyoujustdon'tpossess? Prayerisnotamysteriouspracticereservedonlyforclergyandthereligiouslydevout.PrayerissimplycommunicatingwithGodlisteningandtalkingtohim. Believerscanprayfromtheheart,freely,spontaneously,andintheirownwords.Ifprayerisadifficultareaforyou,learnthesebasicsprinciplesofprayerand howtoapplytheminyourlife. WhatDoestheBibleHavetoSayAboutPrayer? TheBiblehasalottosayaboutprayer.ThefirstmentionofprayerisfoundinGenesis,chapter4. Genesis4:26 AndasforSeth,tohimalsoasonwasbornandhenamedhimEnosh.ThenmenbegantocallonthenameoftheLORD.(NKJV) WhatistheCorrectPostureforPrayer? Thereisnocorrectorcertainpostureforprayer.IntheBiblepeopleprayedontheirknees(1Kings8:54),bowing(Exodus4:31),ontheirfacesbeforeGod(2 Chronicles20:18Matthew26:39),andstanding(1Kings8:22).Youmaypraywithyoureyesopenedorclosed,quietlyoroutloudhoweveryouaremost comfortableandleastdistracted. ShouldIUseEloquentWords? Yourprayersneednotbewordyorimpressiveinspeech. Matthew6:7 "Whenyoupray,don'tbabbleonandonaspeopleofotherreligionsdo.Theythinktheirprayersareansweredonlybyrepeatingtheirwordsagainandagain." (NLT) Ecclesiastes5:2 Donotbequickwithyourmouth,donotbehastyinyourhearttoutteranythingbeforeGod.Godisinheavenandyouareonearth,soletyourwordsbefew. (NIV) WhyShouldIPray? PrayerDevelopsOurRelationshipwithGod. Ifweneverspeaktoourspouseorneverlistentoanythingourspousemighthavetosaytous,ourmarriagerelationshipwillquicklydeteriorate.Itisthe samewaywithGod.PrayercommunicatingwithGodhelpsusgrowcloserandmoreintimatelyconnectedwithGod. Zechariah13:9 Iwillbringthatgroupthroughthefireandmakethempure,justasgoldandsilverarerefinedandpurifiedbyfire.Theywillcallonmyname,andIwillanswer them.Iwillsay,'Thesearemypeople,'andtheywillsay,'TheLORDisourGod.'" (NLT) John15:7 Butifyoustayjoinedtomeandmywordsremaininyou,youmayaskanyrequestyoulike,anditwillbegranted!(NLT) TheLordInstructedUstoPray. OneofthesimplestreasonstospendtimeinprayerisbecausetheLordinstructedustopray.Obedienceisanaturalbyproductofdiscipleship. Matthew26:41 "Keepalertandpray.Otherwisetemptationwilloverpoweryou.Forthoughthespiritiswillingenough,thebodyisweak!" (NLT) Luke18:1 ThenJesustoldhisdisciplesaparabletoshowthemthattheyshouldalwaysprayandnotgiveup.(NIV) Ephesians6:18 AndprayintheSpiritonalloccasionswithallkindsofprayersandrequests.Withthisinmind,bealertandalwayskeeponprayingforallthesaints.(NIV) (SeealsoMatthew7:7and1Timothy2:8) WhatIfIDon'tKnowHowtoPray?

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6/23/13

Prayer - What Does the Bible Say About Prayer?

TheHolySpiritwillhelpyouinprayerwhenyoudon'tknowhowtopray. Romans8:2627 Inthesameway,theSpirithelpsusinourweakness.Wedonotknowwhatweoughttoprayfor,buttheSpirithimselfintercedesforuswithgroansthat wordscannotexpress.AndhewhosearchesourheartsknowsthemindoftheSpirit,becausetheSpiritintercedesforthesaintsinaccordancewithGod'swill. (NIV) SeeAlso: QuestionAboutPrayerIsitOkaytoPray"IfitBeYourWill,Lord?" ContinuetoPage2ofBasicstoPrayer TopRelatedSearches PrinciplesOfPrayer CorrectPosture GenesisChapter MarriageRelationship CommunicatingWithGod GodGod

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