Ephesians 6:18 Voice
[18] Pray always. Pray in the Spirit. Pray about everything in every way you know how! And keeping all this in mind, pray on behalf of God’s people. Keep on praying feverishly, and be on the lookout until evil has been stayed.
Good Morning!
Prayer is our second line of offense. Prayer simply put, is talking to God and pouring your heart out to Him. There are many religions that think that prayer is repeating written prayers over and over. These sorts of prayers are not what God is interested in. He is interested in hearing your heart’s desires and being humble before Him. He wants us to pray like Jesus instructed us in The Lord’s Prayer as an example, but not as a prayer that we just memorize and repeat. God doesn’t want “robots” just repeating emotionless prayers. No, he wants us to pray in a humble position of asking from the Creator of the Universe the things that are on our heart. He wants us to pray according to His will and not give Him a grocery list of things that we are asking for. We should pray always, throughout each day. These don’t have to be long prayers, but just simple prayers that are pure in heart. God wants us to pray with “child-like” faith, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 18, and become like little children. This is what God desires of us.
Matthew 18:3-5 NIV
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [5] And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Our prayers are a “pleasing aroma” to God. Revelations, says that our prayers rise up like incense. God loves when we pray. He listens and responds according to His will. We don’t always get the answer that we want and sometimes we feel like we don’t get an answer at all. But God knows what is best for our lives and when we pray from a position of “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” then God moves powerfully in our lives. Satan hates when we pray because he knows there is power in prayer. James tells us that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. As we discussed a few days ago the righteousness of God, we know how to be righteous before God and when we are, God listens to our prayer MUCH. Avails much simply means, with great power and effectiveness that produces wonderful results.
James 5:16b NKJV
… The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Think of it like this, when we pray, the God of the Universe, Creator of all things has our full attention. He loves us so much and He is not just a judge on the throne, but a personal Lord and Savior that gives us the very breath in our lungs and is interested in every aspect of our lives.
Prayer does not have to be hard or complicated. It doesn’t have to be fancy with eloquent language. It just needs to be pure and from the heart. Those are the prayers that call God’s attention and brings us closer to Him.
Let us all pray in the example that Jesus gave us with a pure heart and humble spirit.
I love you and am PRAYING for you today!
Dad
PS – these are a lot of scriptures about prayer, but really good stuff, so take the time to read and meditate on each one…
Micah 6:8 NLT
[8] No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Deuteronomy 10:12 NLT
[12] “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.
Revelation 5:8 NLT
[8] And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
Psalm 141:2 NLT
[2] Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering.
Matthew 6:6-13 NKJV
[6] But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. [7] And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. [8] “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. [9] In this manner, therefore, pray:
[The Lord’s Prayer]
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 this day our daily bread.
[12] And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
[13] And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.
John 16:23 TPT
[23] For here is eternal truth: When that time comes you won’t need to ask me for anything, but instead you will go directly to the Father and ask him for anything you desire and he will give it to you, because of your relationship with me.
1 Timothy 2:8 NLT
[8] In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.
James 1:6 NLT
[6] But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
1 John 5:14-15 NLT
[14] And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. [15] And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
Jude 1:20-21 NLT
[20] But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, [21] and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
2 Corinthians 1:19-20 NLT
[19] For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. [20] For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
Matthew 18:19-20 NLT
[19] “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. [20] For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
