Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Yes Friends, another powerful promise from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! We all know the awesome power of prayer, and once Jesus said it, there’s no reason to doubt its veracity. So today instead, we’ll talk a little about prayer itself: What it is etc. And people, prayer is one of the most misunderstood, contentious, abused, misused. over and understated principles in human history. Everybody seems to have their own take on what it is, or should be. The dictionary defines it as ‘a solemn request to God, or object of worship.’ That’s fine, but then there are differences of opinion on how to pray, what form it should take, formal or informal, where and when to pray, in what position, on your knees or otherwise, and everyone feels they have justification for their prayer habits. Adding to the confusion, is that many of us feel we don’t know how to pray, and what Jesus gave His apostles in Matthew 6:9-13, ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ was only meant to be a guideline for a formal request, because sometimes when the enemy is breathing down your neck, you don’t have time for all the formalities. So Friends, I humbly submit that there is no right or wrong way to pray, since prayer is not the act itself, however we perform it, but the message, the communication that goes out to God from us. How we do it; lying, kneeling, sleeping, standing, beating our bosoms, prostrating, berating or flagellating ourselves, none of those things make a difference, if the words and feelings that echo from our hearts aren’t real and sincere. The outward show doesn’t matter. Remember how Jesus castigated the Jewish elite for their public pretensions. (Matt.6) We must also remember that God judges us not by the words of our mouths, but by those of our hearts. And regardless of how, when or where we submit our request to Him, if it doesn’t ring true, He’ll ignore it. The most important thing about prayer is that it comes from a right, repentant, sorrowful, or joyous and sincere heart. Oh people, it’s all about the state of our hearts! God listens to every request submitted to Him, even the selfish, fanciful ones. Whether He answers, or how and when, that’s entirely up to Him. What constitutes prayer, is another area of contention. Prayer is simply communication with the Lord. It doesn’t have to be long and drawn out or very formal. Simply raising our eyes heavenward and silently pleading, ‘Help!’ is a form of prayer. Likewise, a simple ‘Thanks!’ Many of us have the mistaken notion that prayer is only when we ask for something, but giving thanks and praise is also a form of prayer, acknowledging His goodness to us. Any sincere communication with God can be considered prayer. We get so tied up with doctrine and dogma that we tend to pigeon hole God, when He’s really an eagle, soaring majestically, constrained by only the most basic of rules. He just wants to know what’s really in our hearts Friends. How, when and where we convey that information is secondary. Of course we must come to Him with reverence and respect, but boiled down to its very essence Friends, prayer is simply talking to the Most High, and what matters most, is that we do it sincerely and constantly, ‘pray without ceasing.’ Our best bet is to keep a running conversation with our Creator, cause if we allow that heavenly connection to be broken, then we’re in serious trouble. So please, let’s stay in constant contact with Him, in whatever shape or form that’s convenient. Much LOVE!…the only line that’s never busy…never puts you on hold…and always has a caring ear at the other end…the direct line to heaven…
Yes Friends, another powerful promise from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! We all know the awesome power of prayer, and once Jesus said it, there’s no reason to doubt its veracity. So today instead, we’ll talk a little about prayer itself: What it is etc. And people, prayer is one of the most misunderstood, contentious, abused, misused. over and understated principles in human history. Everybody seems to have their own take on what it is, or should be. The dictionary defines it as ‘a solemn request to God, or object of worship.’ That’s fine, but then there are differences of opinion on how to pray, what form it should take, formal or informal, where and when to pray, in what position, on your knees or otherwise, and everyone feels they have justification for their prayer habits. Adding to the confusion, is that many of us feel we don’t know how to pray, and what Jesus gave His apostles in Matthew 6:9-13, ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ was only meant to be a guideline for a formal request, because sometimes when the enemy is breathing down your neck, you don’t have time for all the formalities. So Friends, I humbly submit that there is no right or wrong way to pray, since prayer is not the act itself, however we perform it, but the message, the communication that goes out to God from us. How we do it; lying, kneeling, sleeping, standing, beating our bosoms, prostrating, berating or flagellating ourselves, none of those things make a difference, if the words and feelings that echo from our hearts aren’t real and sincere. The outward show doesn’t matter. Remember how Jesus castigated the Jewish elite for their public pretensions. (Matt.6) We must also remember that God judges us not by the words of our mouths, but by those of our hearts. And regardless of how, when or where we submit our request to Him, if it doesn’t ring true, He’ll ignore it. The most important thing about prayer is that it comes from a right, repentant, sorrowful, or joyous and sincere heart. Oh people, it’s all about the state of our hearts! God listens to every request submitted to Him, even the selfish, fanciful ones. Whether He answers, or how and when, that’s entirely up to Him. What constitutes prayer, is another area of contention. Prayer is simply communication with the Lord. It doesn’t have to be long and drawn out or very formal. Simply raising our eyes heavenward and silently pleading, ‘Help!’ is a form of prayer. Likewise, a simple ‘Thanks!’ Many of us have the mistaken notion that prayer is only when we ask for something, but giving thanks and praise is also a form of prayer, acknowledging His goodness to us. Any sincere communication with God can be considered prayer. We get so tied up with doctrine and dogma that we tend to pigeon hole God, when He’s really an eagle, soaring majestically, constrained by only the most basic of rules. He just wants to know what’s really in our hearts Friends. How, when and where we convey that information is secondary. Of course we must come to Him with reverence and respect, but boiled down to its very essence Friends, prayer is simply talking to the Most High, and what matters most, is that we do it sincerely and constantly, ‘pray without ceasing.’ Our best bet is to keep a running conversation with our Creator, cause if we allow that heavenly connection to be broken, then we’re in serious trouble. So please, let’s stay in constant contact with Him, in whatever shape or form that’s convenient. Much LOVE!…the only line that’s never busy…never puts you on hold…and always has a caring ear at the other end…the direct line to heaven…
SCRIP-BITS 