Prayer

Many of us pray. Others pray only when they are going through difficult times, using prayer here as a magical incantation to get answers to their problems, and others use prayer if they need something and when all is well, we don't pray. James can say that many ask and don't receive because they ask wrongly, so what does it mean to pray? How should we pray? We'll examine these concerns in turn, in the light of God's Word.

1/WHAT PRAYER IS NOT.

- Prayer is not a recitation, or a series of well-arranged words, or the reading of well-arranged words

- Prayer is not something you do in your spare time, or only if you like it, or if you have the talent. Prayer is work for the soul that loves Jesus Christ.

- The purpose of prayer is not to inform God of the situation you're going through, because He knows everything in advance

- Prayer isn't about forcing God to do what you want

2/WHAT PRAYER IS

- It's a dialogue between God and you.

- It' s also a means of communication, putting us on a direct line with the Creator of the universe. It's impossible not to find the right person, or to come across someone other than our Lord.matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

3/ IS IT NECESSARY TO REPEAT LEARNED PRAYERS IN ORDER TO BE HEARD?

No, it's not necessary.

Take, for example, the prayer of the blind man who, sitting by the roadside, cried out as Jesus passed by: "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me". Jesus then said to him: "Let it be done to you according to your faith". Prayer is the cry of the heart to God. You can't learn it from a textbook. It must spring naturally from a heart that confidently awaits divine help.

This man didn't have to repeat the same prayer: his heart spoke, and that was enough for Jesus to hear him.

Here are 12 points from the Lord's Prayer for us to meditate on:

1) Let your prayer be a sincere communion with God.

Jesus shows that we shouldn't pray to be seen by men. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners, to be seen by men" (Mat.6/5).

Jesus also insists on the uselessness of repeated words in prayer. "Your heavenly Father knows what you need, before you ask him. " (Mat. 6/8).

Just say what you think and feel.

2) Have real contact with God.

OUR FATHER. This introduction teaches that God is very close. You can think of him as someone who will listen to you, like a loving father listens to his child.

3) Recognize God's power and universality.

WHO ART IN HEAVEN. God is near you, but he's also present everywhere: he's the master of the whole universe. Your problem may seem difficult, but God is bigger than your problem.

4) Be respectful in your prayer.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME. Jesus prayed in public, in solitude, before meals and all important events. His language and attitude always showed respect for God. No special position is recommended for prayer. But if you're kneeling, standing, sitting, lying down or walking, let your attitude be reverential.

5) Desire God's honor, glory and kingdom above all else.

THY KINGDOM COME. THY WILL BE DONE. One of the best ways to determine whether you're praying according to God's will is to consider your particular requests in light of God's goodness. Is it right? Will it help anyone? Will it be useful to you? Will it turn out for the good of the person concerned? If so, then it's God's will, for God is good.

6) Pray with thanksgiving (Phil. 4/6).

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. Bread means not only physical food, but also spiritual health. When you ask, thank God because he has already provided and for the assurance that he will continue to do so. With confidence in your heart, there's no room for doubt and worry.

7) Ask for forgiveness.

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES. When we approach God, we must have an attitude of humility. "O God, be appeased to me, a sinner" (Luke 18/13). Your offenses will include not only the wrong you've done, but also the things you haven't done for God's kingdom. Ask for his forgiveness and help so that you can better love Jesus.

8) Be kind to your neighbor.

AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US. You cannot expect God's forgiveness unless you are willing to forgive those who have wronged you (Math. 6/14-15).

9) Ask for God's protection against evil and temptation.

DO NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION. Without God's help, we are unable to fight the devil. Seek his presence at all times.

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. Evil includes wickedness, error and every work of the destroyer, as we see in John 10/10. God has the power to deliver us from everything Satan has devised.

10) Recognize God's authority.

THE RULE. God is sovereign and demands our complete submission. You can't understand everything, but you can trust that He holds the universe in His hands.

11) Reaffirm your faith in God's power to answer prayer.

POWER. All sincere prayers said in faith are answered. But you must adjust to God's way of answering. The answer may be "yes" (Acts 10/30-31), or "no" (2 Cor.12/8-9), or "after a while" (Dan. 12/8-10). God can say: "Do this and you will be heard" (Acts 10/4-6; James 5/1).

AND GLORY FOR ALL TIME. When the answer comes in any of these forms, give glory and praise to God.

12) Make your prayer stronger.

AMEN. This word comes from the Hebrew "aman", meaning "make him strong". Don't just start praying and leave it at that. Pray with faith and determination.

You must believe in order to receive (Mark 11/24).

4/ WHY PRAY?

- To deepen our communion with God

the purpose of prayer is not primarily to receive something from God but rather to receive God himself, for our soul thirsts for his presence Ps.42; eternal life is to know him Jn.17:3.

- To strengthen our spirit and overcome temptation

Jesus could say, pray without ceasing for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, we must pray so as not to fall into temptation. Which would mean that you can't overcome sin without prayer

- Because it's through prayer that you get something from God.
(James 4:2) -... you do not possess, because you do not ask.
God listens to the needs of his children, not only hears, but what's great is that he delights in giving.

- Because there is joy in prayer.
(John 16:24) - Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.

- Because prayer can deliver from all affliction.
(Psalms 34:7) - When a poor man cries out, the Lord hears, and saves him from all his troubles.
God listens to the cries of his people, and loves to come to the aid of those who know how to confide in him and wait for him in distress.

- Because prayer is access to divine power.
(Jeremiah 33:3) - Call on me, and I will answer you; I will tell you great things, hidden things, that you do not know.
(Acts 4:31) - When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered shook; they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they proclaimed the word of God with confidence.
Wouldn't it be a pity to deprive ourselves of this power for the flourishing of our Christian life, when all we have to do is ask for it and receive it by faith?

- Because prayer can open up the treasures of God's wisdom.
(James 1:5) - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all simply and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Between us, many of the Lord's riches are wasted, simply because God's children dare not ask for them or seek to possess them. Whereas God is willing to give.

- Because it is a sin not to pray.
(1 Samuel 12:23)-Far be it from me also to sin against the Lord, to cease praying for you! ...
We are invited to meditate on this verse by looking at our personal prayer life in order to draw the appropriate conclusion.

- Because it is the Christian's duty to pray for humanity.
(1 Timothy 2:1) - I exhort therefore, before all things, to make prayers, supplications, requests, thanksgiving, for all men.

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5) WHO CAN PRAY?

To the disciples' request: "Teach us to pray", Jesus begins his answer with these words: "When you pray, say: Father! Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come. "
The answer to our question is found in the words, "Say : Father!"

For who can address a person as Father if not his child?
What's more, at this very moment, Jesus is teaching his disciples.
So the answer to the question "who can pray?" is "God's children. So you can pray!

6/ WHO SHOULD WE PRAY TO?

PRAYER MUST BE ADDRESSED TO GOD.

Here are a few texts that leave no room for questioning.
Psalms 39:12 (39-13) - "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry! Do not be insensitive to my tears! For I am a stranger with you, An inhabitant, like all my fathers."
psalms 86:6 - "Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; Give ear to the voice of my supplications!"

It's also asking God IN THE NAME OF JESUS

jesus invites the Christian to pray like this: "Whatever you ask in MY NAME, I will do". (John 14:13) To pray in the NAME OF JESUS is to leave it to JESUS to intercede for us with the Father. "Christ died; much more, he rose again, is at the right hand of God, and intercedes for us!"(Romans 8: 34)

CAN WE PRAY TO MARY?

No,

Praying to Mary is not a reference point for Christians. Mary was a simple woman chosen by God to give birth to his son. She needed a Savior for her life as much as anyone else in the world.

Luke 1:46-49- "Mary then said: "With all my being I want to say how great the Lord is, my heart is full of joy because of God, my Savior, for he has been pleased to lower his gaze on me, his humble handmaid. Yes, from now on and in all time, humans will call me blessed, for God the Almighty has done magnificent things for me. He is the holy God..."

There is no text in the entire Bible that invites us to pray to Mary.

CAN WE PRAY TO THE SAINTS?

No,

The apostle Paul invites us to pray for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:18 "Make every kind of prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit. Watch for these things with all perseverance, and pray for all the saints."

But who is he talking about?

The answer is simple: he's addressing living Christians, contemporaries of his time.

Instead, read Romans 12:13 "Provide for the needs of the saints. Show hospitality."

Or 2 Corinthians 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and brother Timothy, to the church of God which is at Corinth, and to all the saints who are in all Achaia."

Colossians 1:2 "To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ who are in Colossae; grace and peace to you from God our Father!"

Reading these texts, there can be no doubt.

We're not talking about "saints" who have been given a so-called power to answer prayer, but about living people with needs.

Addressing a prayer to a "saint" (a deceased Christian whose merits have been recognized by an official body of a given denomination) reveal themselves, in the light of the Word of God, as evoking a dead person?

we think so, personally. It's an act that God condemns, for it is, in our view, similar to the evocation of the spirits of the dead, condemned by God in his Word.

7/HOW TO PRAY

7.1/ aloud or quietly

Prayer can be said aloud:
(Psalms 17:6) I call upon you, for you hear me, O God! Incline your ear to me, hear my word!

It's important to pray aloud as often as possible, remembering that prayer is first and foremost a dialogue. And then, in all our conversations, we use WHAT?
We who find it logical that God should speak to us, and who so often ask Him to make Himself heard, must we not, in return, recognize His right to hear the sound of our voice praying to Him? God created language for us to use...

Prayer can be silent:
We're not dealing with a God who has hearing problems, quite the opposite. Even our sighs God hears, just as He hears the sighs of His Spirit within us (Romans 8:26).Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what we should ask for in our prayers. But the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible sighs.

7.2/ without ceasing

Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17 ),

but how can we do this? is it a question of not going to work because we're praying?

In our daily lives, there are occasions and places that don't allow us to pray aloud, for example at work. So, should we deprive ourselves of prayer because the place doesn't lend itself to it? No. Even when you're working, there's nothing to prevent you from being in prayerful relationship with the Father. Your hands may be at work, but your heart is directed towards the throne of grace.

7.3/ In what position

You can pray on your knees:
(Luke 22:41) ... and kneeling down, he prayed. (Acts 20:36) ... he knelt down and prayed with them all.

to place ourselves on our knees is a respectful attitude. It marks submission, respect before the One who can do all things, before the Creator of the universe. God is sovereign, and God's children are His subjects.

Prayer can be said standing up:
(Mark 11:25) And, when you stand praying ...
Some people like to pray to God standing up, and God never fails to bless them too. It's not the physical attitude that counts most, it's above all the attitude of heart, standing, kneeling or sitting, or even lying down, as the palmist says. (Psalms 63:6) When I think of you on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches.

Prayer can be done with our eyes closed or open:
By closing our eyes, we can be more attentive to our prayer and avoid the pitfalls of looking around...

My brother, my sister, take the attitude that suits you best and place yourself before God. He doesn't look at your physical position, but at your heart. Let it be bowed and ready to meet its Savior and Lord. This is the attitude God has the right to expect from his children

8/ WHAT SHOULD WE ASK FOR IN OUR PRAYERS?

Nothing is too small for prayer. In the simplest things of our daily lives, let's pray and Jesus will help us. I pray for the smallest trifles, and often in the morning before I leave my room, I have two or three answers to my prayers.

Beloved, let us learn with childlike simplicity to expect God for everything. Let us treat the Lord as our personal friend, a friend able and willing to help you in all things. What a blessing it is to be carried in his arms all day long!

9/GOD AND HIS ANSWERS

9.1) God can say yes and sometimes respond immediately.
Peter walked on the water to meet Jesus. When he began to sink, he prayed: "Lord, save me." The answer was immediate. (Matthew 14:28-31).
There are situations in which God's response is almost instantaneous; this was the case for Peter, who was in danger of drowning.
Other factors in God's "YES".

9.2) God can say no.
God's "NO" is also an answer to prayer that should not be overlooked.
Even if God says no, let's keep trusting that God wants what's best for us (Matthew 6:8 )- ...for your Father knows what you need, before you ask him. God will always give us what's best. Let's imagine for a moment that a 7-year-old child asks us for a sharp axe to play with. Our responsible attitude would be to say no, because we know the dangers of saying yes to such a request. Well, God does the same with His children, He won't grant us things that would set us back spiritually or be contrary to His purposes for us or His work.

Other reasons for God's "NO".

Because of iniquity in our hearts: (Psalm 66:18) -If I had conceived iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have heard me.

Because of our unconfessed sins: (Isaiah 59:1-2)- No, the Lord's hand is not too short to save, nor his ear too hard to hear, but it is your crimes that put a separation between you and your God, it is your sins that hide his face from you and prevent Him from listening to you.

Because it's not His will: (Acts 16:6)-Having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in Asia...


9.3) God may say, "Wait!" and so delay the time of answer.
The delay is according to God's will, He is sovereign and above all He knows very well what He is doing. Let's take the case of the resurrection of Lazarus, which, in my opinion, perfectly illustrates delayed exaucement. The Gospel tells us that Lazarus was ill. Mary and Martha send someone for Jesus to come and heal him, but Jesus delays until Lazarus is dead. Then he is laid in the tomb, and another four days pass. Then Jesus comes and raises him from the dead. The answer was delayed, but fulfilled. And so the Lord was glorified even more.

9.4) God may respond differently to our expectation.
Yes, God's answer may differ from our request. After all, isn't He sovereign? He knows what's good for everyone, so He gives the best and, even when it differs from our expectation, we receive the best from Him.
For example, you pray for patience and God sends you trials, tribulations and afflictions. Why do you do this?
Because it produces patience (Romans 5:3 )-Moreover, we even glory in afflictions, knowing that affliction produces perseverance.
So God has answered your prayer, but His answer may not be as you wished, and yet the result is your growing patience, provided, of course, that you overcome the trial.

Conclusion: God answers all our prayers, not always according to our wishes, but according to His wisdom. Keep in mind: "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28)

10/Conditionsfor victorious prayer

1° Show contrite humility before God and abandon all sin 2Co.7:14

2° Seek God with all your heart Jé.29:12-13

3° Have faith in God Mk.11:23-24

4° Practice obedience 1Jn.3:22

5° Depend on the Holy Spirit Ro.8:26-27

6° Being importunate Mk.7:24-30, Lu.11:5-10

7° Asking in accordance with God's will 1Jn.5:14-15

8° Praying in the name of Christ Jn.14:13-14

9° Be ready to repair the harm done to others Mt.5:23-24

11/ Obstacles' to our prayers being answered

Introduction:
The Bible teaches us different ways of approaching God
- It also teaches us why our prayers aren't answered, and what we need to do to make sure they are.

-1- Obstacles to our prayers being answered :
a) Selfishness :
james 4/3 "You ask, and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to satisfy your passions. "

b ) Pride:
job 35/12 "No matter how much we cry out, God does not answer, because of the pride of the wicked."

c) Idolatry:
ezekiel 14/1 "Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 Son of man, these people have their idols in their hearts, and they set their eyes on that which has caused them to fall into iniquity. Shall I be consulted by them?" (Iniquity = estranged from God)

d) Marital discord :
1 Peter 3/5-6 "This is how the holy women of old adorned themselves who hoped in God, submissive to their husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. It is from her that you have become daughters, doing what is right, without allowing yourselves to be troubled by any fear. 7 Husbands, in your turn show wisdom in your dealings with your wife, as with a weaker sex; honor her, as also to inherit with you the grace of life. Let it be so, so that nothing may stand in the way of your prayers. "

e) Refusal to forgive :
mark 11/25 "When you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. "

f) Doubt / Unbelief :
james 1/6 "...he who doubts is like the waves of the sea, tossed by the wind and driven to and fro. 7 Let not such a man imagine that he will receive anything from the Lord: 8 he is an irresolute man, inconstant in all his ways. "

g) Not bearing fruit that abides :
john 15/16 "...I have chosen you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

h) Sin:
isaiah 59/1 "No, the Lord's hand is not too short to save, nor his ear too hard to hear. 2 But it is your crimes that put a separation between you and your God; it is your sins that hide his face from you and prevent him from hearing you. "

God is always fully sufficient to bless us!
- But it's our sins that prevent him from answering our prayers
psalms 66/18 "If I had conceived iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have heard me."