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Prayer

    Prayer is the communication line with our Father in Heaven, and our communication line should not be broken. Paul writes to the believers:
Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2)

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18)
     Obviously, no one can be constantly praying. There are many other things that we need to do throughout the day. And this certainly does not mean praying audibly. But the verse has the connotation of being in a continually readiness to take everything to God in prayer; always relying upon the Lord, leaning on Him, making every need and concern known to Him, thanking Him for everything He gives us, and talking to Him about whatever is on our minds. How many of us could truly say that our prayer life meets these Bible ideals?

     Notice the following verses, when Jesus was speaking on prayer:
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 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. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:5-13)
We can gather several things from this passage. We can see here that the Lord Jesus condemns long public prayers. He also says not to use vain repetition, which means not to prattle the same thing tediously. Jesus gives us an example of how to pray, but we should not be as some who mindlessly repeat this prayer.

     The Bible states that we are to pray to the Father, in the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ:
[Jesus said]...whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16)

[Jesus said]...Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. (John 16:23)
     What good does prayer do without believing that God can answer it? We are told that we must pray with faith:
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Bethou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11:22-24)

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and bethou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. (Luke 17:6)

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committedsins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:15)
     We ought to pray for others, as well as ourselves:
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray(James 5:13)
     We must strive to leave all matters in His hands:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6)
     Brethren, we need to try our hardest to walk close to God, obeying Him in all things, and "pray every where". (see 1 Timothy 2:8)
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7)


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