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Prayer |
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Prayer
What is Prayer
Prayer is our communication with God. We can pray anywhere, anyone reaching out to God, believing he is there can pray, we should pray in all situations, we need to give thanks to God and also confess our sins.
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Luke 18:1
Teach Us to Pray
And when you pray, DO NOT KEEP ON BABBLING like the pagans, for they think they will be heard BECAUSE OF THEIR MANY WORDS. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him"
The prayer that Jesus gave us as an example is a MODEL PRAYER, containing some very important principles:
This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
OUR FATHER: This provides the essential foundation of our prayer - it refers to our relationship with him as sons, because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:6-7
When we know God's character and our relationship with Him, then we can approach Him in prayer without feelings of unworthiness and condemnation (Romans 5:8-11)
IN HEAVEN: Now Jesus refers to God's position - in heaven, seated on the throne, holding undisputed authority and sway over every matter, however trivial. It is that authority to which we address ourselves when we pray - and with it a power that is able to meet any situation and overcome any difficulty.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know . . . his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead AND SEATED HIM AT HIS RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come'' Ephesians 1:18-21.
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HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of our lips that confess his name" Hebrews 13:15
To "hallow" means "to hold in high esteem; to bless; to declare holy". When we praise God's name, we are putting our focus and faith on the Lord, and when He is lifted up in this manner, it opens a way for Him to work in our situation.
To call God by a name is by describing one particular aspect of His character - whether it be ''God", '' ''Lord", "Emmanuel''
THE GREAT I AM: The name "I AM" describes the very essence of God's nature. He is an eternal, unchanging, ever-present God
JEHOVAH" or "LORD: The name ''Jehovah" (which means Lord) It came to represent His faithfulness to His word.
JEHOVAH-JIREH: means "the Lord will provide, He is our provider" When we are facing a time of need, we can hallow the Lord's name as Jehovah-Jireh and believe for provision.
JEHOVAH-NISSI: means ''the Lord, my banner (or victory)". When we hallow God's name as Jehovah-Nissi, we are declaring that the Lord has complete victory and can win any battle we may be facing.
JEHOVAH-SHALOM: means "The Lord Our Peace" Shalom" translated "peace whole," "finished," "fulfilled," "perfected." Shalom means that kind of peace that result from being a whole person in right relationship to God and to one's fellow man.
JEHOVAH-ROPHE: "The Lord Who Heals" From "rophe" ("to heal"); implies spiritual, emotional as well as physical healing. God heals body, soul and spirit; he heals all levels of man's being.
JEHOVAH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies". "To make whole, set apart for holiness."
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH: "The Lord is There"
ELOHIM: God
EL SHADDAI: God Almighty or "God All Sufficient."
ADONAI: "Master'' or "Lord"
ALPHA AND OMEGA: The First and the Last, The Beginning and The End.
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YOUR KINGDOM COME
The Keys of the Kingdom : God has given us the ''keys'' of that kingdom (Matthew 16:19) - the authority to bind or loose anything on earth through prayer, with the full backing of heaven's throne behind us. In prayer, we have been given:
His Name
One of the keys that we have been given is the authority vested in the name of Jesus. The original Greek word ''to ask'' used in this verse has the implication of "to command; to ask as one who has the right''.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Philippians 2:9-10.
His Word
The Word of God is one of the most powerful weapons that we have, because it details what God's thoughts are about each and every situation we pray for.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
His Spirit
The Holy Spirit has been given to help us in prayer and to guide us into what the mind of the Lord is.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
Romans 8:26-27
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THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
Jesus says, " . . . a body you prepared for me . . .I have come to do your will, O God''. Hebrews 10:5,7
The whole reason Jesus came to earth was to do God's will Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." which the ultimate objective was the Cross. Jesus said to His disciples, "As the Father has sent me, l am sending you'' (John 20:21). We are now His Body upon the earth (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27) so that God's will might be done on earth. When we pray for the Body of Christ, we are praying that it might become one in spirit and purpose (John 17:20-23) and thus become a vehicle for the expression of God's will.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
In the original Greek, this is not really a request. It is a statement of fact: "You give us our daily bread each day!" Rather than asking God for daily provision, Jesus acknowledged in His prayer that God had faithfully provided food and all their needs each day in the past, and thus was an expression of faith that God would do it again.
AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS"
Here, like in the previous statement, the original Greek can be taken another way: "You forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors''. One of the crucial foundations in our prayer-relationship with the Lord is our relationship with others. How can we fellowship with a holy God when we are harbouring resentment against another Christian? (1 John 3:14-16) .
''And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" Mark 11:25
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US . . .
Once again, the Lord prays in statement-form, "You lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one!''. Temptation is one of Satan's favorite weapons, but God always provides an escape from needing to say "yes" to any temptation, and will never allow any situation to become unbearable for us (1 Corinthians 10:13).
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
I Corinthians 10:13
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FOR YOURS IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY
The Lord Jesus ends His prayer on the ultimate declaration of faith: that everything belongs to the Lord and that everything has been in complete control from time immemorial to eternity future, to His glory.
"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING YOU ARE GOD'' Psalm 90:1-2.
The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it
Psalm 24:1
AMEN
"Amen" is a Hebrew word which means "so be it". and when used in the Greek, it means "steadfast" or ''sure''.
The prayer that Jesus gave His disciples was an example of prayer the way God likes it. Never did it lose its focus on the Lord or on His ability to answer. At no time did it concentrate solely on the needs of the person praying, yet it covered every area of our prayer-relationship with God:
- Adoration (''Hallowed be your name").
- Joining with God in His purposes ("Your kingdom come, Your will be done
- The need of provision ("Give us this day our daily bread").
- The need of forgiveness ("And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors'').
- The need of God's help ("And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us . .
- Praise ("For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever").
One way of praying is in acts
A Adoration is to adorn the Lord high regard, to Worship.
c Confessions time confessing sins, repentance
T Thanksgiving to bless, to give thanks, to praise
S Supplication to make request known, to appeal, to desire
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Dynamic Prayer
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16
Effectual - means effective Having an intended or expected effect.
Producing or sufficient to produce a desired effect; fully adequate.
The Key to Authority in Prayer is BASED ON THE WORD OF GOD
Pray back Gods word to him for his word shall not come back void.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11
Fervent- means having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent: fervent protests; a fervent admirer. Extremely hot, glowing.
Fervent prayer is praying with THE WHOLE HEART - prayer that will not give up until the answer comes. This does not mean an continual crying out to God because you are not sure if God has heard, or if He will answer. That is unbelief and grieves the heart of God. Fervent prayer is just the opposite. It is the prayer of FAITH. It is only possible because we have learnt the first principle, which is effective prayer - we now know God's character and what He has promised, and we will not give up until we see it come to pass.
RIGHTEOUS MAN Morally upright; without guilt or sin:
It is impossible for us to pray effectively and with fervent faith if we are under any sense of unworthiness or condemnation.
"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus . . . let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience . . . for he who promised is faithful'' Hebrews 10:19-23.
THERE IS UNITY
''Again, l tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven'' Matthew 18:19.
Two are better than one, because they have good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend will help him up . . . '' Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
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Intercessional Prayer
He saw that there was no one, and he was appalled that there was no one to intercede . . . '' Isaiah 59:16.
The ministry of intercession is a very important part of the prayer ministry.
According to the concordance, the word ''intercession'' means:
A meeting between: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (1 Timothy 2:1).
To come or fall upon; to meet:
To meet with; to come between'' (Romans 8:27,34;
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:27
To meet with on behalf of another: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Romans 8:26).
Bearing the Burden of the Lord
Sometimes when Christians are praying, they begin to feel a sense of deep grieving and sorrow, and begin to weep. The Holy Spirit has laid a burden on their heart so that they can feel how God feels as He intercedes for His divided, broken Church, or for an individual, a city, a nation or a people. As His Body, we can enter into the same heart felt sorrow that Jesus expressed as He wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) and as He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37-38). And He brings the same challenge to His Body today that He brought to His disciples in the Garden.
Could you men not watch with me for one hour? Matthew 26:40.
Identification with Others
Sometimes the Holy Spirit anoints prayer in such a way that the person praying actually feels what the other person is going through - depression, loneliness, rejection, condemnation, grief, bitterness, fear, pain, or the like - so that, just as the Lord Jesus understands what we go through, and thus is able to go on our behalf before the Father, the person praying will know how to pray for the one in need. Here the Christian must realize that he is not experiencing it for himself, but for someone else. He is standing in another person's place before God.
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Travail
Another anointing of intercession is that of travailing - a deep groaning of the Spirit within us to bring something to birth in the spiritual realms My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, Galatians 4:19.
Warfare
The fourth anointing of the Holy Spirit in intercession is that of spiritual warfare - coming against the spiritual powers of darkness, battering the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18-19; Mark 3:27). This anointing is not manifest in weeping or groaning, but in a wrestling with the enemy (Ephesians 6:12), in declaring the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), in praise and in proclaiming Jesus as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and victor over the forces of Satan (Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 17:14).
With each of these aspects of intercession, the Christian should know when the victory has been won in the spiritual realms - even if it has not yet been manifested outwardly. The Holy Spirit will lift the burden from him with a tremendous sense of joy and victory.
ARMOUR FOR INTERCESSORS
Since the ministry of intercession enters the frontline of the battle against the enemy - taking the battle to him, as it were - it is essential that those involved in this ministry are protected against counter-attacks.
THE COVERING OF A PASTOR
It is extremely important for intercessors to move into their ministry under the guidance of their pastor. This ensures spiritual protection for the believer within the context of the Body of Christ. His ministry then becomes an extension of the rest of the Body. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17
FOR WIVES: THE COVERING OF THEIR HUSBANDS
It is also necessary that wives are in right attitude to their husbands. Or if there is anything wrong in a believer's relationship with another Christian, it must be sorted out.
PERSONAL ARMOUR
The Apostle Paul exhorts us to put on the whole armor of God in our battle against the enemy and against his hold on people's lives (Ephesians 6:11-19). For example, faith is a vital ingredient in the ministry of intercession, for without it the enemy has a foothold to attack; and how can we intercede for someone else if we don't have on the breastplate of righteousness - an awareness of our right standing with God?
And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land . . . but I found no one" Ezekiel 22:30 (NASB).
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