do we pray regarding only the difficult things?
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RJ
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God says to pray for everything, asking for something earnestly and humbly. I think that works best and "practice makes perfect"!
Philippians 4:6
Proverbs 3:6
Waggles
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The Christian life is all about prayer. Communicating with Jesus our God and Saviour. No prayer no inviting Jesus to be involved in our life
and no asking for help and direction. Prayer ought not to be selfish -me, me , my wants. Rather it is also good to pray for others, for their needs.
Learn to pray for spiritual growth: obedience, putting down self-will, wisdom and understanding, confessing our sins, seeking the Lord's righteousness.
The book Psalms is a wonderful source for prayers. Heaps of examples on what to pray for and about.
Here are some verses that came to me concerning prayer -
1Thessalonians 5:16-19, 25
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
25 Brethren, pray for us.
2Thessalonians 1:11
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling,
and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
1Titus 2:8
I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
Prayer is not just about our tribulations, in fact it is equally necessary to pray giving thanks for
life, provision and the promise of salvation in good and untroubled times.
Wired 4 Fishen
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Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Prayer is communication with the Father and done so through faith. It is much more then just a way to get things for our selves.
God Bless
Jim
KingJ
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The real issue I am battling with is wondering whether or not I should fast with my difficult prayer requests. Can't shake the feeling of it being begging or sucking up. Long prayers to show God we really want something..? Feels so silly.
Waggles
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Fasting is going that extra effort to deny the flesh and one's comfort. Fasting and prayer brings about, in my experience, great benefits and victories.
I fast when I am really challenged by an insurmountable problem/challenge and I press in for the victory.
My church, The Revival Fellowship, conducts 4 fasting and prayer weekends where we gather to hear inspiring Word talks and also to pray together (in tongues)
for individual needs and healings,
Later, many people have testimonies in receiving miracles from a prayer and fast session.
robaston
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i went thro that. to me it seemed right. In my normal/humanly thinking this was reasonable...the more you fight, the more serious i wanted a good answer. For you to "feel silly" is more noble than me...you must be sensitive and better material for the Lord to work on.
then i cam across scriptures to correct me! God's ways are not ours...Isaiah 55:9 He acts on a quiet thought as much 2 hours hard-out prayer...fasting can have bigger muscles in heavenlies but your attitide in fasting is what is critical...selfish attitude will be as nothing
then i cam across scriptures to correct me! God's ways are not ours...Isaiah 55:9 He acts on a quiet thought as much 2 hours hard-out prayer...fasting can have bigger muscles in heavenlies but your attitide in fasting is what is critical...selfish attitude will be as nothing
RJ
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To him goes all the credit and praise!...without Christ in you, you can do nothing!
Wired 4 Fishen
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Long prayers are useless unless God is directing those long prayers. Knowing His word and then using His word and praying His word through faith is the prayers you find the results you want.
Fasting can be a wonderful thing if done right according to His word.
Simply doing with out food - does the body good health wise
Fasting and taking Gods word in Prayer and seeking the Father is spiritually Healthy.
Going to God wining and go on and on and on and on about everything is useless. God already knows what you need. You will not ever inform God of anything. Knowing How to pray through Faith in His word and knowing what His word says about praying will bring you the result you desire.
FAITH makes Prayer work
Prayer DOES NOT make Faith work.........However KJ you are going to have to get over this simple mind set that real faith is simply knowing there is a God and beleiving He is God and Jesus was the son of God and walked the earth. BRO if that were the case - we all would be spiritual giants and God could wrap this thing up.
Blessings
Jim
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I'm learning how to avoid cursing myself and others with my vain words by practicing much more of Jesus' manner. He could no nothing of himself, but always sought the Father's will. He spoke and did what he heard. That opens up a 'running dialogue' prayer that lasts all day. I pray for help to remember to pray about everything.. It might be 10 words concerning the boy on a racing motorcycle passing us probably 100 mph while standing on the seat. That happens a lot here on a bypass. I ask for his safety and eventual correction. I'm dieting to lose more inches to get back in winter work clothes, so I ask the Lord for a healthy choice restaurant while on the road. Big problems are listened to as well as my smallest issue. "Lord, I know Texas needs a lot of rain", I prayed, but I really need that farm ahead fairly dry so I can survey it and get back home to my grand daughter's play." He'll hold off rain when I ask. Later came a lot of flooding after I left the farm.
A.S.K. Ask, seek, knock like Jesus said.
KingJ
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You think we are not spiritual giants? If we were we can wrap this thing up?
It has never been about power Jim. Life down here is all about us helping God with the complications of getting people to actually love Him.
We can have flashy cars and all the money in the world, but will that lady that we really want to love us, love us?
It is all about understanding God's will on a particular scenario in which He has placed us.
KingJ
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True. But when you are desperate for something how in the universe can you change your attitude / not see fasting as begging?
I think the solution is not to fast when we have a need. Just to wait on God. But then understanding God's timing and will on matters is mostly very very very frustrating. As we all know...
Personal testimonies from elders on how God has delivered and looked after them their whole life are much needed.
Dovegiven
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Jesus taught that sometimes fasting plus prayer is necessary for some missions for God to succeed.
Matthew 17:19-21 (KJV)
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
The disciples still had unbelief by way of not doing what Jesus did daily, doing what he heard the Father instruct him to do. Jesus fasted often like most Jews between sabbath days, and we know he prayed a lot.
Neither prayer nor fasting is taught in scriptures to be begging. Fasting is an example of denying self. Mark 8:34-35 (KJV)
34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
Fasting that God likes isn't known to anyone else unless you are group-fasting, and nobody should be able to suspect you are fasting by your appearance or demeanor. Of course your wife would be well aware. Rather than expect a spouse to fast too, none need fast without the Holy Spirit urging, and of course praying while fasting. Many are willing to fast a little, but few will
Matthew 6:16-18 (KJV)
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Luke 11 is the way to pray, by asking, seeking, and knocking (A.S.K.). Prayer that God likes is bold (never a "silent" prayer...very unbold), specific (not a repetitive memorized script or "shotgun pattern" list), saturated in praise and worship in your private closet. My "closet" is a little room for our library, that when the door is closed it is understood not to enter disturbing a conversation with God.
Repent of sin, know you are forgiven yet again, making sure you have forgiven all, then heed
Hebrews 4:15-16 (KJV)
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
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Even God isn't "getting" people to love him. Few truly do. Many are invited to love the Lord. The more Jesus ministered, the more the Jews hated him.
Equally unlikely is "getting" a wife to love her husband. Relationships have to be cultured, grown with determination. Though husbands are under command
to love their wife, that seems rare these days, too. I know a married couple that don't talk to each other, having "said all we have to say". They have been strangers married nearly 50 years,
though surely must have had some relationship in the beginning. They won't tell.
They remind me of how easy it is for a Christian to backslide. The top step of the ladder is praise and worship. Not many people use the very top step of a ladder. The next down is thanksgiving.
The next perhaps is earnest prayer throughout every day. Stopping short of that step leads to neglect of study of the scriptures. It doesn't take long for God to have become unreal to us,
distant, and we think he isn't speaking to us any more. Great instructions to avoid loss of relationship with God:
Philippians 4:4-9 (KJV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
HAllyson
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1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (widow and the judge parable)
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
2 Thessalonians 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
God bless!
KingJ
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Some interesting thoughts here.
amadeus2
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Probably my friend, at times, we do not even recognize what is really difficult for us. When we are so deaf and so blind to our own faults that we continue in them without a thought, we fall into the same ditch as when we blindly follow some blind man.
Ideally, our flesh can hear, and see and feel and taste and smell, but if we presume that those natural senses will keep us always safe, we are missing out on where the danger really lies.
So what or when to pray? Prayer is just a word in scripture that to me speaks of communication with God. Once we have an established communication link with Him, we should never let it be broken... but probably everyone has. I know that I have. Others here have already quoted some excellent scriptures including, "pray without ceasing". This speaks of an unbroken link. Paul addresses that here as well if we can understand it:
"Quench not the Spirit." I Thess 5:19
The Spirit for us is the link of communication. We can and we do break that link at our peril.
Other verses to consider:
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." James 4:2-3
We want something so we ask for it. Matt 7:7 says, "ask and ye shall receive", James has said while we need to ask we may be asking "amiss" (wrong). As our communication link becomes more complete with fewer gap times, we should eventually come to where we will always ask correctly and never amiss. We will never quench the Spirit.
So this gives us clue as what to pray for when we do "ask". Ask to be able maintain always our end of the communication line with God. He never breaks the link. We do and then we may wonder what happened to Him. Nothing is the answer. The happening is or was to,or in, or from, us!
