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Prayer

Do you pray about every situation & circumstance in your life? Do we need to pray about everything or does God give His people common sense to perform certain actions on their own? When we're told to pray without ceasing, what exactly does that mean to you?

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on July 7, 2012 at 9:33am

We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life is he does not pray; I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God within him, which is nourished not by food but by prayer...Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. --Oswald Chambers

Permalink Reply by dean burrows on July 7, 2012 at 3:15pm

When thinking about prayer I remember a time when prayer was nothing more than a shopping list for me. Can I should I -please may I -help- I need etc. etc. etc.  Then came the realization that Our Heavenly Father has given us an awesome responsibility. Take care of this earth and all in it. Well that is a lot of stuff  I wont have time to get on my knees continually. And espcially go shopping.  What to do.?  

     Was about then that I realized prayer is an action word The Lord has things for us to do on occasion He is explicit and shows us yet in most cases I find He wants us to step out .  Step out with a knowledge He is with us. Step out with a heart seeking Him. Step out prepared to recieve His guidance. For me I discovered this is continual prayer As no matter what or where I am/doing His Spirit in a multitude of ways directs me. Lets me know when I have gone to far or not far enough. Lets me know if I am right or wrong. The pray part is being open to recieve His wisdom. The biggest part of continual prayer as said earlier is the 2 ears. 

      Now the down side. Do I alwaays listen?  NOT!!!!!! Wish I could say different but to many times I get back into the telling Him what i want and haven't time to listen. Ouch!!!!!! 

      This is what I have found in my life. As long as I realize everything I do everything I say is a form of prayer I believe in His desire to protect us He answers.

Permalink Reply by Charles Burwell on July 7, 2012 at 11:01am

Dear Taminator

 

Of all your questions the  one about " Do we need to pray about everything or does God give His people common sense to perform certain actions on our own ? " seems to be the most difficult for me.

 

I say difficult because I have seen ( in the 35 years of knowing the Lord ) people take both sides of this to hurtful extremes .   While the apostle Paul tells us in Phil 4: 6  to " Be anxious about nothing but in EVERYTHING ( CAPS MINE ) by prayer and supplication , with thanksgiving , make your requests known unto God , ... " .     My personal opinion about this verse is that God wants us to bring anything that's going to potentially cause us concern , to Him.

 

I have heard worry described as ' being concerned , but without hope . "   By that I mean that we will ( and very well should be ) concerned about things but when we begin losing hope for a solution we need to take those things to God so that they don't turn into 'anxiety' which Paul in commanding not to be.   As LT has so correctly mentioned , the decision of what shirt to wear or wether to have coffee or not  do not fall into this category. Anything that will distract us from the good things Paul mentions in Phil 4:7-8  to think about , we should take to God in prayer.

 

David reflects this idea in the final verse of the 19 Psalm when he says   " Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight , O Lord , my S trength  and my redeemer. "     Ihave heard the explanation of the word ' mediations ' as being the things you think about when the necessities of life are not commanding your attention. In other words , there are times when we must pay attention to our work or the conversations with others , but when are minds are free to think we must spend these things thinking of things that qualify as 'good ' as described in Phil 4: 7-8.

 

As regard to the ' common sense' issue . I have heard , and been accused of,  not using ' common sense ' when I was doing something that I knew , without a doubt , that the Lord was leading me to do . So sometimes relying on ' common sense ' can get us into trouble with God .  By the same token there are things ( such as the aforementioned choice of coffee or not  ) where ' common sense works out just fine.

 

I guess my comments on ' meditation' kind of address my thoughts on ' praying without ceasing.'   By that I mean that when the ' meditations of our heart ' are on the Lord we are much more likely to do the things the way the Lord wants us to.   As the book of Proverbs states ' as a man thinks in his heart , so is He '.   As I 'meditate' on that  I realize that that may not be in Proverbs but it is  in the bible.

 

It does say in Isa. 26:3 that " You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You , because he trusts You. "    By that I'm refering to "The mind stayed on You". In my opinion that is what  is being referred to by the term " pray without ceasing ."

 

Anyhow , those are just my opinons

 

God bless you , my sister

Permalink Reply by Tammy on July 7, 2012 at 11:37am

Proverbs 23:7 Labor not to be rich—As a man thinks in his heart, so is he—Withhold not correction from a child—Be not among drunkards. 

Thanks brother

Permalink Reply by Colby on July 8, 2012 at 5:01pm

Taminator,

I remember a time in my youth when I was taken aback at a question my father put to me. He said, "Hey Colby. How is your prayer life?" I answered by saying, "I haven't been praying much lately. I haven't prayed for several days." "Why is that? Is there something wrong?," dad responded with obvious concern. "No. Everything's fine, dad. Really. I don't really need anything right now," adding in the next breath, "I don't have anything that I need to ask God for." Well, dad sat me down, and he began sharing with me the purpose of prayer. He made me aware of the central importance of prayer as the way we communicate with God.

*/ Do you pray about every situation & circumstance in your life? /*

If by that, are you asking if I seek God's advice or approval on all decisions I might make, no matter how routine, seemingly insignificant or trivial? Should I order a cup of coffee or a shot of espresso? Should I wear brown or black socks? No.

 

But wait. There's another angle from which I can approach this question. God is never far from my thoughts. Christ is at the front and center of my life. Therefore, all that I see, think and do is, in some sense, directed to him.

I am continually drawn to God. As the apostle James wrote: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (Ja 4:8). I am drawn to God by prayer. God is never far from my thoughts. Christ is at the front and center of my life. Therefore, all that I see, think and do is in some sense directed to him.

 

*/ Do we need to pray about everything or does God give His people common sense to perform certain actions on their own? /*

God speaks to us through the Scripture, his written word, which sets forth his standards and expectations for us, as well as guidelines for meeting life's challenges, trials and opportunities. Through our diligent study and application of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit empowers us with Godly wisdom and discernment. We can choose to follow God's wisdom or folly (which is the way of the world).

 

In moments of weakness and vulnerability, when I am waivering and unsteady and tempted to sin, or unsure of what is the right and Godly thing to do, or when I need help understanding and applying the precepts of God's word, I will turn to prayer to strengthen me and/or discern God's will for me.

 

Prayer helps me stay connected with God, and to keep my focus on him. I pray not just for myself, my family and my circle of friends, but for the many people around me that are hurting, the hopeless, and marginalized that they might receive and be comforted by God's blessings. When I've sinned, I pray for God's mercy and forgiveness.

*/ When we're told to pray without ceasing, what exactly does that mean to you? /*

To always have an open line of communication to with God and make the most use of it. More specifically, three things come to my mind.

First, it's a reminder that we are called by God to prayer following the example set by Jesus. Jesus prayed often to God the Father. So, too, did the prophets and the psalmists. Christianity is relational. It centers on us knowing Jesus Christ and him knowing us. Prayer is communication with God initiated by us. It can take many forms; it can be spontaneous or formal and scripted. It should come to us naturally. Whenever possible, I do it in a private, undisturbed, and in a quiet setting. It is also part of my corporate worship, too. By communicating with God openly, sincerely and honestly, we come to know him better, to deepen our relationship with him, and to align our purpose and direction with his will.

Second, it informs me that because prayer is beneficial and vital to my walk with God, I need to make time for prayer, just as Jesus did. Prayer, as with reading and studying the Scriptures, needs to be incorporated into my daily life. That's why dad made a point of asking me as a child: "How is your prayer life?" If it's lacking, we need to work on it.

Third, it reminds me that prayer is powerful tool for receiving and sharing God's blessings. Scripture affirms that God is delighted when we pray; that he listens to and answers our prayers. Although, he doesn't always answer our prayers by granting the request as given. He answers in his way, according to his timeline. "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results" (Ja 5:16).

Prayer is not just me humbly asking God to provide me or my loved ones with fulfillment of their wants and/or needs. It should also be a way that I ask God for direction in accordance with his purpose. As Jesus said, "thy will be done."

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phi 4:6-7).

Thank you for raising a great question and to others for the many insightful responses they have posted testifying to the importance and power of prayer in their lives.

 

Blessings and peace, love and joy in Christ Jesus,

 

Colby

Permalink Reply by Tammy on July 8, 2012 at 5:42pm

Thank you for your reply Colby. And as always, I really enjoyed it.

Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 9, 2012 at 9:18am

Tammy,

The lesson my group was discussing in Sunday School yesterday was about the purpose of prayer. The lesson said when prayers seem unanswered, could it mean there is a mystery around suffering that we just will never understand here in this life? They also mentioned that people will comfort each other in their losses by saying God cries with us and they asked is it "good enough" to know that while God did not prevent the loss, that God cries with us?
Tough questions. Many prayers in the West where the wildfires are burning have been for rain and mostly rain has not been sufficient. Rain would have helped in stopping the fires.

In prayer, IMO, we can't tell God how to respond. We can make requests, supplications, like Esther makes of the king in the Book of Esther.

When we don't receive what we are praying for does it mean God did not show up at all?

How involved is God in our lives? So involved that He determines what color shirt we wear or what brand of coffee we buy?

Or so uninvolved that He closes His ears to desperate prayers for rain?

What if God gives us the opposite of what we ask?

I grew up on a farm. I remember Dad praying for rain on his crops. We were very poor. The clothing I wore to school was from the Good Will store. I didn't have nice things. I had a good school experience up until middle school and then I was bullied in school. Very badly. For being poor and for not having nice clothing, among other things. Did God care?

Psychologists say that those kinds of things actually shape our personality. If we are neglected in childhood, it affects who we are. Abuse affects who we are. So how do we reconcile all of those things with a loving God? By knowing He is righteous and just? Are we then responsible for the abuse that happens to us just because we "deserve" it -- as if God is allowing it because He is righteous and just? Or is there just a mystery to suffering that we cannot grasp with our limited human intellect?

Is it enough for me to know that God cries with me?

I just want to know that no matter what God is with me.

 

Permalink Reply by Colby on July 9, 2012 at 1:57pm

Amanda,

 

Great questions!

 

The Scriptures exhort us to pray and assure us that God hears and answers our prayers.

 

  • Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
    thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

 

  • 1 John 5:14 says, "If we asking anything according to His will, He hears us."

 

  • James 5:16 says, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

 

  • Jesus says in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Jesus adds, in John 16:23, "My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

 

Yet, there are instances, for example, in the Old Testament, where men of faith complained that God was not listening to and answering their prayers.  How can this be so?

  • "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief" (Psalm 22:1-2).

 

  • "My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?'" (Psalm 42:3).

 

  • "Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer." (Lamentations 3:8).

 

  • "I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me." (Job 30:20).

 

  • "How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! 'Violence is everywhere!' I cry, but you do not come to save (Habakkuk 1:2).


*/ Does God hear ALL prayers?  Does God ALWAYS answer? /*

 

*/ Does prayer REALLY change anything?  If so, where is the evidence?  If not, why bother? /*

 

Of this I am certain: That God calls us to prayer.  Whether or not we receive an immediate answer, or he answers our prayer but we fail to recognize it, or the answer we get is not what we wanted, we can be certain that whenever we pray, we are drawn to God, we become closer to God, and we grow in grace, love and understanding.  I thank God for all that he has done, for his extravagant love and amazing grace, and I pray that his will be done.

 

--  “O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief” (Psalm 143:1).

 

Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,

 

Colby

Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 9, 2012 at 6:56pm

I am certain, too, that God calls us to prayer. Your response, Colby, blessed me. Thank you. :)

Permalink Reply by Tammy on July 9, 2012 at 11:57pm

Of this I am certain: That God calls us to prayer.  Whether or not we receive an immediate answer, or he answers our prayer but we fail to recognize it, or the answer we get is not what we wanted, we can be certain that whenever we pray, we are drawn to God, we become closer to God, and we grow in grace, love and understanding.  I thank God for all that he has done, for his extravagant love and amazing grace, and I pray that his will be done. Amen brother

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