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What
do I Pray? How do I Pray? What Kinds Of Prayers do I
pray to get answers? Why doesn't God hear me? Will God
answer my prayers? How do I talk to God?
Jesus’ disciples one time, asked him, "Teach us how to
pray". His reply to them was amazing, although most
people skip right over it without getting the meaning.
First they asked him, "Lord teach us how to pray"
(Luke 11:1)
The
first thing Jesus gave them was "the Lords Prayer"
(Luke 11:2 thru 4) (Actually this should have been called the disciples
prayer because Jesus never prayed it)
Luke 11:2 And he said unto
them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Luke 11:3 Give us day by
day our daily bread.
Luke 11:4 And forgive us
our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted
to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us
from evil.
That
is where everyone stops! This is where everyone totally
misses the point Jesus was making. Everyone takes this
to mean that we are simply to recite this prayer.
(Although Jesus condemned the Pharisee’s and Church
leaders for their long repetitive prayers) Jesus
continued telling then how to pray. What he said
after the Lords prayer is probably the most important
part of what he was trying to teach us.
Jesus
then gave us this example, telling us exactly what to do
to have God respond to us. (Luke
11: 5 thru 8)
Luke 11:5 Then He said to
them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him
at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three
loaves;
Luke 11:6 for a friend of
mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing
to set before him';
Luke 11:7 and from inside
he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has
already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I
cannot get up and give you anything.'
Luke 11:8 "I tell you, even
though he will not get up and give him anything
because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence
he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
But,
Jesus did not even stop there. He went on to say:
Luke 11:9 "So I say to you,
ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will
find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Luke 11:10 "For everyone
who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him
who knocks, it will be opened.
In
the original Greek text, "Ask", Seek" and "Knock", were
written as "keep asking", "keep seeking" and keep
knocking.
Jesus
didn’t even stop there! He really wanted us to get this
point! He even told us what to expect if we pray this
way. (Luke 11:11 thru 13)
Luke 11:11 "Now suppose one
of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will
not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?
Luke 11:12 "Or if he
is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion,
will he?
Luke 11:13 "If you then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
By
the way, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as "The
Helper".
Prayer is just simply talking to God. Not eloquent or
fancy words, not long repetitive prayers, just
communicating with God. Be Persistent.
God Bless You
Dan Douglass
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