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There are four key
components that we
are to be involved in
the Study of God's word, Fasting,
Meditation and Prayer.
We are told in the Psalms,
"God is our refuge and strength, an
ever-present help in trouble " (Psalm
46:1). The first Thursday of May,
2012 marked the 61st annual
National Day of Prayer. Cities and
churches throughout our nation held
prayer gatherings to recognize God's
goodness and to thank Him, for the
many blessings He has poured out
on America. This year it is thought
millions gathered to seek God's
guidance and protection for our
nation, it's leaders, communities,
and our families.
When reading history, we
find in 1775, it is recorded that Ben
Franklin called for a day of prayer.
On February 19,1795, President
George Washington proclaimed a
day of public thanksgiving, 157
years later in 1952, under President
Harry Truman's watch, Congress
established an official National Day
of Prayer, then in 1988 Ronald
Regan and Congress set aside the 1st
Thursday in May for that purpose.
Since that time there have been
many days of national prayer in
America.
This year 2012, "One
Nation Under God," was this
year's theme, it is based on Psalm
33:12, that says, "Blessed is the
nation whose God is the Lord."
Why did these men call for a
national day of prayer? Because
these leaders recognized prayer can
change things. Going back into the
house of Israel's history, we find
how a nation can find and lose favor
with God. Notice 2 Chronicles
7:14. This verse may well be the
golden text of the entire Bible. It
was originally addressed to the
chosen nation of Israel, and if these
conditions are met, the promises are
sure of fulfillment. "If My people,
which are called by My name, shall
humble Themselves, and pray, and
seek My face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from
heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land. Mine eyes
shall be open, and Mine ears
attentive unto the prayer that is
made in this place." Remember,
this chronicle is addressed to the
whole house of Israel.
It has rightly been applied to
those nations which have Israel's
Biblical heritage. It also is the sure
road to restoration and revival for all
times. And if the conditions are met,
the promises are sure of fulfillment.
Throughout history there are
hundreds of examples, of courses
and events that has been changed by
prayer. At Valley Forge, soldiers
braced themselves against bitter
winter weather while fighting
hunger. What did George
Washington do? He knelt down in
the cold wet snow to pray for help,
and God answered him! During
the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln
prayed to God to spare the union.
God answered Lincoln's request.
His speeches were always full of
scriptures. Today he would be
ridiculed for his faith! In World
War 1, American's soldiers knelt in
trenches hiding from mustard gas
and praying to God for victory,
again God answered their cry!
During World War 2, there were
numerous times when the war we
were fighting could have been lost,
Pearl Harbor, Midway, Dunkirk,
but the hand of God spared the
house of Israel again, hearing the
soldiers heart cry out in prayer.
In God's word there are
found many examples of prayer that
changed the course of events.
Israel's deliverance from Egypt at
Passover- Exo. 12. The sun and the
moon standing still for Joshua
(Josh. 10: 12-14.).
The conquest of Jericho's
land and seeing the wall fall down
- Joshua 6.
We read of Shadrach,
Meshach, Abednego walking out of
a very hot furnace- Dan 3.
Gideon's reduced army
chasing and overpowering the
Midianite's larger army- Judges 6.
Reading and knowing these
things, let me ask? How is your
communication with God? How
real is God to you when you pray?
Do you make your prayer life a part
of your every day Christian life?
Communion with God must be the
element in which we live, move,
and have our being. We should
recognize prayer is not only a
privilege, it is a necessity, for
without it we are cut off from the
source of real life, and the fruit of
God's Holy Spirit.
In Matthew 6: 5-18, we are
given an outline of how to pray and
how to conduct our daily actions,
after praying. In verses 9- 13, we
have what is generally called " the
Lord's Prayer " but that is not the
Lords prayer! The real Lords prayer
is found in John chapter 17, that
usually is read during Passover
season. In this prayer outline in
Matthew 6: 9 -18, we should take
note that Jesus never prayed it
Himself. It was given to His
disciples as a model after which they
and us, could pattern their and our
prayers. But this model prayer was
not given for the purpose to use the
same exact, identical words, because
Christ said in verse 7, of Matthew 6,
"But when you pray, use not vain
repetitions, as the heathen do: for
they think that they shall be heard
for their much speaking." Words
repeated by rote memory can
become empty phrases!
When talking to God lets
notice the prayer foundation and
outline Christ gave us. "When
you pray, you shalt not be as the
hypocrites are: for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues,
and in the corners of the streets,
[public places] that they may be
seen of men. Verily I say unto you,
they have their reward. But you,
when you pray, enter into the
closet, [private quarters] and when
you have shut the door, pray to the
Father which is in secret; and your
Father which sees in secret shall
reward you openly" (Matthew 6:5-6).
God sees the secret motives
of the heart, that prompt action, and
what is concealed from the eyes of
man, is manifested in the eyes of
God. Continuing with Verse 7, "But
when you pray, use not vain
repetitions, as the heathen do: for
they think that they shall be heard
for their much speaking. Be not you
therefore like unto them: for your
Father knows what things you have
need of, before you ask Him. After
this manner therefore pray you: our
Father which are in heaven,
hallowed be Your Name. Your
kingdom come. Your 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"
(Matthew.6:7-13). This is the
beginning foundation for our
communication with God when we
pray.
During the first 2012 barley
harvest offertory, Verses 9 and 10
directs our attention to God the
Father. We are instructed to pray to
the Father about 1) His name -
"hallowed be Your Name." 2) Pray
to the Father about His kingdom -
"Your kingdom come." 3) Pray to
the Father about His will - "Your
will be done." The second half of
the Lords prayer teaches us to pray
for ourselves and for others. We are
to 4) pray for provision - "give us
today our daily bread." 5) Pray
for pardon - "forgive us our
debts." 6) Pray for protection -
"lead us not into temptation."
Taking an overview of this
prayer advice reveals that there is
one word that characterizes the first
half of the prayer and another word
that characterizes the second half of
the prayer. The word for the first
half is- Your, "Your name," "Your
kingdom," "Your will." The word
for the second half of the prayer is-
us, "give us," "forgive us," "lead
us."
By arranging things this way,
Jesus is teaching us that we are to
begin with God's concerns. We are
to pray to God about the things He is
most thoughtful about. When we
have done that we are to pray for our
own concerns, our daily needs, our
forgiveness and our protection in
moments of temptation.
Did you notice? We start by
praying to God in heaven and then
come down to earth, which is the
pattern of all divine revelation. Too
often our prayers are tainted with
selfish feelings, personal material
matters and the big "I", me, and
my!
Proverbs tells us to "buy the
truth, and sell it not; also wisdom,
instruction, and understanding"
(Prov 23:23). James tells us, "If any
of you lack wisdom, let him ask
[ pray ] to God, that giveth to all
men liberally" (James 1: 5).
We should learn to
generously pray for others and pray
for their needs and concerns. That is
what the "National Day of Pray"
is specifically set apart for. Notice
the example where Paul is advising
Timothy to pray for all men and
their worldly government. "I exhort
therefore, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks, be made for all
men; For kings, and for all that are
in authority; that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and honesty" (1Tim
2:1-2).
Our prayers addressing this
physical government should start
with the President, then Congress
and next the Supreme Court, then
down to the local mayors and town
councils. Our government officials
need prayer for guidance and
wisdom, whether or not we agree
with them politically. These men
and women are in positions of
authority, and they need our prayers,
not just on National Prayer Day.
We should pray for our
military, Psalms 91, describes the
security of one who trusts in the
Lord. Notice a few verses there, "I
will say of the Lord, He is my refuge
and my fortress: my God; in Him
will I trust. Surely He shall deliver
you from the snare of the fowler,
and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover you with His
feathers, and under His wings shalt
you trust: His truth shall be your
shield and buckler. Thou shalt not
be afraid for the terror by night; nor
for the arrow that flieth by day; nor
for the pestilence that walks in
darkness; nor for the destruction at
noonday. A thousand shall fall at
your side, and ten thousand at your
right hand; but it shall not come
nigh you" (Psa 91:2-7).
We hear many miracle
stories from our American
soldiers about times they've
witnessed, amazing protection,
during scary deadly situations.
We cannot slack off praying for
our soldiers that are on the field
of duty as well as for their
leadership and all the way up to
the decision-makers in the Pentagon.
Also remember the military families
of the fallen, who continue to grieve
long after the battles are over.
Next to pray about is the
many media outlets that are
available to us but we need to be
careful about the influences to
which we expose ourselves and our
children. We need an honest and
unbiased media in America that will
give straight-forward news. If all the
people of authority in the
communications media would be
drawn to God and His truth and
would report the news fairly,
including the good news of God's
word and work. Then people would
have favor in their sight, they would
understand what is really happening
in the world today.
Next, how often do we pray
for businesses, this means far more
than praying for the economy. There
is a need to pray for honest and
ethical behavior in America's
businesses. God's word is not silent
on this subject "Recompense to no
man evil for evil. Provide things
honest in the sight of all men"
(Romans 12:17), Paul said to the
Corinthians, "Providing for honest
things, not only in the sight of the
Lord, But also in the sight of men"
(2 Cor 8:21).
The United States is a nation
of business, and righteous and wise
business practices lead to prosperity,
just as corruption and greed have
lead to destruction. That is why we
need to pray for excellence in our
businesses.
We can not leave out praying
for our education system: this is a
area not often addressed to pray
about. The schools of America were
once founded on the Bible. Having
knowledge of the Bible was
considered an integral part of
education, and literacy was vital to
being able to read God's word.
Over the past fifty years, that
attitude has completely changed in
our education system. Despite vast
amounts of money and effort, our
schools are riddled with apathy,
illiteracy, and violence. We need to
pray for that to change, and for the
students and the teachers to work on
making those changes. We also
need to pray for all the
administrations, especially the
policy makers who affect
educational decisions. There is also
a need to pray that effective new
ideas or effective old ideas will be
free to make an impact of
knowledge on our students!
Let's remember to pray for
God's church and His kingdom to
come to be preached and be
published as a witness to the whole
world! Having said that, don't forget
to pray for the financial needs of the
church. It costs money to run God's
office and publish His truth!
Every called member of
God's family need to pray daily for
the fruit of God's Holy Spirit to be
working in their character building,
as we are all told to put on the new
man. We all suffer and need to care
and pray for one another to have
protection and encouragement in the
midst of constant stresses and
temptations.
This brings recognition that
our families are under attack!
Satan knows the family is the
foundation of society. If our homes
are filled with abuse, neglect, and
poor neighbor-hood examples, our
country is in serious trouble. There
is a need today also to pray for
dedicated marriage's in America, for
loving husband and wife
relationships in homes where
children are lovingly cared for.
Our homes should be a
place where parents practice what
they preach and demonstrate to their
children how wise and healthy
decisions are made, knowing this
society is about to fall apart! We,
you and I cannot ignore this nation
and world that is spinning out of
control. That is why there is a need
to pray for the upcoming legislation
and court cases that will be affecting
all living here in the United States of
America.
The world trusts in riches,
power and prestige, but these things
are temporary and can be lost in a
day, as we have seen repeatedly in
recent years. 1) Only God is always
faithful. 2) Only God is Holy and
incorruptible. 3) Only God can
provide real safety and strength. 4)
Only God gives us true hope. 5)
Only God can save life.
We are instructed in Psalms
86, to pray "For the Lord to teach us
His way." "Teach me Your way, O
Lord, I will walk in Your truth:
unite my heart to fear Your name. I
will praise You, O Lord my God,
with all my heart: and I will glorify
Your name for evermore" (Psalms
86:11-12).
It is important for us to learn
balance in our prayers. We find the
Apostle Paul speaking of Epafras as
being a model example in prayer.
"Epaphras, who is one of you, a
servant of Christ, Salutes you,
always labouring fervently for you
in prayers, that you may stand
perfect and complete in all the will
of God. For I bear him record, that
he has a great zeal for you" (Col
4:12-13). Another example is in 1
Thess 5, where Paul is praying for
the Thessalonians. "And the very
God of peace sanctify you wholly;
and I pray God your whole spirit
and soul and body be preserved
blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess 5:23).
Acts 6, tells us we must pray as the
apostles did when it came to the
election of deacons. Acts 8, shows
the ministers must pray over the
baptized and lay hands on them for
them to receive God's Holy Spirit.
We must pray for others as
the church did for Peter while in
prison. "Peter therefore was kept in
prison: but prayer was made without
ceasing of the church unto God for
him" (Act 12:5).
We find as we study Christ's
prayer habits that He prayed before
and after the great events of His
life. We find evidence of this in
Matthew 14: this is where Christ
prayed over the five loaves of bread
and two fish, that was to feed five
thousand as they sat on the lawn
listening to Him speak. "And He
commanded the multitude to sit
down on the grass, and took the five
loaves, and the two fishes, and
looking up to Heaven, He blessed,
(He prayed) and brake, and gave the
loaves to His disciples, and the
disciples to the multitude" (Matthew
14:19). Later that evening in verse
23, we read of Him going up into
the mountain to pray. "And when
He had sent the multitudes away, He
went up into a mountain apart to
pray" (Matthew 14:23). Then
starting in verse 22 to 31, is a story
with an important lesson Peter, like
us needed to learn. This was where
Peter was invited by Christ to
walked on water. "But straightway
Jesus spoke unto them, [on the boat]
saying, be of good cheer; it is I; be
not afraid. And Peter answered Him
and said, Lord, if it be You, bid me
come unto You on the water.
And He said, come. And when
Peter was come down out of the
boat, he walked on the water, to go
to Jesus. But when he saw the wind
boisterous, he was afraid; and
beginning to sink, he cried, saying,
Lord, save me. And immediately
Jesus stretched forth His hand, and
caught him, and said unto him, O
you of little faith, wherefore did
you doubt?" (Matthew 14:22-31).
There is a saying, "a perfect
life, is like walking on water, but
humanly its impossible." As long as
Peter kept his minds eye on Christ
he was able to do the impossible,
but the minute he became occupied
with the current strong, troubling
wind he begin to sink, having little
faith. Doubting and questioning
God's power are keys to failure
when we pray!
In the parable of the barren
fig tree Christ said to His disciples,
"Verily I say unto you, if you have
faith, and doubt not, all things,
whatsoever you shall ask in
prayer, believing, you shall
receive" (Matthew 21:21-22). Mark
records the same thought in Mark
11:24, "Therefore I say unto you,
what things soever you desire,
When you pray, believe that you
receive them, and you shall have
them." When reading these clear
verses, do we believe that when we
pray? Do we receive what we pray
for?
Prayer in the New
Testament is Strong's #4335 &
4336. Meaning: 1). Worship by
implication; 2). Make supplication;
3). Worship to God earnestly.
Webster's dictionary defines prayer
as: 1). Communication with God,
consisting usually of praise and
gratitude; 2). Prayer is an outpouring
of the soul toward God; 3). The
desire for divine guidance; 4). The
confession of sin; 5). Faith is an
essential ingredient of prayer.
The Apostle Paul again
speaks about faith in Hebrew 11:6,
"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." We must
learn to take God at His word, and
not question it. We are to profess
full allegiance to Him. The last
sentence in that verse says, "that
God is a rewarder to them that
diligently seek Him."
To seek God is to endeavor
to understand more fully His
character, and His will for us.
Part of that character and will is
communication through prayer
for one another. God takes
praying for one another very
seriously. Samuel a descended
from Levi, must have thought
so! because of what he said in
I Samuel 12:23, "Moreover as
for me, God forbid that I
should sin against the Lord in
ceasing to pray for you: but I
will teach you the good and the
right way: Fear the Lord, and
serve Him in truth with all your
heart: For consider how great
things He has done for you."
This was during a time:
Israel wanted a worldly, physical
king to be their ruler, not God.
God had been with them up till
this point. Samuel assured the
people he would instruct them in
the things of God, but he would
not have the responsibility of
governing them, now that they
wanted a worldly appointed king,
but as a prophet he would still be
God's representative to them.
The emphasis of this verse is
what Samuel said, "God forbid
that I should sin against the
Lord in ceasing to pray for
you!!" It is a sin against the
Lord not to pray for others
Notice David's Psalms
86: again, "Teach me Your
way, O LORD; I will walk in
Your truth: unite my heart to
fear Your name. I will praise
You, O Lord my God, with all
my heart: and I will glorify
Your name for evermore"
(Ps 86:11-12).
James Russell