PRAYER PRAYER

PRAYER

Theme 16/08/2016 Admin

Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. INSIGHT -Prayer is written... PRAYER

Jeremiah 29:12

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

INSIGHT

-Prayer is written as palal in Hebrew & means invocation, orison, entreaty, supplication, plea, petition, request, litany, demand & exultation.

-Prayer can be classified into four main parts, that is; adoration (praise), confession, supplication (petition) & thanksgiving. It can simply be defined as a dialogue between God & man which forms a Divine-human relationship. It is important to note that prayer is not unique to Christians as all religions prayer, others like Muslims are often viewed to pray even more than Christians.

-In Gen 1:26, God made us in His image & likeness & gave us dominion over all the animals & all the earth. This brings about the concept that God uses certain human beings to impact the earth in response to our prayers or responds directly to our requests. For example, Abraham’s intercession for Sodom in Gen 18:22-23, Moses’ intercession for his people in Num 14:12-20, Israel’s desire to have a king against God’s wishes in 1 Sam 8:19-22 & Daniels’ prayer was answered in a night vision in Daniel 2:19. In the New Testament, Christ had to come down to earth in a human body to accomplish His divine assignment of saving all mankind from sin. This indicates that our bodies makes us legal on earth otherwise without a body our environment changes. Lastly, just as Jesus displayed a prayerful life; as He always prayed & mentioned that the Father always heard Him, we are instructed to pray without ceasing with the confidence that our Father always hears us.

PRAYER

We humbly implore You Father with thanksgiving in our hearts. Thank You for we have begun a new week in good health with knowledge that many did not make it today. Heal all the sick & comfort those who have lost their loved ones. Forgive us our trespasses & cleanse our thoughts & hearts from all unrighteousness. We place all our petitions before You Father, hear us. We praise, glorify & worship You. Amen

 

 

 

 

Psalm 9:1-2

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

INSIGHT -David’s Psalm of thanksgiving & praise. -When we praise & give thanks to God, in sickness, poverty & other unfavourable situations we acknowledge that He has the power to solving the distress. -We should give thanks to the Lord in all situations, favourable & unfavourable with gladness.

PRAYER: I praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I tell of all Your marvelous works. I am glad & rejoice in You; I sing praise to Your name, O Most High, now & forever. Amen.

 

 

 

1 Chronicles 4:10

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

INSIGHT -Jabez prayer for blessing & protection. -God is our protector from all evil since we cannot overcome without His grace. -We should seek God’s blessing just like Abraham since He owns everything. -Jabez was granted all that he requested from God.

PRAYER: God of Israel & my Father, bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory. May Your hand be with me & protect me from evil, which may cause me pain. Lead me with Your eye so that I may not stumble & fall. Oh Lord, hear me & answer my prayer. Amen.

 

 

 

 

2 Chronicles 7:14-15

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.

INSIGHT

-The above scripture is rooted from 2 Chro 6:33, where the temple which king Solomon build was called by Gods name; just as Christ is the head of the church. Christ, the head of the church means that we are called by His name, in His nature & likeness (Christ-like/ Christians) & should follow His teachings. In Luke 18:11-14; Jesus talks about humility in prayer where Pharisee prayed with pride condemning sinners, praising himself in giving tithe, fasting twice a week as the Jewish tradition required & judging the tax collector. On the other hand, the tax collector, standing afar off, beat his breast & asked for mercy, he was justified. Jesus concluded by saying that, everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted. We are called to humble ourselves before the Lord & He will exult us for He resists the proud. As we pray for the Lord to heal us & our country, we trust His word is true & He will answer our prayers.

PRAYER

We humbly implore You Father, in realization that we are not worthy to come before You. Cleanse us & our nation from all unrighteousness. Heal our land from drought, corruption, tribalism, hatred, bad governance, nepotism, greed, oppression, witchcraft, adultery & all forms wickedness. By Your divine power make every crooked path straight in our nation. You are the Alpha & Omega, the beginning & the end, the first & the last. We praise You & worship You. Amen

 

 

 

 

Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

INSIGHT -Paul was teaching the Philippians about prayer. -He taught that we should always trust in God in every situation & pray with thanksgiving. -We should find peace & comfort once we make our prayer petitions known to God trusting that He has answered us. -Persistence, humility, secrecy & thanksgiving in Prayer are key for the Lord who sees in secret rewards openly.

PRAYER: Almighty Father, I humbly come to Your feet with humility & thanksgiving in my heart. Have mercy on me a sinner. I present to you all my anxieties, burdens & petitions for You know everything I need even before I ask You, Oh Lord. Give me peace & wisdom; for all my trust is in You Father. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Romans 8:26-28

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

INSIGHT

-The role of mediator in prayer was prevalent in the Old Testament where Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Samuel, Elijah & others presented the petitions of the people to God & conveyed Gods message to them. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit Who dwells in our heart’s & knows the mind of God presents our prayers to Him, in line with His will. In the same way Christ, who is seated at the right hand of the Father intercedes for us (Rom 8:34). Since we are His sons, nothing can separate us from His love. In the same love, all things work together for us who share in it & are called according to His purpose.

PRAYER

Abba Father, we thank You for loving us. Thank You for helping us pray when we are short of words & for the care that You have always accorded us. May Your will be done in our lives that we may accomplish that which You called us to do. All glory & honor belong to You. Amen

 

 

 

 

1 John 5:14-15

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

INSIGHT

-There are three key words in this passage ‘confidence’, ‘ask’ and ‘will’. Confidence indicates boldness in presenting our petitions to God with the faith that He will accomplish them according to His word. We are reminded to pray that when we ask we may receive, when we seek we may find & when we knock it will be opened to us. In prayer, the will of the Father is critical for sometimes we ask amiss & our requests are not granted. The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us in line with the will of the Father that we may receive our petitions according to His word. He helps & directs us in His word & reveals His will to us as we walk in it. Apostle Paul gives us a lead that His will is giving thanks always despite what we might be going through (1 Thes 5:18).

PRAYER

Teach us to do Your will & to pray according to Your purpose, Father. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You are the God of peace, grant us & our country Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Lead all our leaders & citizens in Your wisdom, that we may stay united despite our political differences . You are the same God yesterday, today & forever, we thank You for all things. Amen

 

 

 

 

 

Revelation 5:13

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

INSIGHT -John was taken up to heaven in the spirit to witness many things to come. -Every creature in heaven, earth, under earth & sea praised & prayed to God. -We should always praise & pray to God as we await to become saints in heaven. -Blessing, honor, glory, power, riches, strength & everything else belong to God as we are only custodians of some like riches. -Thus we should ask for everything from the Lord & with His merciful love we are blessed with some & finally eternal life.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, as I hope to become a saint in the next life, have mercy on me. All Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 6:9-13

In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

INSIGHT -Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray on request. -John the Baptist also taught them how to pray but the prayer became obsolete once Jesus started ministry. -This is a wholesome prayer which also points to us on the structure of how to pray. -We should pray the Lords Prayer at least once a day.

PRAYER: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 6:46-50

And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

INSIGHT

-After Jesus fed the 5000, He went to the mountain to pray & the disciples were on their way to Bethsaida when strong winds almost toppled their boat. They did not realise that Jesus was in the winds & among them as they struggled, they thought it was a ghost. In the same way, we could be facing many strong winds & storms in our lives but we should always remember that Christ in walking by our capsizing boat. He is always with us for He will never leave us nor forsake sake us. Let us hold fast our faith in prayer for He is faithful & will save us from our troubles.

SUMMARY

-Prayer can be classified into four main parts, that is; adoration, confession, supplication & thanksgiving. When praying we should always remember that God uses us to impact the world since we have been made in His image & likeness & have dominion over the earth. This is precisely because we have a body which makes us legal on earth. In the same wavelength, Christ had to come down to earth in a human body to accomplish His divine assignment of saving all mankind from sin. Just like the temple which king Solomon build which was called by Gods name; we obtain our name Christians from Christ, the head of the church in whom we are all joined. He intercedes for us together with the Holy Spirit to our Father in line with His will. As we all know, in prayer the will of the Father is critical for we sometimes ask amiss & our requests are not granted. Apostle Paul discloses that Gods will is giving thanks always despite what we might be going through. Further, Confidence & humility are key when presenting our petitions to God. These give us faith that He will accomplish our requests according to His word. We are reminded to pray without ceasing that when we ask we may receive, when we seek we may find & when we knock it will be opened for us. Lastly, we should remember that we are His sons, He loves us & nothing can separate us from His love, that whatever we ask in His name, He will accomplish.

PRAYER

Our Father, full of compassion & love, have mercy on us & our country. Lead us in our choices as we prepare to elect political leaders. May they govern our nation in Your wisdom, truth & justice. May peace, love & unity dwell in our community that Your justice may be our shield & defender. By Your divine power make every crooked path straight in our nation. We thank You & worship You, now & forever. Amen

 

 

 

Admin