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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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