'In Romans 15:30, we have the word, "strive," occurring, in the request which Paul made
for prayerful cooperation.
Rom 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me
In Colossians 4:12, we have the same word, but translated differently: "Epaphras always
labouring fervently for you in prayer."
Paul charged the Romans to "strive together with him in prayer," that is, to help him in his struggle of prayer. The word means to enter into a contest, to fight against adversaries. It means, moreover, to engage with fervent zeal to endeavour to obtain.'
Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 26)
*******
Do we realize that prayer is not easy? Contrary to all that we want to believe, if prayer has the Holy Spirit interceding for us with GROANINGS which can't even be heard, how can we believe prayer is simple and easy?
Rom_8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
We are told how to pray by our Savior, when the apostles asked Him He told them …
Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Luk 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.
Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
Luk 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.
Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
And even after TEACHING the disciples to pray we read that 'we know NOT what we SHOULD pray for as we ought' . We are told what to pray but still we don't pray as we should because our prayers are corrupted by our flesh, by our sinfulness, our selfishness. We are instructed and we may follow the instructions but truthfully we ask so much more in prayer- we tend to ask for our own desires, our own wills to be done, we get in the way of our own true needs but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us by the GRACE of our LORD and SAVIOR.
The fervency needed in prayer is also given to us by the Holy Spirit, because we cannot manufacture it on our own.
Laboring fervently, striving in prayer- prayer is NOT something meaningless, but something so overwhelmingly filled with meaning that we can't comprehend the full truth of it, we can only PRAISE and THANK our God for allowing us to Pray to HIM.
All through HIS GRACE!
for prayerful cooperation.
Rom 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me
In Colossians 4:12, we have the same word, but translated differently: "Epaphras always
labouring fervently for you in prayer."
Paul charged the Romans to "strive together with him in prayer," that is, to help him in his struggle of prayer. The word means to enter into a contest, to fight against adversaries. It means, moreover, to engage with fervent zeal to endeavour to obtain.'
Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 26)
*******
Do we realize that prayer is not easy? Contrary to all that we want to believe, if prayer has the Holy Spirit interceding for us with GROANINGS which can't even be heard, how can we believe prayer is simple and easy?
Rom_8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
We are told how to pray by our Savior, when the apostles asked Him He told them …
Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Luk 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.
Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
Luk 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.
Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
And even after TEACHING the disciples to pray we read that 'we know NOT what we SHOULD pray for as we ought' . We are told what to pray but still we don't pray as we should because our prayers are corrupted by our flesh, by our sinfulness, our selfishness. We are instructed and we may follow the instructions but truthfully we ask so much more in prayer- we tend to ask for our own desires, our own wills to be done, we get in the way of our own true needs but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us by the GRACE of our LORD and SAVIOR.
The fervency needed in prayer is also given to us by the Holy Spirit, because we cannot manufacture it on our own.
Laboring fervently, striving in prayer- prayer is NOT something meaningless, but something so overwhelmingly filled with meaning that we can't comprehend the full truth of it, we can only PRAISE and THANK our God for allowing us to Pray to HIM.
All through HIS GRACE!
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