Our Petitions To God - Unending.

'The strength acquired in prayer to God will prepare us for our daily duties.

The temptations to which we are daily exposed make prayer a necessity.

In order that we may be kept by the power of God through faith, the desires of the mind should be continually ascending in silent prayer.

When we are surrounded by influences calculated to lead us away from God, our petitions for help and strength must be unwearied.

Unless, this is so, we shall never be successful in breaking down pride and overcoming the power of temptation to sinful indulgences which keep us from the Saviour.

The light of truth, sanctifying the life, will discover to the receiver the sinful passions of his heart which are striving for the mastery, and which make it necessary for him to stretch every nerve and exert all his powers to resist Satan that he may conquer through the merits of Christ.'—(Messages to Young People, 248.) 

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We are surrounded by influences that want to keep us from God, all the time. These influences do NOT rest, do NOT sleep at all, they ARE relentless in their pursuit of our destruction. Are you at ease in your life? Are you content? Are things going good? Or is your life an endless stream of ups and downs? Most people would say 'ups and downs', and I'm included it that. I have good days and bad days. However, sometimes it does seem the good days are teasers making the bad days worse. Truthfully we are in a war and the dark army is after us. We need to fight and one way we fight is through prayer.

Prayer is so incredibly necessary and not the rote prayer that holds little meaning. Anyone can recite a prayer without any heart feeling at all.

Prayer has power, so much power and we often ignore it in deference to our busy lives, even busy in our sleeping. We take time to work, to play, to relax, to feast, to pamper ourselves in various ways, and somehow we neglect prayer, our only real power- the ability to pray- to connect to our Creator, to our Redeemer. To speak and to be heard, to know our God is our all in all.

Prayer can help us right now. And while we may have to endure a lot of the torturous abuse from the evil influences bent on our eternal nothingness, we will have HOPE and with hope we have faith, and with faith it is possible to please God.

Heb_11:6  But 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.

Please, Lord, please.

In the Spirit, In Prayer- Always!

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 

Building ourselves up- on our most HOLY faith- PRAYING in the Holy Spirit.

Jud 1:17  But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 

Jud 1:18  How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 

Jud 1:19  These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 

Jud 1:22  And of some have compassion, making a difference: 

Jud 1:23  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 

We pray in the Holy Spirit, for how else can we pray?

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.

The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us.

The Holy Spirit groans inaudible to us, but for us!

The Holy Spirit speaks with our Father in heaven, He prays.

We need the Holy Spirit praying for us always.

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

We pray in the SPIRIT.

The SPIRIT helps us in our praying.

Our faith grows strong with prayer. WE NEED TO TALK WITH OUR MOST HOLY HEAVENLY FATHER! And we need to talk with Him ALL THE TIME! There should NEVER be a time when we believe we cannot talk with our Heavenly Father, never!

Eph 6:18  Praying always!!!!!!!

Please, Lord, please!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior…… now and forever!

Instant In Prayer.

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Patient in tribulation.

So very contradictory to our seemingly nature response. What would we call someone who in the middle of sudden tribulation they remain calm? Strange? Unusual? Odd? Or maybe you're thinking of controlled tribulation- is there such a thing?

Tribulation - great trouble, suffering.

Sure, we can have great trouble in a controlled way. A lot of great trouble is all around us and we live in it, day by day dealing with it- patiently? Maybe. But sudden tribulation- great trouble, sudden suffering can be very traumatic and hard to react patiently when it is experienced. 

Patient in tribulation- continuing instant in prayer.  Perhaps the two have to go together in order for us to have that patience in tribulation. The patience comes from the prayer, and the prayer is us practicing the presence of God.

I read a book once, called 'Practicing the Presence of God.'  I don't really remember much about it, but I believe it was about prayer. It makes sense, we are truly practicing the presence of God in prayer if we are praying in sincerity. When you talk with someone, really talk with someone you are in their presence even if you are talking to people who are sleeping in their graves, or to yourself, or to others that aren't really around- you are in what is their presence. When you think of someone you are recalling them in various situations. Often when we remember someone from our distant past we are viewing them and recalling them from their youth. When you see them as they are currently the memories conflict a bit, yet you see at least the shadows of their youth, if not a bit more. You are bringing them truly to mind when you think of them. When you are talking with God you are putting yourself in His presence in a miraculous way that isn't one of memory, or one of wishful thinking it is true presence. You are believing in the reality of a God who loves you and wants to hear you, and CAN hear you. His holy presence is a miracle we are allowed, we are honored with. When we find ourselves in tribulation we can find patience in that tribulation only in God, only in our Savior Jesus Christ in the hope, in the faith of them. 

In the great holocaust, in the various world wars, and even the wars that haven't warranted the title - world, people have had to endure great tribulation that lasted a long time. Their existence one of pure torture and yet some of those who survived the horrors of that tribulation can relate their ability to endure to their belief in God.  Some might find that hard to believe, but not everyone denies God when they suffer great horrors, even those of the long lasting kind.

Patient in tribulation, continuing INSTANT in prayer.

Instant in prayer. Instantly in God's presence throughout all of life's tragedies, traumas, and tribulation. Instant in prayer through the good and bad, God in our life always and in all things. 

Praise His holy name! All glory, all honor, all praise- always!

In Jesus Christ our Lord, now and forever!

Desire God.

Mar 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 

What ARE you desiring?

The above verse isn't a fairy godfather promise, or a Tinkerbell clap to bring her back to life because you believe. This isn't Santa Claus in one of those many Christmas movies where people are losing their belief in Santa being real so they just have to believe and it gives him power.

This isn't any of those things.  It isn't some magic stone, lamp or other object you rub and your wish is fulfilled by whatever means the author of the story chooses.

When we are told- WHATEVER WE DESIRE…it's when we PRAY.

Think about that for a few moments. When you pray you are communicating with God, your Creator, your Redeemer.  When you are speaking to God asking for anything -what is most paramount?

HIS WILL BE DONE.

If our desires do not match His will, should we be having those desires?

If our desires DO match His will we SHOULD believe that we will receive them when we ask, when we pray.

If we are praying for a million dollars, or even just enough money to see us through, if it isn't God's will- if He is in the midst of teaching us something as He refines us in the fires of affliction, we need to allow for that. We need HIS will to be done first and foremost. We need our desires to be His desires for us.  We aren’t told that we will receive the fulfillment of every wish we have- beauty, brains, brawn, money, status all these things are of the world more than they are of our Lord.  We need to desire to be refined, we need to desire to suffer anything that would draw us closer to the Lord. Does He enjoy our suffering? NO. He wants us to desire to be His, to be love. Yes, to be love because He is love. All that isn't of our God is not of love.  You can dispute this all you desire, but it's truth. Satan has set up a counterfeit love that mimics the real, but it remains counterfeit.  Because of sin, we need an advocate and we have that, we have an advocate- Jesus Christ.

1Jn_2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous

Our Savior paid the price for us, we are bought.

1Co 7:23  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 

1Co 7:24  Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. 

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

We belong to God through our Savior, Jesus Christ and as such we long to be His in all we do. Yet, this longing is at war with our flesh nature and we need our 'DESIRES' to be God's, not our own. This is what we are praying for, first and foremost that God's will be done in our lives even when it conflicts with our perceived desire however honest, good, and seemingly righteous. God's will.

Secondly we need to desire acceptance when we simply cannot understand why God's will is for our perceived suffering.

Yes, we need to ask for things-

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

We need to use supplication, and we need it for everything, we can't exclude God from any part of our life.  We must praise Him, we must thank Him and we must desire Him to be our all in all.

All through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ… NOW and FOREVER!

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Col 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving

1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Ask.

Ask.

Ask. We need ask. Some people assume God already knows and had no need of us telling Him what He knows already.  It's true that God knows, but it's equally true we need to ask.  I hear this often- God knows the end from the beginning so nothing can change, we can't change anything, we can't change His mind everything is already set in stone. If this were true why would Jesus say this--

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 

Luk 18:2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 

Luk 18:3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 

Luk 18:4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 

Luk 18:5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 

Luk 18:6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 

Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 

Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 

God wants us to communicate with Him and He communicates with us through PRAYER. God wants to be a REAL entity to us, not some fictitious character from a story. God wants to be close to us. Our Holy Heavenly Father WANTS to know us individually through communication that goes beyond His just knowing because He knows.

Some might believe that because we do NOT hear God speaking to us that we waste our time talking with Him. Do we truly need to get responses in order to communicate with someone? How often have you talked to an animal? How often have you talked with someone who is sleeping? How often have you spoken to yourself? What about someone who has been sick, unconscious, it isn't unusual to speak to them.  God is verbally silent to us, why? Possibly because of faith.

Faith- the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for the EVIDENCE of things not seen.

God is the SUBSTANCE of hope.

God is the EVIDENCE unseen.

God is FAITH.

God is REAL and God wants us to speak to Him as being real. God is with us ALWAYS in everything we do. God is not constrained by flesh or by circumstance. If we are HIS, HE is with us.

We need to ASK.

Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

More tomorrow by the GRACE and WILL of our GOD! All through our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ! Now and forever!!!!!!!

Prerequisite Prayer.

Prayer- isn't just for asking for things, but it is a part of it. Our best example of prayer is Jesus Himself giving us a template. I say template because we are told elsewhere to pray for others- something that isn't in the template outright. We are told that devils can't be cast out of some people without prayer and fasting, yet this isn't in what has become known as 'The Lord's Prayer'. We are told to pray always, yet again, Jesus doesn't mention that in His template, His example but by no means the only prayer we are to pray. Let's look at the Lord's prayer -

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. 

Recognizing our Heavenly Father as the God we pray to.

Recognizing He is holy, even His name is holy.

Recognizing that our Father in Heaven has a kingdom that is to come.

Recognizing His will is to be done on earth right now, just as it is done in heaven where He dwells.

Petitioning for daily sustenance- physical and spiritual.

Recognizing our need for forgiveness of our sins.

Recognizing our need to forgive others.

Petitioning not to be led into temptation.

Petitioning to be delivered from evil.

Recognizing our Heavenly Holy Father is the righteous kingdom, that He has the power, that He has the glory- FOREVER.

This is the outline, the standard, the prerequisite for praying before we can ever pray for another we truly need to do all that recognizing of our HOLY Heavenly Father, that HIS kingdom coming is something we must never forget in light of ALL our prayers. Wanting HIS will to be accomplished is much more important than anything we might will be done. Knowing HE alone allows our daily existence- be it with the meagerest of crumbs that might sustain us. We need to realize all this before we begin our - requests, our supplications.  What good is any supplication if it is asked for selfishly? What good is a request if we aren't committed to God's will being done over our own? What sense is there in a single petition if we aren't living towards the kingdom coming and not this one here and now?  Seriously. There are priorities and we need these priorities even in prayer. Who is to say we are even praying to our Heavenly Father if we aren't specific about this? A heavenly Father who has a kingdom that will arrive, a heavenly Father whose will we want done over our own. Are you praying to God, the great I AM, the Heavenly Father who is above all other gods. Make no mistake there are other gods, but no other GOD.

1Co 8:5  For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 

More tomorrow by the WILL and GRACE, the MERCY of our GOD, our LORD, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit now and forever!!!!!!!

Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 

Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Heb 11:6  But 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. 

Mar 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Col 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving

1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 

Genie or God?

Prayer.

Recognizing God, not recognizing a wish granting genie.

We desperately pray the most earnest of prayers - making supplications, making requests for intercession on our behalf even if the prayer is for another, it is us praying. We cry out to God asking Him to please answer our prayer; what we are often really asking is for God to give us what we want regardless of far reaching, unseen, unknown, unfathomable future consequences. We can't imagine that our prayer if answered in the way we desire would somehow down the line separate us from God. We choose to believe that God simply did not hear, did not answer, in fact some go as far to believe God no longer exists because their prayer wasn't answered. Why believe in a God who can't answer a prayer by giving us what we are praying for? What is the point in believing when the belief is not rewarded? When we've laid our heart out to God only to be refused, why bother? Logic would dictate God can't be real if He can't answer an earnest prayer in the way desired. Because human logic tells us that when we ask we should receive an answer, if no acceptable answer is apparent it is because there is no one there to answer, silence is not an option. Yes, silence is a very real option. God sees the END from the BEGINNING, and the BEGINNING from the END.

Faith. It takes FAITH to believe. Without FAITH we can't believe, it's impossible. Faith means believing when there is NO EVIDENCE of things. NO EVIDENCE! No logical evidence at all. Faith calls for us to comprehend that God will answer and sometimes that answer is NO. Why is it sometimes 'no'? Because sometimes our faith must be tested and tried in fires of affliction.  A faith tested, and often a faith fail. To choose to have faith in a God who tests us with affliction seems absurd, seems like a God who is too full of Himself, a sadistic God who enjoys our suffering. So why bother having faith in a God who loves to watch suffering of all horrific sorts? Why love a God who allowed sin in the first place? Isn't it better to simply not believe - that way there can be no disappointment, no wasted breath on prayer, no time misspent on things illogical, no chance of being labeled a fool with a foolish belief. 

However, just for a moment imagine God is real and you've chosen not to believe, not to have faith. You might sit there right now and say, oh well, it doesn't matter. And maybe you are content to truly believe it doesn't matter, but if there is a God and you choose not to believe in Him then you've chosen to give up your existence. If God is the only One who can give you existence you've given up your eternal life when you choose to not believe. Rather than accept the truth that there is a God, and God's Son, and the Holy Spirit- you choose to give up believing because you didn't get something you really, really wanted- perhaps the life of a loved one spared, a child, a parent. Maybe you didn't get rescued from torture, or healed from a painful disease, or failed a test, didn't get a job you desperately wanted and needed, there is a seemingly endless list of life's disappointments. You didn't get an answer you wanted to a life-changing  situation and determined there is no God. Because of that awful disappointment, heart-wrenching, gut aching pain you choose to give up your ultimate existence. IF God is real (I believe He is) then you've sacrificed your future existence in order to live in this existence filled with constant disappointments believing this is all there is. IF God isn't real, what have those who believe sacrificed?  Nothing. Disappointments will come and go for both believer and non-believers. A believer chooses to hope, to have faith that a prayer not answered in the way desired is God's way of either trying their faith to make it stronger, or protecting the believer from an outcome that would be ultimately undesirable. A non-believer chooses not to believe - and they are still disappointed only with no comfort, just cold, hard, supposed logic.

We must have faith in God when praying- faith that He knows us much better than we know ourselves, faith that He only has our ULTIMATE existence with Him in a perfect world, in mind as He answers our prayers- yes, no, not now.

More tomorrow on prayer, God willing.

All through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!

Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 

Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Heb 11:6  But 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. 

Mar 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Col 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving

1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.