Saturday, February 1, 2014

Learn to pray - Step 5 - part A

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!
   How do you pray?  How do I pray?  Well, let me ask this----how do you visit with another person, a friend, family member, or new acquaintance?  The best way to get to know someone is to visit with him/her-----often.  This is what God wants from us, to visit, to develop a close relationship.
  1 Chronicles 28:9  New King James Version (NKJV)
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 
   Jeremiah 24:7 "And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord."  This is talking to the ones who will become followers of Jesus Christ.  
    When we talk to God---this is prayer!  Prayer is a conversation; it is sharing with someone who cares, although you cannot see Him, you can rest assured He is there.  How did Jesus pray?  Read below.
    Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
  So how did Jesus pray?  He went out to where?  A solitary place!  And what did He do?  Prayed!
  Now is Luke 18 verse 1  "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,......"    And if you will continue to read this chapter this is a parable about a judge and a widow. The widow was wanting justice and kept coming back until the judge became weary and finally gave in. We need to be as diligent in our prayer as the widow was with the judge--continual prayer.
   On in Luke Jesus shares in parables about praying - well worth the read.
 Then the disciples as Jesus to teach them something. Look at Luke 11:1 "Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”"  
   The disciples wanted Jesus to teach them how to pray.  The next verse begins the Lord's prayer.  Here it is:
So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”
    Do not just say this prayer, but read it and think about it---break down line by line--word by word. It is really awesome.  So often we just say it without thinking.  
   Next lesson - why should we pray continually? 
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny
  

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