Home

In this blog, I provide encouragement and biblical teaching on the subject of prayer.

As the Scripture says:

"Pray, then, in this way..." (Mt 6:9)

"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." (Mat 6:6)

Some of the topics covered include the Lord's Prayer, the intercession of the saints, the intercession of Christ, thanksgiving, proclamations, promises of God concerning prayer, and the importance of the attitude of the heart and mind in prayer, as well as the importance of the attitude of the body in prayer.  I hope this will be an edifying and encouraging experience for you that will help you to grow in your walk with the Lord.

The Disciples’ Prayer	Standing in the Gap	Covenant Prayer
Who intercedes for us?	Personal Proclamations of Faith	Crying Out to God Loudly
When God Does Not Seem to Answer	Taking Heaven by Force	Prayer that Pleases the Father's Heart
Giving Thanks in Everything	Prayer Promises	Lifting Hands in Prayer
Lifting Your Face in Prayer	Keeping a Prayer Journal	Blessing Others
Keys to Prayer	The Power of Two or Three	Scriptural Make Believe
The Blessing of Abraham	Being Blessable	The Authority of the Believer

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Prayer Warrior" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's Note:  I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Authority of the Believer

Dear saints,

Today I want to try to help you understand the authority you have as a believer in Jesus Christ. He has given us His very great and precious promises (2 Pet 1:4), but many times we live as though He had not. 

Ask for Anything, Whatever You Wish

Did He not promise us, "You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it"? (Joh 14:14). Yes, He did, so take Him at His Word. God is not a man that He should lie. He promised that we may ask Him for anything in His name, and He will do it!

He also promised us, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (Joh 15:7). That means that as long as you remain in Him and His Words remain in you, you may ask Him whatever you wish, and it will be done for you, just as He promised!

In the same passage, He promised, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." (Joh 15:16). That means that to you who are chosen and appointed by Jesus to go and bear fruit, the Father will give you whatever you ask in Jesus' name.

He also promised us, "In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (Joh 16:23-24)

On another occasion, He promised that everyone who asks receives (Mt 7:8; cf. Lk 11:10). God is no respecter of persons. He will do this for every one of His children in Christ, who is walking in the light, and who asks. But you must ask.

These promises apply to whatever you desire. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Ps 37:4). The key is that you delight yourself in the Lord. When He has become your One delight, and pleasing Him is your chief aim, then all your desires will be found in Him, and He will give them to you.

Scripture also says, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Ps 84:11). That means that as long as your walk with the Lord God is blameless, He will not withhold anything good from you.

Are you beginning to see how complete and all-encompassing this promise is? Nothing good and perfect is left out of it.

Power and Authority to Cure Diseases and Drive Out All Demons

Do you realize that you have been given power and authority over all demons, including the devil himself, and to heal every kind of disease? 

"When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." (Luk 9:1-2) 

Notice that He gave them both the miraculous power (Gr. dunamis) and the authority (Gr., exousia), or dominion, to drive out all demons, including satan. We must apply this to our lives, too, and operate in that same power and authority of the Lord Jesus.

"He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness." (Mat 10:1)

Notice that He gave them authority to heal every disease and sickness, which excludes not one single disease or sickness.

Jesus promised, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mar 16:17-18)

He said that if you believe in Him, then signs would follow you, which include driving out demons, speaking in new tongues, and healing the sick through the laying on of hands. If you are not operating in that, then you are not walking in the power and authority that has been given to you in Christ.

Speak to Mountains and Storms

Are you encountering any mountains or storms -- obstacles that stand in the way of your service to the King? Here's another promise for you to claim:

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mar 11:22-24)

That means you must have faith in God. The amount of faith is not important, even if it is as small as a mustard seed. The key is that there be absolutely no doubt in your heart. Speak to your mountain, and as you do, believe that what you say will happen. That's all you have to do, and it will be done. This applies to whatever you ask for in prayer.

And there are many other promises like that. Our part is to claim them and put them into operation through prayer and speaking to our situations.

Closing Words

In closing, I want you to know without a doubt, that if you remain in Christ, and His Words remain in you, being actively practiced, then anything good you see in God's Word that you want, you can have it. Just have faith in God, believe and do not doubt, ask the Father for it in the name of Jesus, and it will be yours for the Lord's service. If there is any obstacle in your way to receiving whatever that is, then speak to the obstacle and command it to be removed in the name of Jesus, and it will be done for you. We must remember all things are done in His timing, too. Now go put this into practice and experience the abundant life that Jesus promised, when He said:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (Joh 10:10)

Attribution Notice: Image of "A Child's Prayer" painting copyright Danny Hahlhohm, all rights reserved, used by permission. To view his art, please visit www.jesusart.me. All Scripture taken from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Being Blessable, The Power of Two or Three, The Blessing of Abraham, Speak to the Storm, Supernatural Power for All Disciples, and All Things Handed Over to Jesus Christ, Also see What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel? You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Keys to Prayer

Someone who recently gave his life to Christ asked me how he should pray, which is a completely valid question for a new believer. My answer to him may also be helpful to you as well. While it is intended for new believers who may not know where to begin, or who may have previously only known idolatrous religion, it may also be helpful for those who are more mature in the Lord.

Talk to God

Prayer is talking to God, so talk to him like you would talk to a person, except in this case with great love, reverence, respect, and awe. Pray to the Father in heaven in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (Jn 14:14, NIV).

You have direct access to the heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Jn 14:6, NIV).

Do not pray to Mary, the saints, angels, spirit guides, or other entities. Jesus is your only mediator. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim 2:5).

If you need some sort of guideline for what to pray about, use the Lord's Prayer as your structure, not merely as a formula prayer, but as an outline for your prayers. I have written in more detail about this in my article, The Disciples’ Prayer.

Thanksgiving
Begin by coming to Him in Jesus' name with thanksgiving, thanking Him for every blessing He has given you. The psalmist said, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." (Ps 100:4, NIV). You can thank Him for life, health, strength, your salvation, food, clothing, shelter, your Bible, the privilege of prayer, etc. You can thank Him for your identity in Christ. Give thanks in all things, even your trials. For more on this, please see Giving Thanks in Everything.

Praise
Begin also by praising Him according to Ps 100:4 and Mt 6:9 for who He is: His love, omnipotent power, awesome name, holiness, majesty, beauty, compassion, care, omniscience, etc. For more on this topic, please see Praise the Lord!

Claim the Promises of God
During your prayer time, as the Spirit of God leads you, you may claim His promises for yourself out loud. Prayer Promises.

Pray According to Scripture
It's important to pray according to the Word of God. Aside from claiming His promises, you should also pray in accordance with what is written in Scripture. That includes patterns of prayer found in the Bible through the examples of the Lord Jesus Himself (e.g., Jn 17; Mt 11:25; 26:36-56), as well as others like David (see Psalms), Daniel (Dan 9:1-19), Nehemiah (Neh 1:1 - 2:9), and the apostle Paul (Eph 1:16-23). Praying according to Scripture also includes praying according to any verse of Scripture as the Spirit of God leads you.

Pray According to God's Will
If you are praying according to Scripture, you should be praying according to God's will, but I will mention this separately, because it is so important. The way to get your prayers answered is to make sure God hears you, and you know He hears you if you pray in His will. The apostle John said, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of him." (1 Jn 5:14-15, NIV).

Have Faith
The Scriptures teach us that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Heb 11:6, NIV). So you must believe that God exists and that He will reward you as you diligently seek Him.

Be confident as you approach the throne of God, since you have such a great high priest. For the apostle said:

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:14-16, NIV).

Faith Proclamations
Another thing you may do in pray is to make Personal Proclamations of Faith, declaring out loud the truth that God's Word says about you and those you are praying for.

Covenant Prayer
You might also incorporate this covenant prayer in some way: Covenant Prayer.

Interceding for Others
You should pray for others such as:

1, Your unsaved parents, family, other relatives, and friends, asking God to help them come to know Jesus and be saved.
2. Your government leaders, including local, state, national, and all those in authority, such as law enforcement officials (1 Tim 2:1-3).
3. Your teachers and/or those over you in your job.
4. Your pastor, teacher, spiritual mentor, and those in authority.
5. Anyone you know that needs healing or deliverance.
6. For the people you share Jesus with that they would come to know Him.
7. For all the saints (Eph 6:18) and for all men (1 Tim 2:1-3).

For more on this, please see my article, Standing in the Gap.

Pray for Yourself
Talk to God about your own needs as you pray for yourself. Some of the things you can specifically pray about are for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, wisdom, understanding, forgiveness, not to fall into temptation, deliverance from evil (including evil spirits), for protection, for His provision for you, for opportunities to share Jesus with specific people, for guidance and direction concerning your life, for His will to be done in your life, etc.

In Secret with No Images

Jesus said, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Mt 6:6).

So when you pray, do so in secret, to your unseen Father in heaven, and do not pray in front of any images, since that would be an abomination to God. There is no need for symbols or prayer beads either. For more on this, please see Modern Day Idols.

Pray Out Loud
It's also best to pray out loud, rather than silently, although it's fine to pray in your heart silently as needed in certain circumstances. For more on this please see Crying Out to God Loudly, as well as Loud Voices and Shouting in God's Kingdom.

Pray in the Spirit
The Bible teaches us to pray in the Spirit, so this is an important key.

Jude wrote: "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." (Jude 1:20).

Paul wrote: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Eph 6:18, NIV).

"For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding." (1 Cor 14:14-15, NIV).

In order to pray deeply in the Spirit, you need to first receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. For more on that please see my article, Baptized with the Spirit.

Position 

You can sit, stand, kneel, or lay on your face to pray. But one very good way to pray that is found in the Bible and helps you to express your reverence for God is kneeling. I also suggest praying with your eyes closed and your hands uplifted to the Lord. For more on these topics, please see Lifting Hands in Prayer, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Bowing Low in Worship.

Put on the Armor of God
Just as you need to get dressed everyday, you need to put on spiritual garments, too. For more on this, please see The Wardrobe of the Saints and The Armor of God.

Head Covering
If you are a male, then pray with your head uncovered, and if you are a female, then pray with your head covered. The apostle Paul wrote: "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head...a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels." (1 Cor 11:4-5a, 10b NIV). For more on this, please see my article Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering?

Listen to God
Get to know Him. Listen to His voice. For more on this, please see Hearing the Lord's Voice and Inquiring of the Lord.

Worship the Lord

Take time just to express your love for God. Pour your love on Him. He is your great big Abba Father. Worship and adore Him for who He is. Bask in His presence and enjoy your time with Him.

You might like to play some instrumental worship music while you are praying or not have any music at all. Here is a link to instrumental worship to play while you pray, if you like.

I hope you have found these keys helpful as you spend time each day with the Lord in prayer.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan. 

Author's Note:  If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like other articles about prayer which you can find on the Home page of this blog. Also see Loud Voices and Shouting in God's Kingdom and Crying Out to God Loudly, I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Keeping a Prayer Journal

I've been keeping a prayer journal throughout most of my walk with the Lord, and it's been helpful to me for a number of reasons. I'd like to share some of those reasons with you today in the hopes that it would encourage you to do the same.

It's a Record of What God Speaks to Me
Each of us as sheep are supposed to both hear and recognize the Shepherd's voice. Jesus said, "The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He puts forth all His own, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice." (Joh 10:3-4). One of the most opportune times for you to hear the Lord's voice speaking to you is during your daily quiet time. It's best to do this at the beginning of your day, before you start your normal activities.

When you open the Bible, pray and ask the Lord to speak to you through His Word. Ask Him to show you the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. Acknowledge to Him that unless He reveals Himself to you through His Word that you cannot understand it. You may be able to have an intellectual knowledge of what you read, but not true spiritual understanding and knowledge. So humble yourself before the Lord. Cry out for wisdom and understanding, and He will speak to you.

As you read and meditate on His Word, have a journal and pen beside you, and when He speaks to you through a particular verse, write down the current date, quote the verse with its reference, and what He showed you. He will give you very personal guidance, direction, and insights that will impact your life forever. And you will have a record of it to refer back to.  He will often confirm these things to you in other ways at a later time, such as through His still small voice in your prayer time, through something someone says, a sermon you hear, a song, a coincidence that happens, another verse He gives you, a vision, revelation, or a prophecy.  You should document those things in your journal, too, especially the thoughts that come to you during your prayer time. Having it all recorded in one place will allow you to correlate it, and to see the connections that you might otherwise have missed or forgotten.

I used to have a physical journal, and over the years I developed a large collection of them, which were all marked with the beginning and ending dates on the cover, and numbered in sequence. However, when I moved overseas as a missionary, I switched to keeping an electronic journal on the computer. It's a lot easier to carry when moving! And the nice part about having it in electronic format is that it is more easily searchable on key words when I need to find something later that I have written.  But I still keep the pen and paper beside me during my Bible reading and prayer time, and write down impressions that come to me, as well as ideas or thoughts I get. Later I usually type these into my computer. The Lord has often used these things to also bless others. I have seen them become exhortations, sermons, teachings, and testimonies for His glory.

It's a Record of God's Presence in My Life
As I spend time with the Lord and experience His glorious presence, those are times of refreshing (Ac 3:19), and I record those experiences in my journal. That becomes a wonderful reminder of His love for me and how He has related with me during my times with Him. Something about writing it down just solidifies it further, since it becomes a permanent record. Also see Times of Refreshing in the Presence of the Lord.

It's a Record of Answered Prayer
God answers prayer, and Jesus gave us many promises to do so, like when He said, "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." (Joh 14:14).  So if you write down what you prayed about on a given day, who you prayed for, expecting Him to answer you, then when He does answer, you will have written proof that you prayed for it and when. That will build your faith, because it will show that He directly answered your prayer. Then you can write in the answer to prayer, as well. 

Over time this becomes quite a faith-building device to you, as you go back later and read what the Lord has done.  Time and again the Lord has proven Himself faithful to me, and having a record of it glorifies Him, as well as encourages me in my prayer life to trust Him. And since we are supposed to testify for His glory, the record we keep of it will form the basis of your testimony, so that you can accurately tell others what God has done in answer to prayer.

As you pray for local, national, and global matters, and journal those, it will encourage you to see those prayers answered in the news.  When you do, I can testify firsthand what a joy it will be for you to cut out newspaper headlines and paste them into your journal beside your entry later, as evidence of the answers to your prayers. Alternatively, in electronic format, you can copy and paste such headlines into your journal along with a link to the news article or video, showing the answer to your prayers.

It Helps Identify God's Direction for My Life
What I have found is that God gives us direction a little at a time. As you receive those bits of direction and write them down, then when you get further direction and write that down also, you will begin to see a pattern. It's like a golden arrow from God that is pointing in a certain direction clearly, which can be a great form of guidance for your life and ministry.

It Keeps Me Pressing into Him
As I spend time with the Lord in prayer, worship, and Bible reading, and I journal it, I have a record of what passages I've been reading, as well as the time I've spent in His presence. It's a form of accountability. By documenting not only the beginning and ending time of my prayers, but also what I experienced in prayer and Bible reading, I can see if I am starting to slacken my efforts in seeking Him, if I am cooling off, getting more passionate, or if I am going deeper.  The goal is to remain faithful, be on fire for God, go deeper, and experience greater intimacy with Him, and I encourage you to do the same. Press into Him! May you say with David, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee...My soul followeth hard after Thee!"  (Ps 63:1,8, KJV).

It's a Record of My Struggles and Victories
As I have documented my struggles, my battles, my trials, and my hardships, my longings for God and His presence, and later the victories won in Jesus' Name, it's a testimony for the glory of God. I encourage you to do so, too, as David did in the psalms. Then you can also say with him, "Arise, O LORD; save me," and later write, "O my God: for Thou hast smitten all mine enemies...Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: Thy blessing is upon Thy people." (Ps 3:7a,8, KJV).  And you can write, "But Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill." (Ps 3:3-4, KJV). To God be all the glory forever and ever! Amen.

Putting it All Together
As you can see, there are many good reasons to keep a prayer journal. It will be a record for you of what the Lord has spoken to you, His presence in your life, His answers to your prayers, and His direction for your life. It will be a record of your struggles and victories. It also keeps you pressing forward, pressing into Him, and going deeper with Him.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures are taken from the King James Version.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like Times of Refreshing in the Presence of the Lord, Prayer Promises, Inquiring of the Lord, Hearing the Lord's Voice, and Seeking the Lord. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Disciples’ Prayer

Prayer is the disciple’s life connection to God.  It’s vital to our relationship with Him.  And yet it is widely overlooked, and its importance is underestimated.  If we understood how vital it is, we would pray more often and more earnestly, and not allow ourselves to be distracted by other things. 

When the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray, He taught them a model prayer to show them the kind of content their prayers should have, as well as how to approach God.

"And it happened as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His disciples.' And He said to them, 'When you pray, say: Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in Heaven, so also on the earth. Give us day by day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'" (Luk 11:1-4, MKJV; cf., Mt 6:9-13)

Teach us to pray
The request of the disciples was, "Lord, teach us to pray."  We can learn to pray from a verbal teaching on prayer, as well as life lessons, which are trials and temptations we go through.  In this instance, He taught them verbally.  But He gave them plenty of other opportunities to learn to pray through trials and circumstances, such as the storm at sea.

Pray like this
Jesus taught them what to pray about and how to approach God in prayer.  He said, "When you pray, say:" In other words, “Pray like this.”

Our Father in heaven
“Our Father in heaven.” (v. 2). Address the heavenly Father reverently and lovingly, as “Our Father in heaven.” He also did not say to pray to Mary, the saints, or anyone else, but to our heavenly Father.

Since God is Spirit, and since He is unseen and He is in heaven, you should not pray in front of an image of any kind (Ex 20:4). Jesus said, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Mt 6:6, NIV).

Hallowed be Your name
“Hallowed be Your name.” (v. 2). As you approach God, praise, magnify, and exalt His holy name.  We enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts, and come into His courts with praise (Ps 100:4).  Begin prayer by praising His name. Put God first. Prayer is not a business meeting. Love God with all of your heart. Just give Him all of the love in your heart. One thing you can do as you praise Him is think about all His names. God's name identifies Him. People’s names identify who they are.  Praise His holy and awesome name.

Your kingdom come
“Your kingdom come.” Seek first His kingdom (see Lk 12:31; Mt 6:33).  His kingdom is the royal realm where He has absolute and universal dominion.  It’s where He rules and reigns. It’s God’s Divine Government over which He has supreme administration.

When you pray for God’s kingdom to come, you are praying for Him as the sovereign King to come and live and rule in your heart.  The government of God’s kingdom is on Jesus’ shoulders (Is 9:6). He is the King of kings (Re 19:16; cf., Re 17:14; 1 Ti 6:15). There can only be one king on the throne inside your heart.  Ask Him to come and take His place on the throne.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
“May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (v. 2). In heaven God’s will goes unchallenged and is always done. There’s nobody there challenging God’s will. On earth there are many enemies of God and hindrances to block his will. Yet His will is best.  “Father knows best.”  The Father is looking out for your best interest. Trust God. Go with what He says.

In heaven, God’s will goes unchallenged and is always done. There’s nobody there resisting God’s will. On earth there are many enemies of God and hindrances to block his will. Yet His will is best. “Father knows best.”  The Father is looking our for your best interest. Trust God. Go with what He says.

When you pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, then it will guide you to pray in His will.  And even if you make a mistake and pray outside His will, He will know that you asked for His will to be done, so He will answer it according to His will, rather than how you wanted it.

When you do God's will, that is one way this prayer of yours will be answered.  He said, "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Mar 3:35).  He also said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." (Luk 11:27-28).

Jesus prayed for the Father’s will, when it was contrary to His own (Mt 26:39-42).  This is what we must do also, following our Lord's example. His will is what we live for, not our own. This is critical, because of the power of the will. Your will has the ability to make you miss heaven. God will not force you to obey Him. He will not force Himself on you. If you allow your will to take priority, it can take you to hell. If you aren’t willing, then you can block God’s will from being done, so live your life for the will of God. Surrender to His will, and live according to it. (1 Pe 4:1-6).  The one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 Jn 2:17). His will is holy, righteous, perfect, and true.

Give us each day our daily bread
“Give us each day our daily bread.” (v.3). “Daily bread” represents the necessities of everyday life, including food. Once you have first sought God's kingdom, His will, and His righteousness, then you can bring your petitions before His throne.  Ask for what you need today.

Don’t worry about your needs for tomorrow and next week and next month. It’s all right to pray about those, but don’t worry about them, because God is able to handle all your needs each day, if you ask Him to.  If you worry about things in the future, it will be more than you can handle.

Notice that he used the expression “daily bread.”  I want to draw your attention to the word "daily." He did not expect you to have enough bread stockpiled for months to come. I also want to draw your attention to the word "bread." He also did not expect you to live luxuriously on food fit for a king.  Sometimes we are blessed with plenty, but let us not forget share it with others.  And if all we have is bread to eat, then we know the Lord has answered our prayer and He provided it.

The meals our Lord ate and fed to others were simple meals like a piece of fruit, or a fish, and some bread.  On a feast day like Passover, then there was more to eat and drink like lamb and wine.  Our daily bread also represents our basic necessities that we need for each day, such as clothing and shelter.

Some people wait until the end of their day to pray.  Sometimes it will happen this way, because of your schedule, but it is not wise to make it your routine.  How can you ask for what you need today at the end of your day?

When you pray, “Give us each day our daily bread,” and you are thinking about future days ahead, the fact is you still must ask.  The Lord instructed us to ask the Father for everything we need. Of course, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Mt 6:8b)  Yet you still need to ask Him.

Forgive us our sins
“Forgive us our sins.” (v. 4). We have all sinned, and we all stumble in many ways.  We need to repent daily, because we commit so many sins, often without knowing it.  We need to ask God for forgiveness, believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sin, and rose from the dead, victorious over sin and death.

In order to be forgiven, you must repent sincerely from your sin, and confess it.  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1Jn 1:9)  Cry out for mercy. “Lord, have mercy on me!” and pray for the Lord to have mercy on others, too.  We need the God's mercy much more than we realize!

We also forgive everyone who sins against us
“We also forgive everyone who sins against us.” (v. 4)  This is another condition in order for us to be forgiven. We must forgive, because if we do not forgive, God will not forgive us.  "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Mat 6:14-15)  The spirit of unforgiveness will lead you down to hell. Release those who are indebted to you.

Lead us not into temptation
“Lead us not into temptation.” (v. 4).  He taught us to pray and ask the Father not to lead us into temptation. He told us to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:40-41).  You become weak when you sleep away your prayer time.

We sometimes feel confident that we can withstand the temptations that lie ahead of us in life without praying much, or without praying at all.  Yet even Jesus had to pray, and often spent the whole night in prayer.  He was tempted by the devil (Mt 4). He was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15). Temptation is common and every temptation is a common one. Through prayer you can resist temptation. Resist the devil. 

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1Co 10:12-13, NASB)

Don’t become complacent, thinking you stand. That's just the pride that comes before a fall.  Rather take heed lest you fall!

God does not tempt us. James said, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (Jas 1:13-15)

Deliver us from evil
“Deliver us from evil” and some versions say “deliver us from the evil one.” (v. 4) The word “deliver” is from the Greek word rhuomai, meaning to rescue or deliver.  This is the same as crying to God, “Rescue us! Deliver us!”  And when you personalize it, then you should cry out, “Deliver me! Save me! Lord, save my soul!”  Or if you are sick, you should cry out, “Lord, heal me!”

Only God can deliver you, save your soul, set you free, and heal you by the power that is in Jesus’ name.  All power is in that name. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Ac 4:12)

The entire prayer is for “us” not me. That doesn’t mean you cannot pray for yourself.  You should pray for yourself, and when you come to Christ, you must pray for yourself.  But we must pray for others, too, and not just ourselves.

The devil is so evil and does so much more than we realize with the purpose to harm us.  He comes to kill, steal, and destroy people.  Jesus knew the devil would continue to do that, so He instructed us to pray for deliverance.

Disciples’ Prayer
This is usually called “The Lord’s Prayer,” but it may also be considered the “Disciples’ Prayer.” (Lk 11:1). If you want to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, this is how you should pray. And if you want to grow as a disciple, this is how to pray. This was also the Lord’s Prayer personally, except that He never needed to ask forgiveness for any sin of His own as we do, since He was without sin (Heb 4:15).  But I am sure He needed to forgive others.

Notice how concise this prayer is.  There is so much meaning packed into so few words.

Sinner's Prayer
If you are a sinner, and you want to give your life to Jesus, then repent of every sin you ever committed. Continue to pray and ask the Lord to show you every sin you ever committed from the time you were a young child until now.  It could take you some hours, but repent for each thing you can remember specifically. Then ask Him to cleanse you by His blood.  Afterward, I suggest reading Psalm 51 and receive His forgiveness.  Surrender your whole life to Jesus Christ, commit to live for righteousness, and invite Him to come and live inside your heart.

After you give your life to Jesus, you should immediately pray and ask to be Baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Putting it All Together
Learn to pray the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray.  He will also give you life experiences to learn how to pray, so be sure you don’t miss those practical opportunities.

Pray to God, the Father in heaven in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Approach Him with reverence, awe, and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  Begin with praise and thanksgiving, just pouring out your love on Him and adoring Him.

Always put God’s concerns ahead of your own, and ahead of any petitions you may bring to Him.  There may be times where you have an emergency and you cry out to God for help without spending time in praise and thanksgiving, but normally you should take the time to do this first.

Begin with blessing Him, and His name, and seeking His kingdom, His righteousness, His will in your life to be done just as it is in heaven.  Ask the Lord to reign in your heart as King.  Lay your life on the alter as a living sacrifice to Him. That pleases the Father.  If that is your heart’s greatest desire, then all the requests you make of Him after that will be in accordance with His will.  If not, then He will know that you want His will above all else, so He will answer it according to His will.

After you have put the Lord and His concerns first, then bring your concerns to Him for yourself and others.  Bring all those petitions and requests before His throne, knowing that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Remember to repent daily and ask forgiveness, as well as forgive others.  Pray away those temptations the devil has planned for you and others.  Pray for salvation and deliverance and healing. And remember, everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door shall be opened.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.  "Prayer Warrior" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's Note:  If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like "Who Intercedes for Us?" and my daughter's poem, "Our Intercessor."  I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Covenant Prayer

If you believe the Lord will answer your prayers, then why not ask for everything? I found this covenant prayer, written by my friend, Robert Brownell, author of Spirit Lessons, and I've adapted it. I recommend you also make this your covenant prayer:

Lord God Almighty, worthy of all praise and honor, Holy is Your name!

Lord, I pray for spiritual growth and maturity; I want all of You, and none of my flesh. I ask for the mind of Christ, the emotions of Christ, and the will of Christ in my life.

Lord, help me become a humble, hard working servant, who bares Your fruit; a disciple with great faith, a wise and encouraging tongue, and one in whom You can trust.

Lord, I offer my body as a living sacrifice to you. I offer the members of my body as instruments of righteousness. I give You everything I have, and everything I am, may my love for You only grow stronger.  I ask for complete and total union with Christ.

I empty myself out before you and deny myself.  Holy Spirit, I ask you to apply the cross to my flesh nature.  Jesus, I follow you.  Please set my course.  Make me a pathway for You.

Lord, encourage and motivate me, so that I may continually serve you with a passion, and please teach me to listen to the Holy Spirit, so that I may always know Your will.

Lord, please help me overcome temptation, and don’t let the devil have any foothold in me.  I renounce the world and all of its evil matters and concerns.

Lord, break every stronghold in me, so that Your Holy Spirit may totally dominate my life.  Baptize me with your Holy Spirit and with fire.  Burn away all that will not pass through the fire as purely from You. I ask that the life of Jesus would flow through me unhindered without one single hindrance.

Lord, judge me severely, correct me ruthlessly, and rebuke me thoroughly, so I can serve you more perfectly, being void of all hypocrisy, meek and lowly of heart.  

Lord, please instill in me an awesome and intense fear of the Lord, expose me & cleanse me.   I ask You, Holy Spirit, to take my white garment and cleanse it, removing all the filthy stains, and press it, removing all wrinkles. Make me clean inside and outside.  Keep me away from pride, foolishness and self-centeredness. Help me, so that I may be ready and that I may stand before Jesus when He comes.

Lord, help me become a great Harvester, sowing Your seed and bringing many people to You.

Lord, here I am, use me.  I want to advance Your Kingdom and serve You everyday, open many doors of opportunity to shine the Light of Jesus through me, and put several people in my path, so that I may bring them to You.

Lord, help me do something profound for You everyday, and to have an impact on eternity.

Lord, I want to master Your Word. Please, fill me with Your knowledge and truth, bless me with wisdom, and remove any falsehoods in me.

Lord, help me become a mighty prayer warrior, one who can move mountains in Your name, teach me to use all the gifts You have blessed me with, and not miss any given opportunity.

Lord, teach me how to bring down all the principalities and powers that work against Your Kingdom.

Lord, I pray for a long life of service to You, with health and blessings for my family, help me develop a disciplined mind, a crucified flesh, and a loving compassionate heart.

Lord, set my sights on the highest goal, and have me do whatever is necessary to achieve the greatest blessing of the good and faithful servant, and to finish strong in the Lord.

Lord, help me fully experience the Christian life, and to manifest Jesus in every aspect of my life.

Lord, help me become a true worshiper of You.  Fill my cup with Your tears, that I may love those whom You Love, and understand Your heart and passion.

Most Holy and Righteous God, thank You for everything You have done. I surrender my life to You, please direct me and make me into Your image, for I am nothing without You. May my life bring glory and honor to You.

Please send out many more workers into the harvest field, in the name of Your son,

JESUS CHRIST        AMEN

Author's note: You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Photo credit: Taken from The Hope Blog by Ingrid Schlueter.

Do you want to know Him?

If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Find out how in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?" 

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Prayer that Pleases the Father's Heart

During my prayer time today, I sensed the Lord saying that He desires my heart, my spirit, my emotions, my love, and feelings when I pray, even more than the words that come from my mouth.  This is the most important aspect of prayer, not the words we utter! It is possible to honor Him with your lips and yet your heart is far from Him.

Jesus taught us, "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." (Mat 6:7)

When Jesus prayed, He expressed deep emotion to the Father.  "In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety." (Heb 5:7).  His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane was a classic example.  As He prayed, His soul was deeply moved within Him and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground (Lk 22:44).

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  That's what should take precedence in prayer, along with your faith and trust in Him.  He wants your heart to be passionately in love with Him, and belong to Him completely.

The apostle Paul said, "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."  (1Co 13:1-3)

I hope this is an encouragement to you, as it was to me, to pray in such a way that pleases the Father's heart.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

 ___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Who intercedes for us?

In my previous post on the topic of prayer, called Prayer Promises, one of the things I wrote about was this: Jesus said that we should pray directly to the Heavenly Father, and we do not even need Jesus to ask the Father on our behalf. Jesus said the reason for this is that the Father loves us because we love Jesus and we believe that Jesus came from the Father. Here's the verse I referred to in my third point of that post:

Direct Access to the Father
"In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father." (John 16:26-27).

This is so important to know and understand that believers in Jesus Christ have direct access to God's throne in Jesus' name.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede with the Father 
Yet when Jesus said this to the disciples, He didn't mention the fact that both He and the Holy Spirit entreat the Father on behalf of His followers. This is an added ministry that we as believers receive, which does not contradict the fact that we have direct access to the Father. We learn this truth in the following passages.

• "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." (Rom 8:26, KJV). This means that when we pray, the Holy Spirit helps us. Even when we don't know how we should pray in a situation, the Spirit intercedes for us. As we are praying, He appeals to the Father on our behalf with sighs too deep to be expressed in words.
• "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Rom 8:27, KJV). Again, the Holy Spirit intercedes for all those who have been made holy by the blood of Christ. And He intercedes in line with God's will.
• "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Rom 8:34, KJV). Here we learn that Christ is the Judge who has authority to condemn a person. Yet He is the One who gave His life for us. Now He has risen from the dead! He is on the throne at God's right hand, appealing on behalf of those who love Him.
• "Therefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Heb 7:25, KJV). Again, Jesus lives forever. He completely saves everyone who comes to God through Him. And He lives to intercede with God for those who do.

So from these passages, we find that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are making intercession for those of us who know and follow Jesus. In the apostle Paul's letter to the Romans that I have just cited, he referred to the followers of Jesus as "saints" or "holy ones," just as this term is used elsewhere in the Bible of God’s people. It’s not referring only to certain people who have died who once lived lives that were more exemplary than other disciples of Christ. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he was alive and so were they. He said at that time that Jesus Christ makes intercession for “us”, meaning himself and the Roman disciples to whom he was writing.

This English word “intercede” found in these Bible passages comes from the Greek word entugchano. It means to entreat (in favor or against): - deal with, make intercession. This word is used in Romans 8:27, 8:34, and Heb 7:25, which are all cited above. In order to understand this word better, it helps to see how it’s also used in Acts 25:24 and Romans 11:2.

All the people interceded with or appealed to Festus, the Roman governor or procurator against the apostle Paul: Festus *said, "King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer. (Act 25:24).

Elijah interceded or pleaded with God against Israel: God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? (Rom 11:2)

There’s another Greek word that is translated “intercede”. It is huperentugchano, which means to intercede in behalf of: - make intercession for. It comes from the same root word as entugchano. This word is used only once in the Bible -- in the Romans 8:26 passage cited above.

In Acts 25, we can see that people dealt with the governor or appealed to him regarding Paul, whom they wanted executed. And in Romans 11, we read that the prophet Elijah was appealing to God against Israel, since they had departed from God to follow false gods. So in both cases, the word is used in the sense of appealing against someone. So the word can be used this way or to mean appealing in someone’s favor, depending on the context of how it is used.

Other Passages about Christ's Intercession
There are still other passages that speak of Christ's intercession for His people.

The apostle John wrote: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." (1 Jn 2:1, NIV).  He taught us not to sin, just as Jesus did.  But in case anybody does sin, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, is our Advocate with the Father. In fact, the Good News Bible translates this part of the verse to say, "We have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf..."  Isn't it comforting to know that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself pleads with the Father on our behalf?

That is what the word Advocate means in the original Greek.  The original word is paraklētos, meaning "an intercessor, consoler: - advocate, comforter" (Strongs).

Job said, "Even now my Witness is in heaven; my Advocate is on high. My intercessor is my Friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man He pleads with God as one pleads for a friend." (Job 16:19-21, NIV).  Just as Job knew that his Redeemer lives (Job 19:25), he also knew that His Intercessor was his friend, who pleaded with God on behalf of man as one pleads for a friend.

Paul wrote to Timothy, "For there is one God, and one Mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." (1Ti 2:5-6).  The Greek word for Mediator is "mesites," meaning "a go between, that is, (simply) an internunciator, or (by implication) a reconciler (intercessor): - mediator" (Strongs).

There is one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. 

Conclusion
Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus, who is at God’s right hand, always lives to intercede for us before God? And isn’t it wonderful to know that the Holy Spirit also intercedes with the Father on our behalf? This should reassure every follower of Christ that we don’t need to pray to any other, knowing Jesus Himself and the Spirit are dealing with the Father and appealing to Him on our behalf and in our favor.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.
 
Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. My daughter has also written a beautiful poem called, "Our Intercessor." You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

__________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Prayer Promises

I'd like to share from God's Word what He says about prayer. There are so many wonderful promises in His Word about this. We need to be reminded, because we often have great needs in our lives or in the lives of our loved ones, and where else can we turn but to the Lord. He alone is the answer. Take a look with me and let it encourage you today.

1. Jesus said to ask Him and He would do it

• "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14)
• In the Old Testament, God's people angered Him by praying to others besides than the One True God. They prayed to Baal (Num 25:3-5), Asheroth (Judges 3:7), the Queen of Heaven (Jer 7:9,18; Jer 44:17-25), and the heavenly host (2 King 17:16 and 23:5). They participated in sacrifices to dead people (Ps 106:28). In fact, their gods were as many as their cities (Jer 11:13).
• Since Jesus has come and established the New Covenant, God's people who call themselves after Jesus name still do the same things to anger the Lord. They pray to others besides the Lord. They make images for themselves to help them pray to these entities, including the so-called Queen of Heaven. They even offer up sacrifices to her and the other dead who are in heaven. They have a saint to call upon for any kind of problem in life. This is spiritual adultery. It's evidence that they do not trust the Lord enough to take Him at His Word. It grieves the Lord deeply when His people do not trust Him like this.
• This is what led to the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). They did not believe the Lord would hear them, if they called upon Him. So they called upon the name of Baal. Elijah challenged them all to call upon Baal and see if he would answer by fire. He said, "Whoever answers by fire, He is God." In the end, Baal did not answer, though they called upon Him all day and sacrificed to him. But when Elijah called upon the Lord God, He answered by fire, consuming the offering, even though it was soaked with water.
• If we really believe what Jesus said, we will pray to God alone and no one else. We will trust that He will do it, just as He promised. His promise is clear: Ask Me anything in My Name, and I will do it.

2. Ask whatever you wish, believe and receive it

• "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."(John 15:7).
• He said you must abide in Him. That means you need to live in Jesus. You must have a personal relationship with Him. You've got to know Him personally in your heart, not just know about Him. You may know about some historical figure like Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther, but you don't know them personally. But most of us know our parents personally. I know my wife personally. You need to know Jesus personally. Jesus also said His words must abide in you. That means we will take to heart what the Jesus has said, as it is written in the Bible - His Word. But the promise is clear to you if you have a living relationship with Jesus and His Word is alive in you: Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
• "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Mat 21:22). This is another powerful promise. Jesus refers here to all things you ask in prayer. But He was talking about believing prayer, not just uttering empty words. If you believe Him when you pray, then you will receive.
• "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." (Mar 11:24). First, Jesus said this about all things for which we pray, not some things. Second, he said we must believe we have received, which means we believe we have already received. But we have to believe this before we have seen the answer in the natural realm. We should speak, feel, act and think as if we have already received our answer. If we do this, He promised that it would be granted.
• "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." (1Jo 3:22). John said that receiving whatever we ask of the Lord is directly connected with our obedience to Him and doing what's pleasing to Him. Maybe the reason Christians pray to others beside the Lord is that they do not live lives of obedience or do the things that are pleasing in His sight. They don't feel they can go directly to the Lord with their prayers, because they don't feel worthy.
• "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." (1Jo 5:14-15) We cannot simply ask for silly things to feed our carnal appetites. John clarified that if we want our prayers answered, we must pray according to the Lord's will. We know His will by what is written in His Word and by His Spirit - the two are in agreement. If we pray this way, we have the requests we have asked of Him.

3. Ask the Father in Jesus name and He will give it

• "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you." (John 15:16). Jesus taught two important truths here. First we must ask the Father, and not pray to any other! We never see Him teaching us to pray to any other, always the Father. Secondly, He said to ask the Father in His name, the name of Jesus. To ask in His name is to ask the Father according to the authority given to His son Jesus. When we do this, Jesus promised the Father would give it to us. It's that simple.
• "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." (John 16:23-24). Again, Jesus taught us to ask the Father in Jesus name. If we do, He will give it to us. Do you believe this? It's God's will that we ask Him and receive, because He wants our joy to be full.
• "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father." (John 16:26-27). Jesus wants us to know that we do not need to ask Him to go to the Father on our behalf. He says the Father Himself loves us who love Jesus, so we should go directly to Him. Those who pray to others say that these help carry their prayers to the throne of God. The fact that Jesus taught us that we do not even need Him to request the Father on our behalf should be enough to settle the matter -- we do not need anyone to carry our prayers to the throne of God. The apostle Paul wrote: "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1Ti 2:5). If we love Jesus and believe that He comes from the Father, we have direct access to the throne. That's direct access without the need for other mediators!
• "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Mat 6:9). When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, this is how He taught them. He taught them to pray the same way He prayed, which was directly to the Father in heaven. Jesus did not say, "Pray, then, in this way, 'Our mother in heaven.' " If that were necessary, He surely would have told us so. He also did not say, "When you pray, say, 'Saint Joseph, pray for us.'" We simply need to pray to our heavenly Father in Jesus' name.
• "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." (Mat 6:6). Jesus taught us to pray to our Father who sees what is done in secret. And He promised our Father would reward us, so we don't need any other. Do you believe this?
• "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Mat 7:7-8; Luke 11:9). There is a cause and effect relationship between your asking the Father and it being given to you. There is no extra step inserted between asking and receiving here. He did not say, "Make your petitions to others in heaven, asking them to pray for you, so they may carry your prayers to the throne of God, and then it will be given to you." Jesus simply said, "Ask and it will be given to you." He also promised that everyone who asks receives. It's not just for the supposed "elite," "higher-ranking" saints, but for everyone. That includes you, if you have a personal relationship with Jesus.
• "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" (Mat 7:11). Jesus spoke to earthly fathers who were mere sinful humans. Yet even earthly, human fathers who are evil know how to give good gifts to their children. If a son asks his father for some bread, the father does not give him a stone. Likewise, our heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts to His children who ask Him directly.

4. Father knows what you need before you ask

• "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." (Mat 6:8). We don't need to repeat the same words over and over to God, thinking we will be heard because of our many words. When we approach the Father, we need to realize He already knows what we need before we even ask Him. But He still wants us to ask Him, and then trust Him with the results, because asking this way is an expression of our trust in Him. After all, that's what faith is!

5. When two of you agree about anything, it will be done for them

• "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven." (Mat 18:19). It's important to pray together at times with a partner. As the two of you agree together on the matter you are praying about right here on earth, the Father in heaven shall do it. You don't need to find a prayer partner in heaven to agree with you. Jesus said the Father in heaven would do what the two of you are praying in agreement for right here on earth. That's one aspect of this teaching. But there is another aspect of agreement that many fail to understand. Praying in agreement is not just finding someone who will agree with you, who will pray with you about a matter. That is only one side of it. Many times I've been in prayer with others, praying about a variety of matters. And just as the Holy Spirit put it in my heart to pray about a certain matter or to pray in a certain manner about something, another person has begun to pray exactly that way. As they did, I was in complete agreement, because I knew it was the Holy Spirit who led them to pray that way, and now we were in agreement with Him, as well as each other.

6. Draw near to God's throne with confidence, so that you may receive

• "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:14-16). A high priest is one who represents the people before God. Jesus is our High Priest, who is not serving in an earthly temple, but right in heaven. He has experienced all the same temptations we have; yet He never sinned. So we can be confident that our High Priest represents us perfectly before God. He knows all our weaknesses, yet He Himself has always been perfectly obedient to the Father. Therefore, we should confidently, even boldly draw near to the throne of God. We come not by our own merits, but by the merits of His shed blood. And when we are near the throne, we can be sure we will receive mercy. We can know for certain that we will find grace to help us, no matter what we need. This should give us peace to know that God's throne is a throne of grace.

7. Call upon the Lord, pray to Him and seek His face

• "Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jer 29:12-13). God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, telling us to call upon Him. He said to come to Him and pray to Him. The prophet spoke these words hundreds of years before Christ, even while God's people were in exile, being punished for their spiritual adultery. God told His people to come to Him and pray to Him. And He promised that if they would do so, He would listen to them. The same is true today. God wants us to call upon Him, to come and pray to Him and He will listen. But He doesn't throw Himself on us like a cheap prostitute would. He wants us to search for Him. But we don't search for God with the remote control in our hand, reclining on the sofa. We need to search for Him with all our heart. He promises that when we search for Him with all our heart, we will find Him.
• For "whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom 10:13). It can't get much clearer than this. The promise is for whoever will call on the Lord's name. It's not for those who call on any other name. The apostle Paul taught us from the prophet Joel's words to call on the Lord's name, not the name of Peter or Joseph or Mary, no matter how godly their lives were. And if you will call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, you will be saved.
• "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12). There is no other name but the name of Jesus that we must call on to be saved -- no matter what our situation, and no matter what our need.
• "Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually." (1Ch 16:11). It's the Lord whom we must seek, no other. It doesn't say here to seek Baal or Asheroth, or to seek the Queen of Heaven. The Lord wants us to seek His face in an ongoing, continuous manner throughout our lives.
• "And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2Ch 7:14). So why don't people who are called by His name seek His face? Why don't they call upon the Lord? Maybe it's because they would rather not humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways. Maybe they know in their conscience that they are not living right and they feel that someone else is more worthy to take their requests before the throne. That's the way I was before I knew the Lord. I was living a wicked life, and when I was in need, I would pray, "If anyone in heaven can hear this prayer, get this message to God." Yet that's not necessary for those who know the Lord. He made a promise to all His people who are called by His name. There were a few preconditions though. He said we need to humble ourselves, pray and seek His face. He said we need to turn from our wicked ways. If we will do this, He promised to hear from heaven. He promised to forgive our sin and heal our land. Do you believe this? If so, then make it a way of life.
• "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing." (Psa 34:10). We do need to seek the Lord while He may be found. We seek after so many other worthless things, but there are so few who seek the Lord. Those who seek the Lord will not have unmet needs in their lives for any good thing.

I have a personal relationship with my wife, for which I am very grateful to God. And when I need to ask her for something, I don't go through a mediator. I ask her directly. On the other hand, when marital relationships are broken, husbands and wives speak to each other through mediators - they are called attorneys. When we have a personal relationship with someone in good standing, we don't need to go through mediators to communicate with them.

Jesus, our one and only mediator, has taught us that we don't need Him to ask the Father on our behalf. It's clear that we are to pray to the Father in Jesus' name, seek His face, and call upon His name. We are not to pray to any other. And as we pray, we need to believe that we have received what we have asked for. Then whatever we have prayed for will be granted. The Lord's throne is a throne of grace. And everyone who calls upon the Lord's name will be saved.

Maybe you have been like I once was, calling upon another name in your time of need. If you will acknowledge according to God's Word that this is sin and turn from your wicked ways, then go before the Lord humbly and pray and seek His face. He will hear from heaven and forgive your sins. There is still time to do this while you have breath in your lungs.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

I hope this has helped you, whether you are a mature believer or a new one, to grow in your faith in God's promises regarding prayer. If you enjoyed this post, you might want to look at my other one in this blog that tackles the question, "Who is interceding for us?". You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
Maybe you have never come to know Jesus personally. You might be like I once was, having gone to church all my life and knowing about Jesus, but not knowing Him personally. He loves you and wants a personal relationship with you. If you want to know Jesus personally, you can.


Please find out how in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.