In the past shows we’ve heard people talking about crying out to God. They’ve cried out to God and God has changed them, so today I want to talk about prayer and what it is. First of all, most people who don’t know who God is, try to make a deal with him. They get themselves in trouble and then tell God, if you do this, I do that. Then after the trouble is over, they go back to their old self. They treat God like a magic genie in a lamp, it’s not the way.
Now as far as real prayer goes and the most important type of prayer, is the prayer of redemption. First, we have to recognize that we are all sinners, you and me, we all have sinned. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but, God has provided a way out, Romans 10:10 says, for with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved, if we are tired of our life, and want to make a change, then we have to believe in Jesus and confess with our mouth, that we are a sinner, and that we want to change. That prayer goes like this.
Father, I know I’m a sinner, and I want to change, I want to stop sinning and I want you to come into my heart, I’m willing to give you a chance to change me, reveal your truth and will to me, In Jesus name, Amen.
The next type of prayer, I want to talk about, is about having a daily communion with God. The bible tells us in 1st Thess. 5:17 to pray without ceasing. This type of prayer includes, giving glory to God as your creator, and asking to do his will, here on the earth as if we were in heaven. We are to ask for things that we need, on a daily basis. We need to ask for forgiveness, for what we do wrong, and to ask for help to forgive others, who have done us wrong, and then last, we ask for protection from those who want to cause us harm. Then we give God glory one more time.
In this type of prayer is where you ask God for your needs, like food, housing, a job, to send you another Christian to help you, whatever you need, ask. A little word of caution “BE PATIENT” we expect everything from God to be a miracle. Your prayer set things in motion, but it may not be instant. God seems to work like this, He is never too early and he is never too late. He’s always right on time.
The next prayer I want to talk about is the prayer of intercession. This is where you pray for someone else or someone else is praying for you. If someone has come up to you and asked you “Can I pray for you “Can I pray for you? ” That’s what they were doing. They were praying on your behalf.
I can only tell you a personal story that happened in my life. I use to go to this house once a month, and this lady Mrs. Thompson, used to come to the door, and ask me how I was doing spiritually, and then she would pray for me, and I use to hate going to her house, but now when I look back, it was her prayers, along with the prayers of others, that I believe set things in motion, for me to cry out to God, for him to save me. As this lady was praying for me, I didn’t know it at the time, but she was also teaching me, to pray.
It’s ok to ask, people who you know that are Christians, to pray for you. Because the bible says, the prayers of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16
This is because, God has given us Christians, his power and authority. So if you have loved ones who are using drugs, or not right with God , pray for them, use the power, that God has giving you, if you’re not seeing results, double check yourself , make sure your right with God, seek the additional prayers of others Christians, and remember, you can also fast for them. Remember again, it is his timing, not yours.
The next thing, I want to talk about, is that God usually speaks to us in our thoughts, I can only remember one time when God spoke to me, when I thought it was audible, he told me to go, go, go, to avoid an accident, but no one else in the car heard the voice. So the next question would be, how do we know, when it is God talking in our thoughts, and when is it, our own thoughts?
The best to decide this is, to study his word, and then seek wise council, of those that know his word.
Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against you. Psalms 119:11. That small, still voice, in your thoughts, has to match the word of God, the bible. If need help, the bible also says to seek wisdom, and that there is, safety in the multitude of council. Ask other Christians that you know, what the bible says about these thoughts or prayers. The last thing I would also say, is to ask God for conformation, and he will send other Christians to you, ones you’ll know, and some you may not know, and they will tell you, that God has put it on their heart to tell you, whatever God told them. If you have 3 or 4 Christians telling you the same thing, time to pay attention.
If it comes to your mind to pray for someone, or something, just do it, and if you know to do something, and that feeling is strong, and doesn’t go against the word of God, do it. To remind you again, it’s God’s timing, not yours, you may have your husband, wife, or child on drugs, and you may wonder why it taking so long, God maybe waiting, for the person to hit rock bottom, so he will cry out to him, again it’s his timing.