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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Asking many to pray for us? | Eph 6:18 | Hank | 188877 | ||
justme - First of all, let's look at what prayer is not. Scripture no where teaches that prayer is an exercise whereby we try to bend God's will to fit our own. Neither does Scripture intimate that the more of us who "gang up" on God in prayer, the better the chances to talk Him into doing what we want done. Prayer is not talking God into doing something He ordinarily would not want to do, or trying to convince Him to do our will instead of doing His will. Notice that Christ's model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) begins with "Our Father," and right away we learn that we must be children of God in order to pray effectively. And in that opening segment of the prayer, we are told to pray, "Thy will be done." ....... The best way I know to answer your question about whether it is just as effective for a believer to pray for himself as it is for many believers pray for him is not by launching out on some high-winded philosophical foolishness, but to ask you a question. Why did the apostle Paul begin and end so many of his letters by assuring the churches that he prayed for them and asking them to pray for him? ....... Christianity is inextricably tied with community, with the church, the body of Christ. Even the model prayer begins with "Our Father" and not "My Father." That brand new organism of the first century, that young church that we are introduced to in Acts 2, did four things. (1) continued in the apostles' doctrine, (2) in fellowship, (3) in the breaking of bread, and (4) in prayers. See Acts 2:42. ....... The Christian is not a man or woman who shuts the door and practices his faith in seclusion, having no fellowship with the saints, praying only by and for himself, although this is not meant to exclude private prayer and Bible study by any means. The believer is part of a larger organism, the church, the body of Christ. Or, to use the analogy our Lord himself provided, we are the branches, He is the vine. ...... There are many things about prayer that in my half a century and more as a Christian I have not been able to fathom. But this I do know. We are commanded to pray for others. And so often did Paul ask the churches to "pray on my behalf" (Ephesians 6:19), who am I to balk at that? I figure that if a mighty man of God like Paul needed the prayers of the saints, oh, so much more do I. ....... There are so many more aspects of prayer than what little I've said here. I pray that other saints on the Forum will touch on some of them in this thread. We can't write enough about this incomparable privilege of prayer that the believer has been afforded by the grace of God. What a pity that the weak vessels that we are so often neglect to pray as we ought, whether we are congregated in corporate worship or sit alone in our private room. ...... I don't usually quote secular works on this Forum, but here is one on prayer that I've known since I was a child and have always liked. "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of" (Alfred, Lord Tennyson). --Hank | ||||||
2 | Asking many to pray for us? | Eph 6:18 | kalos | 188902 | ||
Hank: Thanks for your excellent answer to Justme's question. Heard on Christian radio: When most of our prayers sound like this, "Father, give me this and give me that. Give me, give me, give me!" what we are actually saying to God is: "Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me." Luke 15:12 In other words, Give me my inheritance NOW. When we do this, it is obvious that our interest in God is not for Himself, but for what He can give us or do for us. Grace to you, John |
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