Bible Question: Dear Forum Friends, this entry on prayer is like a fork with many tines, and you are invited to pick your favorite "tine" and talk about it. The topic of prayer has been dealt with on the forum to a certain degree, but no exhaustive study has been made. Prayer is something that every Christian talks about but few do enough of. So let's study prayer....... What is it?........ Why do we pray? ..... How should we pray? ...... Does God hear our prayers?..... Does He respond to them? ...... What can prayer do? ...... Does prayer have any limitations? ..... How often should we pray?..... What does "pray without ceasing" mean? ..... Can a Christian be an effective witness without prayer? ..... Why is the phrase "Thy will be done" a necessary part of prayer? .....Must absolute faith accompany prayer (please discuss reasons for your answer) ...... What kinds of prayer are there (praise, intercession, etc.) and what is the reason for each kind? ...... Does the Bible command, condemn, or is it silent on the practice of praying for the dead? ..... How powerful is the power of prayer? .... What has been your experience with prayer -- have you had prayers answered, not answered, or put "on hold"? ..... How has prayer affected your life?..... Have you found it difficult to pray at times? ...... Have you ever felt that your prayers were just not getting through to God? .... Should prayers be more fervent and more frequent during times of crisis or despair? ...... What priority do you think the Bible places on prayer? ..... Did Jesus often put prayer on the "back burner" and focus his attention on other matters? ..... Is it wrong to pray for our personal career and financial success?..... Is it wrong to pray for something we want badly -- a new car or home, a better job, a husband or wife, children, etc.?..... Is prayer a vital part of your day, every day?..... I pray that these questions will act as a springboard to a thorough and Bible-based examination and study of the topic of prayer. --Hank |
Bible Answer: Hank- I think you have hit a subject that could use a whole new forum to address. One thing I have had to deal with myself, is the area of praying for my "wants" and not just my needs. God wants us to live the "abundant" life and the references given to God's generousity - not only in the spiritual sense- is all through scripture (Gen. 41:47; Num. 20:11; Deut. 30:9; John 10:10; Mal 3:10-11; Luke 6:38). When we go to the Lord in prayer, we must go as children to a loving Father who wants to know our every desire, not just what we think sounds "proper". Will we receive what we ask for? That is in the Lord's hands and in His best judgement. What are our motives for asking? If it is because of envy or greed, we are not in His will in the matter. And although and because He loves us as His little children, He will not give us everything we ask for. If I gave my children everything they asked for I would not be a responsible parent (plus I would be penniless!). I also believe that when the Lord blesses us generously in the physical sense, He expects us to use His lavishness to further the glory of His name. Debbie |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Bible general Archive 1 | Author | ||
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prayon | ||
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prayon | ||
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krissa | ||
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Hank | ||
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glory777 | ||
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Makarios | ||
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EllisYM | ||
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EdB | ||
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Stevenson | ||
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kalos | ||
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roverjbh99 | ||
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crv464cad |