PRAYERS.

 

I will be writing about prayers a few times a year. Why? Because prayers are the main engine in all Christian activity. There will be no Christian success in the Kingdom of God if there are no prayers.

We may go to Matthew 6. It is written that we should not be praying in order to be seen by others, but we should go to our own private room. We should not be like the heathens using a lot of words. We can naturally pray together with others. Remember those 120 that were gathered for 10 days after Jesus returned to His Father. They were praying in one accord, waiting for The Holy Spirit. That means that we can pray in our own prayer closet, but also together with others. There is no limitation in the number of people praying.

When I read that we should not use many words, it seemed to be in contradiction to 1.Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” I think about all the times that I and others are coming with a detailed list asking God to do what we want. We might talk about it for a long time before we repeat it for the Lord. In Matthew 6:8 it says that the Father knows what we need before we ask Him to fill our needs. We are sometimes praying like He doesn’t know our needs.

What does it mean to pray without ceasing? It cannot mean that we should pray with words day and night. We wouldn’t be able to sleep nor do anything else then. I believe that it has to do with our heart’s position to God. I might speak to Him at any time and He comes to me and talk to me during everyday life. I meet many people that come to me asking me to pray for them and I want to be ready to pray at any time. To pray is not limited to a certain time of the day or to a certain place. I hear from many people coming to me that they feel that my home is a place for praying so I believe that certain places are more open for praying than others. It might be less resistance. I believe that we should be ready to be with the Lord and be involved in praying at any time, night and day. I remember a story quite a few years back. The little son of my neighbor was run over by a car and the doctors didn’t know if he would live. I told the parents that I would pray. I was asleep during the night, but my spirit was praying. In the morning the Lord said to me: “It is finished.” A few hours later the boy was sitting in the sandbox and played outside the house. Our spirit can pray even when we sleep.

I have been thinking a lot about not using a lot of words. Sometimes when I pray with others I feel that we are through, but some people repeat themselves over and over again. I heard a woman saying that every morning she went to meet the Lord. She wanted to be with Him and did not take with her a long list of requests. She said that when she had been with Him, she didn’t have an urgent need of coming with her list. She saw the needs and the problems in another perspective. When we sit with Him in the highest, the problems become small.

At the end of Matthew 6 the Lord is saying that He will take care of our needs. He will be sure that we have food, clothes and a place to live. In Philippians 4:19 it is written that He will fill all our needs in glory.

Jeremiah 33:3 says: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” I do not believe that it is the volume of our voice that gives a prayer-result, but maybe we are more desperate for a prayer-answer when we cry out. He has promised to answer our prayers. In Mark 11:24 it is written: “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” We must believe that He has answered us before we see it in real life. Daniel asked the Lord why he didn’t get answers, but the Lord answered and said that He had answered, but the prince of Persia had hindered the answer.

What are hindering the answers for our prayers?

Sometimes I believe that it could be doubts and disbelief. I talked to a woman yesterday and she said that these two spirits are some of the most difficult to get rid of. We read in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith is closely connected with praying.

Sin can also stop us from getting answers to our prayers. Another thing is unforgiveness. Matthew 6:14+15 is saying that we will not be forgiven by our Father if we do not forgive the trespasses of others.

Another hinder for getting answers could be spirits over the region or country where you live. Lack of knowledge could be another reason. Read Hosea 4:6.

Ask the Lord why you do not receive answers to your prayers or why it takes so long.

SEEK HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND ALL YOUR SOUL, NOT FOR RECEIVING, BUT HIS PRESENCE.

Mother Else