What does prayer mean? It is one of the ways in which the believer cultivates an invigorating relationship with the living God. Prayer is indispensable in personal devotion. This means speaking and having fellowship with God, in this communion, we present our intimate desires to God. Prayer is like talking to God face to face. The Old Testament offers many examples: Genesis 18:23, sig. ; Exodus 5. 22, 6. 1,10,12,28-30; Deuteronomy 3. 23-26; Psalm 27. 8 The New Testament presents a summary of the prayer in Acts 13. 1-2. Asking God for the good things he promised his children is a vital part of prayer (Mt 7:7-11; Luke 11: 5-13; Cabbage: 1-9-12; Santiago 1. 5-6). According to Philippians 4. 6-7, prayer is a key for the believer to experience god’s peace; it is also a means that facilitates our abandonment to God’s will (see the example of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 26:39,42,44).
Prayer is one of the ways in which the believer cultivates an invigorating relationship with the living God.
- Prayer has several parts.
- It may include one or more of these aspects: worship and praise.
- Thanksgiving.
- Confession of sins.
- Supplication.
- Intercession.
- And abandonment of ourselves to God.
According to Ephesians 6. 18 and Jude 20, prayer must be said in the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who helps the believer pray. He bears witness to the spirit of the believer that he is the son of God, leading him to shout: Abba, Father (Rom 8:15; Go 4:6) The Holy Spirit urges the believer to pray, remembering the words and promises of Jesus. It also lights our hearts for the benefit of others (Rom 10:1; cf 9:1-2). Then, when you do not feel like praying, ask the Holy Ghost to help you participate in prayer.
Christ offered his people a pattern to help them in prayer. In general, he has been called the Lord’s prayer and is found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4. This pattern of prayer was not given for the purpose of being repeated, as a ritual, ely in private or in public. Reciting this prayer does not take away our obligation to pray. Christ taught it so that believers could pray correctly. There are six requests in this prayer: the first three are linked to God’s priorities, the last three are related to our needs. In this model prayer, the Lord Jesus teaches us that before we pray for our needs, we must pray for divine priorities.
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Earl Blackburn © Faithful Editor 2006?2011 Source: Fé Magazine for Hoje editorafiel. com. br Supplied by: monergismo. com