Praying & Believing

 

“And all things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing ye shall receive.”
Matthew 21:22

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,
so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,
by which he obtained witness that he was righteous,
God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death;
and was not found, because God translated him:
for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:1-6

“..The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16b

“Pray without ceasing.” 1st Thessalonians 5:17

“Be careful for nothing;
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your request be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6,7

When we come before Almighty God in prayer, we (you and I) must be certain in our hearts that we are thoroughly convinced that the Lord is listening and able. We must also remember and believe that if we regard inequity in our hearts (unconfessed, unrepented sin) He will not hear us.

It is my prayer that what you are about to read will be helpful and encouraging to you in your prayer life. If you do not have an active prayer life when you spend time talking with God, then perhaps this will challenge you to begin what God has always wanted: a relationship of prayer with those He loves.

“THE DIFFERENCE”
                                                                                 By Grace L. Naessens


I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish, I didn’t have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me and grew heavier with each task;

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn’t show me - He said, “But you didn’t seek.”

I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock;
God gently and lovingly chided, “My child, you didn’t knock.”

I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.
 

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS ON: PRAYER

NEHEMIAH 4:9 “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.”

PSALMS 145:18 “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”

PROVERBS 15:8 “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”

ISAIAH 55:6 “Seek ye the LORD, while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.”

MATTHEW 6:5, 6 “When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet chamber, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to the Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

MATTHEW 7:7, 8 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

MARK 9:28, 29 “And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.”

LUKE 18:1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

ROMANS 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

1st THESSALONIANS 5:17, 18 “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

1 TIMOTHY 2:8 “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

HEBREWS 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in time of need.”

JAMES 5:16 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

EXODUS 22:23, 27 “If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.”

JOB 33:26 “He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.”

PSALMS 10:17 “LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:”

PSALMS 18:3 “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”

PSALMS 37:4, 5 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

PSALMS 50:14, 15 “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

PSALMS 55:16, 17 “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, morning, and at noon, I will pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”

PSALMS 145:18, 19 “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.”

PROVERBS 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

PROVERBS 10:24 “The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.”

ISAIAH 65:24 “It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

JEREMIAH 29:12, 13 “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

MATTHEW 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”

MATTHEW 18:19, 20 “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

MATTHEW 21:22 “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

MARK 11:24, 25 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
LUKE 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

JOHN 9:31 “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

JOHN 14:13, 14 “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

JOHN 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

ROMANS 10:12, 13 “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

EPHESIANS 2:18 “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

JAMES 4:8, 10 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

JAMES 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

1st JOHN 5:14, 15 “This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

PSALMS 3:4 “I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.”

PSALMS 18:6 “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”

PSALMS 31:22 “I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.”

PSALMS 34:4, 5, 6 “I sought the LORD, and he heard me. And delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”

PSALMS 106:44 “Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:”

PSALMS 107:6, 7 “They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.”

PSALMS 116:1, 2 “I love the LORD because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.”

PSALMS 118:5, 21 “I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.”

LAMENTATIONS 3:57, 58 “Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.”

LUKE 23:42, 43 “And he said unto Jesus, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

ACTS 4:31 “When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

2nd CORINTHIANS 12:8, 9 “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

“THE SECRET”
                                                                               By Ralph Cushman

I met God in the morning,
When my day was at it’s best,
And his presence came like sunrise,
Like glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long he stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
Over a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the wind that seemed to drive them
Brought to us peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings
With the Presence left behind.

So I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek him in the morning
If you want him through the day!

 

O Lord, God, Heavenly Father
Whose majesty is glorious
Whose faithfulness is without reproach
Whose power is fathomless.

We seek thee this day at this hour
We ask that you would meet with us
We need but to touch the hem of your garment
To experience what your divine will is for us at this very moment.

Lord, You know that we are altogether corruptible
Unless you would touch our hearts
And unless we allow you through faith and obedience this sacred duty
We shall leave this place unchanged and twice the child of Hell.

Dear God in Heaven hear our prayer
Make your face to shine upon us in this place
Forgive us our wickedness and pride
And create in us, O Lord, a heart that gives you glory and praise. (April 20, 2008)

Dear Lord, God Almighty,
When I realize that there is a way that seems right to a man
I cannot but help to consider how flawed my intellect is
By this world’s direction and indifference.

It is very difficult and disheartening to accept
The many influences that are not in line with your will and Word.

In light of this my Lord,
I ask that today, you would shine the light of your truth upon my path
And direct my steps.

Even though I am reluctant in certain ways, my God
I realize that the way of death awaits my decision
Without your guidance and blessing.

I am all together corruptible in my own strength
Forgive me Lord Jesus
For my stigmatism in the faith
And make me a trophy for your honor and glory
For I need to be what you want me to be
Without conforming to this present age.
In Jesus’ name! (April 22, 2008)

O Great and Terrible God, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,
When I call unto thee looking for forgiveness
Expecting the impossible to become real
Through the expectations that have been established with your counsel
My Lord, I carefully and confidently ask not my will,
But let it be yours Father.

The great and mighty things that elude my minds’ grasp
Are inconsequential in comparison to what your righteousness declares
And holds for us Heavenly Citizens.

It is a fact, Dear Precious Lord,
Today’s training ground is not paved with perfection.
Help my unbelief that wrestles within my being.
As my will surrenders let it be in your providence and not mine.

There are many adversaries that serve our common enemy.
Let wisdom advance and sing her song of praise to the glory of God
That the fruit of the Spirit would prevail:
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, temperance:
Against such there is no law.

In the wonderful name of Jesus, this is my prayer! (April 23, 2008)

Precious Lord,
Thank you for your protection and glorious bounty
That you supply new each day.

It is with a grateful heart
That I give attention to this of what is taken for granted
By those who are not in touch with your faithfulness and grace.

Dear Lord,
Before this day surrenders to tomorrow I earnestly pray
That you would allow me the good fortune
Of sharing this truth with a stranger in my travels.

In that name above all names I pray, Amen! (April 24, 2008)

Father In Heaven,
Give me courage today to accept your will
Help me to be a blessing
To that one needing a cup of hope
To fill that emptiness occupying their groanings.

Lord, it is not enough to be just a welcome friend
It requires more when so many have less to offer
Kindness is degraded by bitterness
Love is attacked by hatred
Compassion is clouded by apathy.

Sustainer Of All Life and Hope
We need your Voice in our hearts to overcome these foes
There is no excuse, my Lord, for deliberate ignorance
When the virtues of Your Love should compel our actions.

Blessed Savior,
If we are the Children of Light
And I do believe that I am one in this Family
For Thy Namesake and the benefit of all
Remind us, In That Still And Quiet Voice, How Great Thou Art
In the name of my Beloved Savior, I pray. Amen. (April 25, 2008)

Faithful Lord and Sovereign Father,
It troubles me deeply that there are those,
Who refuse either ignorantly or deliberately,
To see how foolish it is to deny your existence.
When clearly the universe is giving counsel to our senses.

My God please continue to be merciful to us?
Mankind needs you more than they realize!
Money, pleasure and power do not offer hope and change.
Our desire should be to seek first the Kingdom of God,
And your righteousness

It is when we discover this course of truth, my Lord,
That we can enjoy the rewards that you hand out:
Wisdom, knowledge, courage, virtue, faith, honesty, love.
Give me Christ esteem that is greater than self esteem!
Eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart tender to the things of God,
In Jesus name I pray. (April 26, 2008)

Father in Heaven,
There never seems to be enough time in a waking day!
Time only manages to advance, and much to quickly.
One jewel that I have unearthed today with your help:
Is that of enjoying the moment that you have blessed us with.
It is more rewarding than going to the grocery store, my Lord,
Where our present dollar is like a dime.
Thank you Heavenly Father for the riches of your grace,
And the blessings Holy Spirit that come from above.
Were it not for salvation. In Jesus’ name I rejoice! (April 28, 2008)
 

Omnipotent, Great and Mighty LORD, God, JEHOVAH,
Give us this day our daily bread.
The strength of chariots and the steroids of men,
Are not to be compared to your power and majesty.
In the beginning you created the heavens, the earth and mankind.
We need to be respectful and recognize your holiness, your purity and your power.
In the wonderful name of Jesus, I give thanks and pray! (April 29, 2008)