Prayer

[Floatingaxe]

Wondering a bit about prayers.

Has anyone here ever received a specific answer to prayer, be it help making an important decision or something happening that you could not do of your own?

Also, what sort of issues do you pray about? And how often do you pray?

God always answers prayer!

[OneLight]

Wondering a bit about prayers.

Has anyone here ever received a specific answer to prayer, be it help making an important decision or something happening that you could not do of your own?

Also, what sort of issues do you pray about? And how often do you pray?

Prayer is for one thing and that is direct communication with God, we don’t pray to get things from God we pray in communication with God. Prayer doesn’t change things, in prayer we change and then we change things.

God answers prayer though His will. Some of my prayers that He has answered had absolutely nothing to do with me, except to ask God to intervene. You statement is not true. We do ask God for His will to be done. Once again, you give yourself all the honor due to God.

I hear people all the time say, well God just doesn’t listen to me, He doent love me, because He didn’t answer my prayer and they go away dishearten because God didn’t pay any attention to them. What these do not understand is … by prayer God changes us and then we change our situation.

In some cases I agree, but not in all. Many times people cannot change anything they are praying about.

For example -- One may pray -- Lord I need a job, please give me a job, but if one just sits and waits for that job to come knocking at the door likely it isn’t going to happen. But if one pay Lord help me find that job and then go and seek in earnest -- it will come about no matter who you are because one will create his own environment with the inspiration of God communicating into you the way to go about it.

Have you ever given any consideration that God is also preparing the hearts of those whom you seek employment from to hire you?

Prayer is a life in Christ and if Christ be in you, same Spirit in you who was in Christ Jesus, then you cant help but pray without ceasing. You walk as He walks.

Joe

Do you believe because we have the Holy Spirit that we are the Son of God?

[OldShep]

Yes, prayers have been answered: in some cases the answer was "No"..In other cases great burdens were lifted and Peace washed over me like I was standing under a water fall. Like one of the other posters stated, I go to Abba Father and Jesus daily, asking for help and what to do, what to share, how not to react to life problems.

Example, last Monday I was robbed, car broken into, about $50.00 in change was

taken, and some bank statements in the glove box. I didn't have time to call the

police I had a doc. apt and had to get to it. On the way there I was stopped by

the Police, by the time they were done with what ever they were doing, I was let

off with a remember to get my car inspected, it was 1 month over due. I was late, and

almost got into a car accident taken a left turn into the hospital. Plus they were late too.

The Bank has a watch on my account and any odd things that happen

will be looked into, I'm 100% covered for any fraud. Yea, I was praying, or talking to

God about what was going on.

ICL~~~Dennis

[winsomebulldog]

I try to keep an "attitude of prayer" going at all times, but I don't do formal prayer nearly enough. Hard to explain that. But in answer to your question, I have absolutely had direct, specific answer to prayers in my life. Interestingly, like Dani, one of the first that I can point to was a firm "NO" in answer to my prayer for healing for my mother. She died and I got mad about that. Had all the faith in the world that she'd be healed, prayed faithfully for that healing, along with countless others, but it didn't come. She didn't get up and walk out of the hospital. It took me a lot of years to get over that. All on me, of course, as God is and always will be utterly faithful and right. But I needed to learn that sometimes, He just isn't going to give us what we want, no matter how much we want it. I was young then, too, a fairly new Christian, so that played a part. Since then, though, I've learned to trust Him in all things and I've felt His direct touch in my life in answer to prayers. One that stands out strong for me was at my sister's funeral. We were very close. I loved her a great deal and while I"d prayed for her healing from cancer, I'd also accepted that healing might not be God's will for her life. So, when the call came that she'd died, I accepted it. I grieved, but I accepted it. Then, at the funeral, it just hit me like a kick to the chest. I was thinking about our mother, about my sister, about how very much I was going to miss her, how much I already missed our mother. And the weight of the grief was smashing down on me like a tidal wave. Losing my mother broke me in a lot of ways. Took me literally years to even start getting back to something even approaching "normal." By the time my sister died, I knew full well that I had clinical depression and that what it felt like when it was surging to life. I sat there, feeling it boiling up inside me, choking me, and I just closed my eyes and told God I couldn't do it. I was at my limit. I was literally a breath away from screaming out loud and collapsing in a heap. I told Him I needed Him to help me, to get me through it. And in that instant I was flooded with a peace and comfort unlike anything I'd ever known. The weight on my body just evaporated and the impending collapse vanished with it. I didn't stop grieving for my sister or my mother. I still grieve for them both today. Miss them like crazy. But God took the horrible darkness and just swept it aside. He gave me the strength I so desperately needed the moment I needed it.

There have been other times He's worked in my life. Many other times. The real point is that the answer to your question is that God ALWAYS answers our prayers. Sometimes we just aren't willing to accept what He's said. Sometimes, we don't want to take "no" for an answer.

I am so incredibly thankful that God is there, that He hears us and responds, even when we're too thick-headed to listen to His response. And I'm so glad that He loves us enough to abide our tantrums and pouts when we don't get our way. God is just so incredibly good!

[ayin jade]

That is a beautiful post winsome.

[AnotherSinner]

Eh, some of the most righteous people I have known didn't get their prayers answered. So I don't think it works on the brownie points system. I sure wish it did.

Well some people celebrate later on that they didn't get their prayers answered. God knows the future so not getting a new sports car could be a good thing if you did get it and have a crash that injures you.

Why should God grant every prayer and just say "Yes" to anything we ask Him? By God saying no to a prayer means that He is God and needs to be respected, trusted and obeyed. God even tells us how to pray in the Lord's Prayer.

Matthew 6:

5 And 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.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy KINGDOM come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the KINGDOM, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

But do Christians pray like the above?

OnAccords,

This prayer speaks volumes as to how indeed any of us who claim to follow Christ should live our lives. The sad part is, it is easier to say than to do. It is something a lot uf struggle with in some way, shape or form...I know I have and do. Especially when it comes to the forgiveness part. Prayer otherwise is something I actually prefer to do in private where I can lay my heart out to God. It is defidentlly a prayer worthy of encouraging self reflection. The passage itself too speaks volumes. Thank you for sharing it.

May God Bless You

Dani

[AnotherSinner]

That is a beautiful post winsome.

In full agreement with Ayin here.

[AnotherSinner]

Got an answer to prayer this morning. Had to take my youngest, Joshua to the E.R. last night with a 104 degree fever. Turns out it was a cold, but we did not have the money or the medicine to take care of him. After spending a night keeping his fever in check with prayer and cold rags as well as lots of fluids...hubby checked his account this morning to find there was just enough to cover our little boy's medicine. He is gradually getting better too!

[Oneaccords]

Eh, some of the most righteous people I have known didn't get their prayers answered. So I don't think it works on the brownie points system. I sure wish it did.

Well some people celebrate later on that they didn't get their prayers answered. God knows the future so not getting a new sports car could be a good thing if you did get it and have a crash that injures you.

Why should God grant every prayer and just say "Yes" to anything we ask Him? By God saying no to a prayer means that He is God and needs to be respected, trusted and obeyed. God even tells us how to pray in the Lord's Prayer.

Matthew 6:

5 And 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.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy KINGDOM come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the KINGDOM, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

But do Christians pray like the above?

OneAccords,

This prayer speaks volumes as to how indeed any of us who claim to follow Christ should live our lives. The sad part is, it is easier to say than to do. It is something a lot uf struggle with in some way, shape or form...I know I have and do. Especially when it comes to the forgiveness part. Prayer otherwise is something I actually prefer to do in private where I can lay my heart out to God. It is defidentlly a prayer worthy of encouraging self reflection. The passage itself too speaks volumes. Thank you for sharing it.

May God Bless You

Dani

Anytime, i'm here if Anyone wants Bible Verses, or prayer

[UncleAbee]

I pray whenever the need arises. I need to praise him. I need to request something. I need to intercede for another. I need to know something.

I have received specific answer to prayer. The most dramatic for me was the day that I heard a sermon on the four men who bore the paralytic to Jesus. Having ripped the roof off of the house they lowered him down to Christ, who seeing their faith healed the man, not of his own faith but theirs. I was dealing with being newly converted to Christ and my wife was yet an unbeliever. She showed absolutely no signs of believing and was becoming rather intolerant of me and my new found faith. So, by faith, I asked 3 other professing Christians to join me after work and to symbolically lower her down in prayer unto Christ so that he might heal her. All the men joined me and we each took time to pray for her conversion and healing. I went home. On my way home, I remember telling God that it didn't matter what his choice was, that I was good with it. If he wanted me to be done with her I would be and if we were to be happily married so be it (I didn't understand his position on marriage at the time). When I arrived home nothing had changed. She was the same as always. I didn't flinch but remained in faith. Within 48 hours of that prayer session, I was watching a Kent Hovind video on Creation vrs Evolution, Dinosaurs and the bible and my wife sat next to me on the couch and asked "What if I believe?".....I weep now as I write, as it was so beautiful.

Because He Loves Us,

Gary

Powerful.