How many times will you ask?

[Catsmeow]

Eric: I pray several times each day for my husband Bill and I keep bringing his name up before the throne of God so God is being bugged a lot but I don't mind being a squeeky wheel.

My husband is on the teetering off and on place. He always says the "sinner's prayer" after every Christian show...he bows his head and prays out loud. He turns on Christian shows and listens intensely. He asks questions. He seem very interested in CHristian things and wants to grow close to God but he's not getting too far.

He still has a raging anger problem in the car and gets very angry with people in serivce jobs..such as waiters, attendants, customer service, etc.

He has no patience with people and just acts so rude at times.

Grrrr....he's such a good husband, though.

He's a paradigm and a mystery.

He was a loving and devoted son who cared for his parents; when father died, he cared for his mother faithfully, and mended broken things, repaired things, gave her money and took her on vacations with his family. He loved his mom and did so much for her cheerfully and out of genuine love. Bill loved his mother very deeply and he honored his sister, too. He's a true "family man"...and not the type to wander or want other women. He's extremely committed.

He was married 50 years to his first wife, who died of cancer. My husband is 35 years older than me.

He was faithful and devoted to his family all those years.

When I became sick, he lovingingly cared for me night and day, often with little sleep for himself, and did it all without EVER complaining or griping once. Talk about amazing!

He has all these beautiful qualities of being faithful and loyal and devoted...and never griping about his responsibilities. I've never heard him complain once about the extra burden I put on him when I was very ill.

ON THE OTHER HAND...he's as rude as can be to wait staff, service personnel, and manual laborers. He's demanding and wants perfection. He's so mean to some people I just cry.

I love my husband - he is so good to me and has such awesome qualities of a true saint...but he has such a "anger management" problem I don't know what to do. God must surely help him get pat this anger.

Cats....

[Adstar]

I voted once

God knows all. He knows all the thoughts of men. Jesus said He knows what you will pray even before you pray it.

Praying constantly is important but praying for the same thing over and over and over seems to me like repetitious prayer?

All praise The Ancient Of Days

[Andrew007]

I voted once

God knows all. He knows all the thoughts of men. Jesus said He knows what you will pray even before you pray it.

Praying constantly is important but praying for the same thing over and over and over seems to me like repetitious prayer?

All praise The Ancient Of Days

Thats how I feel. Thanks Ad*.

[jesussaves]

Depends on what I am praying for. For example, if I am asked to pray for someone, I will go to the Father and pray fervently for them and if the Holy Spirit lays on my heart to pray more I will. If not, I usually leave it in the hands of the Lord knowing He heard my prayer.

If I am praying for the salvation of loved ones I pray until I see the results, always holding them up in prayer daily.

Then, like Daniel, the answer to my prayer may be under attack as Satan tried to hinder his prayer. Daniel prayed for 21 days until his prayer was answered.

The example Jesus gave of the unjust judge is a good one to follow most of the time. I have learned in my walk with the Lord that He does not always answer in the same way. The point is to trust Him that He does hear and answer our prayers.

Jesus prayed that if it be possible for the cup He was given not to take place, but, never the less, not my will but Thy will be done Lord. He prayed three times. We may have to go through some things that are tough, things the Lord does not remove, because in the end it is for the best. He knows best and to Him be all glory. His grace is always sufficient.

So, however you pray, pray in the Spirit and in the Truth. Pray without ceasing. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to show you what to pray for and let Him lead you. Ask the Lord to anoint you to pray and He will. Do not cease to pray for the Saints. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray the Lord of the harvest send forth laborers.

The prayer known as the Lord's prayer is the best example of things we can pray daily for.

The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much.

The Lord bless your prayer time!

[Ash]

I couldn't pick from your choices, Andrew. I also pray repeatedly for certain things. For example, I pray for my unsaved brother and friends every time I think about them. The same goes for when I pray for my church family back in Africa, and for every day people I meet who need prayer - like people on this board who have problems, for instance.

Colossians 4

12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured .

However, I DO struggle with guilt over past sins, and have to remember that when I ask for forgiveness for a certain sin, I don't have to keep asking for it - God forgives it and forgets it! In that circumstance, I certainly believe you only have to ask once, then God remembers it no more!

Hebrews 8

12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

[Guest Bride of Christ]

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior! I can't accurately pick from your answer choices, Andrew, so I have not voted.

Yes, God knows all before you even ask of it....God knows your needs, your wants, and your desires. True.

Sometimes I pray for things and I get an immediate answer. But it doesn't always work that way.

I pray as the Spirit leads me to pray. If someone comes into my thoughts as I'm going about my daily activities, then I try to say a prayer for them then too. If someone asks me to pray for them, I'm not going to stop praying for them until they receive the answer they need. Persistance....as is in the Scripture.

Just a question for you though....you don't believe it is right to "bug" God with repeated prayers....how then do you pray for your Church...or your Pastor....or your Walk...or the Church Body as a whole?

I pray continuously for all 4 of those things....and I don't see how it is being repetitous. Sometimes I feel led to pray for certain things my Church, my Pastor, my Walk, and the Church Body as a whole....but the next time I pray, even though I'm praying for the same person or whatever, I feel led to pray in a different direction....but then other times, I feel led to pray in the same direction.

Just let the Spirit lead you and you really don't need to worry about if it's right or not....

[Guest dove2]

I couldn't pick from the choices given either Andrew.

I never know if I am going to pray once or twice or for years for whatever. I may pray one time and then I may pray years for certain things. I prayed constantly for years for my dad's salvation before he died. I saw those results two weeks before he died. One time years ago Gary and I needed an extra $25,000. We prayed one time and knew, that we knew, that we knew, the money was on the way. Did we pray for the money anymore? Nope. Sure enough within the month the Lord sent the money to us in a totally unexpected way. I have prayed once and I have prayed for years. I think it depends on the circumstance and if satan tries to hinder or not. I agree with the Biblical examples given so far. They were the ones I had in mind.

Didn't Jesus pray three times at Gethsemane that the cup would pass from Him, but not His will, but God's be done? Am I wrong on this? Wasn't He in one way praying for strength knowing that cup would not be taken from Him?

[WayneB]

I couldn't pick from the choices given either Andrew.

I never know if I am going to pray once or twice or for years for whatever. I may pray one time and then I may pray years for certain things. I prayed constantly for years for my dad's salvation before he died. I saw those results two weeks before he died. One time years ago Gary and I needed an extra $25,000. We prayed one time and knew, that we knew, that we knew, the money was on the way. Did we pray for the money anymore? Nope. Sure enough within the month the Lord sent the money to us in a totally unexpected way. I have prayed once and I have prayed for years. I think it depends on the circumstance and if satan tries to hinder or not. I agree with the Biblical examples given so far. They were the ones I had in mind.

Didn't Jesus pray three times at Gethsemane that the cup would pass from Him, but not His will, but God's be done? Am I wrong on this? Wasn't He in one way praying for strength knowing that cup would not be taken from Him?

You are right Dove. I agree...some prayers require persistance...some don't. The Holy Spirit will guide us to the Father's will.

[Blood Stained Soul]

Fellow Saints,

Greetings in Christ! Priase the Lord for sound doctrine! Great post about Jesus in the Garden. Not only did he pray three times, including John 16 prayer, but did so with such ferventcy that great big drops of Blood poured from his head and face! Another example is my dying Grandmother who has prayed for EVERY family member to be saved...me know she prays for my walk and the ministry. One of my uncles is in his 50s and unsaved and she has been praying for him since the day he was born! Is she wasting her time, I think not given the scripture examples and even the thorn in the flesh one was not knocking repeated prayer, God was just telling Paul his answer to that prayer.

[Hvnly1Rose]

I did vote for more prayer, even knowing that the answer was incomplete, I thought I could add that here.

I completely agree that your prayers should always be led by the Spirit. What needs to be understood is that we are in a spiritual battle here and the Lord told us to put on the Whole Armor of God which included prayer.

My husband and I were invited to our friends church and after three weeks of going and listening to the spirit speaking to us my husband said to me that he wanted to go up but because he knew that I would follow him just because he was going, he wouldn't go. The fourth week I went up without him and from that time until 2 years later it was a constant battle. I prayed for his salvation, I prayed for my sanity, I prayed for Him to take my anger, I prayed for strength (several times a day) because it gave me peace in my heart that God was there to listen to my struggle no matter how many times I told Him and cried to Him, and every time I turned it over to Him it was very easy to take it back so I had to give it to Him again and again and again and again and again. What really blew my mind is that the more I prayed the worse my husband got...at one point I thought the Devil himself was living in my home. The enemy lied fervantly to my husband and the only way I could combat that was to pray fervantly for him. The Lord proved me faithful by my continuous prayers for my husband, that not once did I give up on the Lord or my hubby. I believe that it shows that you trust God to do what He says He is going to do because you are faithful in doing what he calls you to do....pray unceasingly, fervantly, passionately with moanings. God will let you know when it is time not to pray for any one thing. Until then Pray....Pray....Pray....Pray.

The Whole Armor of God

Ephesians 10-20

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Blessings Rose