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Jeremiah 29:13 New International Version:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
JESUS CHRIST, the all-time expert on prayer, is praying for us. Romans 8:33-34 New International Version says, Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
JESUS CHRIST wants us to have all that His sacrifice bought for us, especially reconciliation to GOD, Our Father. That includes prayer, which is conversation with GOD.
When JESUS gave His disciples instructions about prayer, He included “Give us this day our daily bread.” Communication with GOD is a daily feast. GOD is a compassionate Creator Who wants to be in fellowship with us. Not just on a good day. Not just on a bad day. GOD invites us to pray every day.
GOD will never be bored by what you have to tell Him. He will never compare your prayer to someone else’s prayer. He promises over and over that He is not impressed with the wise and popular things of the world. Neither is He a respecter of persons.
Your prayer doesn’t have to be eloquent, but it can be if that is your style. Prayer does not have to be elaborate, loud, melodic or long, but it can be if that is how you flow. The point is that GOD knows what a sincere prayer sounds like. Just be open and real with Him. Just be who you are. He will help you to grow.
Psalm 50:15 Amplified Bible says, “Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.” When Peter was sinking in deep waters, he just prayed 3 words: Lord, save me! (Matthew 14:30). The Bible says that JESUS immediately extended His hand and caught Peter.
GOD can answer a short prayer voiced to Him in faith. Faith means believing He hears you and will respond according to the promises in His Word, the Bible.
On the other hand, a prayer doesn’t have to be short. Moses once communed with GOD for 40 days and 40 nights. JESUS often spent entire nights in prayer. It’s like having a conversation with a friend or relative. Sometimes you may talk for hours. Other times you may have a quick “hello” and “goodbye”.
Romans 8:14-16 New Living Translation says, For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
As GOD’s adopted children, we can have intimate conversation with Him. Anytime. He will listen to our deepest concerns and private hurts. His affectionate nature is seen in this passage: Isaiah 41:13 New Living Translation: For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’ He was addressing Israel at the time. But the Bible tells us all who are in CHRIST have been grafted into GOD’s vine. In many Biblical passages, when He was speaking to Israel, GOD was also addressing us.
We are multifaceted creatures facing multifaceted situations. There are prayers deep inside of us for every circumstance. GOD sent His Holy Spirit to help us sort it out.
Romans 8:26-27 New Living Translation says, And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
In Matthew 6, JESUS emphasized how private and precious prayer should be. Then He introduced what is known as The Lord’s Prayer. We don’t have to look at the Lord’s Prayer as a legalistic pattern. JESUS was the opposite of legalistic. He asked the disciples not be like the hypocrites when they pray. Instead we should have the following in mind: GOD is holy. We are talking to Him. Prayer is not meant to show off for whoever may be listening.
JESUS’ teaching on prayer is a masterpiece:
Matthew 6:5-14 New Living Translation
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.
6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.”
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