Story: A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her small daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication. She got back to her car and found that she had locked her keys in the car. She didn’t know what to do, so she called home and told the baby sitter what had happened.
The baby sitter told her that the fever was getting worse. She said, “You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door.”
The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been left on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time had locked their keys in their car. She looked at the hanger and said, “I don’t know how to use this.”
She prayed to God and asked Him to send her help.
Within five minutes a beat-up old motorcycle pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head.
The woman thought, “This is what you sent to help me?” But she was desperate, so…. she just kept quiet.
The man got off of his cycle and asked if he could help. She said, “Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?”
He said, “Sure.” He walked over to the car, and in less than a minute the car was opened.
She thanked the man and through her tears she said, “Thank you so much! You are a very nice man.”
The man replied, “Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour.”
The woman thanked the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud,” Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a professional! “
Prayer is two-way communication between me and God. How often do we Pray? Do we have confidence that God will answer our Prayer? What motivates us to Pray?
We pray when times are not good, when there is fear, when there is pain, when there is suffering. Even we don’t pray for we do not have confidence that God is going to answer our prayer.
It is like heart blockages may be 2 or 3 or 4 even more blockages where our prayers are not answered or keeps us away from prayer So let us look at the heart blockages i.e.
Hindrances to Prayer:
- Unbelief- James 1:6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
- Unforgiving– Mark 11:25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
- SIN- Psalms 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened; - Wrong Motives- James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
- Lack of Considerate- 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
- Pride- 1 Peter 5:5 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
Types of Prayer:
- Private/Personnel Prayer- In Secret place
- Family Prayer- With Small group
- Public Prayer- Before the congregation
DANIEL’S PRAYER: (Background- king Darius appoints 120 satraps to rule the kingdom with three administrators over them and one was Daniel. He distinguished himself by his exceptional qualities that king planned to set Daniel over the whole kingdom so others felt jealous of him. Daniel was trustworthy, no corruption and not negligent towards his work. They couldn’t find any reason to fix him, so they hatch a plan something to do with the law of his God. They go to the king and convince him to edict and enforce a decree that any one who prays to God or man except king for next 30 days to throw into lion’s den. The law once passed cannot be repealed or changed as per the Law of the land.)
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before
So, they went to the king and spoke of royal decree and said Daniel still prays three times a day. King was greatly distressed and made every effort to save Daniel, but no decree or edict that king issues can be changed, so king gave the order and Daniel was thrown into lion’s den.
King was restless. He did not eat, no entertainment nor he could sleep. Early morning hurried to lions’ den and called Daniel.
Daniel 6:20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
CORNELIUS PRAYER: Acts 10:2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
Acts 10:30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.
PRAYER THE LIFE LINE:
Pray continually/without ceasing: It has a position, importance not a place of indifference. Praying and thanking God from morning till night in all things. Reoccurring awareness of his presence and his power in our life daily throughout the day and throughout wakening hours of our life.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
PARABLE: Luke 18: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
- God requires a relationship with us.
People don’t pray because they feel not worthy, God is not listening. I don’t think God will not hear our prayer because the truth is God hears our prayer even when we are confused even when we don’t deserve because he is listening.
- True prayer is a Dialogue.
Talking and listening, it’s both way communication. It is intimacy heart to heart and mind to mind.
- All knowing God: Read the word before praying, at least once during the day. He will take you to the right scripture which desperately needs because he is God and knows every verse from Genesis to Revelation. Come with a expression of humility that you are talking to the God of Universe, the only true God.
Colossians 4:2 Devote yourself to prayer.
Means set time aside. One is serious about it, give an uninterrupted time. Its priority in our life, be serious it’s your relationship with God.
HABIT OF DAILY TIME WITH GOD: It’s a time I set aside to be alone with God to get to know HIM through the Bible and prayer.
James 1:25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
James 1:25 But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].AMP
PURPOSE OF A DAILY QUITE TIME:
A]-To give Devotion to GOD.
Psalms 29:2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty and majesty of His holiness [as the creator and source of holiness]. AMP
2 Chronicles 31:21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
B]- To get Direction from GOD.
Psalms 25:4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Proverbs 3:6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[
C]- To gain Delight in GOD.
Psalms 37:4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 16:11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
D]- To GROW more like GOD
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
LIST TO THINK ABOUT:
- The method by which God meets our needs.
- Comforts us in time of trial.
- Builds an intimate relationship with Him.
- Strengthen us in time of temptation.
- Cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
- Source of guidance.
- Helps us understand His word.
- Shields us against anxiety and worry.
- Gives us courage and confidence when facing life challenges.
- A source of healing both emotional and physical.
- Receive the power of Holy Spirit.
RESPONSE:
Are you going to develop a relationship with God.
Asking God for forgiveness for being prayerless.
Praying to the Lord teach me to Pray.
Stiven Monteiro is a retired professional from BSNL and is part of Renewed Hope Community which is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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