Prayer, simply put, is conversation with God. That in mind, shouldn�t we be doing it in a way that pleases Him? Not to get us on a good list so that He�ll do what we ask, but to really understand how to talk with Him, and share our concerns, fears, and pleas. We would never subject a friend to demands made out of fear or pride. How could that be a good way to talk to God?
The Bible says a lot about prayer, including Jesus� words on how to pray in Matthew 6:
Jesus teaches how to pray:
�And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 �Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows :angel:the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On 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 do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 �For if you forgive:angel: men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive:angel: you. 15 But if you do not forgive :devil:men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
One parable Jesus shared with his disciples, speaks directly to my question.
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
In Luke 18, the doctor-turned-disciple recorded a story Jesus told about two men who both prayed to God, and how they were each received by the Father.
(Luke 18:9-10)
9 Also He (Jesus) spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous:angeldevil:, and despised others:
10 �Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, �God, I thank You that I am not like other men�extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.�
13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, �God, be merciful to me a sinner:devil:!�
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified :angel:rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.�
This parable is a good way to measure our hearts as we come to God in prayer. Ask yourself, am I the Pharisee or a tax collector? It�s kind of hard to determine who the good guy is in this scenario before Jesus explains God�s point of view.
The parable�s lesson is found in what these two men do in response to God�s presence. The proud man attempts to validate his own �righteousness� in his prayer. He judges his neighbor all while spouting his good deeds, as if that�s going to guarantee him some Brownie points with God. The tax collector approaches his prayer in humility. With no self-righteous bone in his body, he asks God to show him mercy.
Prayers that God Hears:
The Lord hears the prayers of the righteous :angel:and the humble.
King Josiah�s god-fearing life, as recorded in the Old Testament, is an example of this. In II Chronicles 34:27, we see that a repentant heart gets God�s attention.
You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this city and its people. You humbled yourself and tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.
God wants to hear sincerity in our prayer, not vanity.
As we pray, let�s determine to stay steadfastly humble before the Lord. Fortunately, God extends mercy to everyone who comes to Him in repentance, even those who are sinners and criminals.
Bottom line: God is concerned with the heart of a person. So next time you go to God in prayer, ask yourself, am I humble or proud?
Either way, PRAYER it�s a chance to get right with God and people already in your heart:hearts:.
God HEARS you and this is His name in the Holy Bible.
He HEARS you if you pray to HIM and not to a FALSE god or idol or a dead saint or Mary. No one hears you except the God of Israel and His Son Yeshua/Jesus and the Holy Spirit!
Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
3 For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool�s voice is known by his many words.
Ecclesiastes 5
Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.
Psalm 139:4
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, �Surely the darkness shall fall on me,�
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
Thank you for the subject,yet i find you have made the simplicity of praying WITH my ABBA a drudgery.
Praying is the basis of the Father child relationship,prayer is so simple that even a small child is able to pray.
What is prayer:
I talk,and ABBA listens,sometimes He answers,sometimes i have to wait for His answer.
ABBA talks,i listen,am supposed to listen intently,with wisdom and understanding,yet as a child i more often then not, do not do that which ABBA would have me to do,than comes the discipline.
God wants to hear sincerity in our prayer, not vanity.
As we pray, let�s determine to stay steadfastly humble before the Lord. Fortunately, God extends mercy to everyone who comes to Him in repentance, even those who are sinners and criminals.
Bottom line: God is concerned with the heart of a person. So next time you go to God in prayer, ask yourself, am I humble or proud?
Either way, PRAYER it�s a chance to get right with God and people already in your hear.
GNWS:
Versavia,this is such dribble,and this is the reason,for this sounds like you are working your way into be right with GOD Almighty.
Veravia:
God wants to hear sincerity in our prayer, not vanity.
GNWS:
Where in the Word of GOD Almighty do you read; GOD wants sincerity in our prayers.
Absolutely not,Biblically speaking,ABBA wants FAITH in praying to Him.
A person could be as sincere as they want,yet have no faith into Messaih,and their prayers will probably not be answered.
Versavia:
As we pray, let�s determine to stay steadfastly humble before the Lord. Fortunately, God extends mercy to everyone who comes to Him in repentance, even those who are sinners and criminals.
GNWS:
Versavia, again i say that you seem to have a relationship with GOD Almighty which depends upon you repenting,and doing some type of works.
ABBA wants those coming to Him,to come to Him in Faith into His Son Yeshua.
1Corinthians 12:9 and to another, faith by the same Spirit, and to another, gifts of healing by the same Spirit,
13:13 And now faith, hope, and love, these three things remain; but the
1Corinthians 1Co_15:17 But if Christ has not been raised, your faith is foolish; you are still in your sins.
See,nowhere can a person come unto GOD Almighty apart from Faithing into Messiah,anything else is WORKS.
Versavia:
Either way, PRAYER it�s a chance to get right with God and people already in your hear.
GNWS:
Versavia,once more you show by your writtings that you are living by a
relationship which is dependent upon you doing some type of WORKS in order to be right with GOD Almighty.
I would rather TRUST what GOD Almighty says about FAITHING into Yeshua.
Joh 3:14 And even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
Joh 3:15 that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
John 3:18 The one believing into Him is not condemned; but the one not believing has already been condemned, for he has not believed into the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Eph 2:5 even we being dead in deviations, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are being saved),
Eph 2:6 and raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
Eph 2:7 that He might demonstrate in the ages coming on, the exceeding great riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;
Ephesians 2:9 not of works, that not anyone should boast; ( These works also include REPENTING of sin ).
Repenting of sin is not necessary unto Salvation,for repentance is the by product of FAITHING in Messiah Yeshua.
