Editor's Note: The Fifteen ReasonsTo Pray are from the book "Praying God's Will For Your Life" by Stormie Omartian, copyright Stormie Omartian. The full text of the Scriptures were added by me.

If you have any doubt about the importance of prayer or if you are still praying on an on-again/off-again basis, here are 15 reasons to continue to go to God in prayer.

1.To seek the face of the Lord and know Him better

Psalms 27:8 NLT My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “ Lord , I am coming.”

2. To get your eyes off your problems and onto the Lord 

Psalms 121:1‭-‬2 NLT I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord , who made heaven and earth!

3. To speak to God 

1 Peter 3:12 NLT The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

4. To unburden your heart 

Psalms 142:1‭-‬7 NLT I cry out to the Lord ; I plead for the Lord ’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. Then I pray to you, O Lord . I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me.”

5. To make your requests known to God

Matthew 21:21‭-‬22 NLT Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

Prayer is not just asking for things — although that certainly is part of it. Far more important, prayer is talking with God. It’s getting close to and spending time with the One you love. It’s seeking Him first, touching Him, getting to know Him better, being with Him, and waiting in His presence. It’s acknowledging Him as the source of power upon whom you depend. It’s taking the time to say, Speak to my heart, Lord, and tell me what I need to hear.

6. To hear God 

Proverbs 8:34 NLT Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home!

7. To be free of suffering 

James 5:13‭-‬18 NLT Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. (emphasis mine)

8. To resist temptation 

Matthew 26:40‭-‬41 NLT Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (emphasis mine)

9. To be rescued from distress 

Psalms 91:1‭-‬16 NLT Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord : He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

10. To receive God’s reward 

Matthew 6:5‭-‬6 NLT “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. 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.

11. To withstand evil 

Ephesians 6:13‭-‬18 NLT Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

12. To have joy 

John 16:22‭-‬24 NLT So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

13. To get close to God

Isaiah 64:4‭-‬7 NLT For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.

14. To be healed emotionally 

James 5:13 NLT Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

15. To have peace 

Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NLT Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Once you pray about something, put it in God’s hands. That doesn’t mean you don’t pray about it again; it just means that you have laid that burden at the Lord’s feet. The answer will always come, although it might not be in the way you expect or according to your timing. Most important, you have spent time in the Lord’s presence, where you can hear God speak to you about His will for your life.

Prayer

Lord, I have a deep desire to draw close to You in prayer. Help me rise above the distractions and busyness that rob me of those times with You. Help me make prayer a priority so that I can learn what Your will is for my life. In Jesus' name Amen

Editor’s Note:  This is a prayer by Dr. Bill Monce the founder and President of BiblicalTraining.org.  Dr. Monce also serves on the Committee for Bible Translation (which is responsible for the NIV translation of the Bible).  He has written the best-selling biblical Greek textbook, Basics of Biblical Greek, and many other Greek resources. He blogs regularly on Greek and issues of spiritual growth.  The full scriptural references were added by me.

Thank you, Father, that we are not alone, that we are part of your community, your family, adopted along with our brothers and sisters. Thank you that you are a father to us, not some dispassionate deity but the perfect Father who is concerned with the details of our lives, even details like finding toilet paper in the midst of a crisis. Unlike our earthly fathers, you are our “heavenly” Father, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who sits in heaven and does all that you please.

Psalm 115:3 (NLT2) 3  Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes.

It is to you that we pray.

In the midst of the Coronavirus, may our faith be strong and our actions resolute, not making you seem small in the eyes of our friends but displaying your holiness to all. May your name — your character — be preached even without words to our neighbors, friends, and co-workers. May we not act like those without hope.

Ephesians 2:12-13 (NLT2) 12  In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.13  But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. 

You are king over our lives, and we live in your kingdom on earth. May this time of fear give us opportunities to share with others how we can be concerned but not fearful, and how they too can come into your family and under your kingship. Your family grows in difficult times; may it be so now.

We confess that we do not always do your will as we should. We do it imperfectly, slowly. Rather, may we be quick to listen and joyfully obey, knowing that someday we too will see the beginning from the end and that all of life will make sense.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT2) 12  Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 

As the lines in the store lengthen and the shelves empty, we acknowledge that you are the giver of every perfect gift.

James 1:17-18 (NLT2) 17  Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.18  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. 

We ask you, our Father, to provide what we need as you do for the birds of the air.

Matthew 6:26-27 (NLT2) 26  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?27  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Do not let us be like those outside your family who put themselves first and hoard in fear. May we accept what we have and share what we can with others.

I confess that I have let fear creep into my life. Afraid of sickness. Afraid of death. Of fearing that I can’t be with my son and daughter-in-law at the birth of my first grandchild. But your perfect love casts out fear.

1 John 4:18 (NLT2) 18  Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 

Help me to live as one who has hope. Help me to hold onto life as on to a thread, willing to let it go if it would advance your kingdom.

You made this world good, and we can see your goodness in everything we see. And yet our sin and Satan have corrupted so much of your world. Sickness, pain, and death are everywhere because we as a whole have abandoned your ways. Help us to see evil for what it is — a perversion of what you made — and please protect us from the effects of evil, and especially from the Evil One.

All things are yours. To you belong all power and glory. Until we see you face to face, may your Spirit strengthen us to be faithful children to the world around us, sharing hope and not despair, not living as those who are not your family live, but living as the prized possession of our Heavenly Father who protects us under his wings and will bring us safely to our eternal home. Until then, may we be found faithful.

Psalm 19:14 (NLT2) 14  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

​

Numbers 6:24‭-‬26 NIV “ ‘ “The Lord bless you and keep you;  the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;  the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’

We have heard this Benediction countless times at the end of church services and other Christian gatherings.   There are six requests made in this blessing that can become six prayers for you and your loved ones.  

1. The Lord bless you…

The word “bless” means to “provide favor or benefit.” 

Father, we pray for your children. You are the Eternal God. Please place Your great kindness and advantage on those we love. May they be favored by You.

2. and keep you… 

The Hebrew word “keep” means to “watch, guard, defend.” This is a prayer for protection. 

Father, your children are not perfect. They are going to make mistakes. But please watch over them and guard them against mistakes that have eternal consequences.  Please defend them against temptation. Protect them against Satan who wants to destroy them.

3. the LORD make his face shine upon you…

This is a request for God’s presence.  

Father, you are with your children all the time, but You can. Pease allow them to experience Your presence. Thank You for being with them wherever they go.

4. and be gracious to you… 

Grace is God’s undeserved favor. He gives us what we don’t deserve. 

Father, thank You for Your gift of grace. I pray that you pour your grace on all your children.  Please show them your kindness and love in all they do.

5. the Lord turn his face toward you… 

Here is a request for God’s fellowship.

Father, thank You, that because of their trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in your children. Please walk with them in a powerful way. Enable them to submit to the Spirit’s control day by day and moment by moment.

6. and give you peace. 

The Hebrew word for peace used here is “shalom.” It means “completeness, wholeness, and contentment.”

Lord, please calm your children’s fears; soothe their anxious souls. Keep them complete and whole in their thinking, emotions, desires, and actions.

There's one more thing that is not usually said when this Benediction is pronounced but it is very important, perhaps the most important thing that God mentioned when he told Moses to pronounce this blessing on the nation of Israel.

Numbers 6:27 NIV “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

So they will put my name on ___________ (your name or the name of a friend or loved one).

This is a request for identification. 

Lord, please place Your holy mark on my friend/family member/loved one.  Set them apart to be used by You. I love them but You love them more. You love them with an everlasting love. May they represent You well on their earthly journey. And when their journey is completed, welcome them home to live forever with You.

In Jesus’ name Amen

​

I’ve been part of a group that, for more than five years has come together Wednesday night,  by telephone, to pray. We pray for each other, for the Church worldwide, for our individual congregations, for marriages and relationships, for the nation, for the youth, and any special prayer requests from the members of the group for their friends, family, acquaintances, or just someone they met that day.  Most of the members of the group are in Los Angeles but the leader of our “Prayerline” is thousands of miles away from LA in the U.S. Virgin Islands. When any member is out of town on business, vacation, or other reasons they often call in and participate. Wednesday evenings have become a part of our lives.  

Over the years we’ve seen many prayers answered.   We’ve seen tremendous growth in each other. Some of us were reluctant to pray publicly.  That has changed. We’ve had and have right now members who were and are very even terminally ill who join us week after week with praise reports and heartfelt prayers. They have been a real source of encouragement.  It was not our intent, nor did we realize that we were becoming intercessors. We've learned that amazing things do happen when we pray for others.  
​

8 Amazing Things That Happen When We Pray for Others 
Tamela Turbeville 

There is a misconception that only certain people are called or gifted to be intercessory prayer warriors. There are people in our churches and our lives who seem to have that special intimate connection with God. They are relentless when it comes to praying for others. The truth is we are all called to pray for others. 

In Ezekiel 22:30 , God is searching for those who would stand in the gap, to intercede for others.

Ezekiel 22:30 NIV “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.

The invitation is for all Christians to serve through intercessory prayer. Praying for others is not a choice; it is our privilege. 

Whether we believe it or not, we are all equipped to be prayer warriors on behalf of others. We are heirs with Christ. We are adopted sons and daughters and therefore possess the same power and access to God that our Savior enjoys. We can whisper, or cry out, and o er our requests to our Heavenly Father, and He hears us. Sharing in the inheritance of Jesus, we are called high priests with a direct connection to God and an opportunity to o er up prayers on behalf of family, friends, neighbors, government o cials, and our nation. The words do not have to be perfect, only spoken through love and trust in a God who hears and answers. 

Are you wondering if praying for others makes a difference? Here are 8 amazing things that happen when you pray for others: 

1. When We Pray, We Participate in God's Work 

There are many people in our lives who need prayer. At times their needs are clear. Other times we may not know what to pray. Either way, when we pray for others, we join God in His work in their lives. If you are not sure what to pray, follow 1 Timothy 2:1-4 : 

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Being obedient in prayer for others clears the way for God's work and will to be done.” 

2.  Praying For Others Emulates Jesus 

In the book of Luke, we find Jesus praying often. He goes to His Father in prayer as His ministry begins. Jesus prays during temptation, and He prayed for strength and relief as He neared the cross. He withdrew from people to pray, and He prayed early in the day. He also taught us how to pray. (Luke 11:2-4 ) 

Luke 11:2‭-‬4 NIV He said to them, “When you pray, say:  “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.    Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.   And lead us not into temptation. ’ ”

As we can see in Scripture, Jesus prayed about everything. By bringing petitions of prayer on behalf of others, we imitate our Savior. 

“Do not be anxious about anything , but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 )
3. When We Pray for Others, We Share in Their Burdens 

In Philippians, Paul reminds us to put others ahead of our needs and to consider the needs of others more important than our own. Our nature is to do the opposite. Our first thought is to pray for our burdens to be lifted or erased altogether. It is humility that allows us to pray for others earnestly. And by offering prayers for the relief of others and sharing their burdens, our burdens seem lighter. 
​
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 ) 
​

4. By Praying for Others, We Join the Ministry of Reconciliation 

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5 that God made our relationship with Himself through Christ, and then gives us the ministry of reconciliation, or working to help others know Jesus, salvation, and God's love.

2 Corinthians 5:18 NIV All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

Our first tool is prayer. Praying for others puts us in the middle of God's work to bring everyone to Himself. By praying for others, we are ministers in the work of salvation, opening the gospel to those in our prayers. God wants everyone to be saved, and we are invited to be part of the work. 

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4 ) 

5. When We Pray for Others, We Learn to Trust God 

If we depend on our strength and abilities, we cannot accomplish God's will. Only through surrendering to God is He able to work through us to accomplish His desires in our prayers for others. When we o er intercessory prayers, pleading with God on behalf of loved ones and friends, we are trusting in His ability to answer, and He does. We are giving up our capabilities to answer and depending on God to keep His promise to answer our prayers. When we pray for others, God will answer. 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 ) 

6. When We Pray for Others, We Are Also Changed 

Pastor Oswald Chambers wrote , "Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person's inner nature." While we pray for others, we plead with God to intercede in their lives, perhaps to bring healing or strength in di cult times. But we are also opening our hearts for change. When we pray for others, we connect to the One who has the power to transform the hearts of others and bring change to their circumstances. At the same time, it amends our hearts.
​ 
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-23 ) 

7. Praying for Others Glorifies God 

When we practice intercessory prayer, we glorify the only One who can answer prayers. Our prayers display trust in God, our belief in Christ, and when prayers are answered, we praise Him for his faithfulness. Our prayers glorify God. Praying is not just a conversation. Prayer is praise for the work God will do through our prayers. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. 

“And whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13 ) 

8. God Answers When We Pray for Others 

As Christians, our prayers do not bounce off the ceiling or dissipate like fog. God hears when we pray for others, and He answers. The answer may not come quickly, nor may the reply be what we expected. Or, because God is gracious, we receive much more than we asked. Either way, God answers our prayers when we pray for others. Our prayers are powerful, and our loving God wants us to know through His answer to our plea that He has the power and authority to answer whatever we ask. 

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15 ) 
​
Intercessory prayer is a never-ending opportunity to join God in His work while, at the same time, a chance to be transformed both in heart and circumstance. Ephesians 6:18 says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests”. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Not just a few are called to pray for others; we are all called to pray unceasingly for all of God's people. As twentieth-century author and pastor, E.M. Bounds said about prayer, "Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty." ​

Matthew 6:5 (NLT2)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. 

Jesus is so concerned about the heart of the person who prays that he precedes His teaching on prayer with a warning against pretending to be righteous.

Matthew 6:1-4 (NLT2)1  “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.2  When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.
3  But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.4  Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Many people think that the purpose of prayer is to get our will done and to persuade God to give us what we want. The true purpose of prayer is to get God's will done when we ask according to His will

1 John 5:14-15 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

The one word for this clear and present danger that every follower of Christ faces is – hypocrisy. And hypocrisy is, in essence, about making the approval and praise of man our top priority.

Jesus’s warning about hypocrisy is this: What you seek is what you get. Whether it is in praying, fasting, or giving, if your motive is about getting the attention and praise of men, well, you will get that. Nothing more. Certainly not the attention and reward of God. And you shouldn’t be surprised; for you were not seeking the attention or the reward of God. What you seek is what you get.
​

7 Ways Christians Pray Like Pharisees
Michelle Lazurek

1. You pray to make others think you are more spiritual than you are.

Pharisees love to look good to others, especially in public. If you are in a situation where you need to pray, do you find yourself adding in religious jargon to make it seem as though you are closer to God than you are?

God desires His children’s fellowship —the real us. When we pray, don’t worry about using the right language or sounding more spiritual. Sometimes the best prayers come from us who are willing to take off the mask and be real.

2. You pray only for yourself and not for others.

The Pharisees were often concerned with 
telling people what to do, but rarely did they actually care for others and help them in tangible ways. When we pray, it is important not only to pray for our own needs, but also for the needs of others. Jesus loved people enough to give His life for them; we should do so in every aspect of our lives including our prayer lives.

Take a moment to analyze your heart. Do you love the poor? The sick? The people who don’t think, act, and sound the way you do? Set a goal when you pray to spend half of your prayer time praying for others. This will make a world of difference as you realize how much of a Kingdom impact we can truly make if we set our eyes on helping others rather than only ourselves.

3. You pray because you think you are more spiritual than others.

In the same way as you may pray to make yourself sound more spiritual, you may pray a certain way because you think you are more spiritual than others.

In this world full of information technology, it's easy to fill our heads full of knowledge. 

Consider 1 Corinthians 8:1 – "We know that 'We all possess knowledge.' But knowledge puffs up while love builds up."

If the Pharisees had as much love as they had knowledge, their influence on society could have been an entirely different story. If we as Christians focused more time on loving others and less time educating them on theology, how much would our impact on society change? Fellowship and application of the Bible is what we need to do to grow in the Lord.

As Christians, it is our job to shepherd others along in the process of making disciples.

​

4. You attend prayer meetings to impress the masses.

The Pharisees were so preoccupied with what others thought of them that they always prayed in public for one reason—to impress the masses. For them, the more people followed them and heeded their wisdom the better off they thought they were doing.

This is why when Jesus came onto the scene, they couldn‘t stand him. Jesus was the real deal. He had a genuine relationship with God, and He wasn’t afraid to call them out on their sin. He exposed their fake personas much to their chagrin—and ultimately fueled their taste for revenge.

When you pray, do you use your prayers to manipulate and control people for the ultimate goal that they will be impressed with you? Do you take a silent inventory of how many people are listening to your prayers because you care about how many are impressed with your words rather than your genuine care for them?

Jesus loved people so much he spent the majority of his time healing them, releasing them from bondage, and driving out demons. Do we pray with little concern about helping their tangible needs and more concern about how many people are clapping their hands at the sound of your prayers?

5. You use your prayers to gossip about them rather than to love them.

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Although we may genuinely want to show concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ, the first words out of our mouths should not be “pray for so and so, they are struggling in their marriage,” unless they have given us permission to do so. Otherwise, it is gossip.

When prayer would be meant for good, our use of it to gossip or slander our neighbor is a way to pray like a Pharisee. Luke 18:11-12 says, “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’”

The Pharisees loved to puff themselves up by putting others down. As they gossiped about all those other people, their reputation as being unloving increased. As Christians, our public prayers should be about exalting God, not ourselves.

6. You use your prayers to be hypocritical.

To be a hypocrite means to pretend to be one way, while your actions prove otherwise. The world already thinks Christians are hypocrites—we don’t need to use our prayer time to prove them right.

When you are praying for world peace and other plights of our nation without caring much about the tangible ways in which you can change our world, that is the epitome of hypocrisy.

Don’t open your mouth to pray about anything you don’t genuinely care about. The world will know what we care about from where we spend the majority of our time.

If we don’t allocate our time, money, and other resources to the things that God wants to change in our world, how dare we complain when our rights to be Christians get silenced?

7. You use your prayers to flaunt your agenda.

At a public prayer meeting, the pastors from various congregations gathered in a public square to pray for our country. Although initially done with the objective of unity, it turned out to be more divisive than unifying. Each pastor got to the microphone and used their prayers to degrade other pastors present for their theological and political views.

When a bunch of pastors left out of anger, it was easy to see the pastors used their platforms to tear down rather than build up.

Prayer should not be used as a megaphone for any agenda—political or otherwise. Jesus used his prayers to commune with his father or to give glory to him. He never used it to raise himself up, but only to point people to God. We should do the same.

Prayer can be one of our most powerful weapons not only to commune with our heavenly Father, but also to approach the throne of God with the cares of our souls. But when we use it to exalt ourselves, impress others, or to show how we're 'more spiritual' than others, we tarnish God’s—and our—reputation.

The best way we can shed a Pharisaical attitude is to be genuine and authentic in our relationship with God. When we pray with humility and care for others, we become less like Pharisees and more like the body of Christ.

​

At the writing of this post I am 75 years old, and I am blessed that my mother is still alive at 97.  I live in Los Angeles and she lives in Tulsa, with my sister and brother-in-law. Although she has some memory issues she still knows who my sister, brother, who lives in San Diego, and I are and, with the help of my brother-in-law, calls us often. She can still get around and is still in reasonably good health for a 97 year old.  Our calls can sometimes be a little strange but we can always tell what kind of mood she's in. My brother and I try to get back to Tulsa as often as possible. I have committed myself to try to get back at least twice a year. 

I pray for her all the time.  I thank God for her life, and all the things I learned from her.  I pray that He will continue to strengthen her and keep her from health issues that involve pain or confusion.  

I read an article written by Dawn Wilson that can give you some ideas of how and what you can pray for your aging parent.  I added the full text of the scriptures that Dawn references.

A Prayer For Your Aging Parent
By Dawn Wilson

Psalm 92:12-15 (NLT2)12  But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.13  For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God.14  Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.15  They will declare, “The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!” (emphasis mine)

One of the greatest privileges of my adult life has been to pray for my elderly mom. Although we are separated by many miles and the burden of physical caring for her falls mostly on my precious sister, I do what I can and I love to pray for Mom.

Here are some of the things I’ve found useful to pray over the years. Perhaps they will be a template for prayers for your parent. 

Father God... I Pray For PROTECTION.

I pray my parent will keep on leaning on You, the Rock of strength and righteousness

Psalm 71:3 (NLT2)3  Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 

Psalm 73:26 (NLT2)26  My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. 

Spread your protection over my parent, because You are the ultimate Refuge 

Psalm 5:11 (NLT2)11  But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. 

Psalm 46:1 (NLT2) God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. 

I ask you to protect my parent from the evil one, and show the way out in moments of temptation.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NLT2)3  But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 

 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT2)13  The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 

May wisdom, discretion and understanding protect and guide every day.

Proverbs 4:6 (NLT2)6  Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. 

 Proverbs 2:11 (NLT2)11  Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. 

I pray my parent will be courageous, confident in Your presence, help and deliverance 

Psalm 121:1-8 (NLT2)1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there?
2  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!3  He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.4  Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.5  The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.6  The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.7  The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.8  The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT2)6  So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” 

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT2)10  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.  

Psalm 34:19 (NLT2)19  The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time. 

Psalm 91:1-16 (NLT2)1  Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.2  This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.3  For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.4  He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.5  Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.6  Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.7  Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.8  Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.9  If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,10  no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.11  For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.12  They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.13  You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!14  The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.15  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.16  I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”
​

I Pray For PROVISION—That You Will Meet My Loved One’s Needs.

Show me how to meet my parent’s needs in ways that will please You, Lord. Equip me to be a good steward in my loved one’s care.

1 Timothy 4:5 (NLT2)5  For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer. 

 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NLT2)1  Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers.
2  Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. 

There is much I can do, but You are the Great Provider. Thank you for your willingness to supply my parent’s needs for Your glory and my loved one’s joy.

Romans 8:32 (NLT2)32  Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 

Matthew 6:31-32 (NLT2)31  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’32  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

Matthew 7:11 (NLT2)11  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. 

Philippians 4:19 (NLT2)19  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 
John 14:13-14 (NLT2)13  You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.14  Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

John 16:23-24 (NLT2)23  At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.
24  You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

I pray my parent will be made holy through Your grace and receive Your good favor.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NLT2)23  Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.24  God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 

Psalm 84:11 (NLT2)11  For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. 

I Pray For Continuing PURPOSE.

I ask you to help my parent flourish with an eternal perspective.

 Psalm 92:12-15 (NLT2)12  But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.13  For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God.14  Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.
15  They will declare, “The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!”

Work in my loved one’s life for Your glory.


2 Corinthians 4:16 (NLT2)16  That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 
. 
Open appropriate opportunities for ministry and influence.

Help my parent live as a holy and faithful role model, Father, for as long as you allow.

Titus 2:2-5 (NLT2)2  Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.3  Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good.4  These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children,5  to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. 
I pray my parent, from a wealth of experience, will share important life lessons You still want me to learn.

Father, I Thank You For Jesus, Who Makes Possible Our God-Honoring Transition From This World To Everlasting Glory. As I Pray These Things For My Parent, I Pray Them For Myself As Well. I Pray We All Will Someday Hear Your “Well Done.” Amen!

​

The instances of mass murder, hate crimes, and terrorist attacks (many of them being all three) over past few weeks, in fact the past few years have caused many of us to be afraid of being in crowds, going to certain places like shopping malls, even church.  When these things happen we realize that we are not in control of much in our lives and that generates fear. It's at those times we yearn for peace. The kind of peace we had as young children when our parents, grandparents, a guardian, or even social service programs took care of everything.

Shalom the Hebrew word translated as peace, expresses the idea of tranquillity, well-being, restoration, reconciliation with God, which happens through the right relationship with Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace  

Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)6  For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Peace is the freedom from disturbance; it’s quiet and tranquility.  The peace of God that passes all understanding is not just a psychological state of mind; this peace is spiritual peace…the peace of the God of all Creation.   This is the peace of people whose sins are forgiven. The peace that comes from being in a right relationship with Jesus doesn’t depend on everything going well.  

This peace is the opposite of anxiety.   It is the tranquillity that comes when you commit all your cares to God in prayer and don’t worry about them anymore.  You are confident that God can and will do what is best for you.  

This  peace guards you from anxiety, fear, and worry like a sentry guards the entrance to a military installation or the ones who stand guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Washington,  DC.   

I recently started a series of posts sharing prayers for you to pray at those times when  you're having trouble with trust or finding the words to pray above the scary times. It's at those times you want to know the peace of God which passes all understanding.  (For the entire series of prayers click this LINK)
​

Here are some scriptures to include in your prayers for peace from God’s Promises for Your Every Need by Jack Countryman  (Emphasis mine). 

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. — Isaiah 26:3

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” — John 14:27

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. — Romans 5:1

Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us. — Isaiah 26:12

“For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” — Isaiah 55:12

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. — Psalm 37:37

He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. — Isaiah 57:2

For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.  — Romans 14:17-19

Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. — Psalm 119:165

But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. — Psalm 37:11

I will hear what God the Lord will speak, For He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. — Psalm 85:8

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. — 2 Corinthians 13:11

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. — Colossians 3:15
​

Peace is a gift from God.  We can never earn it. We can strive for it, pray for it, work for it but in the final analysis it’s a gift.  If we accept it as a gift, we can serve Christ knowing that God is pleased with us, and because we have become peacemakers through the filling of  the Holy Spirit, people will be pleased with us too. 

From the very beginning, or at least after man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God promised to do something about all the agitation and distress in our world.  He promised to restore the peace, and He did. He sent the Prince of Peace to come and do what we can’t do for ourselves. Jesus brings true, lasting peace, the kind of peace that all of us are looking for.
​

I lead a Bible Study at my church and we are studying the book, Prayer Does It Make A Difference? by Philip Yancey.  In his book Philip explores the intimate place where God and humans meet in Prayer. Polls reveal that 90 percent of people pray. Yet prayer, which should be the most nourishing and uplifting time of the believer’s day, can also be frustrating, confusing, and fraught with mystery. 

One of the mysteries about prayer is why some people are healed and others not healed.  It doesn’t seem to matter how much how much the person or their friends and family pray.  Some people are healed and others not.  

We really can’t explain why some prayers are answered in miraculous fashion, some slowly over time, and some don’t get answered or appear to be answered.  It’s a mystery known only to God and we must always default to Him because we can always count on Him being good, faithful, and loving us no matter what. When it seems that our prayers aren’t answered we should continue to pray because prayer does make a difference.

Checklist for Healing

When you desire and pray for healing ask yourself a series of questions.

1.  Am I expecting a miracle as an entitlement?

God neither protects Christians with a shield of health nor provides a quick, dependable solution to all suffering. Christians populate hospital wards, asylums, and hospices in approximate proportion to the world at large.

2.  Am I using the benefits of God’s “common grace” — the healing built into our bodies and the medical knowledge we have gained?

Studies on faith and healing demonstrate that the best healing takes place when a person lives so that a properly aligned soul and spirit can direct the bodily healing prompted by good medicine. 

The Christian heals because he or she has the kind of body that was designed by God to be equipped to overcome injury and infection. 

The real direction of prayer for the sick and the suffering should be, first to praise God for the wonderful mechanisms of healing and recovery that God has designed and placed in the person’s body, and then to pray that God’s special grace will take hold of his or her whole person and give the ability to use these resources to their fullest advantage; and also that the church will rally round and lay their healing hands on the one who needs support, faith, hope, and love.

3.  Do I wrongly blame God for causing the suffering?

We've all heard Christians say that the reason bad things happen is that it is a punishment from God.  Absolutely not! Look at Job.

4.  Am I prepared for the possibility that physical healing may not take place?

The apostle Paul had the power to heal a man crippled from birth and even raise another from the dead. 

Acts 14:8‭-‬10 CEV In Lystra there was a man who had been born with paralyzed feet and had never been able to walk. The man was listening to Paul speak, when Paul saw that he had faith in Jesus and could be healed. So he looked straight at the man and shouted, “Stand up!” The man jumped up and started walking around.

Acts 20:7‭-‬10 CEV On the first day of the week we met to break bread together. Paul spoke to the people until midnight because he was leaving the next morning. In the upstairs room where we were meeting, there were a lot of lamps. A young man by the name of Eutychus was sitting on a window sill. While Paul was speaking, the young man got very sleepy. Finally, he went to sleep and fell three floors all the way down to the ground. When they picked him up, he was dead.  Paul went down and bent over Eutychus. He took him in his arms and said, “Don't worry! He's alive.”

Yet three times in the New Testament he refers to friends (Epaphroditus, Trophimus, and Timothy) who suffered from a serious illness, not to mention his own ailment.

Philippians 2:25‭-‬30 CEV I think I ought to send my dear friend Epaphroditus back to you. He is a follower and a worker and a soldier of the Lord, just as I am. You sent him to look after me, but now he is eager to see you. He is worried, because you heard he was sick. In fact, he was very sick and almost died. But God was kind to him, and also to me, and he kept me from being burdened down with sorrow.  Now I am more eager than ever to send Epaphroditus back again. You will be glad to see him, and I won't have to worry any longer. Be sure to give him a cheerful welcome, just as people who serve the Lord deserve. He almost died working for Christ, and he risked his own life to do for me what you could not.

2 Timothy 4:20 CEV Erastus stayed at Corinth. Trophimus was sick when I left him at Miletus.

1 Timothy 5:23 CEV Stop drinking only water. Take a little wine to help your stomach trouble and the other illnesses you often have.

One friend he left behind, ill; for another he counseled treatment. We have no record of their physical healing.

Jesus never promised to erase all poverty, all suffering, all human need. ​

​Don't Blame The Sick Comfort Them

Whatever we conclude about physical healing, we must not add to the burden of guilt and sorrow borne by those who do not find healing. 

Many Christians who roll about in wheelchairs, who awake each day to the scarred stumps of amputated limbs, who cope with debility and chronic illness, have prayed for healing. Some have attended healing services, felt a sudden rush of hope, and kneeled for an anointing of oil — yet still they live unhealed. For them, divine healing feels like the cruelest joke of all, a taunting accusation that in spiritual as well as physical health they do not measure up.
                   
Paul wrote God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”

A Prayer for Relief from Pain
By Meg Bucher

“You heard my plea: ‘Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.’” - Lamentations 3:56

Anyone who’s suffered long-term pain can relate to the sentiments of the prophet Jeremiah in today’s verse. God does hear and answer our prayers, but His answers don’t always look the way we want them to, or happen in our time.

We take things for granted until they are taken away. Why does human nature have to be that way? God designed us, and did so perfectly… to need Him. He does give us more than we can handle and He does allow circumstances to bleed out beyond our control (See See That's Not In The Bible - God Will Never Give You More Than You Can Bear).  There’s a lot of life He will withhold the answers to, and we don’t have the capacity to understand even if He did explain it.

Hear God’s voice through the pain, and feel His presence through the frustration. “Don’t be deaf to my call;”Jeremiah pleaded.  When someone we love is in pain, we feel helpless to stop it. 
 
“Bring me relief!” When we are in pain, whether physical, mental, or spiritual, it takes over our focus. It becomes difficult to concentrate on the hope of healing, and hard to let go of what we think that should look and feel like.
 
Hold onto the hand that was nailed to the cross. That hand knows pain like none other. Our hope is in Him.
 
Father, we praise You for Jesus. No one has ever experienced pain like He did for us. Thank You for His sacrifice, which allows us to call out to You for help in full confidence that You hear us and will answer us and heal us. Forgive us for wanting to control what the answers to Your prayers look and feel like and when they happen. Bless us to be strong in Your Word, and rely on You for strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

​

The instances of mass murder, hate crimes, and terrorist attacks (many of them being all three) over past few weeks, in fact the past few years have caused many of us to be afraid of being in crowds, going to certain places like shopping malls, even church.  When these things happen we realize that we are not in control of much in our lives and that generates fear. It's at those times we yearn for peace. The kind of peace we had as young children when our parents, grandparents, a guardian, or even social service programs took care of everything. We didn't 

I recently started a series of posts sharing prayers for you to pray at those times when  you're having trouble with trust or finding the words to pray above the scary times. It's at those times you want to know the peace of God which passes all understanding.  (For the entire series of prayers click this LINK

A Prayer for Peace When You're Overwhelmed

Lord, when my heart is overwhelmed, overwhelm me with Your peace. Lead me to You, my rock. Guide me to Your Word which gives me strength and refuge. Help me not to run to lesser things. Draw me to run to You first. Help me get into the habit of taking my “overwhelmed” and placing it under your will. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Jennifer Rothschild

A Prayer for the Troubled Heart

Dear God, Our world is hurting and broken. We pray for those who have lost loved ones this week, please comfort them in their grief and loss, cover them with your peace and presence, as only your Spirit can do.   We know that in whatever we face, you are our Peace and Refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. Thank you that you remind us throughout your Word, we do not face the storms alone, but you are always with us.  Whispering calm. Speaking peace. Bringing rest to our souls.

We confess our need for you. We ask you to forgive us for trying to figure everything out on our own, for not trusting that you are more than able and powerful to work on our behalf. Forgive us for picking back up what we already determined to lay down at your feet. Give us the ability to trust you more, give us a heart that finds rest in your presence, give us the wisdom to seek peace and pursue it, remembering it’s only to be found in you alone.

Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Thank you that you care for us. Thank you that the peace of your loving and strong presence guards and protects our hearts and minds in you. Thank you that we do not have to walk in fear or live in overwhelmed cycles of worry and stress. Thank you for your voice that breaks through the greatest wind and storm swirling around us, and whispers “Peace, be still.” Thank you that you sent your One and Only Son to set us free. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen. ~ Debbie McDaniel

A Prayer for Peace in Hard Times

Lord, when my heart is overwhelmed, overwhelm me with Your peace. Lead me to You, my rock. Guide me to Your Word which gives me strength and refuge. Help me not to run to lesser things. Draw me to run to You first. Help me get into the habit of taking my “overwhelmed” and placing it under your will. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Lysa Terkeurst

A Prayer for Peace to Transform Your Mind and Life 

Lord, how I long to break free from negative thinking and embrace peace and joy and optimism. I invite You to begin transforming my thought patterns and help me recognize, reject and replace thoughts that are not pleasing to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. ~ Traci Miles

A Prayer to Trade Worry for Thankfulness

Dear Lord, Sometimes it seems like I take my worries everywhere except to you. I hear people say, “God’s got this!” But how often do I live like I believe it?

I know you hear me, Lord, when I bring my concerns to you. You care about what is going on in my life, and I know you want to give me a clear, sound mind. Forgive me when I allow anxious thoughts to cloud my thinking. Help me take my anxieties to you in every circumstance, believing you will intervene and work out your eternal purposes. Give me a thankful heart—a heart that says, “I am grateful for your lovingkindness to me, Father. I know you will work out your plans for my growth, others’ good, and your glory.” ~ Dawn Wilson

A Prayer of Deliverance

Dear God, I am in trouble. I am weary, worried, and worn out. Not knowing how to pray, I turn to the Psalms and repeat their pleas for my own heart: “O Lord, deliver me! O save me for Your mercies’ sake. Deliver me in Your righteousness. Deliver me from the hand of the enemy. Deliver me from all my troubles. Deliver me from my distress. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me. I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks on me. You are my help and deliverer.” You have said, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” I claim that promise now. Father, You know what’s happening in my life, in my family, in my church. You know the webs of worry spinning in my mind. Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil; For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen! ~ Dr. David Jeremiah

I’m sure that we have all, at some time thought that our prayers weren’t even getting out of the room.  There is a saying that "my prayers just hit the ceiling and fall back down". It’s as if God doesn’t hear, or care.  It’s like talking to yourself, nobody's listening. It’s like the times when you’ve done something that may have hurt somebody and they have vowed to not talk to you.  You try talking to them even apologizing and all you get is silence. You keep trying and nothing. It’s frustrating to the point that you stop trying to talk to them. That’s what happens when we pray for something especially something very important to us like health, shelter, resources for life and nothing changes.  It doesn’t mean that we stop praying but we do start to think what difference does it make God isn’t listening or if He is He’s not answering. There was even time Jesus felt that God had abandoned Him and fell silent.  

Matthew 27:45-46 (NKJV)45  Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" 

He wasn’t the first one to say that.  
 
Psalms 22:1 NKJV My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why  are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?
 
We know that God is good and loves us, and we know that He is always with us because He said that He would never leave or forsake us;
 
John 3:16 NKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
 
Matthew 28:18‭-‬20 NKJV And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (emphasis mine)
 
Hebrews 13:5‭-‬6 NKJV Let  your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord  is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (emphasis mine)
 
But when we are in the middle of a mess we want to  feel His presence and hear from Him.
 
 We are not alone in feeling like this.  The books of Psalms, Job, Lamentations, talk a lot about people going through difficult circumstances wondering where God was during the tough times.

Psalm 13:1-6 (NKJV)1  How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?2  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?3  Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;4  Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.5  But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.6  I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
 
Job 23:8-9 (NKJV)8  "Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;9  When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
 
Lamentations 3 (entire chapter)
 
Just like when a friend stops speaking to us we often blame ourselves.  “Was it something that I did or said”?  

Rather than dwelling on why God is silent, maybe we should think about what we can learn from His silence.

When we talk to somebody we always want a definitive answer, and that’s what we would like  with God. When we ask God to show us His will, we don’t mean to show us where we can find, or learn Your will, we mean we want a specific sign, like go to this place at this time for this reason.  That could happen but in most cases it won’t.    

In the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, people approached Jesus with a question 183 times. He replied with a direct answer only three times.  Instead, He responded with a different question, a story, or some other indirection. 
 
John 3:4-12 (NLT)4  “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”5  Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.6  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.7  So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’8  The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”9  “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.10  Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?11  I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.12  But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
 
John 14:5-7 (NLT)5  “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”6  Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.7  If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
 
Luke 10:29-30 (NLT)29  The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”30  Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

Evidently Jesus wants us to work out answers on our own using the principles that He taught and lived.  

What we really want, and the reason that we get frustrated and think that God is not listening is that we want things to happen the way that we want and when we want.  

“When we try to dictate to God the time, place, and manner for him to act, we are testing him.  At the same time, we’re trying to see if he is really there. Doing that is putting limits on God and trying to make him do what we want.  It’s nothing less than trying to deprive God of his divinity. But we must realize that God is free - not subject to any limitations. He must dictate to us the place, manner, and time".  - Martin Luther

Scripture reveals numerous times and ways God spoke to His children. He met them in dreams, through a burning bush, visions, and words spoken by others. We know He doesn’t change. This means, He still speaks, in just as many unexpected ways. But we also know when He speaks, we’ll hear Him.

John 10:27 NKJV My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

In other words, He wants us to hear Him. Learning to discern His voice, however, takes time and practice. 

How does God speak directly and personally?

1. Prayer. In order for God to speak to us, we need to be in his presence listening for his voice.  As we spend time in prayer, we may sense God’s presense leading in our lives.

2. His word. God speaks to us through his written word as we study and meditate upon his holy Scripture.

3. Circumstances. Many times God will cause doors to open, or others to close. If we are
walking in obedience to him, we have to assume that events in our lives are ordered by God.  They don’t just happen by chance.

4. Our heart. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will minister to our spirit and reveal God’s plan for us.  We will have an assurance deep in our hearts. We will feel God’s voice guiding us.

5. Others. God can use other believers to bring us his direction. Sometimes we will be singing a song in church, or we will be reading a Christian book, or hear the Pastor’s message, or one of our friends will say something that will show us God’s will. 

God can reveal his direction to us through any of these five ways. But even when he does, it’s sometimes difficult to discern that what we sense or feel is truly God’s plan for our lives so we need Him to confirm His direction the same way He revealed it to us  In other words: one or two more things will confirm God’s direction for you. When you get this confirmation, then you will know it’s time to step out in faith.

Just as sheep come to recognize the voice of their shepherd as he cares for them day in and day out, so too we learn to distinguish God’s heart-whispers from the noise all around us.

And in times of divine silence, we learn to wait. To trust, knowing God loves us, promised to guide us, and to teach us all things.​
​