What are the Keys to Receiving What I Pray for?
We are exhorted to practice persistent repetition of our requests, not a formulaic repetition of words, which Jesus condemned (Matthew 6:7–8).
Do you find prayer difficult? We know that our heavenly Father will respond to our prayers with power and grace. But attempting to express our soul's deepest longings to the God of the universe sometimes leaves us silent.
Jesus knew His followers would struggle as they attempted to talk with God. So, in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus gave us an illustration of how to pray. Rather than reciting His words verbatim, we can learn from Jesus' model. His prayer included: worship, thanksgiving, a declaration of faith, confession of sin, and petition. Our Lord's example can help us put into words what our hearts long to say to God.
Do you need a boost in your prayer life? Then you will love these resources on prayer. They will help you deepen your own communion with the Lord. Remember—the God of the universe loves you, and His ear is inclined in your direction!
We are exhorted to practice persistent repetition of our requests, not a formulaic repetition of words, which Jesus condemned (Matthew 6:7–8).
I began journaling during my 16 months overseas. I saw my “thoughts disentangle themselves over the lips and through the fingertips,” a little saying I learned from a mentor who gave me my first journal.
We’ve probably all been in situations—maybe on a plane or at a convention—when the topic of religion came up and we had to face the inevitable dialogue with a nonbeliever. We’ve usually ended up feeling awkward and uncomfortable, and we've walked away wondering, What could I have said or done not only to win a hearing but to keep a hearing? Acts 8 has some answers for the apprehensive evangelist.
Do whatever you can to be at peace with all those around you. Practice forgiveness. Be helpful. Do little things, such as write letters of encouragement, or make a phone call or two.
This lesson will help us open up the lines of continual communication with our Lord, giving us joy, hope, and stability in our anxiety-producing world.
The key to loving our enemies is to consider God’s love for us.
Your prayer together is an act of surrender to the God who is there, the God who cares for you and responds to you. Let me try to convince you to start with my top 10 benefits of praying together.
Think of it! On the eve of His crucifixion, with the world’s sins weighing on His heart, Jesus took time to pray for us down through the ages, for all who would receive Him as Saviour.
And it was this intensity that caused prayer to degenerate from a flowing spontaneity to a rigid, packaged plan, dispensed routinely by the religious leaders. Prayer changed from privilege to an obligation.
Childlike faith, while a good place to start, must mature. How do we mature in our faith? Just as physical maturity requires certain things the same is true for spiritual maturity.