PRAYER

·         “One day Jesus told His disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” He said, “who was a godless man with great contempt for everyone. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. ‘I fear neither God nor man,’ he said to himself, ‘but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this evil judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don’t you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who plead with Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?”

 

A Quick Thought:

Jesus tells us how He wants us to pray in Matthew 6:7. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again.” (Living Bible translation)  . Do you pray like this   In Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus instructs us on how He wants us to pray. We are to pray like this. Not to quote it: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 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.”  What He told us it was an example of how we are to pray.  Jesus was asked how are we to pray and Jesus is telling us. We are to pray to God the Father who is in heaven, no one else. We are to worship Him. This is what “hallowed be Your name means,” praising God the Father.  Then we are to pray that God’s will for our life and the world come to pass. “Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We know what God’s will is for humanity; that all mankind come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  So, we are to pray for one another, for the salvation of the lost, for the sick and the lame, the hungry, the orphans and widows, those who need a touch from God and for His blessings to fall on us as well as our relationship with Him. “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Means we are to pray for our supply, finances, shelter, and God’s spiritual revelation of His word and His will to come alive within us.  “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”  We are to be praying for a forgiving heart as He is forgiving. God forgives us in Jesus’ name, so we are to forgive others. “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” The Lord never leads us into temptation because He does not tempt anyone (James 1:13).  He’s telling us to pray against our fleshly sinful desirers which go against His will and to pray for strength to withstand the attacks of the enemy. “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”