ABOUT PRAYER

Study Text: James 5:13-18.

PRAYER AFFECTS:

1. The afflicted
2. The sick
3. The saved and unsaved
4. The forgiven and the unforgiving

WHO SHOULD PRAY?

1. The afflicted
2. The sick
3. The sinner
4. The righteous
5. The untruthful
6. The faithful

WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

Question: Why can't God fix everything since He has all the answers and all the power?

Answer:

1. We pray because this is the way God has set it up for us to now contact

Him.

2. We were detached from God through what Adam and Eve did in the

Garden of Eden. While they were in the Garden of Eden, God came down to them and spoke with them personally, spent time with them personally, walked with them in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day (Gen 3:8). Because Adam and Eve did not listen to God's Word, the advice given to them to be obedient, and listened to Satan's words, the enemy of God and mankind, God withdrew Himself from them and all mankind. Because of this the guilt and consciousness of sin caused Adam and Eve to shun God. Notice that man withdrew from God first. God always listened to His Creation, but His Creation did not want to listen to Him.

 

So ever since that time, mankind (we) are to come to God first. We must “ draw nigh to God & He will draw nigh to you”. Adam and Eve felt afraid and uncomfortable in His Presence. They now knew sin. We are under the same pressure and feel the loss of that freedom that Adam and Eve once had. We are uncomfortable in His Presence and therefore do not know how to respond to that feeling. Yet, God has provided us a way to cleanse ourselves from that awful, uncomfortable feeling, which is our guilty conscience, to free us from sin and to reach out, to His call to us. It is through Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of Lords.

HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?

It is through Jesus Christ and through His Name that we have that right. God provided mankind a way from the beginning with the Promise of a Deliverer; the Promise of a Restorer; the Promise of a Healer; the Promise of the One and only Messiah, Jesus Christ, the True Son of God.

Prayer is, simply put, talking to God; talking to Jesus; talking to the Holy Spirit all in the name of Jesus. Notice the word in italics here! TALKING!! There is another component to all this and that is also, listening!

Prayer, as a noun, is the act of communicating to God. So, again, simply put, talking to Him; and we do that in Jesus Name.

Jesus taught us the method in Matthew 6:5-15. He said in V5, “ when thou prayest”, with a description that follows in the subsequent verses. We are to pray believing that we have already received, Mark 11:22-26. That will take an effort on your part and it will take work!

WHEN SHOULD WE PRAY AND WHERE SHOULD WE PRAY?

Again, from the Words of Jesus found in the Bible in Luke's Gospel,

Luke 18:1 ? “always” ?. From Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians,

1 Thessalonians 5:17, “without ceasing”. To Timothy Paul said,

1Timothy 2:8 says we should pray “everywhere” and in all circumstances in Romans 8:28.

WHAT IS THE APPLICATION TO ALL THIS?

BEGIN NOW!!!!!

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