Christianity is a personal relationship with God. The appropriate way to maintain that personal relationship is prayer.
1. Meaning and purpose of prayer
1. What is prayer?
Answer: "Prayer is the act of opening our hearts to God as a friend" (EG White, Steps to Christ).
2. God knows how much of our lives?
Psalm 139:1 - 4
"O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. You know when I sit and when I get up, you understand my thoughts from afar. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And all my ways you are known. For there is not a word in my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know all ".
Matthew 6:8" Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knows what you need before you ask him .
Note: God knows our needs better than ourselves, and know what we're going to ask even before ordering. The reason we have to pray not to tell you something you do not know.
3. Is it to force God to change its purposes ?
James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, the Father of lights, with whom is no, neither shadow of turning."
Note: All good things come from God, who by the way, does not change or move. We can not change your mind to God. His desire is always to do good and help us, do not have to convince him to change his thinking because he is upset. Nor is this the reason why we should pray.
4. So, what is prayer?
Matthew 6:10 "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done as in heaven and in earth."
1 John 5:14 "And this is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
Note: According to these two texts, prayer, reflection helps us to align our will to God. Do not always ask for as we ought (Romans 8:26), and prayer elevates our mind to the thoughts of God, makes us reflect.
On the other hand, have always said and say that God is a gentleman, be more educated than we know. And as such, never break into anyone's life without permission. God wants to do good, God knows our needs better than anyone, and do not change your way of thinking that is helping. But God can not help us if we ask for help. At the time that I present my requests in prayer, I am giving permission to act in my life. If God acting in our lives so extraordinary without being we asked, could be accused of acting against our will, force us to receive "blessings", so that God is limited and depends on our prayers and permits in order to help us.
Satan does not ask permission to act in the life of the people, is disrespectful. But God has to wait to ask you for help, only then can act in our lives.
5. Why we are advised otherwise Santiago to pray?
James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and will be given."
Note: God wants to reveal His will and truth in His Word. It is easy to see certain portions of the Bible. God is wanting us to reveal and understand little pearls that are hidden in His Word, and prayer is important to let God act in our minds of this Mantero.
6. What Jesus advises us terms that we use this powerful weapon?
Luke 11:9, 10
"And I say: Ask and ye shall receive, seek and find, knock and it shall be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened. "
Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things to come, and stand before the Son of Man.
Note: Prayer helps us stay in touch with Heaven, to persevere in a safe spiritual condition. Neglecting prayer makes our mind to focus exclusively on earthly things, and making decisions inappropriate moral laxity, to lead a disorderly conduct.
2. When, where and how to pray
1. When should we pray? 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18.
"Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances, because this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. "
Note: constant prayer (" pray without ceasing) is not spending the entire day on his knees, but have an attitude of prayer in all we do. is to make God our daily companion work entertainment, etc. At all times we must be mentally conversing with the Lord on what we do, what we say, what we will decide, and so on. Also giving thanks for things that happen all the time.
2 . What three moments of the day are particularly mentioned?
Psalm 55:17 "Evening and morning and noon I will pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice."
Daniel 6:10 "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he entered his house, and open the windows of his chamber toward Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. "
3. Where should we pray?
1 Timothy 2:8 "I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."
Matthew 6:6 "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly"
Acts 3:1 "Then Peter and John went up together into the temple at the ninth hour of prayer."
Note: Any place is appropriate to pray to God with a sincere heart. No need to forgo the prayer for not being in a quieter place. However, we must cultivate the habit of departing few private moments to break the spirit in prayer. And of course, the house of prayer or church (temple) is the place of private prayer and in common with others who share the faith.
4. How should we pray?
Psalm 95:6 "Come, let us worship and bow down; Kneel before the LORD our Maker "Psalm 62:8
" Trust in him at all times, O people, pour out your heart before him: God is our refuge. "
Note: There is much discussion about how we pray, in what posture or physical location. No missing texts that support the knees to pray, seems to be the position of humility before the Creator. However there are more texts that say the prayer with his face close to the ground (Genesis 17:3 , Leviticus 9:24, Matthew 26:39) or with their faces covered with a veil (Exodus 3:6). Today practice such things are not appreciated, which indicates that there is no question of physical practice. There are also those who stand praying (Luke 18:11) or looking up to heaven (Luke 18:13) even while lying in bed or lying down (1 Kings 1:47, Psalm 4:4, Psalm 36:4).
all depends on the occasion, the time and place. However, what we do is essential is the right attitude in prayer: "Pour out your heart before Him, open our hearts to God, tell all our cares, our sorrows, our fears, share our joys, etc.
5. How should we pray to do so publicly?
1 Corinthians 14:13 - 16
"Therefore, who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What then? I will pray with the spirit, I will pray with the understanding, sing with the spirit, but also sing with understanding. Because if you bless with the spirit, which occupies the place of the unlearned say the Amen how your Thanksgiving? he did not know what you've said. "Matthew 6:7
" pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen, who think they will be heard for their much speaking. "
Note: there to pray with the understanding, so that I know what to say and those around me can understand for your edification. This not only warns the false tongues, but also the repetitive litany prayers learned by rote, which do not express our needs and our concerns before God dump or those around us.
3. Conditions to communicate with God
1. Who should we direct our prayers? John 16:23, 24.
"In that day shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say, whatever you ask in my name, will give you. So far nothing have asked in my name, ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. "
Note: biblical instruction is more than clear, we must direct our petitions to the Father.
2." In whose name we ask for? John 14:13, 14.
"And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will. "
Note: This is the text by which we must finish our prayers asking the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, or Jesus, our intercessor or mediator.
3. How do we acknowledge our dependence upon God?
John 15:5 "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, bears much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."
Note: This text corroborates earlier. Prayer is necessary to stay with thoughts high and acceptable morality (good results). When this activity ceases, again behave improperly.
4. Why not compare the prayer of faith? James 1:6.
"But ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed one part to another. "
Note: As seen in the study Faith is about trust. Ask someone suspicious does not like that receives the request. When someone suspicious is now at your side , then no, constantly changing his mind and his mind. The same happens with our relationship with God. Only by trusting God fully, we will not walk safety and doubting and changing her mind.
5. What example of perseverance in Lucas recorded prayer in the Gospel? Luke 18:1 - 8.
"And he spake a parable about the need to pray always and not lose heart, saying: There was a city a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. There was also a widow in that city, which came to him saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God nor regard man I have, however, because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming, I run out of patience. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you will avenge them speedily. But when the Son of Man He find faith on earth? ".
Note: God always gives us the things we ask in the same moment that we ask. As a father or mother does not always give your child everything he asks all times. We have no children spoiled, capricious have it all at any time, God also teaches us to be patient on many occasions. At other times, like a child can not understand beyond his little maturity or consequences why can not receive a "gift", just as God sees beyond the things we can perceive, and for reasons known only to him, denies us some things. While we do not understand, we must know it is all for our good.
6. What is the relationship between obedience and answer to prayer?
1 John 3:22 "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."
Note: Someone may say that God is capricious in the way of constraining certain answers to prayer. Nothing is further from the truth. Consider that all human beings on this planet, whether believers or not, we are children of God. And God as Father is concerned about how we handle what He gives. If one of my two children is a wasteful and asks me for money, of course not give you what you ask me to waste it, so I will be encouraging their bad habit, instead of correcting it. Similarly, a person with bad habits, health asks God, is the will to continue using drugs (for example)? On the other hand, when a child is obedient, it is a good resource manager gives his Father, you have more options (with exceptions) to get what he wants.
7. What example of perfect submission to the Father gave us Christ in his prayer in Gethsemane? Matthew 26:39, 42.
"Going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed," My Father, if possible, this cup pass from me, but not as I will, but as you ... Again it was, and prayed for the second time, saying: My Father, if you can not pass this cup from me except I drink it, Thy will be done. "
Note: At that time, the pain imposed on the desire Christ's human not to suffer physically. The Plan of Salvation for every human being was above the suffering of Jesus, therefore, this particular sentence was the appropriate response: "If it can be", but could not be in favor of a greater benefit.
8. Why God sometimes does not answer our prayers? Proverbs 28:9.
"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law , Su prayer is an abomination ".
9. Being close to the end, what does the Lord call us? 1 Peter 4:7.
" The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. "
Note: As we approach the beginning of eternity, it becomes necessary not to neglect prayer. It is a good time to start a good habit, praying.
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