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Prayer, and Praying God's people pray only to God.... for God to hear.
God's people (link) pray to God -- for God to hear. God's people do not pray to each other. We do not pray to other humans for their support, or for their guidance, or for their understanding, or for their mercy, or for their wisdom, or for their power. We pray only to God, for God to hear. We do not pray to "the church"; and we do not pray to icons or statues; and we do not pray to preachers or priests or rabbis or imams -- for their favor.... or their "blessings". My understanding is that we pray to God, for God to "receive".... and we say prayers to God for ourselves to hear.... as we interact with God, and as we "converse" with God, expressing our need for His wisdom and His power.... admitting our dependence upon Him. In this way, we crystallize our own thoughts -- and our hopes, and our mission, and our ministry [link]. In prayer, we "get on record".... not only with God, but with ourselves. Subconsciously, perhaps we say to ourselves, "I may be able to 'fool' everyone -- myself included -- but I know that I cannot trick God, or deceive Him." What we say to God, therefore, becomes what we sincerely mean, and what we truly "feel". And God responds to us. God always answers the prayers of His people (link to "God's People"). One of the ways that God "responds" to our praying is to change us, "internally", as we hear ourselves in our requests to God. We learn from God, and from God's voice reflected within us, as we express ourselves -- and as we commit ourselves, in the audience of God. To re-state the same point, in another way: Yes, God can, and does, move mountains -- for His people. God guides and protects and shields and enlightens His own children (link to "Children of God"). And.... beyond all these miraculous responses to our prayers, is God's amazing power to bend and mold and re-direct us -- each of us, individually -- in our thoughts, and in our plans, and in our decisions, and in our aspirations. It is my belief that the prayers of God's people do not become more effective, or more "audible" to God, if they are prayed in a certain sanctuary -- or in a great cathedral -- or in the presence of other humans. My understanding is that heartfelt silent prayers, and unspoken sincere appeals to God -- are just as powerful and effective.... in the "heart" of God, and in God's "response".... as are loud and laborious and ritualistic invocations among "groups" -- or in churches, or temples, or mosques. Does God hear and answer the prayers of those individuals who do not "believe" as you do? Must I claim allegiance to your "doctrine", before Almighty God will listen to my entreaties.... my heartfelt hopes and prayers? Does God say, "I won't answer that person's prayers until he joins such-and-such a 'church' group?" Or.... can God answer and respond to the prayers of anyone He so decides.... regardless of an individual's "religion", or claim of belief? You answer these questions. I believe that the prayers of a preacher or priest or rabbi or imam are no more effective with God than are the fervent pleas and earnest supplications of any individual whom God has included among His "people". It is also my understanding that there are no identifiable "special" human beings who have greater "prayer-power" with God, than any other of God's accepted individuals. Likewise (I would say), "prayer-sessions" are no more effective than the sincere and hopeful requests of an individual "Godsperson". I doubt that God takes a vote of human-beings before He decides how He will respond in a given situation. Neither does He wait to count the number of individuals who pray for or against a certain decision, before He makes up His mind. How would you answer the following questions? How many times must an individual say a certain prayer, before God will consider the plea? Must a prayer be repeated every day, or several times a day, or on different days -- for God to answer? How many people must gather together, or hold hands in a group, before God will take a "vote" -- and change His mind -- and respond affirmatively to a group's entreaty? The Lord Jesus (God-Incarnate) prayed, frequently; but He did not say prayers to Himself, to help make up His own mind.... and He did not pray to God-the-Father to "explain" to God just how God should deal with a certain situation. The Lord Jesus prayed, audibly, in order to set an example for the "hearers" of His words; and to teach all of us how to pray.... and Jesus prayed to comfort those who heard what He prayed -- and how He prayed. Similarly, when we pray aloud, in the presence of others, it is not so that God will become more receptive.... it is because we want those who hear our prayers to know how we feel about God, and how we "trust" God; and because we want the hearers to know how we pray, and what we say to God.... and because we want them to understand that God does answer every prayer of His people. And, we pray aloud because we want those in our presence to sense that we care so much about them that we want to ask our Almighty God to help them, as we ourselves have been helped and supported by God. And we want those who hear our prayers to know that we share with them their feelings and their concerns and their fears about this world.... and this life. Godspeople do not pray to change the mind of God, or to alter the plans of God. We pray for guidance, and for wisdom (enlightenment), and for strength (to "see" and to do what God has already planned for us).... and we pray for courage and patience, during the times of earthly hurts and disappointment; and we pray for understanding, so that in our humanly way, we may hope to begin to see and feel the hand of God, and the power of God -- in our individual lives. We have no authority or right to ask the Almighty God of the Universe, in all of His wisdom and power, to change His purpose to suit us individual humans -- or to substitute our earthly wishes for His divine plan. Similarly, there is no logical reason to pray to our Almighty Creator, "If this be thy will". Obviously, God will not respond to our entreaties in any way except in accordance with His will and His "intention", for each of His people. Neither do we have any reason to "beg" our Father God.... or "bargain" with God.... for any of our human wants. Clearly, God knows our needs and wants.... and God "supplies" us according to His supreme knowledge.... and according to His plan and purpose, for each of His "children". Note the following Biblical references, concerning prayer. Read these out loud, so that you can hear God's words, as you see them: Matthew 6: 5 (NRSV) Jesus speaking: "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But, whenever you pray, go into your room, and shut the door; and pray to your Father, who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 7 "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need.... before you ask Him." (See link Secret God.) I believe that
God wants His people to "converse" with Him,
in prayer. I believe that every prayer
we pray, is inspired by God. Yes, God Himself
leads us into circumstances and conditions
that generate in us the desire and the
need to pray. Our "need" to pray is surely one of the
ways that God uses to change us, and to
re-direct us. Many times, our being "brought low", in
disappointment or in worry or in sadness, is a condition
that causes us to turn to God.
Hurts and pains and disappointments, inspired
by God, return us -- and our thoughts and
our plans and our hopes -- to God. Isaiah 45: 6 (KJV) I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create evil. I the LORD do all these things. I believe that every prayer of a Godsperson (link) is answered by God.... "positively" answered.... not "negatively" answered. I do not concur with the "yes, no, maybe, or later" concept that I have heard some preachers propose. I accept that I am inspired to pray, from within my very soul, for reasons that God chooses. That is, God inspires in His people the will to pray, and the need to pray.... for that which God already knows He wants for us, and has planned for us. God will not say "No", or "Later" when we have been led to pray for those things which God Himself has ordained for us.
Psalm 91: 14 (NIV) "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him. I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him. 16 With long life, I will satisfy him.... and show him my salvation." As all of the scriptures quoted above indicate, God already knows what we need and want; and He knows His plans for us, and how He will respond to our prayers. We frail and uninformed humans will never be able to determine, for ourselves, what we really and truly need.... nor will we ever sense what will ultimately be best for us. So, to repeat what Jesus said, as quoted above: Mark 11: 22 (NRSV) Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 23 Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea;' and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. 24 So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it..... and it will be yours." Jeremiah 29: 11 (NRSV) For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, and not for harm; to give you a future with hope. 12 Then, when you call upon me, and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me. If you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the LORD.... |