Prayer
In this Article we will just run a list of some selected and very well powerfully written concepts on the subject of “Prayer” from my files. It is very futile to try and to make these classic wonderful concepts any better than they are, so we will just list them out here for your admonition.
Quote: “Prayer is heaven’s ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character. The divine influences that come in answer to the prayer of faith will accomplish in the soul of the suppliant all for which he pleads. For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christ like temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, “Ye shall receive.”” {AA 564}
Quote; “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him. When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us. Jesus Himself, while He dwelt among men, was often in prayer.”
Quote; “Our Saviour identified Himself with our needs and weakness, in that He became a suppliant, a petitioner, seeking from His Father fresh supplies of strength, that He might come forth braced for duty and trial. He is our example in all things. He is a brother in our infirmities, “in all points tempted like as we are;” but as the sinless one His nature recoiled from evil; He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin. His humanity made prayer a necessity and a privilege. He found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. And if the Saviour of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should feeble, sinful mortals feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer.” {CSA 26}
Quote; “The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path.” {CSA 27}
Quote; “Prayer is the most holy exercise of the soul. It should be sincere, humble and earnest—the desires of a renewed heart breathed in the presence of a holy God. When the suppliant feels that he is in the divine presence, self will be forgotten. He will have no desire to display human talent; he will not seek to please the ear of men, but to obtain the blessing which the soul craves.” {CCh 294}
Quote; “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. The eye of faith will discern God very near, and the suppliant may obtain precious evidence of the divine love and care for him. But why is it that so many prayers are never answered? David says, “I cried unto Him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” [Psalm 66:17, 18.] By another prophet the Lord gives us the promise, “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” [Jeremiah 29:13.] Again, he speaks of some who “have not cried unto me with their heart.” [Hosea 7:14.] Such petitions are prayers of form, lip-service only, which the Lord does not accept.” {GW92 35}
It certainly would take an amazing writer to do any better than that, it is certainly food for the Soul and meat for the weary, one just wants to go back to the top of the list and to re-read them through all over again. Then one has this wonderful list of “Please help me out of this nasty situation Heavenly Father, as I have messed it up again;” written by King David; Psalm 27:9 “Hide not thy face [far] from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.” Psalm 69:17 “And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.” Psalm 143:7 “Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.” Psalm 51:10-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit.” (Holy Spirit)
So what have we learnt from this; well prayer is very intimate and personal as we bare all in our Soul to God and request assistance from him, we tell him all about everything and especially “those things” which absolutely nobody else knows about. Then Prayer is the seeking, searching and inviting God into our day-to-day lives to correct and to adapt and to adjust that which is out-of-order. Sort of like God is that “Immediate Amazing Makeover Specialist” who can make amazing out of nothing. If he can make this amazing Planet from nothing but spoken words, then just think of the amazing things he can do in you. Adam was just a mud statue when he breathed into it, it was instantly walking, talking and living. With the “Holy Spirit” breathing into you, similar amazing transformations happen immediately, so why not try it for yourself.
Dear Reader; Let us like Paul, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes 5:17) We learnt that “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend,” so it is fluid and not formal, and is definitely a two way street where we let God have a say and to be able to reply to what we are saying, so let us all really start to pray.
