If you haven’t already guessed I am somewhat obsessive about growth, especially in terms of who we are as pray-ers. And scripture provides us our foundation, our standard, our method to grow. I firmly believe the scripture that tells us we are blessed with every spiritual blessing and part of the reason is so we will know and understand and apply the learnings found in the Word. Those blessings act as our guide as well as our strength… our standard and judge. (We should never forget 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5.)
This study about prayer comes from Philippians 4:6-7, AMP
“Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].”
The Message Bible says: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.”
Guilty as charged. I have recently written on this verse as well. Perhaps as never before since our society has sunk as low as it has. Daily there is violence and continuous killings and I would suspect that hourly there are words that are debilitating and meant to hurt. How have we gotten here so very quickly… and why?
“But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, …”
[2 Timothy 3…]
I could go on, but I think you begin, if you haven’t already, grasped the answer. So my blunt question – what about you and prayer? Are you praying for our country? Are you interceding for those in leadership positions? Do you lift up those who are charged with protecting you – Soldiers, EMT’s, Police, Firemen, Doctors and Nurses, etc.? Do we take these people, who may be putting their lives on the line for us, and acknowledge and pray for them? If not… why not?
We need to be praying for our country, our society that it realizes what is happening and why and turns back and away from the vain arguments and philosophies, our behavior that characterizes who we’ve become. And we need to focus our attention on the real enemy. I don’t believe there’s a right or wrong way to pray… the point is to go to the One who has the answers and pray according to His will so that our requests are approved.
Prayer, praying can be summed up as praising, asking and thanking the Lord for all He’s done, for all He does, and for all He continues to do. Using the Lord’s Prayer as our guide, Pastor Morris pointed out that it is composed of beginning in praise, petitioning, and ending in praise.
