We as the children of God should learn better how to pray in the private, secret place, and also how to pray in public when others hear us.
Private prayer
When you pray, it isn’t the position of your body, but the attitude of your heart that is most important. However, even the position of your body should be one of submission and humility. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus “fell on His face” and prayed. Abram did likewise in Gen 17:3. (Mt 26:39) We read of kneeling while praying in Dan 6:10 and Ps 95:6. They “stood and prayed in Mk 11:25; Lu 18:13, and Ne 2:4-5. We read of praying while in the sitting position in 1 Ch 17:16; Ex 17:12.
One mother told that in the morning the family arose as early as she did and it was about impossible to pray right then, but she did the “necessary tasks first” and when her husband had gone to work and the children were off to school, then she had the little ones yet at home “trained” to respect her quiet time of prayer.
Another mother in a divided home had to get into the car and go down the road a ways in order to have a quiet time alone with God. Daniel faced the lion’s den rather than miss his time of prayer (Far less eternal consequences!). My sister would have a meeting most every morning with her children and so had a quiet time to pray. Everyone wondered at them being so good in meeting. It was because they were use to a meeting every day! (She prayed a lot more than just at the daily meetings).
There should be a definite time for prayer. Daniel was a busy man with much authority in the Kingdom, but he made time three times a day. Daniel faced the lion’s den rather than miss his time of prayer with God. (Far less eternal consequences!) It should be commenced soon enough; one should not be rushed for time when praying.
Abram waited till God had finished His message to him before he rose up from prayer (Gen 17:22). Another time he guarded the sacrifice until the going down of the sun. It was after this time had passed that God spoke to him: Genesis 15:11-13 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.
Chasing away the birds was very real to us after a sowing. In Mat 13 the birds came to eat the sown seeds. When broadcasting seed in a field, we would harrow it afterwards. This would help protect it from the birds. They would take one seed at a time. Satan tries to do the same thing in our life. He takes away one seed at a time. Time is our asset and we can be easily robbed. He seeks to take a little bit at a time until nothing is left over. This can rob us of our prayer life, reading, meditation, and sacrifice.
Genesis 15:11-13 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.
Abraham chased away the birds that came to eat of his sacrifice. We too must be diligent in chasing away the birds that come to destroy our sacrifice.
Notice that in Abraham’s approach to God he took care of his sacrifice and it turned out to be he waited long enough for him to get a message from God.
Private prayer can also be a “two-way” communion between ourselves and God. When you visit a doctor you not only tell him about your health troubles, but you also wait before him and let the doctor ask some questions, let him do some examining, and let him give advice, prescribe, etc. This is all the more necessary when in the presence of the Great Physician. We should “pour out our heart to Him” but also we should “wait in His presence” to give Him the opportunity to move on us, to do a little searching and probing in regard to our conduct and faith, and we should invite Him to do the suggesting, give the counsel and the answer.
This is all good advice we are given, but my only hope seems is when I pray, to pray! Then during the day as I study the Bible, and pause to do studies, God is good and gives thoughts for ME. I then sometimes write them down and share them with others!
Genesis 15:11-13 Abraham didn’t have more sacrifice than he could take care of. If he had made more, the birds would have robbed him. A sister worker mentioned this one time in connection with prayer. She said she purposed to pray three times a day as Daniel did and the Psalmist Psalm 55:17, “Evening and morning and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud.”. However, she found it was ‘biting off’ too much. I always felt sister workers knew more about prayer than brothers. Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that MEN ought always to pray, and not to faint;
I know Jesus meant all people by the word ‘men’. Anyway, I do believe men have more difficulty in bowing the knee in true prayer than ladies. Daniel, a very busy man with great kingdom responsibilities took the time.
Anyay, that sister helped me by her message and prayer life. And, I am purposing TO TRY TO PRAY before my afternoon nap every day.
Five parts to Private Prayer
Our daily private prayers should include at least 4 parts:
Praise, thankfulness/appreciation, confession, and intercession:
Praise and adoration (Mt 6:13; Rev 4:11)
We couldn’t have a better master and should have nothing but praise and adoration for Him. God the Father hearing our every cry to Him and His own Son interceding for us. We fall and the Son says, “I’ll take that on my shoulders.”
Thankfulness, appreciation
To begin with, appreciation, thanking God for our deliverance, our benefits in the Kingdom, etc. Thank God for our peace and joy in Him. Express our needs to Him. God knows our needs already, but He wants us to ask, seek, and knock. He wants to hear our own expression of need. It is good exercise for each of us to thank God for the multitude of benefits and blessings that are ours, materially and also spiritually.
Do you have anything that He hasn’t given you, or provided for you? It is good exercise for each of us to commence naming the multitude of benefits and blessings that are ours materially and also spiritually. “Count your many blessings, name them ton by ton!” (Lk 10:21- 12:20; Jn 11:41-42)
Confession
We need to be cleansed of our sins. A sin cannot be cleansed if held back from God. We need to tell Him our sins. Just lay them before God. Confess them and forsake them and God will show mercy. Every day, we should recognize and confess our failures, faults, fears, weaknesses, etc. to the above, with the attitude of desiring to forsake them and do better. Bringing them out clearly in the open before the Father helps us to recognize them better. Pave the way for God’s forgiveness and cleansing and that helps us to move forward towards an unspotted future. We have sins of “commission” to confess, also sins of “omission”.
Petitions
However, God is not sort of a “Santa Claus” that we would be asking Him for material blessings or gifts. Rather, in line with Ep.1:3, we should covet His “spiritual blessings”: (Lu.11:13)
We should pray for the ministry (Matthew 9: 27-28, Luke 10: 2, Colossians 4:2-4)
Pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44)
Pray for Wisdom (James 1:5)
Prayers of Intercession
We are never more “Christ-like” than when we are praying in an interceding manner for someone who has hurt us. Jesus prayer, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do. How profitable it is to be an “intercessor” in prayer for those we meet with regularly in the little church meeting. How good for our souls and for others it is when we intercede in prayer for others of the Spiritual family in other parts and other countries all over the world! We should be interested also in the ministry, in individual workers that we have met and know and also for those we’ve not met; we can have a part in the missions and in the shepherding efforts of the ministry wherever they are in any part of the world! What a privilege! What an opportunity for service and for reward! H-184 “May the world with all it’s need, touch our hearts and make us plead.” (Num 14:11-20; Neh 2:4, 5; Is 59:l6; Ezk 22:30-31; Rom 15:30-32; Col 4:12, 13)
We pray to the Father, and in the Name of Jesus Christ. (Jn 14:16; 15:16; 16:32) We should pray with the spirit of understanding, and in faith (Mt 21:22; Mk 11:24; 1 Cor 14:15).
We should pray for the ministry (Mt.9:27-28; Lk 10:2; Col 4:2, 4); for rulers (1 Tim 2:1, 2); for our enemies (Mt 5:44); for wisdom (Ja 1:5).
There are at least 3 possible replies from God to our prayers: One may be, “Yes.” Another may be, “No”. Still another may be, “wait awhile”.
God will hear our prayers if we ask “according to His will (1 Jn 3:22, 5:14). “If we abide in the vine;” (Jn 15:7, 16). If we forgive others (Mk 11:25).
He cannot answer our prayers if we pray in order to get our own way (Ps 66:18). If we disregard His word (Pr 28:9). If we pray selfishly (Ja 4:3).
Truth Archive 