My Prayer

I know people who walk with their heads held up high, people who fail to recognize the worth of another person. I see them all the time.

I know people who can’t make enough to have a good day’s meal. I see them all the time.

I know from what I watch, mothers holding their malnourished children in their arms and it hurts to watch those mothers so helpless. I see them all the time.

I know people who have no shelter and the only place they call home is under the bridge or the pavement. I see them all the time.

I know people who have lost their loved ones and they go on. I see them all the time.

I know people who are lonely and have no one to talk with. So they may be bitter. And do you wonder why? I see them all the time.

I know people who we may meet for a few minutes, and may never meet ever again. But yet we don’t have a second thought to lose our tempers and be abusive. I see them all the time.

I know people who carry disputes over property. Neither one of them, will take it when they go. I see them all the time.

I know that no matter how much of death we come to witness, around us until we loose someone of our own to the tragedy we will never come to understand what bloodshed really means. We fight and kill each other in the name of religion. I see them all the time.

I know people who have never learned from their past experiences at all.  I see them all the time.

I know that GOD watches over All. I see that all the time.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.   MARK 11:24

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus cleansing of the temple coincides with the cursing of the fig tree. The “house of prayer” Jesus longed for was people who had faith in God.

20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:20-25

The entire conversation began because Peter remembered that Jesus cursed the fig tree and then saw the withered tree on the next day. More than just a minor observation, this reminds us of the power of remembering as it relates to prayer.

Over and over again in the book of Deuteronomy, Israel was commanded to remember the way the Lord brought them out of Egypt and delivered them into the land of promise. Prayer seems to work the same way. Seeing the withered tree reminds us that we serve a God who can do great things.

As the psalmist (David-Psalms) knew, reciting the past deeds of God fuels present worship.

The prayer of faith is rooted in our memory of how God acted in biblical history. We would do well to remember the stories of God’s divine hand through the exodus journey, of God’s answer to Esther’s prayer, of Elijah’s encounter with the prophets of Baal, or of Peter’s miraculous release from prison.

We should also be able to recount how God specifically acted in our past. Remembering these past divine works fuels our faith and gives us reason to approach the throne of grace with confidence knowing that we can find help in our time of need.

Faith – Doubt + Belief = Mountains Moving.

Prayer is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God. Forgiveness is an essential part of prayer.

We pray to GOD:

to express to Him our love

to thank Him

to obtain from Him the pardon of our sins

to ask for graces and blessings for ourselves and others.

Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. Matthew 26:41

We should pray to GOD:

with a conviction of our helplessness and our dependence upon God;

with a great desire for the graces we beg of Him;

with a loving trust in His goodness;

with perseverance.

And all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you shall receive. Matthew 21:22

We usually begin and end our prayers with the sign of the cross.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost(Spirit). Matthew 28:19

When we say "In the name," we express the truth that there is only one God; when we say "of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," we express the truth that there are three distinct Persons in God; and when we make the form of the cross on ourselves, we express the truth that the Son of God, made man, redeemed us by His death on the cross.

WHAT IS PRAYER?

A Prayer-is an overflowing of desires!

Faith is essential to a successful prayer-“Believe that it’s yours.”

I have something that I need. Oh that I could draw near my God and ask Him for it! I want to have it satisfied; I long till I can get alone, that I may pour out my heart before Him, and ask Him for this great thing after which my soul so earnestly pants.

Be simple and direct in your pleadings with God. When you pray, tell Him what you need. Express your needs in the words which naturally suggest themselves to you. Pray in your own words. Speak plainly to God.

There is always some objective for which you may knock at Mercy’s door and cry, Give me, oh God, the desire of my heart. Equally necessary is that there should be an earnest desire for its attainment.

When you know what you need, be compelled to plead for it as a man pleads for his life! That is the way for us to pray to God; we must have such a desire for the thing we need, that we will not rise until we have it—but in submission to His Divine will, nevertheless. Feeling that the thing we ask for cannot be wrong, and that He, Himself, has promised it, we have resolved it must be given, and if not given, we will plead the promise again and again, till Heaven’s gates shall shake! In other words, don’t stop! Be persuasive. Remember God loves to give. So go ahead, keep knocking on His door. I know He will answer. The Bible says so.

Have a firm faith in God. Friends, when a man really prays, it is not a question whether God will hear him or not—He must hear him—not because there is any compulsion in the prayer, but there is a sweet and blessed compulsion in the promise. God has promised to hear prayer, and He will keep His promise! God is true and faithful, He cannot deny Himself.

To a Christian his faith is of the essence! If he has but faith in God, there is nothing impossible to him! He shall be delivered out of the deepest waters—he shall be rescued out of troubles—in famine he shall be fed—in pestilence he shall go unscathed—amidst calamity he shall walk firm and strong—in war he shall be always shielded—and in the day of battle he shall lift up his head and believe the promise and hold it up with and unfaltering reliance in God!

God has blessed every man, to be like Jacob who can wrestle, like Israel can prevail with Him in prayer! But we must have faith in this; we must believe prayer to be what it is.

“We know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”

We should be able to count over the mercies before we have received them, believing that they are on the way. God breathes the desire into our hearts, before we call, before the words have got half way up to Heaven, He begins to answer them—and sends the angel! (Tobit-Bible). The angel (Raphael) comes, and brings down the needed blessing (brings Tobiah & Sarah together in marriage-thus ending the misfortunes that hunted Sarah for a long time). Oh that we had that uncommon faith to take God at His Word! He cannot, and He will not permit the man who trusts Him, to be ashamed or confounded! These are the essentials of prayer
“Whatever things you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.”

Mean what you pray. Let the feelings flow from your heart.

“Ask in the name of Jesus, and when led by the Holy Spirit—the blessings which you shall ask shall surely come to you.” 
We need to talk to God as a child talks to his father. Pray—seek the spirit of prayer, and God Almighty will bless you and make you more mighty in your supplications.

God has given us power in prayer, matchless power, full of blessedness to ourselves and of unnumbered mercies to others.

Wake up, do not neglect prayers. There is a power in prayers-because it is our conversation with God! God longs to be with you. You have not drawn near to God, but He waits to be still gracious, and is ready to hear all your petitions! What a blessed thing it is that the Master in Heaven is always ready to hear!

Christians, look up, then, and rejoice! There is always a ready hand if you have a ready heart! You have but to cry, and the Lord hears! Before you even call He will answer—and while you are speaking He will hear! Lift up your hearts silently, and whatever your petition or request may be, ask it in Jesus’ name, and it shall be done unto you.

REMEMBER: Do you know that the worst heartache is the one of loneliness? Do you know the pain when some one you love ignores you? Which also leads to loneliness, desolation.

You could be a millionaire or a pauper and you could be lonely.

You could be a single person or married and you could be lonely.

You could be friendless or befriended and you could be lonely.
You could be a kid or a grand-dad/mom and you could be lonely.
You could be in a most crowded place and you could be lonely.

It does not take different colour, shape or size of people to be lonely or not.

PRAYER is your conversation with GOD. And you will never be lonely again, ever.

CONCLUSION: Prayer is God’s power. Let every vein of your heart be full to the brim with the rich blood of desire—and wrestle and strive with God for it, using the promises and pleading and see if God does not give you your heart’s desire. Believe GOD to be more than He is! Open your mouth so wide that He cannot fill it!

PRAYER: Abba Father, your will be done! 
I hold you to your promise, Father. Promise date 20th June, 2012. Praise be God the Holy Father, Praise be Christ His Son our Lord, Praise be God the Holy Spirit!

P:S: Sorry, for the delay in Post. Had serious food poisoning. :) Thank you.