PRAYER:
#2
The
PRAYER of PETITION
Let us begin this study in God's word by reading
Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7, which says,
"Be careful
for nothing; but in every thing by prayer
and supplication
with THANKSGIVING let your requests
be made known unto God.
7.
And the PEACE
of God, which passes all understanding, shall KEEP
your hearts and
minds through
Christ Jesus."
Please notice that the first word that I emphasized in
this passage of scripture is the word "CAREFUL". If we
look this word "CAREFUL" up in the Strong's Exhaustive
Concordance and scroll down to our scripture reference, Philippians
4:6, we will find the Strong's number 3309 in italics, which means
that it is a New Testament word that is translated from the Greek.
Then if we look this Strong's number, 3309, up in the back of our
concordance we will find the Greek word "MERIMNAO", which
is a verb that means to WORRY, to have ANXIETY, or to be CONCERNED.
This word is translated as take thought, care fore, careful, taking
thought, and have care.
So
then the phrase "be CAREFUL for NOTHING"
is giving us INSTRUCTING as to the first principal of prayer, which
is NOT
to WORRY, NOT
to be ANXIOUS, NOT
to be be CONCERNED, as in FEARFUL that our prayers will not be heard
and answered. In other words, we are NOT
to TAKE
THOUGHT of ANYTHING
that causes us to FEAR, WORRY of DOUBT that our prayer will not be
answered according to the WAY that we presented our request to
Almighty God.
Now the next part of this verse after the phrase "Be
CAREFUL for NOTHING" is the word "BUT", which gives us
and alternative other than WORRYING and being ANXIOUS or FEARFUL.
This alternative is called PRAYER. Let's read the first part of this
passage of scripture again with the emphasis on the word "BUT"
while asking our self the question "BUT WHAT?".
"Be
careful for nothing, BUT
(but
WHAT? BUT) in
EVERY THING (referring
to EVERY THING that causes you CONCERN, or causes you to WORRY and be
be ANXIOUS or FEARFUL. So then, do NOT be FEARFUL or ANXIOUS about
ANYTHING, BUT RATHER)
BY PRAYER
and SUPPLICATION
with
THANKSGIVING
let your REQUESTS
be made known unto God...."
So
then, we can clearly see the instruction in God's WORD for us NOT
to be FEARFUL or WORRIED about ANY THING, but INSTEAD, we are to take
these CONCERNS and AXIETIES that come upon us and CAST them upon our
Lord God, because Almighty God our heavenly Father deeply cares for
us on every level of our lives. Please read 1 Peter 5:6-11 which
says,
"HUMBLE
yourselves THEREFORE under the mighty hand of God, (WHY?)
that he may
exalt you in due time:(So
HOW do we HUMBLE our self?)
7. Casting
ALL your CARE upon him;
(WHY?)
for he CARES
for you.
8. Be sober, be vigilant;
(WHY?)
because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, SEEKING whom he
may devour:
9. Whom RESIST
steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren
that are in the world.
10. But the God of all grace,
who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that
you have suffered a while, make
you perfect,
establish,
strengthen,
settle you.
11. To him be glory and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
So
then, how do we HUMBLE our self and NOT be filled with worry,
anxiety, and fear? In verse 6 we see the phrase "Humble
yourselves THEREFORE..." and
when ever you see the word "THEREFORE" you need to find out
what it is there for. In other words, in the last part of the
previous verse, verse 5 we are told the God resists
the proud,
BUT he gives
grace to the HUMBLE.
So THEREFORE were are instructed to HUMBLE ourselves
UNDER the MIGHTY HAND of Almighty God our heavenly Father, BECAUSE he
CARES for us and he desires to give us GRACE to overcome the trial
that we are in and NOT to WORRY or FEAR, while we are facing the
trying of our faith.
Now for some, who are just LEARNING about PRAYER, you
may not have yet developed the confidence of Almighty God ANSWERING
your prayer. As Proverbs tells us, you may be learning to your OWN
understanding, rather than fully TRUSTING in the Lord. Take a moment
and read Proverbs 3:5.
"TRUST in the LORD with
all your
heart; and
lean NOT unto
your own understanding."
You see, the enemy comes to us sometimes with his lies,
saying things like, What good will it do to PRAY? Do you really think
God is going to hear your prayer? What right to you have to trouble
God with your petty needs? You know that God only helps those who
help themselves, so why are you asking him to help you, when you can
go out and find your own job on your own? There are thousands of
these lies that the enemy uses on mankind to kept us from PRAYING to
God and CASTING all our CARES upon him BELIEVING that Almighty God
will hear and answer our prayer.
But the TRUTH of the matter is that Almighty God desires
that each and every one of us TRUST in him by coming to him in our
time of need and CASTING ALL of our CARE, ALL of our WORRY, ALL of
our ANXIETY, ALL of our FEAR upon him, because he sincerely and
deeply has concern for all each and every one of us as well as each
and every one of our needs.
So then, we HUMBLE ourselves by hiding God's WORD in our
hearts and TRUSTING in his WORD of TRUTH more than what our natural
logic dictates to us. Normally when we hear the word, "CAREFUL"
we tend to think about being cautious, or being protective and we
often do not take thought of WHY we are be cautious or protective.
What I mean by this is let's say for example we are CAREFUL when
carrying an expensive delicate breakable item, BECAUSE we are FEARFUL
that we might drop and break the item.
Now let us add that we do not have the confidence to
successful carry this item safely, but know that this item must be
moved. So then HOW do we relieve our self from this worry or fear of
dropping and breaking this item knowing that we, in our self, are not
capable of successfully moving the item? Naturally we transfer this
burden of worry and fear upon another whom we TRUST to do the job
SUCCESSFULY. In other words, we CAST this CARE upon ANOTHER in whom
we TRUST fully to do the job and we stay CLEAR OUT of the WAY until
the job is DONE!
This
is what PRAYER IS
to one who FULLY TRUSTS is Almighty God to get the job DONE.
A farmer, who plants a seed in the ground, FULLY TRUSTS
that the seed will grow and produce what is is designed to produce.
We learned in lesson #1 that Jesus likened God's WORD to that of a
SEED in the parable of the sower sowing seed. In short, YOU, that is
to say, your HEART is the SOIL or GROUND in which the WORD of TRUTH
is planted.
(This study is still under construction. Below are SOME
of the verses of scriptures that I have and will use in this study,
but many more will be added as I write this study. Please feel free
to read through the scriptures below, because they are a blessing
just as they are. May God bless you richly as you study his living
word.)
Matthew
6:5-8
“And when you pray, you
shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in
the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be
seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6. But you, when you pray,
enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to
your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret
shall reward you openly.
7. But when you pray, use
not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they
shall be heard for their much speaking.
8. Be not you therefore like
unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before
you ask him.”
Matthew 7:7-11
“Ask, and it shall be given
you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you:
8. For every one that asks
receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be
opened.
9. Or what man is there of
you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10. Or if he ask a fish, will
he give him a serpent?
11. If you then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall
your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask
him?”
Matthew
18:19,20
“Again I say unto you, That
if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they
shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20. For where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Matthew
21:17-22
“And he left them, and went
out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
18. Now in the morning as he
returned into the city, he hungered.
19. And when he saw a fig
tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves
only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for
ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20. And when the disciples
saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away
!
21. Jesus answered and said
unto them, Verily (or
truly) I say
unto you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do
this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto
this mountain, Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea; it shall
be done.
22. And all things,
whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”
Luke
11:1-13
“And it came to pass, that,
as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his
disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught
his disciples.
2.
And he said unto them, When you pray, say, Our Father which are in
heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done,
as in heaven, so in earth.
3. Give us day by day our
daily bread.
4. And forgive us our sins;
for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not
into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
5. And he said unto them,
Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight,
and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6. For a friend of mine in
his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7. And he from within shall
answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children
are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give you.
8. I say unto you, Though he
will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of
his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
9. And I say unto you, Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you.
10. For every one that asks
receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be
opened.
11.
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he
give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a
serpent?
12. Or if he shall ask an
egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13. If you then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall
your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
John
14:12-14
“Verily, verily, (or
truly, truly) I
say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do
also; and greater works than these shall he do; (WHY?)
because I go
unto my Father.
13. And whatsoever you shall
ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in
the Son.
14. If you shall ask any
thing in my name, I will do it.”
John
15:1-16
“I am the true vine, and my
Father is the husbandman.
2. Every branch in me that
bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he
purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3. Now you are clean through
the word which I have spoken unto you.
4. Abide in me, and I in
you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in
the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.
5. I am the vine, you are
the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings
forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
6. If a man abide not in me,
he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them,
and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7. If you abide in me, and
my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be
done unto you.
8. Herein is my Father
glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples.
9. As the Father has loved
me, so have I loved you: continue you in my love.
10. If you keep my
commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my
Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11. These things have I
spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy
might be full.
12 This is my commandment,
That you love one another, as I have loved you.
13. Greater love has no man
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14. You are my friends, if
you do whatsoever I command you.
15. Henceforth I call you
not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does : but I
have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my
Father I have made known unto you.
16. You have not chosen me,
but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring
forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you
shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
John
16:16-24
“A little while, and you
shall not see me: and again, a little while, and you shall see me,
because I go to the Father.
17. Then said some of his
disciples among themselves, What is this that he says unto us, A
little while, and you shall not see me: and again, a little while,
and you shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
18. They said therefore, What
is this that he says, A little while? We cannot tell what he says.
19. Now Jesus knew that they
were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do you inquire among
yourselves of that I said, A little while, and you shall not see me:
and again, a little while, and you shall see me?
20. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, That you shall weep and lament, but the world shall
rejoice: and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned
into joy.
21. A woman when she is in
travail has sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is
delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy
that a man is born into the world.
22. And you now therefore
have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice,
and your joy no man takes from you.
23. And in that day ye shall
ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall
ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24. Hitherto have you asked
nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be
full.”
1Kings 3:3-28
“And
Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father:
only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4.
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the
great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon
that altar.
5.
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God
said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6.
And Solomon said, You have showed unto your servant David my father
great mercy, according as he walked before you in truth, and in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you; and you have
kept for him this great kindness, that you have given him a son to
sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7.
And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of
David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go
out or come in.
8.
And your servant is in the midst of your people which you have
chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for
multitude.
9.
Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your
people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to
judge this your so great a people?
10. And the speech pleased
the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11.
And God said unto him, Because you have asked this thing, and have
not asked for your self long life; neither have asked riches for your
self, nor have asked the life of your enemies; but has asked for your
self understanding to discern judgment;
12.
Behold, I have done according to your words: lo, I have given you a
wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you
before you, neither after you shall any arise like unto you.
13. And I have also given
you that which you have not asked, both riches, and honor: so that
there shall not be any among the kings like unto you all your days.
14. And if you will walk in
my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father
David did walk, then I will lengthen your days.
15. And Solomon awoke; and,
behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before
the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings,
and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16. Then came there two
women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
17. And the one woman said,
O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered
of a child with her in the house.
18. And it came to pass the
third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered
also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the
house, save we two in the house.
19. And this woman's child
died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20. And she arose at
midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept,
and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21. And when I rose in the
morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had
considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did
bear.
22. And the other woman
said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. And
this said, No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son.
Thus they spoke before the king.
23. Then said the king, The
one says, This is my son that lives, and your son is the dead: and
the other says, Nay; but your son is the dead , and my son is the
living.
24. And the king said, Bring
me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25. And the king said,
Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to
the other.
26. Then spake the woman
whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon
her son, and she said , O my lord, give her the living child, and in
no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor
thine, but divide it.
27. Then the king answered
and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is
the mother thereof.
28. And all Israel heard of
the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for
they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.”
James 1:5-8
"If
any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men
liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.
6. But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed.
7. For let not that man think
that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8. A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways."
1 John 5:14,15
"And this is the
confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according
to his will, he hears us:
15. And if we know that he
hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that
we desired of him."
Philippians 4:6,7
"Be careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known unto God.
7. And the peace of God,
which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."