Friday: Further Thought – Holy Spirit, the Word and Prayer
Read Ellen G. White, “Asking to Give,” pp. 139-149, in Christ’s Object Lessons. For a helpful collection of encouraging promises read Ellen G. White, “God has Promised” (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982).
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Without prayer, we would have no spiritual power in our lives, because prayer connects us to the Source of that power. Without prayer we would have no vital link with God. We will become empty vessels who might have “a form of godliness” but will be devoid of the power and promise of the gifts from on high. And, no question, as we have seen all this week, we have been given wonderful promises about God answering prayer. But what about the times when we don’t get what we pray for, even when we have sought to meet all the conditions to the best of our God-given ability? “But be not discouraged if your prayers do not seem to obtain an immediate answer. The Lord sees that prayer is often mixed with earthliness. Men pray for that which will gratify their selfish desires, and the Lord does not fulfill their requests in the way which they expect. He takes them through tests and trials, He brings them through humiliations, until they see more clearly what their necessities are. He does not give to men those things which will gratify a debased appetite and which will prove an injury to the human agent and make him a dishonor to God. He does not give men that which will gratify their ambition and work simply for self-exaltation. When we come to God we must be submissive and contrite of heart, subordinating everything to His sacred will.” – Ellen G. White, In Heavenly Places, p. 89.
Discussion Questions:
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In my experience with prayer, I have learn that the more you pray and see how God answer you, the more you grow to trust him. He cares even about the little insignificant things that we are not willing to talk to him about. we should not wait until we experience crisis to call on him, but in everything talk to him about it and our faith will grow bigger and bigger as we see him answer us.
Praying when you feel so disconnected to God, and you know you are filthy in sin is very hard. The worthlessness,temptations riding upon you effortlessly just cripples your desire to pray and you feel like to wait until you feel better about yourself is surely a seed from the devil. Prayer should be response even in guilt, through prayer God takes away the guilt not time, prayer even after sinning makes solid trusting the grace of God. Waiting until you do something nice to someone and feel like your dept is paid then you pray is proclamation of salvation by works, God want us to believe that it is only grace that our petition are heard, souls saved and lives cleansed. Keeping ourselves away from prayer after sin will only lead us miles away from God, Lord help us to pray ceaselessly
When in the pit what more can be a proof of faith, however feeble, than an outstretched hand hoping in the Lord who is long-suffering?
God is such a wonderful father that He can answer us even before we ask! When we decide to pray, we must pay attention around and check if we shouldn't be thanking Him already. It's a total mistery how He can work in our hearts! We just need to be opened! We need to learn how to take anything (and everything) to God in prayer! God is the reason for us to be alive - we must keep this in mind!
How often is often to pray / for prayer s ? I try to pray at mornings ,afternoon and when i go to sleep , i pray for meals too and incase of dangerous situation s etc
but is this not enough or somehow ? Advice please !
God says in 1 Thess 5:17 ''Pray without ceasing'', yes without ceasing countless. How can that be l used to ask. Below he then says ''quench not the Spirit'', if we abide in God, our minds became subject to his will, our wants, joys, worries became his because he dwells in us through his Spirit. Now when we excel, it is him we praise, when we sorrow it is him who comforts we praise, whatever we we do the Spirit translate our words, thoughts and actions into prayers which cannot be uttered. The secret to that is aligning our will to the will of God, our Spirit to his Spirit then all our circumstances will ascend as prayer to our heavenly Father.
Here's how you can put Mandlenkosi's suggestion into practice: