Introduction
In prayer, we show our total dependence on God who created all things and us and by whom all things continue to exist. In prayer, we give praise, honour, glory and reverence to His name for His greatness and goodness. We recognise Him as the source of all blessings.
As Christians we’re to be thankful for everything which God provides, but before eating a meal, have you ever been asked to ‘bless the food’?
Have you ever been asked to bless the bread and the wine before we partake of the Lord’s Supper? Bless This Food!
In Christianity today the phrase, ‘calling upon the Name of the Lord’ has become used by many as a phrase in which a person can be saved without doing anything else. As a result, after admitting they are sinners, many people now believe they are saved simply because they called on Jesus to save them. Calling Upon The Name Of The Lord!
Traditionally so called ‘Jesus’ high priestly prayer’ because ‘in it he solemnly consecrates himself to be priest and victim in the approaching sacrifice’.
It’s the longest recorded prayer of the Saviour’s, we don’t know where it was spoken. Jesus’ Prayer In John 17
The attitude we have when we approach God in prayer and other worship is very important.
If we approach God with an attitude of showing great pride and arrogance in ourselves, but contempt and scorn for others, then God will despise this kind of prayer. Prayer In General
Saying the ‘amen’ is common place for Christians, usually it’s said after a prayer, sometimes it said during or after the Word has been preached. Like so many things we practice in Christianity, there’s a real danger of saying the ‘amen’ out of habit and without thinking about what it is we’re actually saying. There’s also the danger that it just becomes a byword for ending a prayer or sermon with its meaning lost. Saying The ‘Amen’!
There’s nothing more terrifying when a person becomes a Christian and they don’t know how to pray, they don’t know what to say or how to say it, they don’t where to begin and where to end. This is to be expected, after all Jesus own disciples didn’t know how to pray, even though they had heard and seen many people pray. But there must have been something about the way Jesus prayed and the words He used that encouraged the disciples to want to learn. The Lords Prayer
His prayers seem to have been uttered when he was entering on an important or critical service, for the successful execution of which he placed confidence neither on his own nor his people’s ability, but looked anxiously for the aid and blessing of God. The Prayer Of Jabez!
We have all seen and heard them on T. V., radio and maybe in person. The evangelist delivers a powerful message dealing with sin and judgment. At the close of the sermon he tells his audience they need to pray the sinners’ prayer. He usually says something like the following. “By a simple prayer of faith you can invite Christ into your life now. Just say, thank you Lord, come into my heart.” The Sinners’ Prayer!
One of the most frustrating part about being a Christian and praying is when our prayers seem to go unanswered, this can be so discouraging and often can leave us wondering if God is actually listening to our prayers in the first place. We read repeatedly throughout the Scriptures that God promises to hear our prayers, but we often forget to notice or accept the Scriptures which speak about the terms and conditions of our prayers. Unanswered Prayers