It has been my continual prayer that God might use what is written to increase in His children the conviction that we must be holy, the knowledge of how we are to be holy, the joy that we may be holy, the faith that we can be holy. And may He stir us all to cry day and night to Him for a visitation of the Spirit and the Power of Holiness upon all His people, that the name of Christian and of saint may be synonymous, and every believer be a vessel made holy and meet for the Master’s use. — from the preface to “Holy in Christ” by Andrew Murray.
Category Archives: How to Pray
Prayer and Joy in the Morning
Look at these Bible Passages on prayer and joy in the morning.
Mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Psalms 30:5 For his anger is but for a moment,and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night,but joy comes with the morning.
Forgiveness and Bitterness
Jesus in Matthew 6 teaches us to pray: “Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ” Then He says: 14 “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.
Jesus mentions the word “forgive” six times, it must be significant. The opposite is to hold a bad feeling, and eventually get bitter. Bitterness is subtle and hurts ourselves more than others. Both an unwillingness to forgive and bitterness will hinder prayer. That’s why the Lord mentioned it in Matthew 6 when talking about prayer.
Secret or Public Prayers?
Many prayers in the Bible are alone with God. Jesus teaches us to pray in secret. Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. But understand the context; here the religious leaders liked to be seen praying, not so God would see hem, but so man would see them (and look spiritual). So public prayer especially in our churches is wonderful, see Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Faith and Prayer…
In that great faith chapter of Hebrews 11, the writer says: 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. So what is faith? Faith adds its “yes” to what God has already spoken. Faith lets God finish the work that He started. Faith says “I believe” and patiently waits for God to do His part.
Commanding Prayer of the Lord Jesus
| Luke 8:25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” |
Follow Jesus
Luke 4:36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Luke 5:5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
The theme is simple “Follow Jesus”, He, that is Jesus, has the power and He knows where the fish are. So don’t follow someone or something else, just follow Jesus.
Heard Because of His Godly Fear
Hebrews 5:7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,