Category Archives: How to Pray

We all need help how to connect with God in prayer.

The Lord Lifts Up our Head

Psalms 3:1 Jehovah, how many are they that trouble me, many they that rise up against me!   2 Many say of my soul, There is no salvation for him in God. Selah.   3 But thou, Jehovah, art a shield about me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.   4 With my voice will I call to Jehovah, and he will answer me from the hill of his holiness. Selah.   5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for Jehovah sustaineth me.   6 I will not fear for myriads of the people that have set themselves against me round about.   7 Arise, Jehovah; save me, my God! For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone, thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.   8 Salvation is of Jehovah; thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

Consider the encouragement in this Psalm.  The psalmist is praying “With my voice will I call to Jehovah“.  And after the short prayer, look at what the Lord does:

1. lifter up of my head
2. a shield about me
3. sustaineth me
4. Salvation is of Jehovah

The Lord does much when we pray.

Prayer in the Triune God

Would you apply this in the life of holiness, let faith in the Holy Trinity be a living practical reality. In every prayer to the Father to sanctify you, take up your position in Christ, and do it in the power of the Spirit within you. In every exercise of faith in Christ as your Sanctification, let your posture be that of prayer to the Father and trust in Him as He delights to honour the Son, and of quiet expectancy of the Spirit’s working, through whom the Father glorifies the Son. In every surrender of the soul to the sanctification of the Spirit, to His leading as the Spirit of Holiness, look to the Father who grants His mighty working, and who sanctifies through faith in the Son, and expect the Spirit’s power to manifest itself in showing the will of God, and Jesus as your Sanctification. If for a time this appears at variance with the simplicity of childlike faith and prayer, be assured that as God has thus revealed Himself, He will teach you so to worship and believe. And so the Holy, holy, holy will become the deep undertone of all our worship and all our life.

From Holy in Christ by Andrew Murray

Notice the words referring to God:

  • Father, God, Him,
  • Christ, Jesus, Son,
  • Spirit, Spirit of Holiness.

Then notice the phrase: Holy Holy, Holy.   This section refers to prayer in coordination with the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Delight in the Lord

Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Now couple this verse with John 15:7  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Notice the correlation of “Delight yourself in the Lord” and “abide in Me“.  This has everything to do with our personal fellowship and relationship with the Lord.

 

 

Faith in God

Mark 11:23 “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Notice the words: be removed, does not doubt and believes.  These items are necessary for every good prayer.   Faith sees the answer to prayer before the answer comes.

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving

Hannah’s prayer helps us understand that prayer is not always asking (1 Sam. 2:1-10). The biblical author called what she said prayer, but her prayer did not contain any petition, only praise and thanksgiving.   This helps up understand prayer from another angle.

Notice this long prayer:

1 Samuel 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart exulteth in Jehovah, my horn is lifted up in Jehovah; my mouth is opened wide over mine enemies; for I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock like our God.   3 Do not multiply your words of pride, let not vain-glory come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a ùGod of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.   4 The bow of the mighty is broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.   5 They that were full have hired themselves out for bread; and the hungry are so no more: Even the barren beareth seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.   6 Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive; he bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up.   7 Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich, he bringeth low, also he lifteth up:   8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust; from the dung-hill he lifteth up the needy, To set him among nobles; and he maketh them inherit a throne of glory; For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah’s, and he hath set the world upon them.   9 He keepeth the feet of his saints, but the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.   10 They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; in the heavens will he thunder upon them. Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; and he will give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

 

 

 

Sinners Can Pray

Can a sinner pray?  Consider the what should be the number one apostle “Peter”, who many times was singled out special by the Lord Jesus.  Matt 16 — “Peter, …upon this rock”,  Matt 17 – saw the Lord transfigured with a few other apostles.

But here in Luke 5, Peter realized he was a sinner.  Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw [it,] he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

Consider this section from Holy in Christ by Andrew Murray.

O my God! with a love and a joy and a thanksgiving that cannot be uttered, I praise Thee for Christ, who has been made unto us of Thee sanctification and redemption. In Him Thou art my Redeemed, my Holy One. In Him I am Thy redeemed, Thy holy one. O God! in speechless adoration I fall down to worship the love that passeth knowledge, that hath done this for us, and to believe that in one who is now before Thee, holy in Christ, Thou wilt fulfil all Thy glorious purposes according to the greatness of Thy power. Amen.

1. ‘Redemption through His blood.’ The blood we meet at the threshold of the pathway of Holiness. For it is the blood of the sacrifice which the fire of God consumed, and yet could not consume. That blood has such power of holiness in it, that we read, ‘Sanctified by His own blood.’ Always think of holiness, or pray for it, as one redeemed by blood. Live under the covering of the blood in its daily cleansing power.


 

Eternal Realities

“Live near to God, and so all things will appear to you little in comparison with eternal realities.” from Robert Murray M’Cheyne

This verse reminds me of I Cor 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Also consider the verse showing the confidence of God in completing what He begun in us.   Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

So when we pray, remember God is in this eternal realm, and sees things from this perspective.