Category Archives: How to Pray

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

Vine, Branches and Prayer

Vine, Branches and Prayer – Jesus’ Instructions on Prayer in John 15

Grape Vines in Washington State

Grape Vines in Washington State

Wow, look at vines, branches and prayer in in John 15, chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17.  In these four chapters, Jesus was trying to comfort His disciples and at the same time get them to just abide in Him.  So right in the middle of that, in chapter 15,  Jesus was talking about abiding. He was talking about how we need to be like branches on a vine. He was the true vine. Some people say this describes kind of an organic, living and real relationship between Jesus and us, or between us and the Father.  Without getting into the rest of the context, there,  John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” That seems kind of like a blank check where you can expect God to do anything you ask of Him. Some people look at that verse and they wonder why God doesn’t answer when they pray for something. There is a condition in this verse, though. It says, “If you abide in Me and My words aide in you”.  The “asking” is prayer.

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

Well, the first condition, there, is, “If you abide in Me… “ Without getting into the context,there, one way to abide is to stay in the Lord, to rest in the Lord, or to remain in the Lord.  So how does one abide in the Lord, it simply means to trust and rely on Him. I would even say it means to do the things God wants you to do, to obey the Lord.  He says, “If you abide in Me”.  Then He says, “And if My words abide in you”.  This passage in the book of John says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you”, you can ask whatever you will and I will do it. What words is He talking about when Jesus says, “And My words abide in you”? I believe He is specifically talking about the word He is speaking. Oh, and by the way, what ever Jesus says is the Word of God. I believe it also has to include the words of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

The video this text is taken from is on  Drew’s YouTube channel.  This portion is at YouTube.

Martin Luther Speaking to God in Prayer as a Friend

Martin Luther spoke to God in prayer as a friend.

Veit Dietrich, also known as Vitus Theodorus was a German theologian, writer and reformer. Theodorus was a close friend of Martin Luther. Theodorus, talking about Luther, said, “I overheard him in prayer, … with what life and spirit did he pray! It was with so much reverence as if he were speaking to God, yet with so much confidence, as if he had been speaking to his friend.” God wants us to be men and women of prayer.

Two Trees, Chorazin Israel

Two Trees, Chorazin Israel

Martin Luther on Prayer

In reading about Martin Luther, I was impressed with his perception of the Bible and his appreciation of prayer. He loved the Bible and loved prayer.

Martin Luther declares that all Christians can appear before God and pray just as the Bible says. He is echoing Peter in the Bible, so prayer is not reserved to a certain class of people.

Here is a quote from Martin Luther where he is talking about every believer being a king and priest to God. Think about the two place in 1Peter in the Bible where Peter talks about every believer being a priest before God. 1 Peter 2:5, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Nor are we only kings and the freest of all men, but also priests for ever, a dignity far higher than kingship, because by that priesthood we are worthy to appear before God, to pray for others, and to teach one another mutually the things which are of God. For these are the duties of priests, and they cannot possibly be permitted to any unbeliever. Christ has obtained for us this favour, if we believe in Him, that, just as we are His brethren, and co- heirs and fellow kings with Him, so we should be also fellow priests with Him, and venture with confidence, through the spirit of faith, to come into the presence of God, and cry “Abba, Father!” and to pray for one another, and to do all things which we see done and figured in the visible and corporeal office of priesthood.

But the principle went still further; for it vindicated for the laity the possession of spiritual faculties and powers the same in kind as those of the clergy. All Christian men are admitted to the privilege of priesthood, and are “worthy to appear before God to pray for others, and to teach one another mutually the things which are of God.”

— from First Principles of the Reformation (95 Theses) by Martin Luther a resource from Olive Tree.

My Top Prayer Blogs

Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Abide in me, and I in you — Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Here are my top or recommended prayer blogs:

Morning Prayer – Encouraging Bible Verses

Prayer is Talking and Connecting with God

Awesome Morning Prayer Time Video

John 15:4-7. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches:He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing. 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. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Loving the Lord

Psalm 116:1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.  2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.  Psalm 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

Psalm 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

Psalm 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

Prayer that Works

James talks about Elijah, who had learned how to pray “prayer that works“. God answered his prayers. But Elijah had to learn to pray.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Cannon Beach, Oregon

The Bible scripture is James 5:16-18
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Let us not give up in learning how to pray. Jesus knew how to pray, and so His disciples asked Him how to pray. Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the apostle John all learned how to pray.