Category Archives: How to Pray

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

Elijah Prayed Earnestly – Bible Prayers

Bible Prayers are prayers where the prayer words are in the Bible.  There are many prayers where the words of the prayer are right in the Bible.

Canon Beach Haystack Rock

Canon Beach Haystack Rock – Elijah Prayed

Sometime we don’t know what the words are, like when Jesus prayed all night.  We don’t know what He prayed, we just know the outcome the next day where He choose the twelve apostles.  There is a few Bible verses that are teachings on prayer, like the Lord’s Prayer.

I just love this Bible verse on prayer:  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. — James 5:17

Psalm 22:19 But thou, Jehovah, be not far from me; O my strength, haste thee to help me.

Consider the verse in John 15:7 where the Lord Jesus says “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask what ever you wish and it shall be done.”  A big part of prayer is our mind being filled with the Words of the Bible.  The more our mind is renewed with God’s Word the more prayers get answered.  His word in our thinking causes us to pray closer to His will.

Prayer that Works – Elijah Prayed

In the Bible, James talks about Elijah, who had learned how to pray “prayer that works“. God answered his prayers. But Elijah had to learn to pray. See the blog on prayer that works.

So never give up on prayer. God answers prayer. Sometimes we give up because we do not see any results, so we quit. God answers prayer in His time and in His way. Consider Abraham who waited 20 years for an answer to the prayer for a son.

House of Prayer

Wow, the best Bible verse on this is:  Isaiah 56:7   I will bring them to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar;  My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.

Notice, it is a house of prayer, not a prayer room, not a place of prayer. A house is a place where we live and are comfortable. We typically live in our house almost everyday. Um, everyday is about how often we should pray.

Idaho Sunset

Idaho Sunset

Anxiety and Worry

Birds do not worry, but people do.  Even when things are good we find something to worry about. I am sure no one but me does his. We just need to trust Jesus.  Here are some great Bibles verses on anxiety and worry.

Seagull, Cannon Beach

Seagull, Cannon Beach – Birds do not worry, but people do.

Matthew 6:26-27 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Prayer is Intentional

Prayer is not just talking to God or just communicating to God. Prayer is a definite message with words to God based on what the Spirit is praying. See Romans 8:26 where the “Spirit helps” us pray with words.

Our talking may or may not be the Spirit’s words. Communication indicates a two way communication, but when God speaks to us the Bible does not call this prayer, the Bible calls this illumination or revelation.

You may want to view a John Piper short video on this topic.

So in prayer, try to listen to God’s speaking to know how to pray.  And yes, this is hard to do.

Little Spokane River Area

Little Spokane River Area

Courage and Prayer

Courage, the ability to face anything, comes from God.

American Buffalo Bison in Idaho

American Buffalo (Bison), Parent getting the Young one to Dinner

Courage is the ability to face and confront fear, pain, danger, and sometimes uncertainty or opposition. Courage may be the ability to do the right thing in the face of popular opposition, defeat, failure or discouragement. Courage may be the ability to change directions or keep on the same path. Courage sometimes speaks, and sometimes is silent.   The best verse on this is: Joshua 1:5-6 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

American Buffalo Bison in Idaho

American Buffalo Bison in Idaho, Going to Dinner

Sometimes we are ignorant of what kind of prayer or the exact words we should pray. But the Spirit helps us to pray.  The best Bible verse for this is Romans 8:26   Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Sometimes prayers are just feelings with no words or it’s hard to figure out what the words need to be. So the Spirit helps us to pray because we are weak and do not know what to pray. So let the Spirit help us pray.

The next verse tells us that His prayer is according to the will of God.  Romans 8:27 He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

American Buffalo Bison in Idaho

American Buffalo Bison in Idaho

Then verse 29 tells us what is the will of God, that is that we would be confirmed to the image of Christ.  Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.

These Buffalo photo’s were from two locations in Idaho, we will try to get closer next time. The rancher said there are more afraid of us, but I am not sure on taking chances.

buffalo bison

Buffalo Bison, wondering about more Dinner


 

Prayer or Bible Study

Which is more important, your left foot or your right foot. There may be some debate on this, but I personally prefer BOTH. So with my time, is it prayer or Bible Study or teaching or preaching or writing or coordinating? And the winner is, we need all of them. Just like my body as Paul talked about in First Corithians, we need all the members and we need all the functions in the body of Christ.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Multnomah Falls, Oregon