Teach Us to Pray - Part 3

Created by my dad, Mike Marbut.

TEACH US TO PRAY 3

SOME SECRETS OF PRAYER

1. LET PRAYER BE YOUR FIRST CHOICE, NOT YOUR LAST.

It is honoring to God when our immediate and first response to any situation is to consult Him. Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” If we are going to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and seek first the kingdom of heaven, He will be our first consultant, and advisor. He then will direct our paths and make them plain and straight as He has promised.

2. LET YOUR GAZE BE ON GOD, YOUR GLANCE ON YOUR REQUEST

If we allow our gaze to be on our request, it will dominate our prayers: We will tell God what we see and what needs to be done. However, if our gaze is on God, we will ask Him to interpret the situation from His viewpoint (tell us what He sees), and to tell us what He wants done. “TEACH ME THY WAY, O LORD, AND LEAD ME IN A LEVEL PATH, BECAUSE OF MY FOES.” PSALMS 27:11

3. PRAY MORE FROM CONVICTION THAN FROM CRISIS.

Prayer is not the last resort for one to use in time of crisis. Prayer, if properly engaged in, will keep us out of a lot of crisis that we wouldn’t have to be in if we would have been praying like we should. CRISIS PRAYING IS PRAYER BASED ON A SITUATION THAT IS NOT GOING AS IT OUGHT TO GO, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD.

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4. PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT AND BY THE SPIRIT.

WHILE MANY PEOPLE WOULD DISAGREE AS TO WHAT THIS MEANS, ALL MUST ACKNOWLEDGE IT IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY FOR SUCESSFUL PRAYER. (EPH. 6:18; ROM. 8:26-27; I COR. 14:14; JUDE 20) Whatever else it means, it means that true praying is done under the guidance, wisdom, and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, for He alone enables us to pray in the will of God.

5. LET YOUR PRAYER BE FILLED WITH PRAISE.

There is nothing for which we cannot praise God. Every opportunity, trouble, or burden can be presented in praise; the praise that comes when we remember that He allows some things, and causes others for our welfare; the praise that comes when we remember He is pressing us into Himself so we can discover Him.

6. PRAY RETAIL, NOT WHOLESALE

Wholesale praying goes something like this: “I love you, Lord. Thank you for all things. Forgive all my sins. Bless everybody, and give me all I need.” Retail praying means being specific at all times and for all things: “I thank you, Lord, for John, for shoes, for feet, for your mercy, your grace.” Praying specifically brings specific answers. Has your child ever come to you and said: “Please bless me with a blessing”? Probably not. He or she would say: “MOM and DAD, Please take me to the park, etc.”

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PRAYER MOVES GOD INTO ACTION

The unlimited potential of prayer as seen through the promises in the bible is staggering, as God moves into action in the lives and situations that we bring before Him. YET, LITTLE PRAYING IS DONE.

WHY? Because the basic feeling seems to be that prayer is an attempt to move God over to our point of view - to get God to do what we want done - to use Him as a means to our end. WHY? Because the prayer life of many people has been discouraging and frustrating.

SO. Somehow, it seems easier to try to do it ourselves the best we can, than to get God involved in it. Yet, in prayer we ought to seek to discover God’s point of view and how, when, and where He wants us to move and live, and obey.

JOHN KNOX, WHOM HIS QUEEN FEARED MORE THAN ANY OTHER MAN, WAS IN SUCH AGONY OF PRAYER THAT HE RAN OUT INTO THE STREET AND FELL ON HIS FACE AND CRIED, “O GOD, GIVE ME SCOTLAND OR I’LL DIE.” AND GOD GAVE HIM SCOTLAND AND NOT ONLY THAT - HE THREW IN ENGLAND FOR GOOD MEASURE.

WE HAVE NO POWER OR HOLINESS OF OUR OWN, IT’S OF GOD - SO PRAY.

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