is talking
to God; entering the presence of God with praise and thanksgiving for Who
He Is and for His Provisions; yeilding to The Authority of The Father,
The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Prayer provides opportunities for confession
of sins and adoration. Prayer acknowledges the dependence of a believer
on God and is the spiritual response to God, who has revealed Himself to
His created people. He has invited them to have communion with Himself.
God helps believers to pray, to guide and renew the spirit, soul and body;
it is having fellowship with God. Prayer is a form of worship as God's
Sovereignty and Power is acknowledged. Prayer is the most powerful resource
known to man. It is an opportunity to build a personal relationship with
God. A primary task in prayer is seeking guidance. Jesus introduced a method
of prayer by saying that His disciples should ask of The Father in His
own Name. Prayers are said mentally or spoken, in
the Name of Jesus, The Christ, The One and
Only Saviour of mankind. Jesus taught of persistence and boldness
in prayer. People can speak to God, The Father, God, The Son and God, The
Holy Spirit, but cannot pray to dead people, for God's Word says that is
an abomination and that Jesus, The Christ, His Son
is The Only Mediator between God, the Father and mankind. God answers prayer.
One huge difference between Christianity and other religions is that the
believer has been requested by God to communicate with Him by prayer. God
hears and He responds to His people.
Prayer
must be sincere, trusting with, as well as for, the right motive,
and be in accordance with God's Will and His Word. Believers are to pray
expectantly about situations instead of worrying about them. The Bible
says TO AVOID saying the same insincere words repetitiously, that
is chanting the same word or a few words over and over. AVOID revenge to
others through prayer and AVOID bargaining with God. There are many types
of prayers and in The Bible, there is personal prayer, group prayer, united
in agreement prayers, intercessory prayers, and spiritual warfare prayers.
It is not the correct position a believer considers when in prayer but
the sincerity and attitude of their hearts, however The Bible does mention
positions such as standing, kneeling, sitting, lying prostrate, bowing
or hands uplifted. Many people in The Bible pray silently, alone and together.
Anywhere they may be, believers pray spontaneously as well as fixed times.
Scripture
encourages believers to ask of God for their needs. Prayer can request
blessings upon others. People ask God for His blessings and favour, protection
and caring for their immediate family, relatives and friends. In prayer,
there is a recognition of God The Father, the desire for His Will to be
carried out, a need for forgiveness, a need for physical provision, and
a spiritual and physical protection. It is God's Will that His purposes
shall be done through prayer, to bring honor and glory to Him. God's response
to prayers allow the leaders to discern His Will. The Bible asks believers
to pray for the nations, guidance for governments, for God's servants and
their ministries, deliverance for those in distress, or who are oppressed
in any way, those in need, especially for workers to go to others and tell
them of the knowledge of God's Saving Grace, through His Son, Jesus, about
His Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and Glorification; to bring before
Him in prayer The Body of Saints, who are the living believers of the Church.
Prayer is fellowship with God through The Lord Jesus Christ. This is expressed
in adoration, thanksgiving and intercession.
is the purest form
of adoration that can be offered to God, our Creator. Worship
is an encounter with The True and Living God; it is reserved for
Him alone. The word worship is worth-ship meaning the honour, reverence
and homage paid to God is due His worth. He is worthy to receive special
honour. Worship of God involves acknowledgement of His Divine perfection,
that He is a higher being than mankind. Worship is turning to God in awe
as His people realise how wonderful He is. To know God is to want
to Worship Him. All nations are encouraged to worship God. Humiliy
is acceptable worship as is honesty. Only God alone is worthy of worship,
that is God The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This devotion is acknowledging
the glory to God, the honour that is due to Him, and the reverence that
He alone deserves.Under The Old Testament people worshipped
God at Altars and in Temples. He was a God who was outside of them. Only
certain men from the Tribe of Levi were chosen to be priests and only one
High Priest could enter into God's presence once a year. Innocent blood
of animals and birds covered the sins of the people and that had to be
repeated again and again, for it was not sufficient to make people right
with God; this was only an intermediate stage until the full and complete
sacrfice of Christ was made. The Will and Law of God was written down on
tablets of stone for the people to follow and worship was restricted to
one place. Sincere worship is not rituals but is wholehearted and full
of awe for God. Worship is orderly and reverent with joy. Obedience to
God in itself, is worship. Worship in the Bible is both designated times
and spontaneous. Worship results in God's presence. The earthly location
for worship is unimportant. Adoration is love for God. To worship God,
blesses the believer. Worship should not depend on circumstances.
In The New
Covenant of Grace through Christ Jesus, all the saints (living
believers) are priests and Jesus, The Christ is The High Priest. Believers
can come into God's presence because of His
blood sacrifice, which was sufficient to reconcile man back to God and
took away (not just covered) their sins. It is fitting to give thanks
and praise to God for His Creation and His gift of Redemption. The Blood
of Jesus frees the guilt of mankind's consciences when there is repentance.
God, through The Holy Spirit comes to live in believers and His Law and
Will are written on their hearts. Praise is celebration, the honoring and
adoration of God, in the Power of The Holy Spirit. Praise and thanksgiving
is a natural response to God for His goodness. This is usually expressed
in song and in music. Believers offer themselves as a living sacrifice
in ministering service to God and mankind, following the example of Jesus.
Thanksgiving encompasses thanking God for all He has done and what He has
promised to do for His people. The Bible provides examples of praise. God
inhabits the praises of His people. Worship under God's Covenant of Grace
is not limited to sacred places or times. Disciples of Christ are to worship
God in spirit and in truth. Worship in The Bible is usually both public
and private which involves having sincere attitudes and motives. Angels
as well as mankind worship God, but the worship of angels by humans is
forbidden. Worship is to God for His loving and saving deeds including
His greatness. Worship and prayer can be hindered by wrong relationships
with God and with others. Only in heaven is there true worship of God.
Reverance and humilty, honesty without hypocrisy, characterise acceptable worship. Worship can be focussed either on God's glory, His majesty, His Kingship, His love and compassion, His judgement, His justice and righteous as well as His creative activities.
SCRIPTURES SCRIPTURES Luke 18:1,Acts 6:4, Isaiah 64:6-7, 1Thessalonians
5:17. QUESTIONS 1] Is prayer a privilege or an option? 2] What does prayer involve? 3] Does neglecting prayer affect God? 4] Where are people to pray? |
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Last updated 23 November 1998