08/11/09

Do we really need to pray?

Philippians 4:6 [ASV] - In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.


All know that God knows everything. He knows our today's needs as well as our needs a month ahead and so on. Then the question comes, do we need to ask a God Who already knows?

Like I had pointed out in one of my mails the word 'give' in the prayer 'Our Father' is not actually 'give'. The Greek word is not possible to be translated in English. In English we have both past, present or future tenses (and in betweens). But we do not have a tense which includes all three at the same time.

The Greek word 'give' in the prayer means 'gave', 'gives' and 'will give' all together at the same time.

If we have perfect faith then we will have less praying and more of only worshipping or spending time with God. Like in the case of Jesus, most of the time He worshipped God His Father. I could hardly find many incidents (2 times direct and once indirectly) wherein He prayed.

     1) Once like in Luke 11:1 - it was more because He wanted to teach us how to pray (the example by Our Father).
     2) Second time in the Garden of Gethsemane when He weak in Spirit just before His suffering. Here the Angels came and strengthen Him after His prayer.
     3) Also after His forty days in the desert and after being tempted by Satan. Here too the Angels came and ministered to Him in His weakness (although it is not written He prayed vocally).

Praying is required because we are humans and weak in the flesh. God has given dominos to man over all creation therefore He does not intervene unless the matter comes up to Him. We can bring the matter before Him by praying or by our suffering. I am sure all will agree that praying is a better option. In prayer our request can be vocal or mental (a thought); either way it has to come from our spirit and heart.

Like in the case of Moses even after God trained Moses in using his authority by the rod he carried, yet instead of using his authority he prayed to God. God told him to use his rod (authority) instead of coming crying to Him. If by God's Word creation was made then why would God do a small thing like changing a rod to a snake? The miracle was more for Moses to overcome his own fear and learn authority; than to show the power of God to Pharaoh.

Since we are weak in faith and all lack the knowledge of the authority God has given us, we need to pray. When we pray we ask God to intervene and thus we get our matter sorted out.

Our problems are sorted only by the mercy and grace of God. It is by faith that we tap into the mercy and grace already make available to us by Jesus Christ. Therefore a prayer in faith is most effective.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord God, You created this world and gave dominos to man over all things on land. Therefore to judge all mankind You came as Son of Man and was found worthy by your sacrifice. You intervene only if the matter comes before You. Lord let us remember we can always bring our matter before You when ever we are in need and lack authority over things. Help us Lord to make our prayer full of faith thus availing of the grace made available by Jesus Christ...

We make this prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


[ Reference Scripture ]
Luke 11:1-4
1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Mark 14:38-39
38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.

Luke 22:40-46
40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

Matthew 4:11
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Exodus 14:13-16
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Genesis 1:26
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Exodus 2:23
23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
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