As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I was moved by the Holy Ghost to deal with something I have struggled with for all of my prayerful days, in examining and pondering prayer, and that I honestly have three problems in prayer:
- I am too polite due to my upbringing.
- I do more pouring out to God things He already knows than praying the solution.
- I let satan whisper past failures in prayer to expect nothing to happen.
None of the above is to say that we should be demanding of God or disrespectful. Nor are we to not tell God all things on our heart in casting our worries on Him. The way to handle the doubt, is to keep praying in the Holy Ghost until that doubt is vanquished as satan melts away.
What the Holy Ghost though brought to mind was the reality as I lay in bed this morning in the early hours, was Jesus teaching us to pray, and I am going to highlight something no one considers.
Jesus is not an adjective Person Who prays. He does not pray in nouns. He does not pray in meandering sentences. Jesus prays in VERBS.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Jesus praying in verbs, means Jesus commands ACTIONS, and actions are what you are praying to God for in expecting solutions.
This is how my whining prayers might go:
Heavenly Father, you know I need things as You are in Heaven. I try to respect you with how I live. I ask for Your will to be done. I'm really hurt about how people have mistreated me. Please will You give us some large donations. Help me to do better in living like I should, in Jesus Name Amen and Amen
There is a vast difference between a prayer directing ACTION as Christ does, and the example prayer of telling God things He already knows, being like a sheet flapping in the wind in asking God's Will to be accomplished and then being so timid that it never invokes God to do anything.
Yes praying is hard, because satan has made certain we have had things not happen, so we doubt, and we are hurt, and most of us approach God with an attitude that He owes us or are too timid to ignite a spark of prayerful action for God to set the world aflame.
As people it is in our nature to lick our wounds, share our misery, as that is part of healing. There is nothing wrong with talking things over with God as the Holy Ghost comforts. What each of us has to be focused upon though is Jesus said Lazarus COME FORTH, after praying the the Father in Heaven.
Jesus was not backwards in announcing to the crowd, "Well God if you are not busy, could you raise this guy from the dead, so I don't look like a fool". That does not accomplish anything as it is not about Faith or praying actions from God to Glorify His Name as that is what this is all about.
That is what the Thrift Store and other things have taught me, as I will have ideas about needing something and those things appear. No praying for an hour for a pan, just a thought the pan appears. Those thoughts were not flowery prayers of flattery to God, just the thought about a need, and it is fulfilled in appearing.
In posting the Lord's Prayer, when I pray it, it seems so long and so powerful, but it is just a few sentences and looks diminutive, but it accomplishes so very much as Jesus prayers always did, as yes He was 40 days fasting in the wilderness. Yes he sweated blood in praying so fervently. Yes He invested the time in prayer and fasting, but Jesus in doing the preparation, did not tell 5000 people, "I have to go pray for 2 hours and then Lazarus will be alive".
The Father heard His Son always, because Jesus prayed in the Father's Will and Jesus was to the point making the verbs the feature of His prayers. That is the Bible in it takes people volumes to explain one sentence God said in Scripture.
Remember the Centurion was praised by Christ in having Faith that confessed to Christ, that all Jesus had to do is SAY his servant would be healed, because the Centurion gave commands and did not need to see them done, to know that his legions had carried out that order.
God already knows what you are praying about. You know what you are praying about. So get to the point with the action verb as you know you can trust God to accomplish anything.
Once again, another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
Nuff Said
agtG
