Often
the best thing we can do for someone is just to listen. The old saying “you have 2 ears and 1 mouth;
therefore, listen twice as much as you speak” is the truth. Listening to someone is a gift we can
give. Did you know that God listens to
us? And we are to listen to Him.
As I
sat listening to a precious lady who is seeking God she asked about the right
way to pray and what words to use. It
was such an honor to tell her to just talk to God and to listen. It is about our heart and our motives. Thinking about prayer what come to mind is
what we pray for and the question of what we should pray for.
Here
are some pieces of the Bible that stuck out for me:
1 Samuel 1:11 NLT
And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if
you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated
to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
Hannah
pleaded with God for a child. He
answered her prayer and Samuel was God’s answer.
2 Kings 13:4 NLT
Then Jehoahaz prayed
for the Lord’s help, and the
Lord heard his prayer, for he could see how severely the king
of Aram was oppressing Israel.
Often
we need help or guidance to know how to proceed. God wants to help us because we are His kids,
and He loves us.
Ezra 9:6 NLT
I prayed,
“O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For
our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the
heavens.
This
is a place that most of us have been.
Filled with guilt or shame we have to turn to God because in His
forgiveness we find peace and confidence.
God wants to fill us with hope and not with false guilt. Believe God for freedom as you pray.
Job 42:10 NLT
When Job prayed
for his friends, the Lord
restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as
before!
Job
had been through hell. His health fell
apart. His kids died. He lost almost all his wealth. But he prayed for his friends, many of who
turned against Job. Yet God answered
Job’s prayer by blessing Job. Remember
life is about God. Pray for God to bless
others.
Psalm 18:6 NLT
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him
reached his ears.
God
knows our need before we speak it. He
wants to help us. Seek Him.
Matthew 5:44 NLT
But I say, love your enemies! Pray
for those who persecute you!
Pray
for those you have a hard time with. Pray
for their blessing and for God’s glory.
Mark 11:25 NLT
But when you are praying, first forgive
anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.
It is
important to pray with an open heart because God will reveal to us things that
might be tough. Responding to what God
says will change you and change others.
Acts 12:5 NLT
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
Join
with others and pray for those who are on your mind. Pray often.
Share your prayers.
Romans 1:10 NLT
One of the things I always pray for is the
opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.
Pray
that God will open doors or give you an opportunity to do amazing things and to
follow Him even when it’s not easy.
James 5:16 NLT
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces
wonderful results.
Did
you read that verse? You might want to
read it again and again. God wants to
speak to us, through us and to hear from us.
He loves us and wants our time with Him.
I
close with a verse and promise that is close to my heart. We worry too much. It is time to use our prayers to let go of
our stress and worry and let God work through it all.
Philippians 4:6 NLT
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Comments