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Section 2: Practical Wisdom, Article 3 Powerful and Effective Prayer “Yehuveh is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.” Psalms 145:18-19. |
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erhaps you’ve heard comments similar to this, “We need to get Cindy to pray about this. She always seems to get answers to her prayers.” Why is that? What makes some people’s prayers appear to more effective than those of others? Is there a way we are supposed to pray? Are | ||||||
there certain things we need to know about prayer that will ensure that we get practical results?
There are plenty of Scriptural stories of powerful answers to prayer. After Abraham nearly lost Sarah to a foreign monarch and they had the matter resolved, “Abraham prayed unto Elohim: and Elohim healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.” When Abraham sent his servant on the apparently impossible mission of finding his son a wife, Eleazar prayed, “O Yehuveh Elohim of my master Abraham, I pray Thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out . . . with her pitcher upon her shoulder.” By prayer, Jacob was delivered from both Laban’s and Esau’s hatred; Moses was directed to return to Egypt; Hannah received a son; David escaped Saul, and dozens more stories. What can we learn from them that will transform our own prayer life and, indeed, every aspect of our lives? Genesis 20:17; 24:12-15. We are in transition between the familiar earthly world in which we have lived up to this time and that faith-reality world into which we are being called. We have been given powerful assurances on which we can rely: “Yehuveh hath heard my supplication; Yehuveh will receive my prayer.” “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” “Verily Elohim hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.” “Yehuveh . . . heareth the prayer of the righteous.” Yet because most of us have not fully tested this new life, we hesitate to rest in His promises. We usually half-pray, fearful to take Yehuveh at His word, somehow anxious that what He does with and for us won’t be familiar or comfortable. Psalms 6:9; Jeremiah 33:3; Psalms 66:19; Proverbs 15:29. What Does Yehuveh Promise? First, to understand prayer, we must know what Yehuveh has told us. One of the favorite prayer promises in the Christian faith is: “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Seven times this assurance is repeated in the New Testament. How appealing to selfish hearts! It has all the makings of a carte blanch for us to have total control over everything, including Yehuveh Himself. However, if we look deeper, we will find that this blanket promise has no support in Yehuveh’s foundational instruction in the Old Testament. That reality should make us question its value. Study New Testament—Truth or Myth? for serious consideration of any promise or teaching which cannot be verified against “the law and . . . the testamony.” Matthew 21:22 [plus John 11:22; 14:13; 15:16; 16:23; 1 John 3:22; 5:15]; Isaiah 8:20. Gael Bataman Originally Written: 10 July 2007 Latest Update: 30 January 2010 Complete Study Guide to Article 3 Calling on Yehuveh Singleness of Purpose Live by Yehuveh’s Words Trusting Returning to Yehuveh Having a Right Heart Promised Answers Return to Zadok Home Continue Article 3 . . . Go to Section 2: Practical Go to Historical Calendar Go to Daniel 11-12 Go to Revelation Go to Years of Returning (Darius) |