WHY PRAY?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) Several part lesson.
WHY SHOULD WE PRAY? WE HAVE AN IMPERATIVE COMMAND: PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER…
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16 (MSG) Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
WHY PRAY? PRAYER IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THE PLAN AND PURPOSE OF GOD… PRAYER IS LAYING A PETITION DOWN ON GOD’S DESK. PRAYER INVITES THE HOLY PRESENCE OF GOD IN A POSITIVE WAY.
PRAYER IS COMMUNICATION WITH GOD… PRAYER IS LIKE A CHILD’S CONVERSATION TO THEIR PARENTS DISCUSSING WHAT THEY NEED… WE NEED TO TALK TO OUR PARENTS TO SEEK HELP AND TO LEARN.
Prayer builds a friendship, a trust and a personal relationship with the Trinity. In prayer we seek more of God and we gain a better understanding of life. In a faithful daily prayer life we see beyond our selfish motives and find DIVINE DIRECTION.
EFFECTIVE PRAYER COMES IN MANY FORMS: 1. CONFESSION; 2. REPENTANCE; 3. SUPPLICATION; 4. PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING AND ADORATION; 5. INTERCESSION; 6. ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK… 7. PRAYER IS WORSHIP…
WHY PRAY? PRAYER MUST BE PRAYED FOR THE RIGHT MOTIVES… PRAYING IMPROPERLY, SELFISHNESS.
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
James 4:3 (MSG) And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way.
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR HEALING… TO BE MADE WHOLE…HEAL ME LORD AND I WILL BE HEALED,
Psalm 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
James 5:16 MSG Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
WHY PRAY? PRAY THAT NO FEAR OR WORRY GRIPS OUR HEARTS…
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
WHY PRAY? PRAY THAT DARKNESS WILL BE EXPOSED AND THAT PEOPLE WILL SEE THE GREAT LIGHT…
Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Matthew 4:16 (MSG) People sitting out their lives in the dark saw a huge light; Sitting in that dark, dark country of death, they watched the sun come up.
WHY PRAY? HOW DO WE PRAY? GOOD PRAYER IS SEALED IN THE NAME OF JESUS
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
WHY PRAY? GOOD REGULAR DAILY PRAYER BUILDS THE INDIVIDUAL SPIRITUAL POWER… CONFIDENCE…
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
1 John 5:14-15 (MSG) And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening. 15 And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours
WHY PRAY? WE MUST PRAY TO GROW, STRENGTHEN AND AVOID EVIL…
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 (MSG) Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
WHY PRAY? PRAY THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE GOOD GODLY ATTITUDES OF UNITY AND HARMONY.
Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (be made new in the attitudes of your minds.)
1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR GOD TO OPEN DIVINE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY AND CLOSE FLESH DOORS…
Colossians 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR THE FEET OF PEOPLE… May we ask our Father to guide us through life. WHERE ONE GOES…
Psalm 17:5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Psalm 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR THE HEART OF PEOPLE.
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Proverbs 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
WHY PRAY? PRAY TO OPEN OPPORTUNITIES TO RELEASE MIRACLES… DANIEL PRAYED 3 TIMES A DAY. The lions’ mouths were closed… by prayer before the fact.
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
WHY PRAY? THE WORDS THAT WE SPEAK? PRAY FOR PEOPLES MOUTH.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Psalm 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR THE WORK OF PEOPLES’ HANDS… WHAT YOU DO?
Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Colossians 3:23-24 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR PEOPLES’ HEARTS
Matthew 15:16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR PEACE TO REIGN… AND CALMNESS OF BELIEVERS…
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
WHY PRAY? PRAY THAT YOUR LOVE GROWS…
Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Philippians 1:9 (MSG) So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR PEOPLE TO SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND HEAR AND DISCERN THE TRUTH WITH THEIR EARS.
Matthew 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
WHY PRAY? PRAY FOR PEOPLE TO BE FAITHFUL TO THE CROSS, THE FAMILY AND THE CHURCH…
1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful
WHY PRAY? PRAY THAT COMPASSION AND LOVE WILL REIGN…
Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
WHY PRAY? PRAY THAT THE SPIRIT OF WEARINESS AND BURNOUT BE EXPOSED…
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) Several part lesson.
