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Prayer, The Pathway To Victory
By E. L. Bynum
No one will be
able to overcome sin, and live a victorious Christian life, without developing a
prayer life. If Jesus Himself, needed to pray, how much more we need this. Look
at the men and women of the Bible, and note that those who learned to pray, were
the ones that accomplished great things for God. Prayer is perhaps the greatest
unused resource of Christians. This explains the powerless lives in our churches
today.
1. THE LORD
GAVE US A MODEL PRAYER, TO TEACH US HOW TO PRAY.
Matt. 6:9-13, "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."
1) We should
pray to our heavenly Father. Matt. 6:9, "After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." Matt. 6:6, "But thou,
when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,
pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly." Matt. 7:11, "If ye then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is
in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Isa. 64:8, "But now, O LORD,
thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the
work of thy hand."
2) Pray for the
coming of Christ and His reign. Matt. 6:10, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done in earth, as it is in heaven." Luke 1:32-33, "32 He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob
for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Rev. 11:15, "And the
seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ;
and he shall reign for ever and ever."
3) Pray for our
daily needs. Matt. 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread." Psa. 34:10, "The
young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not
want any good thing." Psa. 30:8, "I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I
made supplication."
4) Pray daily
for the forgiveness of sins. Matt. 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we
forgive our debtors." Psa. 32:1, "Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered." I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness."
5) Pray for
deliverance from evil. Matt. 6:13, "And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil:" Matt. 26:41, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." I Cor.
10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to
bear it." II Pet. 2:9, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be
punished:"
2. APPROACH
GOD BOLDLY THROUGH OUR HIGH PRIEST JESUS CHRIST.
Heb. 4:14-16, "14
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was
in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need."
Heb. 2:17,
"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that
he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to
make reconciliation for the sins of the people."
3. IN YOUR
PRAYERS CAST ALL YOUR CARE ON THE LORD.
I Pet. 5:6-7, "6
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you
in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
Heb. 13:6, "So
that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man
shall do unto me." Psa. 27:13-14, "13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to
see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be
of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Psa. 55:22, "Cast
thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the
righteous to be moved."
4. INSTEAD OF
WORRYING, PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.
Phil. 4:6-7, "6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus."
Luke 10:41, "And
Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled
about many things:"
Jer. 33:3, "Call
unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which
thou knowest not."
5. PRAY
WITHOUT CEASING, AND GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING.
I Thess. 5:17-18,
"17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Eph. 6:18,
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
Col. 4:2,
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;"
Eph. 5:20,
"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ;" Heb. 13:15, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of
praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his
name."
Luke 18:1, "And
he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not
to faint;"
6. PRAY IN
FAITH.
James 1:6, "But
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
Matt. 21:22, "And
all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Heb. 11:6, "But
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Mark 2:5, "When
Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be
forgiven thee."
7. IN TIME OF
SICKNESS WE ARE TO PRAY.
James 5:13-15,
"13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the
prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he
have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
Psa. 18:6, "In my
distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of
his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears."
Psa. 50:15, "And
call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify
me."
Matt. 17:20, "And
Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye
have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove
hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto
you."
8. THE PRAYER
OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH.
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."
II Chron. 30:20,
"And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people."
Gen. 20:17, "So
Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his
maidservants; and they bare children."
9. LIKE
ELIJAH, WE SHOULD PRAY FOR GREAT THINGS.
James 5:17-18,
"17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three
years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the
earth brought forth her fruit."
I Kings 17:1,
"And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab,
As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew
nor rain these years, but according to my word."
I Kings 18:41-42,
"41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound
of abundance of rain. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up
to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face
between his knees,"
Lesson 32 from
"Learning To Live By The Bible" by E. L. Bynum
Used with
permission
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