Written by: John Sernaque
Dear Reader,
Books / Pr - Prayer (2002) / Chapter 1—God Invites Us To Pray
Chapter 1—God Invites Us To Pray
Linked With God Through Prayer—It is a wonderful thing that we can pray effectually; that unworthy, erring mortals possess the power of offering their requests to God. What higher power can man desire than this,—to be linked with the infinite God? Feeble, sinful man has the privilege of speaking to his Maker. We may utter words that reach the throne of the Monarch of the universe. We may speak with Jesus as we walk by the way, and He says, I am at thy right hand. {Pr 7.1}
We may commune with God in our hearts; we may walk in companionship with Christ. When engaged in our daily labor, we may breathe out our heart’s desire, inaudible to any human ear; but that word cannot die away into silence, nor can it be lost. Nothing can drown the soul’s desire. It rises above the din of the street, above the noise of machinery. It is God to whom we are speaking, and our prayer is heard. {Pr 7.2}
Ask, then; ask, and ye shall receive. Ask for humility, wisdom, courage, increase of faith. To every sincere prayer an answer will come. It may not come just as you desire, or at the time you look for it; but it will come in the way and at the time that will best meet your need. The prayers you offer in loneliness, in weariness, in trial, God answers, not always according to your expectations, but always for your good.—(Gospel Workers, 258.) {Pr 7.3}
What a privilege and honor it is for us mortal beings to be able to speak with, and be linked to our Maker, our infinite God, through prayer. We are to take this opportunity today, as tomorrow is not promised to anyone. We are able to speak to God with our hearts, minds, and souls, as He hears our every word and cries. Commune with God, draw nigh unto Him and He will draw nigh unto you. Bring your petitions to the foot of His throne and ye shall receive. It may not be exactly as you wish, but will always be for your good. God knows the beginning from the end. However, we cannot come to God holding on to known sins, as He will not hear us, and our words will fall to the ground. Honor God and He will honor you.
Dear God,
We thank You for giving us this honor, privilege, and opportunity to be able to come to the foot of Your throne in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer. What a joy it is to be able to speak with You, to tell You what is on our minds and in our hearts. Though You know everything, from the beginning to the end, it is our privilege to commune with You, to be able to draw closer to You that You may draw closer to us. We thank You for giving us this power, to be linked with You through prayer. For making this possible, no matter where we are or what we are doing, You are at our right hand. For always being our companion, and closest friend. At times, we do not know what to pray, but You will make an utterance on our behalf, and we know that our prayer is heard. You love us so much, that when You answer our prayers, it may not be exactly as we would wish, but You will always answer for our own good. We come to You as sinners, yet You love us just the way we are, as You hate the sin but love the sinner. We ask and pray that You will help us overcome all our sins, the evils and temptations of this world, even as You overcame, that we would sin no more. We pray that You forgive us of all our sins, the known and the unknown, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We pray that You will hear our prayer and that none of our words fall to the ground. We pray that we will be saved, and are worthy of having our names written in Your book of life. Increase our faith as we continue our walk with You. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers and for giving us the victory over sin. All these things we ask and pray and lift up our prayers to the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary, where You are seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding and praying on our behalf. It is in Your name, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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