“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” Philippians 4:6 and 7
This advice on prayer was written by the apostle Paul to early church members to encourage them to pray to God about anything and everything that troubled them. It gives a pattern for a straight forward way of praying where we are encouraged to present our requests to God.
Someone once told me that they weren’t praying for a new job, which they desperately needed, because they felt like they shouldn’t bother God with it, since there were other people with much bigger needs, like serious diseases. This Bible verse tells us God’s ears and heart are always open to hear about anything, big or small, that makes us feel anxious or worried. What may seem like a small matter to someone else, may be a big thing to you. God cares and He is listening.
Quiet time with the Lord, is so important. It can change everything and He loves to fellowship with us. Prayer is so easy to do, and yet so often, we fail to go to God in prayer, unless we are in a place of despair or trouble. When we fail to pray, we miss the tremendous blessing that comes from a daily conversation with our Creator. Prayer should not be left out of our everyday life. It is an instant connection—no waiting required—you can pray any time, any place, any day. And while we often have questions about prayer, God’s Word contains the answers.
One thing you can count on each and every time you bow your head and close your eyes: God will hear you.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” l John 5:14
The apostle John, one of the disciples who was closest to Jesus, shares this advice with the early church. It speaks of us having confidence when we pray, that God hears us. It also brings in the principle of being close enough to God to know His will so we will be able to know when we ask for things whether they line up with God’s purposes for our lives and His kingdom.
Matthew 6:6-8 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
In this statement, Jesus is contrasting true prayer with prayer that is done for show in public as was often done in his day by religious leaders who wanted to call attention to their own piety. This is where the term “prayer closet” comes from. Jesus also mentions that prayers don’t have to long or eloquent. What a wonderful, freeing thought to realize that we don’t need to be in a special place, say special words or speak to anyone but God in the privacy of our own relationship to him.
Someone once told me that they weren’t praying for a new job, which they desperately needed, because they felt like they shouldn’t bother God with it, since there were other people with much bigger needs, like serious diseases. This Bible verse tells us God’s ears and heart are always open to hear about anything, big or small, that makes us feel anxious or worried. What may seem like a small matter to someone else, may be a big thing to you. God cares and He is listening.
Quiet time with the Lord, is so important. It can change everything and He loves to fellowship with us. Prayer is so easy to do, and yet so often, we fail to go to God in prayer, unless we are in a place of despair or trouble. When we fail to pray, we miss the tremendous blessing that comes from a daily conversation with our Creator. Prayer should not be left out of our everyday life. It is an instant connection—no waiting required—you can pray any time, any place, any day. And while we often have questions about prayer, God’s Word contains the answers.
One thing you can count on each and every time you bow your head and close your eyes: God will hear you.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” l John 5:14
The apostle John, one of the disciples who was closest to Jesus, shares this advice with the early church. It speaks of us having confidence when we pray, that God hears us. It also brings in the principle of being close enough to God to know His will so we will be able to know when we ask for things whether they line up with God’s purposes for our lives and His kingdom.
Matthew 6:6-8 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
In this statement, Jesus is contrasting true prayer with prayer that is done for show in public as was often done in his day by religious leaders who wanted to call attention to their own piety. This is where the term “prayer closet” comes from. Jesus also mentions that prayers don’t have to long or eloquent. What a wonderful, freeing thought to realize that we don’t need to be in a special place, say special words or speak to anyone but God in the privacy of our own relationship to him.
