This week's session on prayer is focused on what is a favorite topic for most of us - ourselves. While it is important to pray to honor God, for His kingdom, and seeking His will, part of the Model Prayer has a line where we pray for our personal daily needs. But part of discerning what those needs should be is in seeking God's will first so that we can better understand our true needs.
One such story of a prayer like this is found in Isaiah 38. The prophet Isaiah delivered the news to King Hezekiah that he was dying and had only a short time to live. Hezekiah did what many of us would do, immediately turned to God in prayer. Why? Because he wanted to live! And he understood that the greatest need any of us have is for life itself.
And look at how God answered Hezekiah's prayers - Isaiah received a word from the Lord to tell the king, "I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to add fifteen years to your life. And I will rescue you and this city from the grasp of the king of Assyria; I will defend this city." Can you imagine how Hezekiah's faith increased and how much he went away from that praising God!
News of a terminal illness is devastating for anyone. I read a story of a young man who had been diagnosed with such a disease. The young man encouraged his pastor to pray for him and promised to share his testimony with the church when God healed him. The men prayed, but the healing miracle didn't come. However, one miracle was delivered - that young man's final days were filled with faith, hope, and a close walk with God through prayer. God hasn't promised any of us an infinite amount of time on this earth, and unfortunately the young man in this story was given many more years of life. However, God gave King Hezekiah 15 more years. He even added to the king's request for a longer life by promising to protect the city.
God doesn't always grant our request for a longer life, but He does promise to meet our daily needs. "God may not reveal to us the reasons for His answers, but that's where faith and trust come in. God always answers out of His love and His gracious plan for our lives; He answers in light of the big picture, which we cannot see."
So how do we pray for ourselves the right way?
1. "Pray about everything and allow God to determine the results of our prayers, as well as the motives of our heart. We will eventually grow more attuned to our own intentions in prayer and sense when we are praying for things God never intended us to pursue."
2. "If we don't allow God to work in our prayers, we are missing one of the greatest opportunities He has given us." We may not see immediate answers to our prayers, but we must remember that God is still at work.
3. "Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread - not because we are full, but because we are so frequently hungry. Our emptiness on any level can drive us to despair or lead us to prayer."
One such story of a prayer like this is found in Isaiah 38. The prophet Isaiah delivered the news to King Hezekiah that he was dying and had only a short time to live. Hezekiah did what many of us would do, immediately turned to God in prayer. Why? Because he wanted to live! And he understood that the greatest need any of us have is for life itself.
And look at how God answered Hezekiah's prayers - Isaiah received a word from the Lord to tell the king, "I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to add fifteen years to your life. And I will rescue you and this city from the grasp of the king of Assyria; I will defend this city." Can you imagine how Hezekiah's faith increased and how much he went away from that praising God!
News of a terminal illness is devastating for anyone. I read a story of a young man who had been diagnosed with such a disease. The young man encouraged his pastor to pray for him and promised to share his testimony with the church when God healed him. The men prayed, but the healing miracle didn't come. However, one miracle was delivered - that young man's final days were filled with faith, hope, and a close walk with God through prayer. God hasn't promised any of us an infinite amount of time on this earth, and unfortunately the young man in this story was given many more years of life. However, God gave King Hezekiah 15 more years. He even added to the king's request for a longer life by promising to protect the city.
God doesn't always grant our request for a longer life, but He does promise to meet our daily needs. "God may not reveal to us the reasons for His answers, but that's where faith and trust come in. God always answers out of His love and His gracious plan for our lives; He answers in light of the big picture, which we cannot see."
So how do we pray for ourselves the right way?
1. "Pray about everything and allow God to determine the results of our prayers, as well as the motives of our heart. We will eventually grow more attuned to our own intentions in prayer and sense when we are praying for things God never intended us to pursue."
2. "If we don't allow God to work in our prayers, we are missing one of the greatest opportunities He has given us." We may not see immediate answers to our prayers, but we must remember that God is still at work.
3. "Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread - not because we are full, but because we are so frequently hungry. Our emptiness on any level can drive us to despair or lead us to prayer."
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