Steadfast, Watchful, Thankful Prayer

Steadfast, Watchful, Thankful Prayer

Apr 12, 2016 | on Faith

According to the Pew Research Center, 55 percent of Americans say that they pray every day. However, their prayers may not be the kind of prayers that Jesus taught the disciples to pray. From the Expositor’s Bible: Colossians and Philemon written in 1902: Many people’s notion is that prayer is urging our wishes on God, and that His answer is giving us what we desire. But true prayer is the meeting in harmony of God’s will and man’s, and its deepest expression is not, Do this, because I desire it, O Lord; but, I do this because Thou desirest it, O Lord.  We read example after example of God’s people praying. In prayer, they offered thanks (Daniel 6:10). They prayed for forgiveness (Numbers 21:17) and for mercy (Deuteronomy 9:26). They prayed in barrenness (1 Samuel 1:10) and in plenty (1 Chronicles 29:9-11). They prayed that God would open the eyes of some (2 Kings 6:17) and shut the eyes of others (2 Kings 6:18). God’s people asked for boldness (Acts 4:29). They interceded for others (1 Samuel 12:23). They prayed for healing (2 Kings 20:2), for protection (Ezra 8:21), for success (Nehemiah 1:11). They prayed in whispers (Isaiah 26:16), and they also cried out (Psalm 28:2). Jesus was in the habit of praying. And if it was important to him, it’s important to us. Though we can find many lessons throughout the Bible on how to pray, here are just three elements of prayer that we can put into practice now. Steadfastness in Prayer Successful athletes know what it means to pursue a goal with earnestness. Practicing day after...