WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?
by: Bill Bratt, Portsmouth, Ohio
Date: December 18, 1993 - Revised: January 2, 1998
Email: info@icogsfg.org
I want to tell you a story about a man who encountered a bit of
trouble while flying his small airplane.
He called the control tower and said, "Pilot to tower, I'm 300 miles
from the airport, six hundred feet above the ground, and I'm out of
fuel. I am descending rapidly. Please advise. Over."
"Tower to pilot," the dispatcher began, "Repeat after me: "Our Father
Who art in heaven...'"
A pastor and a bus driver died and went to heaven.
The bus driver got a big beautiful mansion with large rooms.
The preacher got only a one-room bungalow, so he went to St. Peter
and said, " I've preached the Good News all my life!"
How come all I got a very small place and the bus driver got
that beautiful house?
St. Peter replied, "When you preached, the people fell asleep.
When the bus driver drove his bus, people prayed."
-- Bo Reud
DO YOU PRAY? - WHY DO YOU PRAY?
LET'S ASK A QUESTION: WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU TWO (2) REASONS as to WHY WE SHOULD PRAY!
REASON #1. WE PRAY TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE: We must SPEND TIME with an individual.
Let's use our kids as an example:
- Support your kids in YOUTH functions at school and at church.
- Spend time with them.
TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE: We must SHARE EXPERIENCES with them.
- Eat a meal, go to a concert together, go to the park, picnic and play together.
- We can share experiences by working together or playing sports together.
TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE: We must COMMUNICATE with them.
- Friends talk with each other.
- Friends talk about their hopes, dreams and fears.
ON THE SPIRITUAL SIDE
TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: We must SPEND TIME with God.
Let's think of a TELEPHONE. When we talk on a telephone we can't see the individual on the other end but we know that they are there. We talk and they listen. Then they talk and we listen. Our relationship with God is similar. We talk to God through PRAYER and we listen to God speak through BIBLE STUDY and through sermons, by having the Word of God expounded to us.
TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: We must SHARE EXPERIENCES with God. HOW?
- By attending Sabbath Services, Bible Studies and Holy Day Convocations.
- By attending the Feast of Tabernacles.
We are in a way walking up and down in God's government.
- We should let Jesus Christ live in us.
TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: We must COMMUNICATE with God through prayer.
- God wants to be our friend. (John 15;14-15)
- Share your successes and your failures with God.
- Talk to God about your TRIALS and TESTS.
We should talk to ask God about things before we do them.
- Buy a car - God is your financial partner.
- Buy a house. - This is a major purchase.
Pray to God about major decisions.
God wants us to talk to Him.
How should we talk to God?
- We should talk to God as we would talk to our own human father.
- We should to talk to God in a natural way, not in a monotone voice.
- Don't talk to God in a syrupy manner or with King James English.
- Don't use Thees and Thous.
- Talk to God as you would talk to one of your very best friend.
You respect your friends. You would not want to do anything to offend them.
We don't want to offend God in how we talk to Him.
Always Realize to WhomYou Are Praying!
As you come before God in prayer, be fully conscious and aware of
the power, majesty and holiness of the eternal Creator God to whom
you are praying.
- Don't approach God sleepily or carelessly.
You may say something that you should not say.
- Always have a humble attitude in prayer.
Abase yourself. Exalt God. He is the creator and we are the created.
- Realize that you are coming before the very throne of the ruler of the universe!
- Always remember that God Is Listening!
- Just as important, realize as you pray that you have God's undivided attention.
How can we build on this relationship with God?
- Praise God!
- Read the Psalms when you are praying.
See how David praised God.
- Read a song from the church Hymnal.
This may inspire you and give you ideas as to how to praise God.
- Thank God for your blessings.
REASON #2 AS TO WHY WE SHOULD PRAY: God Is the Source of Everything Good
LET'S READ: James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation
or shadow of turning.
In this modern society in which we live, it is easy to forget that God is the source of every good gift.
What are some of these gifts?
- God is the source of wisdom, understanding and knowledge (Proverbs 3:6, James 1:5).
- God is the source of peace and of power, love and a sound mind.
- God is the source of promotion and advancement (Psalm 75:6-7).
- God is our protector (Psalm 91).
When our ways please Him,
- God grants us favor even with those who hate us (Proverbs 16:7).
Our enemies will be at peace with us.
- God forgives us and heals us (Psalm 103:3).
- God has given us our good health.
- God has given us our jobs, hobbies, talents and abilities.
- God has given us a beautiful free country to live in.
A country with freedoms of press, assembly and religion.
We need to be thankful to God for the many blessings that we have:
- Electricity: microwaves, t.v. and air conditioning.
- Running water and indoor plumbing.
- Gas utilities to heat our homes
- Automobiles - to take us to church and to our jobs.
God has chosen for us to live in these modern times and to do his work.
God is the source of everything Good.
LET'S READ: John 3:27
"John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless
it has been given to him from heaven."
Once God calls and begins to work with us, we can receive nothing apart from Him.
Realizing this, we should be diligent to seek God in prayer regularly.
Without God's direction, guidance, favor, power and help, we can
accomplish nothing worthwhile (John 15:5).
Jesus said: in John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who
abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can
do nothing.
The closer you can stay to God and the more often you come to Him in
prayer, the less you will sin and the more you will accomplish.
IN CONCLUSION:
WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?
- We PRAY to have a Relationship with God.
- We PRAY because God Is the Source of Everything Good.
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