Thoughts about Prayer from the Bible

Thoughts about prayer #1,   Matthew 21:22-23 NKJV

 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” 

Thought about prayer and Gods promise #2, 1 Chronicles17:25-18:1 NLT

25 “O my God, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer because you have revealed that you will build a house for me — an eternal dynasty! 26 For you are God, O LORD. And you have promised these good things to me, your servant. 27 And now, it has pleased you to bless me and my family so that our dynasty will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O LORD, it is an eternal blessing!”   

Thought about prayer #3, Matthew 6:5-18 NLT

5 “And now about prayer. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get.  6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. 

7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again.  8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!  9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.  10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.  11 Give us our food for today,   12 and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.  13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. 

16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get.  17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.  18 Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

Thoughts about prayer #4, Romans 10:1-4 NLT

10:1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Instead, they are clinging to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. They won’t go along with God’s way. 4 For Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the law. All who believe in him are made right with God.

Thoughts about prayer #5 — Colossians 4:2-6 NKJV

Christian Graces

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.  5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Thoughts of prayer #7 — 1 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV

The Great Apostasy

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Thought about prayer #8 — James 5:12-18 NLT

The Power of Prayer

13 Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord.

14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years!

18 Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured. The grass turned green, and the crops began to grow again.

Thoughts of  Prayer #9 — 1 Peter 1:12-2:1 NLT

A Call to Holy Living

13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ.  14 Obey God because you are his children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God — who chose you to be his children — is holy. 16 For he himself has said, “You must be holy because I am holy.”  

17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as foreigners here on earth. 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you.

21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God. 22 Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts.  

23 For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 24 As the prophet says,

“People are like grass that dies away; their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wildflowers.

The grass withers, and the flowers fall away.

25 But the word of the Lord will last forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

Thoughts about prayer #10 — Genisis 24:42-43 NLT

“O LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in a special way.”

Thought about Prayer #11– Luke 6:28-36 NLT

28 Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.  29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.  30 Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.  31 Do for others as you would like them to do for you. 

32 “Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? Even the sinners do that!  33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much!  34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return. 

35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don’t be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked.  36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Thought about prayer #12 — Philippians 4:6-9 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

Thought about prayer #13 — Jude 20-23 NLT

20 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit.   21 Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. 22 Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren’t contaminated by their sins.