D.Y.H.

Do Your Homework

Homepage

Psalms 141:2   Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Psalms 86:6   Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to  the voice of my supplications.

What Does True Prayer Consist of?

Faith. The most meaningful prayer comes from a heart that places its trust in the God who has acted and spoken in the Jesus of history and the teachings of the Bible. God speaks to us through the Bible, and we in turn speak to Him in trustful, believing prayer. Assured by Scripture that God is personal, living, active, all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful, we know that God can hear and help us. A confident prayer life is built on the cornerstone of Christ’s work and words as shown by the prophets and apostles in the Bible

Worship. In worship we recognize what is of highest worth—not ourselves, others, or our work, but God. Only the highest divine being deserves our highest respect. Guided by Scripture, we set our values in accord with God’s will and perfect standards. Before God, angels hide their faces and cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Is. 6:3

Confession. Awareness of God’s holiness leads to consciousness of our own sinfulness. Like the prophet Isaiah, we exclaim, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Is. 6:5). By sinning we hurt ourselves and those closest to us; but first of all, and worst of all, sin is against God (Ps. 51:4). We need not confess our sins to another being. But we should confess them directly to God, who promises to forgive us of all our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)

Adoration. God is love, and He has demonstrated His love in the gift of His Son. The greatest desire of God is that we love Him with our whole being (Matt. 22:37). Our love should be expressed, as His has been expressed, in both deeds and words. People sometimes find it difficult to say to others and to God, “I love you.” But when love for God fills our lives, we will express our love in prayer to the one who is ultimately responsible for all that we are5.   Praise. The natural outgrowth of faith, worship, confession, and adoration is praise. We speak well of one whom we highly esteem and love. The one whom we respect and love above all others naturally receives our highest commendation. We praise Him for His “mighty acts . . . according to His excellent greatness” (Ps. 150:2), and for His “righteous judgments” (Ps. 119:164). For God Himself, for His works, and for His words, His people give sincere praise

 Thanksgiving. Are we unthankful because we think we have not received what we deserve? But if we got what we “deserved,” we would be condemned because of our guilt. As sinners, we are not people of God by nature. We have no claim upon His mercy or grace. Nevertheless, He has forgiven our sins, granted us acceptance as His people, and given us His righteous standing and a new heart and life.

Ingratitude marks the ungodly, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful” (Rom. 1:21). Believers, in contrast, live thankfully. God has been at work on our behalf in countless ways. So in everything, even for the discipline that is unpleasant, we give thanks (Col. 3:17; 1 Thess. 5:18).

7.  Dedicated Action. Christ’s example does not require us to withdraw from society, but to  render service to the needy in a spirit of prayer. He wept over Jerusalem in compassionate prayer, and then He went into the city to give His life a ransom for many.

Authentic prayer will be the source of courage and productivity, as it was for the prophets and apostles.

Prayer meets inner needs. One who prays will receive freedom from fear (Ps. 118:5–6), strength of soul (Ps. 138:3), guidance and satisfaction (Is. 58:9–11), wisdom and understanding (Dan. 9:20–27), deliverance from harm (Joel 2:32), reward (Matt. 6:6), good gifts (Luke 11:13), fullness of joy (John 16:23–24), peace (Phil. 4:6–8), and freedom from anxiety (1 Pet. 5:7)

Fresh Gospel Music Lessons

Word Clarity Family Christian Ministries, Inc.