Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

July 17
Thursday


WHY PRAY?

READ:
Luke 11:1-13
__________________________________________

When [Jesus] had sent
the multitudes away,
He went up on the
mountain by Himself to
pray. __Matthew 14:23
__________________________________________

As a journalist, I have spent time with famous people who make me feel very small. I rarely sleep well the night before and have to fight a case of nerves. I wonder what I would do if seated at a banquet next to, say, Albert Einstein or Mozart. Would I chitchat? Would I make a fool of myself?

In prayer I am approaching the Creator of all that is--Someone who makes me feel immeasurably small. How can I do anything but fall silent in such presence? How can I believe that whatever I say matters to God?

The Bible sometimes emphasizes the distance between humans and God and sometimes the closeness. Without question, though, Jesus Himself taught us to count on he closeness. In His own prayers He used the word Abba (Daddy), an informal address that Jews had not previously used in prayer. A new way of praying was born.

Jesus understood better than anyone the vast difference between God and human beings. Yet He did not question the personal concern of God, who watches over sparrows and counts the hairs on our heads. He valued prayer enough to spend many hours at the task.

If I had to answer the question "Why pray?" in one sentence, it would be, "Because Jesus did." __Philip Yancey
_____________________________________________________________

``````````````````````FOR FURTHER STUDY`````````````````````

```````Many of us don't pray to God on His terms. Learn from````````
```````our Lord's model for prayer by reading Jesus' Blueprint````````
```````For Prayer on the Web at www.discoveryseries.org/hj891```````
_____________________________________________________________

If Jesus needed to pray, how can we do less?

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 11:1-13***************

1 Now it came to pass, as
He was praying in a certain
place, when He ceased, that
one of His disciples said to
Him, "Lord, teach us to pray,
as John also taught his
disciples."

2 So He said to them,
"When you pray, say: 'Our
Father in heaven, hallowed
be Your name. Your kingdom
come. Your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven. 3 Give
us day by day our daily
bread. 4 and forgive us our
sins, for we also forgive
everyone who is indebted to
us. And do not lead us into
temptation, but deliver us
from the evil one.' "

5 And He said to them,
"Which of you shall have a
friend, and go to him at
midnight and say to him,
'Friend, lend me three
loaves; 6 for a freind of mine
has come to me on his
journey, and I have nothing
to set before him': 7 and he
will answer from within and
say, 'Do not trouble me; the
door is now shut, and my
children are with me in bed; I
cannot rise and give to you'?

8 I say to you, though he will
not rise and give to him
because he is his friend, yet
because of his persistence he
will rise and give him as
many as he needs.

9 "So I say to you, ask, and
it will be given to you; seek,
and you will find; knock, and
it will be opened to you.

10 For everyone who asks
receives, and he who seeks
finds, and to him who knocks
it will be opened. 11 If a son
asks for bread from any
father among you, will he
give him a stone? Or if he
asks for a fish, will he give
him a serpent instead of a
fish? 12 Or if he asks for an
egg, will he offer him a
scorpion? 13 If you then,
being evil, know how to
give good gifts to your
children, how much more
will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those
who ask Him!"

[Sassy3]

cimi, thanks for being so faithful to post here. Today's "Why Pray" was especially good. Stay in HIS will. May HIS blessing come upon you.
sassy3