The_pathway_of

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7, NIV

Prayer is a priviledge and joy for the people who love God! It has sustained God's children since the creation of the world. When we are in an attitude of prayer we can find assurance and peace, knowing we are in the presence of God and knowing we are deeply loved by Him. Prayer is as natural as breathing -- it is spiritual breathing!

Prayer is two-way conversation with God. It includes our requests and responses to God, but it is also involves listening to what God says to us through his word.

Through prayer we nurture our relationships with other praying Christians -- other children of God. It is God who places in our hearts love for others and the blessed hope of meeting Him face to face. With that love and hope we have the promise of spending eternity with those He has given us to love -- a promise made possible by the great sacrifice of His Son.

The pathway of prayer leads straight to the throne of God! When we bow our heads with the name of Jesus on our lips, it is the sweetest sound to the heart of God. When kneeling in prayer, we are at the foot of the cross -- in the presence of God!

God always listens to our prayers. There is no "busy signal" in our conversation with our Heavenly Father. When we are on our knees, in supplication to God, He does not fail to hold us close to His heart. Prayer is the one sure attitude that keeps us connected with God. Even when we are weak and stumble God never lets us go or loses His hold on us.

Every pathway that we walk with Christ passes through the pathway of prayer. Through prayer we gain the strength to proceed on our walk with Christ. Through prayer we gain God's power in place of our weakness -- God's faith in the place of our doubt. We are never alone when we are in the attitude of prayer, for all of heaven is open to

assist us in our requests.

Though it may not be in the way we desire, our prayers are always answered. Answers to prayer may come in

unexpected ways. It may be strength to meet adversity, or correction to teach us responsibility for our actions. Sometimes God permits things that cause us pain or heartache. Though these times are difficult, they often teach us a better understanding of His purpose for us. Just as a diamond must go through a rigorous process of cutting and polishing before its true value can be seen, God permits hardships and troubles into our lives so that we might learn patience and trust.

There is no limit to what we may request of God and there is no limit to the different ways God can answer prayers. Each of His answers will lead us in a closer walk with Him, if we will trust Him.

Because Jesus trusted God for the best answer to His prayer, you and I, and everyone else who believes in Him, can have eternal life in a new earth -- a new earth without any of the sin, sorrow and heartache we have known in this world.

We cannot always know what is best for us as God does. But if, like Jesus, we surrender our own will and trust in God's will for our lives, we can be certain that however God chooses to answer our prayer -- whether it's "yes", "no", or "wait for the time that I choose" -- He will never answer in a way that would do us harm. If we depend on our Heavenly Father's decision, it will always be what is the very best for us! Then we can know the end result will be eternal life with Christ!

Jesus spent much time in prayer. Sometimes He would rise early in the morning before dawn and go out to a solitary place where He could be alone with God in prayer. It was during these times with His Father that He gained strength for His ministry here on earth.

On the very same night He was to be betrayed, Jesus and a few of His disciples went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. The sins of the world weighed so heavily on His heart the Bible says He was "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." With tears in His eyes, He asked His Father to "let this cup pass from Me". But even for His own Son God could not answer in the way that Jesus desired. "Nevertheless, not as I will but as Thou wilt", Jesus continued. He trusted Himself completely into the hands of His Father in heaven. (See Matthew 26:38-39).

Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. He doesn't mean that we must always be kneeling in prayer, but we are to always be in an attitude of communication with our Heavenly Father as often as we need it. We can pray silently to God wherever we are, at work or play, at study or at leisure.

He prayed early in the morning to start the day. Mark 1:35

He prayed at His baptism. Luke 3:21

He prayed all night when He chose His disciples. Luke 6:12

He prayed when He fed the multitude. Matthew 14:19

He prayed after service to the people. Matthew 14:23

He prayed while He was teaching. Matthew 11:25

He prayed for all His followers and disciples. John 17

He prayed at His transfiguration. Luke 9:28

He prayed at the last supper. Matthew 26:27

He prayed for Himself in Gethsemane. Matthew 26:39

He prayed on the cross for his tormentors. Luke 23:34

He prayed as He died. Luke 23:46.

Jesus gave us advice about how to pray. (See Matthew 6.) He told us to pray secretly in our closets, rather than openly where others may see us. There is no need for long or repititious prayers, for God knows what we need before we ask Him. The prayer He taught His disciples as a model of how we should pray has been used and repeated more than any other prayer recorded in the Bible.

The Lord's Prayer is a prayer of praise to God. It recognizes His Holiness and Fatherhood. It expresses a longing for God's will to be done and for Him to supply our daily needs. It provides opportunity to ask for forgiveness and to be forgiving. We can ask Him to keep us from evil and temptation. We can place all of our burdens at His feet. It takes less than a minute to pray this prayer, but it contains all that we need to help us remain at the feet of the Jesus until He comes.

Our Father in heaven,

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

Matthew 6:9-13, NLT