Prayer
Bible Verses About Prayer...
Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks. -Matthew 7:7-8
Whatever you ask for in prayer full of faith, you will receive. -Matthew 21:22
Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. -Romans 12:12
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. -Colossians 4:2
Prayer Q&A
Why should I pray?
In the great, infinite wisdom of God, He made us social creatures. That is, we are never complete when we are alone. At the very core of who we are, we speak to each other so we can know each other, and know each other better. When we pray, we have a chance to get to know God, and God helps us know ourselves better. If we don't pray, its like the person we never call: we will never know them better and grow in our relationship. It may not always seem like God is a great conversationalist, but not every conversation we have will seem like we know a person better. Nevertheless we continue in prayer because it works, regardless of whether or not we see it.
Who should I pray to?
Ultimately, we make our prayers to God, always mindful that He hears us and wants the best for us, but we should never underestimate asking for help from others as well. Just as we ask friends and family and church here on earth to pray for our petitions and our concerns, so too can we ask the saints to intercede for us before our Heavenly Father as well. Let us never forget that Mary has a particularly special place in heaven and as such can be a great intercessor for us before God as well.
When should I pray?
Scriptures tell us to "pray without ceasing" so it seems that there is never an inappropriate time to pray, but we always want to remember that we can pray in many ways. In any good prayer life there should be daily time set aside for adoration(loving God for who He is), thanksgiving, supplication (asking for help), and meditation. Within our meditation it is very helpful to include reading Sacred Scripture and other holy works, but obviously some of these prayers will take more time or focus than others. While it is nice to thank God for the beauty of creation while travelling to work, it would be best to not close our eyes while driving. Thus, different prayers will be restricted based on our schedule, but we must never underestimate the value of even the smallest prayer made in a busy moment.
Does God really listen?
God is ALWAYS listening. So often in our busy lives we forget that while we can only focus on the task at hand, God's limitless power and timelessness allows Him to know all of our prayers without the fear of losing track of one person's prayer over another. Remember God made us, but does not have our limitations, and thus can do so much more than we realize. We must be wary to not put limits on God and what He can do, because He is always able to surprise us in His abilities. Know that even if we don't "feel" anything in our prayer, and regardless of whether or not we even "hear" an answer, God promised us He would listen, and we can take God at His word, because He has never failed to keep a promise, why would God falter now?
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