20 Things That Make Us Pray

There are 20 reasons why we pray.

And He was telling them a story to illustrate why they should always pray and never give up: (Luke 18:1).

We should pray constantly.

She was aware that I was praying for a member of my family who is often getting into trouble. Her question was, “What is the point of your prayers?” To my mind, it would serve no useful purpose.

Astonished that a Christian would even suggest such a thing, I finally managed to gather my composure and said, “Ask me why I breathe air. I can’t imagine my life without it.

To put it bluntly, she did not let me off the hook. How certain are you that God will grant your request? That’s what you pray for, right?

I finally felt calm enough to attempt to articulate a coherent response.

This isn’t something I can decide. It’s none of my concern how He decides to respond to my petition.

My work is prayer. To express one’s belief in another’s plight by way of a prayer or intercession. So please grant my request.”

It is entirely up to Him how He responds. And if He does respond, how long it takes.”

She won’t stop probing me with her inquiry. Everyone who prays consistently, during good times and bad, must answer this question again and time again, for themselves, their loved ones, and their critics.

The task is more complex than it first seems. Why Worship?

Not all of my prayers are answered.

A waitress I haven’t seen in over a year thanked me for praying for her only the day before at the restaurant. I’ve been meaning to thank you,” she finally said. Things turned out well in the end. And I really appreciate your prayers.

Oh my. Have I prayed for her? Absolutely, I had to have. Were my prayers able to make a difference? In other words, did they make a difference? Heavens knows.

In several cases, God has given me an unmistakable “yes” to my requests. But sometimes, “no” is the correct response. On other occasions, His response comes much later or in such an unusual form that I can miss the fact that He was really answering my prayer.

Friend, I told him, “I have no problem with Him answering my prayers for my loved ones forty years from now, long after I am in Heaven.”

Nonetheless, I am certain that God will.

Exactly why am I praying? Surely, there are a thousand explanations. This is the first 20 of my responses.

When I think about how Jesus blessed the children in Matthew 19:13-15 and Mark 10:16, my heart responds, “I’m one of your children, Lord. Please embrace me and bestow your blessing upon me.

• I must have God in my life. Not once does He impose Himself on us. Although He makes Himself accessible, the choice to accept or reject Him ultimately rests with each individual person, as Revelation 3:20 so beautifully puts it. Know that I want Him now and forever.

• I need His shielding.There are many threats in this corrupted planet. The Lord is really “my shield” (Psalm 3:3), “my shelter” (Psalm 16:1), “my fortress” (Psalm 9:9), and “my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). (Psalm 23:1).

• Thirdly, I must follow in His footsteps. For the glory of His name, He directs me down straight roads (Psalm 23:3). A man’s method does not originate with him, the prophet said to the Lord. Human beings do not have the capacity to control their own movements (Jeremiah 10:23).

• I pray that He will carry out His purposes for my life. Plans for your benefit, not disaster, to provide a future with hope are what the Lord promises in Jeremiah 29:11. (Jeremiah 29:11). “How often I would have (blessed you), but you were reluctant,” Jesus lamented to Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37). The Lord can count on me. “I have come to bow down!”

• Fifth, I absolutely must leave today in His capable hands. The Lord has fashioned this day, and I want to enjoy it to the fullest (Psalm 118:24). A few minutes after waking up, I kneel in my bedroom and pray for God’s will to be done in my life, in the things I do daily, and in the lives of those closest to me.

• I’d rather not do some of the things I have to do in the flesh that I have to do. I have a lot of sermon preparation and article writing to do today as well as some cartooning for a Christian newspaper. I’ll be doing a hundred different things, including chatting to my kids and meeting new people in town. Without His help, I’ll be in deep danger very quickly.

• Seven, I pray that God would bless my loved ones. All of my offspring, together with their partners and offspring, are in need of Him. The Bible says, “Behold, children are a gift from the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). He can provide for what He offers.

• Eight, the Lord can accomplish what I cannot and dream of doing. Long after I have gone to Heaven, he will still be here with my kids and grandkids. So I pray for them before they make any big choices like where to go to college, who to be best friends with, where to work, who to marry, and what church to attend. (I like to see them as time-release prayers, intercessions that begin working after Grandpa has already departed the premises.)

• I have to wash every day. Oh my goodness, do I ever! To worship the living God, “the blood of Christ…(will) purify your conscience from dead acts” (Hebrews 9:14). A man who rids himself of these vices will become “a vessel for honor, sanctified, helpful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good task (2 Timothy 2:21). Like taking a shower, brushing my teeth, and cleaning my hands, prayer is an essential part of my morning routine.

• When I read the Bible, I need Him to shed light on it for me. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is the true Author of these texts. That’s why I’m looking for a mentor. “May the light of God shine in your heart’s eyes” (Ephesians 1:18).

• I pray that He would heal and bless people I have damaged, deceived, or wronged in the past. Some of them I may be familiar with, while others I am not. Heavens knows. Therefore, I pray for them, both specifically and generally. Pray that the Lord will restore her health. To God be the glory; please bless him. “May God strengthen that person.”

• If you ask for anything good, the Lord will grant it to you. I am in the habit of asking for the best because I deserve it. Likewise in Luke (11:13), Matthew (7:11) The famous prayer of Jabez, “O that thou wouldst bless me truly!” is one that I have no qualms with praying. (10 of 1 Chronicles)

• I need to know that no matter what occurs, I am safe in His hands. My soul would have resided in the home of quiet (death) if the Lord had not been my aid, the psalmist laments (Psalm 94:17). The Lord has saved me from several potential disasters, and He even helped me beat cancer. On the other hand, if I go straight into the darkest valley of death, He will be there with me (Psalm 23:4). Knowing that is more valuable than everything else in the world.

• He gives me the ability to have a happy heart. The psalmist exclaimed, “The Lord is my song and my strength,” on many occasions. When he spoke, it was like music to my ears (Psalm 40:3).

• My God will lead me even in the desert. There was a great chorus with that phrase, and we sung it forty years ago. All I have to do is follow, it states in the following line. I praise Him for the first (that He is aware!) and ask for help with the second (that I will adhere to) every day.

• To “the virtuous,” the Bible makes a thousand promises. It’s not even amusing how far from righteousness I am. To the contrary, I would want to be. Thus, I offer up a prayer. To paraphrase, “The godly will continue to produce fruit even in old age” (Psalm 92:12-15).

• I owe Him an apology for being forgetful at the age of 17. My strength and sustenance come from him (Psalm 16:5). “I shall praise Thee, O Lord, throughout the nations… because the heights of thy lovingkindness are higher than the sky, and the depths of thy truth are beyond the clouds (Psalm 108:3-4). Whom do atheists give thanks to, anyway? Not having anybody to thank must be the most frustrating aspect of doubt.

• I’m at a loss for where to shed my tears. “They (those who) sow in sorrow will reap in shouts of delight” (Psalm 126:5). My tears are precious to my Father (see Psalm 56:8). (If I cry anywhere else than when groveling at His feet, folks would worry that I’m sad and push me to get assistance. I feel far from down in the dumps right now. My emotions are all over the place right now.

• Neither I nor the world have a full understanding of our requirements.
  However, I am acquainted with the One who can. I ask that “Thy will be done” here on Earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). I frequently say a prayer similar to “Thy will be done in America as it is in Heaven” to include the whole country. The same of Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, especially in the state of Louisiana. May your will be done on earth as it is in New Orleans. May God’s will be done on Earth (in my hood of River Ridge) as it is in heaven. Finally, I pray, “Thy will be done in my family, in my home, in my heart and spirit, and in my health, as it is in Heaven.”

• I am only a little kid. I need His hand in mine to take even one step. The thought of passing a whole day without praying to God seems disrespectful, like a betrayal of the people I care about, and like an affront to God. To quote the song: “I need thee, O I need thee. I need you every single minute of the day. O, save me and bless me, Lord. I have come to you.”

I think that should satisfy her curiosity. The simple act of writing out my prayer intentions has been helpful.

Joe isn’t some kind of prayer expert, despite what you may have read. Absolutely not, in my opinion. My supplications sound like the babble of a baby who hasn’t learnt to talk yet. When I fail to make sense in my prayers to God, the Holy Spirit steps in to help. I will always appreciate that help.

To you, O God, all people pray (Psalm 65:2).