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terryjohn -> RE: The power of prayer (6/7/2008 3:00:45 PM)
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Faith is all important. Having said that what should the faithful ask for? Would the faithful actually need nothing from the Lord for as scripture states that we should not be like pagans in prayer
Mt 6:30 O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
Mt 6:8 - Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Personally I prefer private prayer as in many prayer meetings people tend to be too ritualistic and other than themselves almost in an effort to please others. Hence, Mt 6:6 - when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
You could say the only requirement for effective prayer is faith; Mr 11:24 - Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
We could then say why would the faithful have to pray for anything knowing that God is not a judge that needs to be pressured into giving us what we want by yelling louder or pressing more people to badger Him into giving in to our demands. If we did would we not be acused by Elijah himself?
1 Kings 18:27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."
Luke 18:1-8
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
The point of the above is God is not like a human judge that needs to be worn down and not slow or ignorant of our needs that He needs reminding or told to hurry up. You cold then say that it is not the numbers, the place but the people and their faith and as a consequence their righteousness that maketh the difference.
Jas 5:16 - Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Now if God were not to answer any prayer, would the Son of Man when he comes, find faith on the earth?" In the end is not His grace sufficient?
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