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What we believe and teach - Prayer - |
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We must
pray God the Father for our brothers, that God may strengthen them, comfort
them, establish them in every good work and word, that they may be filled
with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
that they may be fruitful in every good work to the glory of God, that God
may deliver them from the evil one and may heal them; to mention just some of
the things we have to ask God in our prayers we make for them. In our prayers
we must remember our brothers who are in prison and persecuted for the Gospel’s
sake. We must pray God to send out labourers into His harvest. We must also
pray for the labourers who are in the harvest, that God may open to them a
door for the Word and He may enable them to proclaim the Gospel with great
boldness, by stretching out His hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may
be done through the name of Jesus Christ; and He may deliver them from wicked
and evil men. We must also pray for unbelievers, both Jews and Gentiles, that God might save them. We must pray for all
who are in authority that God may save them, help them, bless them, and keep
them. And let us not forget to thank God for all the good things we receive
through the governing authorities. |
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We must pray
for ourselves as well, asking God for both spiritual and material things. We
must not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving we must present our requests to God. Our God hears the
prayer of the righteous. When we are in distress and in need of something we
must call upon God, who promised to answer our prayer. The effective, fervent
prayer of a righteous man avails much. We must pray God in the name of Jesus
Christ. If we pray God in faith (or believing), we keep His commandments, and
what we ask is according to His will, He hears us. It is well to pray on
one's knees; it is a most fitting posture for it expresses humility. However
God’s ears are open to our prayers even when we pray sitting or standing. It
is lawful to pray and fast. We must pray without ceasing. |
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It is a
good thing to accompany our prayers, both those we say privately and those we
say publicly, with thanksgivings addressed to God in the name of Jesus
Christ. Let men lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
Every woman must pray with her head covered with a veil, for woman is the
glory of man; she must have a veil on her head because of the angels; the
veil is a sign of authority (every woman who prays or prophesies with her
head uncovered dishonors man, who is the head of the woman). On the contrary,
every man must pray with his head uncovered, for man is the image and glory
of God (every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his
head, which is Christ). We do not know what we should pray for as we ought,
but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit
is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of
God. That is what happens when one prays in another language. |