Study in Prayer

We have been studying about the Prayer of Petition for the last several days. Yesterday, we started to go over the layout of your prayer. We covered opening your prayer by addressing, as Jesus instructed us, to pray to “Our Father in Heaven…”  We then went over stating the reason you were making this petition to God. You need to state you purpose for doing so. In detail.

Then, we covered listing each one of the scriptures you have researched that pertain in any way whatsoever to your position and purpose. We covered that you need to list, not just the scripture reference, but also the exact scripture, word for word, from the Bible.

We then covered that presenting your petition is not going to be accomplished in a 3-5 minute or even a 15 minute prayer session. That is what makes the “Prayer of Petition” so powerful. You need to prepare for and then present your petition just like a lawyer would if appearing before the Supreme Court of the land. Amen!

If you were praying for healing in your body, of any kind…but let’s say it is a very serious disease, cancer or something… Do you want to pray a 10 second prayer “Oh, God, please heal me…” Or would you like to present your case, in detail, taking an hour or more… laying out WHY God should heal you? And it’s not so you can go to the beach next weekend. Amen!

I know that probably stepped on somebody’s toes somewhere. But don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good.

Just like you would ask the judge in court to find you not guilty so you could go the beach with your family next weekend, you need to provide evidence of WHY you should have your petition answered. 

And you do that by going deep in your research, laying out your case and taking all the time you need to present a convincing argument to the JUDGE OF ALL THINGS. Amen!

For example, if you were presenting a petition for healing, you could say something to the effect of: 

“I claim my healing according to the following scriptures that YOUR WORD has already established as fact: 

In Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

In 1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

You can then add verses from the Bible where people have actually received their healings when requested to be healed. This backs up the foundation of your request. Amen

You could go on and list, one by one, 100 different verses of scripture. This is simply evidence that God has granted petitions like yours before. You are establishing precedent. Amen! God is not a respecter of persons. What He did for one, He can and will do for you.

By these scriptures in sequence, or, if you want, in some other type of logical layout – it BUILDS YOUR FAITH at the same time. As your Faith starts to grow, it becomes more powerful, more real. Way down deep in your inner Spirit man, you are becoming a Faith Powerhouse. And remember, it finally comes to a point where Jesus says, “Do you believe I can do this?” 

By the time you finish your prayer, and He asks you that, you will be “OH, YES JESUS! I BELIEVE!”

And then, your Spirit man will hear, “According to your Faith, be it unto you…”

Where will YOUR FAITH be at that point? If you follow this teaching, it will be sky high by the time this moment happens! Amen!

Let’s leave it there for today. Tomorrow, I’m thinking we will be able to conclude this segment on “the prayer of petition.” But, let’s see what the Holy Spirit has to say about that tomorrow. Amen! When I started this series, I had no idea it would go in the direction the Lord has brought us. Praise God.

Let’s Pray!

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We have been studying about the Prayer of Petition for the last several days. Today, I want to go over the actual layout of your prayer.

Jesus told us to “Pray to your Father in Heaven…”. He also said to “Pray in my name.” So those need to be included in your opening. Something to the effect of “Heavenly Father, the Most High God, I come before you today, in the Name of Jesus…”

Just like a lawyer starts off saying something similar to “Your Honor, I stand before you today…” type of opening. You are recognizing the seat of authority. You are honoring the Most High God – who also happens to be your Heavenly Father. You are coming before Him as a Child of God in the authority of the Name of Jesus.

These things have already been established by scripture. You are just presenting your authority to present your case and that authority has been granted by the Word of God – through Christ Jesus. Amen!

Next, you need to state the reason you are petitioning God. What are the facts surrounding your case? The need for healing? Provision? Career choice? Perhaps if a matter of whether to marry someone? Maybe if you should move to a different geographic location? The options here are boundless. But you MUST present the reason for the petition.

A lawyer is not going to go before the Supreme Court of the land for a traffic citation case. Those kinds of matters are handled way down the food chain of the court system. If a lawyer is presenting a case to the Supreme Court or to a high judge, he must state WHY he is there in the first place. 

That is what the next item is on your petition. “I come before you this day to present this petition to you concerning __________” and then you state the purpose. “…to request my financial needs to be met…” “…to request this cancer be removed from my body…” Again, the examples could go on and on and on. But you get the idea.

Next, you begin to present your research and list the scriptures as your “prior rulings in matters such as this…”

You may list 50 or even 100 scriptures. Believe me, you are not going to bore God with your 100 scripture references. Amen! If anything, He will be impressed you actually took the time to do the research and write them all out! Don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good! Amen!

Present, not just the scripture reference, but the actual scripture. Write it out and then read it out loud when you are praying. Amen! That’s right…I said READ EVERY SCRIPTURE OUT LOUD, one by one, all 100 or 138 or however many you have. 

Doing so will take some time, no doubt. But if you were going to appear before the Supreme Court of the land and were told to take as long as you need to present your case…and that you case would only be decided using the information presented DURING YOUR TESTIMONY…would you simply summarize things and finish in three minutes? Or would you be very detailed and take 45 minute or even an hour if the case were that important to you?

What makes you appearing before a human judge any better than that having an opportunity to present your petition before the One who created EVERYTHING? Amen! Don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good!

“I claim my healing according to the following scriptures that YOUR WORD has already established as fact: 

In Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

In 1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

You can then add verses from the Bible where people have actually received their healings when requested to be healed. This backs up the foundation of your request. Amen!

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

We have been studying about the Prayer of Petition for the last several days. I’ve emphasized the need for you to get into the Word of God and do a study about scriptures that relate and apply to your specific situation. Yesterday, I said that today, we will begin to lay out your prayer of petition.

What do I mean by that?

If you have picked up on one theme concerning the “Prayer of Petition” from these last several days, it should have been to the point of “scriptures that relate directly or indirectly to a situation you are praying about.” It doesn’t matter what that situation is… If it is something you need God to move and answer for you – something important, life changing type of situation – you need to present it to Him in a way that leaves no doubt about the outcome you are expecting to receive.

Think of it like a lawyer preparing a very important case to present before a judge. The lawyer has all of the legal books, court case histories, Supreme Court rulings, everything that he needs at his disposal. The only thing is – he (or she) has to do the research to find the court cases that ruled on the exact situation the lawyer is representing the client in. The lawyer is looking for example after example where another court (or even this same court and perhaps the same exact judge) has ruled on a previous case in a way that is beneficial to the lawyer’s client.

The lawyer will have reference after reference of prior cases. Supreme Court cases, Circuit Court cases, District Court cases (if applicable to the jurisdiction of the court). All of these cases represent “precedence.” That means, other courts have reviewed similar situations and made rulings and provided legal opinions on the matter.

This simply makes it easier for the judge to move in favor of the case the lawyer is presenting. Why? Because of the history of prior cases similar to this case already proven to exist.

That is why I’ve been emphasizing the need for you to do your own research, your own Bible study, your own search of the scriptures to find direct, scriptural evidence to support your case.  Scriptures where someone prayed and received healing or some other breakthrough. The exact kind you are praying for is best. 

But, as we covered before, we live in a culture totally different from the culture the Bible was written in. So, as laws and rulings in court cases have adapted to the changing times, we need to pray in accordance with God’s Will concerning our situation in our time.

So if there is not a direct example (like I said, for example, healing), we need to find scriptures that can be applied to our situation, even though it is not exact. An example would be on finding a job or making a career decision.

In that example, you could pray Philippians 4:19 that “all your needs are met according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” That does not mean God will rain money down from Heaven. But if you are praying for employment or for a career decision, that could be one of the scriptures you list and stand on for your prayer of petition. Amen! Don’t shout me down when I’m preaching good!

Tomorrow, we go over the layout of your prayer of petition.

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Scripture For Today:

We have been studying about the Prayer of Petition and how you need to get into the Word of God and do a study about scripture references to your specific situation. Yesterday, we left off with the absolute necessity that you need to make a decision. 

I shared the only time you should pray “if it by they will” in a prayer, is when you are seeking direction. You have a choice to make. You need to make a decision. You have evaluated your options and now it is either choice A or choice B. Perhaps a choice C as well.

In the natural, you may have an inclination to choose the option that may benefit you the most. BUT – is that God’s Will for you in the concept of His Plan for your life? That is where you need to present your prayer and THEN ASK, “If it be thy Will.”

For example, let’s say you are considering whether or not to get married. You may want to ask for God’s direction in a manner of “Lord, is this the person you have planned for me?” Or for a career decision, “Lord, is the path you want me to take?”

But the important part is – if you have arrived at the place where a DECISION NEEDS TO BE MADE – there is a good chance, you have been provided ALL of the information you need to MAKE A DECISION.  

DO YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE?

In each and every instance, in all of the examples we have discussed today, you KNOW God’s Word and what the Word says IS GOD’s WILL.

So if you KNOW THE WORD – you KNOW HIS WILL.

IF YOU KNOW HIS WILL – You know what you must do.

If you know what you must do – and it is based upon His will – you KNOW THE OUTCOME IS WHAT YOU WANT!

If you know the outcome has already been planned according to His will – this is where you come to the place of knowing, “you will receive your petitions from your Father in Heaven!”

PRAISE GOD!

It is so important for believers to understand the POWER OF PRAYER. 

PRAYER WILL CHANGE THINGS!

Notice I said THINGS. Prayer WILL NOT CHANGE PEOPLE!  Do not get that confused.

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS. NOT PEOPLE.  ONLY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST has the ability to change people, and that is from the inside out! AMEN!

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Scripture For Today:

We have been studying about the Prayer of Petition and how you need to get into the Word of God and do a study about scripture references to your specific situation. Whether the Bible speaks directly about your situation, like healing, finances, deliverance, etc., or indirectly – either way, you need to get into the Word of God FIRST.

You need to accomplish this BEFORE you prepare your Prayer of Petition and actually present it to the Lord in a formal prayer request. I’m getting slightly ahead of myself, I want to cover one more point before I get into the aspect of writing your prayer of petition.

Yesterday, I left off with breaking bad habits and replacing them with Godly habits. What did I mean by that? We ran out of time, so I had to just leave that hanging there until today. So let’s start there. Amen!

Habits are hard to break. You do them without even thinking about it.

I used to come home from work, take a shower a grab a beer from the fridge and not even think about it. That was a habit that I had established over and over and over. But, when I made the decision to stop drinking alcohol way back in 1993, it was STILL a habit. But I was making a conscious decision NOT TO DO THAT anymore. It did not take long and that habit was broken – forever!

Many of us have habits we are not proud of. I do, you do, your family members do. It is in our human nature.

But, that does not mean we continue with bad habits. Once we know a habit is bad, we must consciously make the decision NOT TO DO THAT!

The Apostle Paul wrote, in Romans 7:14-25, “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

      I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

Do you think Paul knew how to pray? Absolutely.  But we see here that even HE struggled sometimes with habits.

The point I’m trying to make is this. You can use the appropriate method of prayer in various situations. You may not know what God’s will is in a particular situation. SO, should you pray “I don’t know what to do – so Father, IF IT’s YOUR WILL, answer this prayer?”

NO! NO! NO! A hundred times NO!

As I indicated in the The Prayer of Petition, MAKE A DECISION on the outcome you believe is in alignment with God’s will. MAKE THE DECISION. Then pray along the lines of “Father, I believe option A is better than option B. If it is your will, I’m going with option A. If this is not your will for me at this time, please let me know.” 

THE ONLY TIME YOU SHOULD USE “IF IT BE THY WILL” is in a situation like that!

You are asking for direction. PERIOD. 

BUT – you also can’t “NOT make a decision.” 

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2