Hello Brethren, the Lord be with you.
Bellow are the few lessons I learnt from the zoom mass indoctrination day 4 which was held on 14th October 2021.
The meaning/ content of prayer
Prayer is not story telling but prayer is making request / petition to God.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Philippians 4:6 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/php.4.6.KJV
We pray for what we need at a particular time or moment.
And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
Acts 1:24 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/act.1.24.KJV
Making known our request to God is associated with thanksgiving.
Why thanksgiving is included in prayer
It is because, when we reguest from God we should believe that our request has been granted and if we believe that our reguest has been granted, then we should give thanks to God for granting our request.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark 11:24 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mrk.11.24.KJV
When should we pray
We dont only pray when we are in trouble or in need of something but we should pray day and night without season.
Whether we are in difficulties or in comfort we should pray and give thanks to God.
It is important to pray when we go to bed and when we wake up from bed.
Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1th.5.17-18.KJV
I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
2 Timothy 1:3 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/2ti.1.3.KJV
How should we pray
Our prayers should be simple.
Make your words few and do not repeat them because God is not slow to listen
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/ecc.5.2.KJV
How are sure that our prayer is heard
We should pray to God with pure heart
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:22 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/2ti.2.22.KJV
If we pray to God with evil heart even when we pray day and night God will not listen.
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, And his ears are open unto their prayers: But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
1 Peter 3:12 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1pe.3.12.KJV
Meaning of pure heart
A pure heart is a heart without fornication, adultery, false witness, hatred and the likes.
Let us purify our hearts for our prayers to be heard by God.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/gal.5.19-21.KJV
How can we purify our hearts
We have to allow the word of God in our hearts for our heart to be cleansed.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
John 15:3 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.15.3.KJV
We should also obey the truth for our soul and heart to be purified.
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 Peter 1:22 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1pe.1.22.KJV
Thanks be to God.
