Last Prayers

In Revelation, prayers are symbolized by incense.

Time to stop writing about prayer and do it more.

Pray At All Times

Wow. I wouldn't have been praying with thanksgiving if I'd been thrown in a nasty dungeon.

What am I missing that Paul and Sials had?

Between the Lord's Supper and Arrest

1. Right after singing a song, the disciples left the room where they celebrated Passover
2. Jesus quotes scripture
3. He anticipates his betrayal and abandonment
4. Peter argues with Jesus
5. Jesus attempts to correct Peter
6. Peter still argues
7. How often do we argue with God?
8. All the other disciples agreed with Peter. I've never noticed this detail before.
9. Jesus went to a private garden to prepare in prayer
10. Where and when do I pray? What are my habits?
11. Jesus admits to James and John and Peter that he's depressed
12. He asks his friends to stay near him
13. Even Jesus desired companionship when his life was nearing its end
14. Jesus was not a loner, even though he appears introverted on occasion
15. Jesus catches his friends sleeping
16. Jesus tells them to pray to "stay out of temptation"
17. When's the last time I prayed to "stay out of temptation?"
18. Jesus acknowledges his willingness to do anything God expects
19. What am I unwilling to do?
20. Jesus' friends fall asleep a second and third time
21. Jesus announces the arrivalof his betrayer to his followers

The Lord's Prayer

My favorite analysis of Jesus' prayer is ACTS:

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

First New Testament Prayer

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he fixes a misconception.

Prayer is for our enemies, too, not only our friends.

Jonah's Selfish Prayer

We find Jonah complaining to the Lord in prayer after seeing the Ninevites forgiven.

Daniel's Habit

I find Daniel's unwillingness to pray privately in Daniel 6 fascinating.

He knew he'd be thrown to the lions.

But he stuck to his regular habit of praying in front of his windows anyway.

I wonder if he was really several steps ahead of his adversaries and sensed that his God would save him from the lions.

This is one of the best reminders in the Bible that prayer really does make a difference.

When Not to Pray

In Jeremiah 7, we find that the Lord tells the prophet not to pray for the people.

There comes a time that even sincere prayer to God will fall on deaf ears.

Hezekiah's Powerful Prayer

In Isaiah 37, we learn that Hezekiah's humble prayer led directly to the defeat of the Assyrian army.

Sacrifice v. Prayer

In Proverbs 15:8, we learn that God would prefer words of prayer from "the upright" than gifts from "the wicked."

Psalm 109

David asks his enemy's prayers to "condemn him."

This is a surprising spiritual request.

Job's Prayer

Why is Job's prayer immediately followed by a description of his reinstated wealth?

There is not a one-to-one correspondence between sincere prayer and wealth.

The text connects Job's prayer to the sins of his friends, not his wealth.

Nehemiah, Man of Prayer

Whenever Nehemiah faces a challenge, the first thing he does is pray.

He sets a great example.

Ezra's Prayer

Ezra prayed a community prayer of confession.

Sometimes a leader prays publicly over a group's sins to make things right.

Elisha's Prayers

Elisha prays and his allies see God's spiritual troops.

He prays again and enemy troops are blinded.

Elijah's 2 Prayers

Prayer 1: Burn up this soaking sacrifice
Prayer 2: Let me die. I'm no better than my ancestors

Prayer 2 doesn't appear to follow logically after God answers Prayer 1 so spectacularly.

Jeroboam, the Man of God, and the Prophet of Bethel

Jeroboam sinned by allowing anyone to become his priest.

A man of God prophesied against Jeroboam.

Jeroboam asked the man of God to pray for him, so God would forgive his sin.

Curiously, an old prophet called the man of God back into town against God's explicit directions. The prophet lied to the Man of God, and as a result, the Man of God was killed by a lion.

Afterwards, the prophet retrieved the man of God's body and buried him in Bethel.

King David's Courageous Prayer

David says that it sometimes requires courage to pray to the Lord.

Sin of Omission

Samuel explains that if he didn't pray for the people, he would be sinning "against the Lord."

I'm Praying, Not Drunk

Eli mistook Hannah's silent prayer for drunken babbling.

Hannah and Elkanah had Samuel as an answer to her prayer.