Daily Affirmations - Day 6 - The Power in Prayer - Present Your Requests
- Alisa B.
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Day 6: Present your requests
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).
Shepherd Divine, our wants relieve
In this and every day;
To all Thy tempted foll’wers give
The pow’r to watch and pray.
The Spirit’s interceding grace
Give us the faith to claim,
To wrestle till we see Thy face
And know Thy hidden Name.
~ Charles Wesley, 1749
[The model prayer from Jesus] teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and that all other things shall be added. After the things of God's glory, kingdom, and will, we pray for the needful supports and comforts of this present life.
~ Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
The first three petitions have to do exclusively with God: "Thy name be hallowed"—"Thy kingdom come"—"Thy will be done."
The remaining four petitions have to do with OURSELVES:
"Give us our daily bread"
"Forgive us our debts"
"Lead us not into temptation"
"Deliver us from evil."
...These latter petitions occur in an ascending scale—from the bodily wants of every day up to our final deliverance from all evil.
~ Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
The wonder is… that we can ever get up from our knees if we truly realize our own need…. All these needs can be met by the riches of God in Christ Jesus…. But to share His riches we must pray, “for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.”
Today [Jesus] sits on the throne of His Majesty on high, and He holds out to us the scepter of His power. Shall we touch it and tell Him our desires? He bids us take of His treasures. He yearns to grant us “according to the riches of His glory,” that we may “be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). He tells us that our strength and our fruitfulness depend upon our prayers. He reminds us that our very joy depends upon answered prayer (John 16:24).
Prayer, in the minds of some... is only for emergencies. Danger threatens, sickness comes, things are lacking, difficulties arise—then...pray!
Prayer is, however, much more than merely asking God for something, although that is a very valuable part of prayer, if only because it reminds us of our utter dependence upon God. It is also communion with God—talking with, not only to, Him.
We get to know people by talking with them. We get to know God in like manner. The highest result of prayer is not deliverance from evil, or the securing of some coveted thing, but knowledge of God. “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God” (John 17:3).
Yes, prayer discovers more of God, and that is the soul’s greatest discovery. Men still cry out, “Oh that I knew where I might find Him! that I might come even to His seat!" (Job 23:3)
~ The Kneeling Christian
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