Prayer
Very long might want to read in sections to enjoy all verses
1. Our God wants us to pray to Him alone, come to Him alone
2. We should not try to
contact any other spiritual beings, including Mary and other saints, to pray
for us
3. We should pray for others and ask believers to pray for us. While
they, while we, still live on this earth
4. How we should pray
1. Our God wants us to pray to Him alone, come to Him alone
We should pray only to our God; our Heavenly Father, His Son
Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Our God
is a jealous God, He wants us to worship and pray to
Him alone. We should not pray to any other spiritual beings, any other physical
beings, or any other objects whether in Heaven or on earth.
*“You shall have no other gods before [or besides] me. Ex 20:3 ESV+
*For you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name
is Jealous, is a jealous God— Ex
34:14 NASB+
Only our Father knows what is best for us, will take care of us, and supplies our needs, when we humbly ask Him.
*Do not
call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is
in heaven. Matt 23:9 NKJV+
*If you then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give
good things to those who ask Him!
Matt 7:11 NKJV+
We need
our God; the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit alone for our salvation. We do not
need, and we should not ask any other spiritual being to pray for us. We
know our prayers are heard whether we are praying to our Father, to Jesus, or
to the Spirit, for they all are God, and work together to make us, keep us,
holy children of God.
*I
pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through
his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may
have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high
and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses
knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Eph
3:16-19 NIV+
Our
Father freely gives the Spirit to us, when we ask Him, so we can know our
Father, come to Him, pray and talk with Him. He gives us knowledge so that with
the help of the Spirit we can learn about our great God as we study His Word.
*If you then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Lk
11:13 NKJV+
*If any
of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. Ja
1:5 NKJV+
Only our
Heavenly Father knows the intent in our hearts, knows our needs before we even
ask Him for them. And all who seek out His righteousness will be given what
they need. We should come to, follow our Father, and He will supply all of our
needs.
*Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
Matt 6:8 NKJV+
*But seek
first the
Jesus is the only Mediator between us and our Heavenly Father, is the only mediator we will ever have, the only mediator we will ever need. He atoned for our sins upon the cross, so we could become holy, righteous, children of God.
*For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1Ti 2:5 ESV
*But now He has obtained a more excellent
ministry, by as much as He is also
the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. Heb 8:6 NASB+
*My little children, these things I write to
you, so that you may not sin. And if
anyone sins, we have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1Jn
2:1 NKJV+
As children of God we can approach our Heavenly Father in confidence, knowing He will hear our prayers. With confidence we know that anything we ask for according to His will, it will be given to us. We know with confidence that we will always have access to our Father, can always come before His throne, and receive mercy and grace in our time of need. We can only have this confidence when we pray to our Father.
*This is the confidence we have in approaching
God: that if we ask anything
according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that
he hears us--whatever we ask--we know
that we have what we asked of him.
1Jn 5:14-15 NIV+
*in whom we have
boldness and access in confidence through
our faith in him.
Eph 3:12 ASV
*Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb
4:16 ESV+
We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, our Father’s own special people. Our Father would have us come directly to Him, offer our prayers to Him. We are special people, the people of God, a kingdom of priests to our Father. We do not have to go through any other spiritual being, any other person here on earth, to come to our Father, to have our prayers heard by Him.
*But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are
now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1Pe
2:9-10 NKJV+
*and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the
firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who
loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Rev 1:5-6 NASB+
We can also approach our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus.
*You did not choose Me, but I chose
you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name
He may give you.
Jn 15:16 NKJV+
*giving
thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, Eph 5:20 ESV*
Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, interceding for all who believe in our Savior. There will never be a more holy, righteous, powerful, loving intercessor than our Savior.
*Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is
the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Ro
8:34 ESV+
*Therefore he is able to save
completely those who come to God
through him, because he always lives
to intercede for them. Heb
7:25 NIV+
*Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw
near to God through him, since he
always lives to make intercession for them. Heb
7:25 ESV+
The
Spirit helps us in our weakness, when we do not know how or what to pray for.
He continually intercedes for us according to the will of the Father. And the
Spirit’s intercession is instantly, constantly heard, when our Father searches
our hearts. Because the Father always knows the mind of the Spirit, for they
are one.
*In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do
not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit
Himself intercedes for us with
groanings too deep for words; Ro 8:26 NASB+
*Now 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. Ro
8:27 NKJV+
All who
are led by the Spirit are children of God, and we have no fear in coming
directly to our Father. Through the Spirit we can cry out “Abba Father” as we humbly
come in prayer to Him. This is the same intimate name Jesus and the Holy Spirit
use.
*For as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not
receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption
by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
Ro
8:14-15 NKJV+
*And He
said, "Abba, Father, all things are
possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will,
but what You will." Mk 14:36 NKJV+
*Because
you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His
Son into our hearts, crying,
"Abba! Father!" Gal 4:6 NASB+
We can pray directly to Jesus, who gave His life, suffered in Hell to save us from our sins. We can call upon Him to forgive our sins, so we can be saved. No other name in Heaven or earth will do.
*For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will
be saved.” Ro 10:13 ESV+
*And
it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall
be saved.' Ac 2:21 NKJV+
Jesus, though God, is our brother, and wants to come directly to us. Jesus wants to visit with us all the time, about anything, at anytime. Anything we ask Jesus to do, He will do if it is the will of God.
*Both the one who makes men holy and those
who are made holy are of the same
family. So Jesus is not ashamed
to call them brothers.
Heb 2:11 NIV+
*Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens
the door, I will come in to him and dine
with him, and he with Me. Rev 3:20 NKJV+
*"Whatever you
ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
"If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. Jn 14:13-14 NASB+
Jesus answers the prayers of all believers according to the will of His Father, which is His will also, for they are One. This may not always be what we want, but it is always the best for us, for our Father’s will is complete perfection. Jesus answered Paul’s prayer, yet would not heal Paul, for our Savior’s power is made perfect in weakness. Jesus heard John’s plea to come quickly, yet did not come for it was not our Father’s appointed time.
*"I and the
Father are one
[or a unity; or one essence]. Jn 10:30 NASB+
*Three times I
pleaded with the Lord to take it away
from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2Co
12:8-9 NIV+
*He who testifies
to these things says, "Surely I
am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Rev 22:20 NKJV+
The Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of all believers, makes us one with our God. Because He dwells in our hearts we are always in direct spiritual contact with the Spirit, as well as our Father and Jesus.
*Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1Co
3:16 ESV+
*Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the
treasure which has been entrusted to you.
2Ti 1:14 NASB+
*For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Eph 2:18 ESV+
The Spirit is our inner voice which tells us what our Father would have us know, would have us do. And we will have many inner conversations with Him as we make all the decisions our lives present us. We can also mediate with the Spirit, through the Spirit as we inwardly praise, thank, and talk with our God; our Father, Jesus, and the Spirit. We are also in the Spirit, when He leads us through the Word to do the will of our Father. And He guides us in our prayer life which strengthens our love for our God.
*You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in
fact the Spirit of
God dwells in you. Anyone who does
not have the Spirit
of Christ does not belong to him. Ro 8:9 ESV+
*But
you, beloved, building yourselves up
on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 1:20 NKJV+
All of our prayers should be prayed in the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts. The Spirit moves us, encourages us, and shows us how and what to pray for in the Word. He intercedes for us when we do not know what to pray for and when we are minds do not have the capacity to pray, but our hearts still love our God. This often happens with injury, with sickness, and with old age.
*praying
at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep
alert with all perseverance, making
supplication for all the saints,
Eph 6:18 ESV+ Saints here
refers to all believers living in
*In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should,
but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Ro
8:26 NASB+
We must be careful not to insult or blaspheme the Spirit, for He is God. If we ask another saint who is in Heaven to pray for us, we are saying they are more powerful than the Spirit. Jesus cannot forgive the sins of any who insult or deny the Holy Spirit, for without the Spirit we cannot believe in Jesus, know that He is our Lord.
*but whoever
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
never has forgiveness, but is guilty
of an eternal sin"— Mk 3:29 NASB+
*Of how
much worse punishment, do you suppose, will
he be thought worthy who has
trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which
he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted
the Spirit of grace? Heb 10:29 NKJV+
*Therefore I make known to you that no one
speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus
accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord
except by the Holy Spirit. 1Co 12:3 NKJV+
By faith we can directly approach our God, by faith we know He will answer all our prayers. If we believe we need any other spiritual being except our God; the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit, to hear and answer our prayers, we lack the faith to receive anything from Him. For all who believe know when we do the will of our God, He hears and answers our prayers.
*But let him ask in faith, with no
doubting, for he who doubts is
like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Ja 1:6-7 NKJV+
*Now we know that God does not hear
sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of
God and does His will, He hears him.
Jn 9:31 NKJV+
2. We should not try to contact any other spiritual
beings, including Mary, other prominent saints, to pray for us
Spiritual beings include: Angels, all other celestial beings, the spiritual beings of those who have physically died on earth and are at rest with our God in Heaven (including Mary, other saints), the spiritual beings of those who have died on earth and are in Hell, and satan along with any of his demonic spirits.
We are to interact with angels our Father has sent to us, as Mary did. Though we will not always know when angels visit us.
*And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice,
highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" Lk
1:28 NKJV+
*And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be,
since I am a virgin?” Lk 1:34 ESV+
*Do not neglect to show hospitality
to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Heb 13:2 NASB+
Yet we
should not try to contact any spiritual beings except through our God. For we
do not know what we are doing when we venture out into the Heavenly realms,
they are beyond our human comprehension. And mere speculation, without
validation through the Spirit in the Word, will only get us into trouble,
eternal trouble. There are many evil spiritual beings who
are more powerful than we are, who scheme against us. They are able to pull us
away from our God, even posing as angels to deceive us. Only when we come
directly to our God, through our God are we protected from all evil.
*Put
on the full armor of God so
that you can take your stand against
the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly
realms. Eph 6:11-12 NIV+
*in which you once walked, following the
course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of
disobedience— Eph 2:2 ESV+
*And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel
of light. So it is no surprise
if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 2Co 11:14-15 ESV+
Our Father would not have us inquire of the dead as mediums, or go through any medium to contact any of the spiritual beings of the dead. Satan worship, the occults, witchcraft, fortune tellers, card readers, are prevalent everywhere, are an abomination to our God, should be avoided by all believers.
*or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. Dt 18:11-12 ESV+
*"'Do not turn to mediums or
seek out spiritists,
for you will be defiled by them. I
am the Lord your God. Lev 19:31 NIV+
When we try to enter spiritual realms which we do not understand, we can easily be devoured up by the devil. Satan is much more powerful than we are, will deceive us when we stray from the power of our God. Only when we believe in the blood of the Lamb, and have a faith which allows our Lord to mean more to us than our lives, can we overcome the evil one.
*Be sober,
be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1Pe 5:8 NKJV+
*And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown
down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Rev 12:9 ESV+
*And they
overcame him because of the blood of
the Lamb,
and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. Rev 12:11 ASV
Angels are ministering spiritual beings who serve us. We are not to worship them, nor try to contact them, except through our God. They continually look at the Father for instructions on what they are to do. We need to come to our Father, not try to contact angels, for angels only follow the instructions of our Heavenly Father.
*Do
not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize.
Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.
*Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Heb 1:14 ESV+
*"See that you do not despise one of
these little ones, for I say to you that their
angels in heaven continually see the
face of My Father who is in heaven.
Matt 18:10 NASB+
Angels and celestial beings are more powerful than we are,
yet they do not know completely our God’s great plan of salvation for us. Only
through the church was the wisdom of God’s plan made known to the heavenly
rulers and authorities. Those preaching the gospel revealed to the angels that
they are serving us, not themselves. And angels long to look into, want to know
more about God’s plan of salvation for us. We should only come to our God, for
He alone knows His plans for us, what He would have us do.
*yet even angels, although they are
stronger and more powerful, do
not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the
Lord. 2Pe 2:11 NIV+
*It was revealed
to them that they were not serving
themselves, but you, in these things which now have been
announced to you through those
who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent
from heaven—things into which angels
long to look. 1Pe 1:12 NASB+
*so that through
the church the manifold wisdom of
God might now be made known to
the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
places. Eph
3:10 ESV+
Only God knows who His children are, what is in our hearts, while we physically live here on earth. Not even the angels know which one of us has been saved, until Jesus, in their presence, tells them who has repented. And there is joy among the angels over only one sinner being saved.
*“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges
me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,
Lk 12:8 ESV+
*And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me,
for I have found the piece which I lost!' Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of
God over one sinner who repents." Lk 15:9-10 NKJV+
Likewise
all saints in Heaven do not know when a sinner on earth has been saved, until Jesus
acknowledges them before His Father. Then they are full of joy, knowing another
sinner has been saved, as they wait for all believers to join them in
*"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. Matt 10:32 NIV+
*And when he comes home, he calls
together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was
lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine
righteous persons who need no repentance. Lk 15:6-7 ESV
Saints are forgiven sinners, are holy, are righteous, and the word saints can be used interchangeably with believers, or with Christians. The word saint is used only once, while the word “saints” is used around 60 times in the New Testament. Saints can refer to believers:
1. Who physically still live on earth
2. Who have physically died on earth, and are now spiritual beings in Heaven
3. Both those who are on earth and those who are in Heaven
*Now as Peter went here and there
among them all, he came down also to the saints
who lived at Lydda. Ac
9:32 ESV+ Saints on earth in Lydda
*so that He may establish your
hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. 1Thess 3:13 NKJV+
Saints in Heaven come down with Jesus as He gathers us up to Him at the
resurrection of the dead
*when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and
to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was
believed. 2Thess 1:10 NASB+ Saints Heaven and Earth
“Every” saint and “all saints” often refers to all saints who are physically living on this earth, or living in a certain area, excluding those in Heaven. The only way to distinguish which saints are being referred to is by the context of the verses, other verses relating to it.
*Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet
you. All the saints greet you,
especially those of Caesar’s household. Phil 4:21-22 ESV Every saint at Philippi, and saints who
come there - all the saints at
We all have an eternal spiritual being, soul and spirit
(heart), living within our mortal physical being, mind and body (strength).
When our physical being dies, our spiritual being goes directly, eternally, to
either Heaven or Hell. Where we go depends on whether we have faith in Jesus as
the Son of God, believe in His atoning death on the cross as the only salvation
for our sins.
*Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind and with all your strength. Mk
12:30 NIV+
*He
who has the Son has life; he who does
not have the Son of God does not have life. 1Jn 5:12 NKJV+
*”The
time came when the beggar died and
the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham
far away, with Lazarus by his side.
Lk 16:22-23 NIV+
We often offer a prayer of hope after a loved one dies. We
know that at death one directly goes to either Heaven or Hell. Yet we often
offer a prayer of hope that the one who has died has gone to Heaven, especially
if they are a loved one. The same way we ask the Lord to take good care of
those who has gone home to Him. Though we know believers have gone to a much
better place, for Jesus is taking care of them in
*And now
abide faith, hope, love, these
three; but the greatest of these is
love. 1Co 13:13 NKJV+
*The Lord
grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--and you know very well how many ways he
ministered to me at
*while
we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Tit 2:13 NIV+
All saints in Heaven are spiritual beings, will be spiritual beings until Jesus comes again. Then our Savior will give all saints in Heaven and on earth glorified bodies like His own.
*and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, Heb 12:23 ESV+
*Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
*But our
citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who will
transform our lowly body to be like
his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things
to himself. Phil 3:20-21 ESV+
We should not ask any saints in Heaven, including Mary and other prominent saints, to pray for us. Our Heavenly Father would have us come to Him, inquire of Him. Not contact, inquire of those who have died and now are spiritual beings in Heaven. Our Father rules over our home in Heaven, protecting the saints who are at rest there. No one can contact any saint in Heaven, except through our God (Father, Jesus, or Spirit). And if we go through our God (Father, Jesus, or Spirit), ask Him to have another saint pray or intercede on our behalf to him, we insult our God, do not have faith in Him. For we are saying another saint in Heaven, loves us more, has a better understanding of what we need, than our God does. We are saying another saint has more power to intercede for us than Jesus or the Spirit. Our God (Father, Jesus, or Spirit) wants us to come to Him alone, and those who come will never be cast out.
*When they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and
mutter," should not a people consult
their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? Isa
8:19 NASB+
*All that the Father gives me will come to
me, and whoever comes to me I will never
cast out. Jn 6:37 ESV+
Our
Father would have us pray to Him, for He wants us to continually talk with Him.
Our prayers come before our Father as a memorial to Him, and rise before Him
with incense. Our Father wants our humble sincere prayers to come before Him,
not prayers on our behalf from any other saint who is a spiritual being in Heaven.
*And fixing his gaze on him and being much
alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial
before God. Ac 10:4 NASB+
*And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne,
and the smoke of the incense, with
the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Rev 8:3-4 ESV+
The prayers of the saints in the verse above refer to the prayers of all believers, and those who seek our God, who are physically living on this earth. For all believers in Heaven are spiritual beings, they are with our Father, they praise and give thanks to Him as they worship before Him. The heavenly saints do not have to ask for anything, because they have no needs, they are at rest, at home with our great God. They along with the angels bring our prayers mixed with incense before our Father. Neither the angels nor the elders, who are saints in Heaven, can comprehend the millions upon millions of prayers offered up at the same time, only our God can distinguish them, hear them, and answer them.
*Let
my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Ps 141:2 NKJV+
*Now when He had taken the scroll, the four
living creatures and the twenty-four
elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the
prayers of the saints. Rev 5:8 NKJV+
*the twenty-four
elders fall down before him who is
seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.
They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and
God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by
your will they existed and were created.” Rev 4:10 ESV+
Saints in Heaven are through with their work, they are at
rest with Jesus in
*And He said to him, "Truly
I say to you, today you shall be with Me in
*For he who has entered His rest has
himself also ceased from his works
as God did from His. Heb
4:10 NKJV+
*Let us
therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after
the same example of disobedience. Heb
4:11 ASV
Jesus told us the story of the rich man and Lazarus. In this story we learn the saints, who are spiritual beings in God’s rest (Abraham), do not intercede for those living on earth. Abraham refused to help the rich man, telling him, telling us, that saints in Heaven do not pray or intercede for us. And through the Spirit, by the Word, our Father gives the saints on earth all the gifts they need to complete the work which must be done before Jesus returns for us.
*Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them.' Lk 16:29 NKJV+
*He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be
convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ” Lk 16:31 ESV+
Paul had been to
*And I know how such a man—whether in the
body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—was caught up into
*To keep
me from becoming conceited
because of these surpassingly great
revelations, there was given me
a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of
Satan, to torment me. 2Co 12:7 NIV+
*If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which
I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ,
for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on
your account.
Phil 1:22-24 ESV+
Paul tells us to give honor and glory to our God forever and ever. There never will be any great men or women who are able to save us, bring us to our God. There are only men and women who use the gifts our God gives us, thus allowing our Father to do great things through them. We are to bless our God for the saints in Heaven, on earth, who have used, are using, the gifts they were given to the maximum possible.
*To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1Ti 1:17 ESV+
*What then
is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I
planted, Apollos watered, but God gave
the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only
God who gives the growth. 1Co 3:5-7 ESV+
*Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let
us use them: if
prophecy, let us prophesy in
proportion to our faith; or ministry, let
us use it in our
ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he
who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy,
with cheerfulness. Ro 12:6-8 NKJV+
Likewise we bless our Heavenly Father for what He was able to do through Mary for our salvation. Our Father found favor with Mary, blessed her among women, by having His Son become man through her. Mary is a child of God the same as we are, for we have a Father in Heaven, who is our spiritual Father, but we have no spiritual mother. Jesus told His disciples that they were both His mother and brothers, they along with Mary were all children of God. He went on to elaborate that whoever does the will of My Heavenly Father is my brother, sister, and mother. All believers are the same as Mary, children of God.
*Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Lk 1:30 NKJV+
*But Jesus answered the one who was telling
Him and said, "Who is My mother and
who are My brothers? "And stretching out His hand toward His
disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! "For whoever
does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother
and sister and mother." Matt
12:48-50 NASB+
Believers are all given special gifts, we all have different work our Father would have us do. We all will receive praise for how we used our gifts when Jesus returns. Mary was given the blessed gift of being Jesus’ earthly mother. An unknown centurion was given the gift of faith. His faith in our Lord Jesus was the greatest of any person at that time, greater than even Mary’s.
*Therefore judge nothing before the appointed
time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in
darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 1Co 4:5 NIV+
*When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I
have not found anyone in
3. Yet we should pray for others and ask believers to
pray for us. While they, while we, still live on this earth
We have a decision to make as we live here on earth. All who
accept Jesus into our hearts, accept the will of our Heavenly Father, have
crossed over from death to life. We spiritually come into the
*Truly, truly, I say
to you, whoever
hears my word and believes him who
sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to
life. Jn 5:24 ESV+
*nor will they say, 'See here!' or
'See there!' For indeed, the
The body of Christ, is not any specific church, denomination, or congregation here on earth. It is made up of all believers who love our God above all things, who love our neighbors as ourselves, and have been given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Only God knows what is in our hearts, knows who His children are.
*And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind , and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” Lk 10:27-28 ESV+
*And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, Ac 15:8 ESV+
We are
spiritually united through Christ as a body, as we physically do our Lord’s
work here on earth. The Spirit gives us each different gifts to use, which when
used with other believers’ gifts, allows us to function as a body. We are
spiritually one body in Christ, and physically individually members with one
another, using all our different gifts together to complete the work our Father
would have us do while we live on earth.
*For by the grace given to me I say to
everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,
but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that
God has assigned. For as in one body
we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so
we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Ro 12:3-5 ESV+
*Having
gifts that differ according to
the grace given to us, let us use them: if
prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if
service, in our serving; the one who
teaches, in his teaching; the one
who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one
who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with
cheerfulness. Ro 12:6-8 ESV+
We are
spiritually united in Christ and therefore spiritually one, spiritually equal
with all other saints who are living here on earth.
*For as many
of you as were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ. There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither
slave nor free, there is no male and
female, for you are all one in
Christ Jesus. Gal 3:27-28 ESV+
Through
Christ we are spiritually united not only with all the saints on earth, but
with all the saints in Heaven as well.
*For this reason I bow my knees to
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Eph
3:14-15 NKJV+
*And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the
firstborn from among the dead, so
that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God
was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether things on earth
or things in heaven, by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.
*For from
him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory
forever. Amen. Ro 11:36 ESV+
Though we are spiritually united with all the saints in Heaven,
while we live on this earth we can only come to them through Christ. We will
not know all the mysteries of Heaven, until our Savior brings us there. Yet we
know all believers are spiritually one with Jesus, and therefore through Jesus
we are all spiritually one with all the saints in Heaven and earth. When we
come to the Lord’s Table (See The Lord’s Supper),
and believe Christ’s body is present in the bread, we are given the spiritual
blessing of being united with all saints in Heaven and on earth. For when
Christ is present, all who are spiritually one with Him are also present.
*Now
we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to
face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known. 1Co 13:12 NIV+
*For we
know in part and we prophesy in part,
but when the perfect comes, the partial
will pass away. 1Co 13:9-10 ESV+
*Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a
sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread
which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread , we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. 1Co 10:16-17 NASB+
While we live on this earth we should pray, make intercessions, give thanksgivings, and ask for the needs of all the people who are living on earth. This includes our family, our extended Christian family, our nation, the people of all other nations, all secular leaders, and even includes our enemies, those who persecute us. That we may lead a peaceful and godly life, dignified in every way. We should pray for others here on earth as though we were in that situation, as though we were in need, were suffering.
*First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in
high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and
dignified in every way.
1Ti 2:1-2 ESV+
*Remember those in prison as if you
were their fellow prisoners, and those
who are mistreated as if you
yourselves were suffering. Heb 13:3 NIV+
*But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you, Matt
5:44 ESV+
We should pray with and for other believers while they, while we, physically live on this earth. We love and care for each other, and have a cohesive relationship as a physical unit in the body of Christ. When one suffers we all suffer, and by asking our Father to help them, to be with them, we are strengthening our own love, other believers’ love, for our God. Likewise we should also rejoice when one of our brothers and sisters receives a blessing. Giving thanks to our great God for all the love He has given them, all the love He gives us, all the love He continually gives to all believers.
*that there may be no division in
the body, but that the members may have the same care for one
another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1Co 12:25-26 ESV+
*Rejoice
with those who rejoice, and weep
with those who weep. Ro 12:15-16 NASB+
The prayers of righteous believers who are living on earth have power. James told us to call on the elders, the physical leaders living here on earth, to pray over the people who are sick, and anoint them with oil. James is telling believers on earth to pray to our God on behalf of others, that our prayers are powerful. It is not talking about trying to contact any spiritual being in Heaven to pray or intercede for any person living here on earth. Faith in our God makes our prayers powerful.
*Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Ja 5:16 NASB+
*Is any of you sick? He should call the
elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in
the name of the Lord.
Ja 5:14 NIV+
A holy, righteous man or woman is one who believes in our God; our Father, Jesus, and the Spirit, and has accepted the Spirit into their hearts, thereby receiving the atoning grace of our Savior’s blood shed upon the cross. All who have let the Spirit bring Christ into our hearts are spiritually holy and righteous.
*If Christ is in you, though the body
is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Ro
8:10 NASB+
*But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without
blemish and free from accusation—
There is no degree of spiritual holiness and righteousness. We are either a perfect holy and righteous child of God or a sinner who has not given up our human will, and accept the will of our Father. Our Father freely gives us the Spirit so we can have faith in our God, and Jesus gives the free gift of grace, forgiveness of sins through His blood shed on the cross. We either accept these gifts or reject them, there is nothing we can do on our own to be saved. All who are children of God are spiritually holy, righteous. All our prayers are powerful.
*If you then, though you are evil, know how
to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Lk 11:13 NIV+
*For by a single offering he has
perfected for all time those who are
being sanctified. Heb 10:14 ESV+
*For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of
God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9 ESV+
We must also remember the Spirit has given us all different gifts. Each has been given a gift no matter how small and trivial they may seem to be, they are all important to our God (See 1Co 12:18-16). Some have been given the gift through prayer to heal, and do powerful miracles. Though we may not have this gift, the Spirit gives each of us the power to do all the works our Father would have us do. And believers’ prayers to our God are heard, are answered, and are powerful in all God pleasing endeavors.
*To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1Co 12:7 ESV+
*to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy,
to another distinguishing between
spirits, to another speaking in
different kinds of tongues, and to
still another the interpretation of
tongues. 1Co 12:9-10 NIV+
*But one
and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He
wills. 1Co 12:11 NKJV+
We do not know what is in the hearts of all people, only our Lord does. Not all who we worship and pray with, are children of God. There are even leaders who healed and cast out demons in the Lord’s name who have yet to accept Jesus into their hearts.
*"Not
everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will
enter. Matt 7:21 NASB+
*On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your
name?’ And then will I declare
to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of
lawlessness.’ Matt 7:22-23 ESV+
That is why we should pray with and for all people. Our unified prayers are heard by our Father, who sends the Spirit to strengthen those who are believers, stir the hearts of those who have not completely given their will up to our Father, starts to open those who are still searching for our God, and begins to crack the hearts which are hard to our Lord. We know our Father will hear the prayers of all who love him above all things. And our prayers will help those whose prayers are not heard, who do not even pray at all.
*Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does
His will, He hears him. Jn 9:31 NKJV+
*But your iniquities have separated you from
your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that
He will not hear. Isa NKJV+
4. How we should pray
Many believe we should pray to our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is fine. Yet our Heavenly Father designed each one of us to be different, and each one of us in our own unique way will have a spiritual and personal relationship with our God. This includes how we pray and talk with our God; our Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Our faith, our love for our God, is more important than which one of the Trinity we address are prayers to or visit with. Always remembering to thank and praise our God as we humbly pray to Him.
We should continually, without ceasing, praise and thank our great God, for all He has done for us.
*Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving
thanks to His name.
Heb 13:15 NKJV+
*pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you. 1Thess 5:17-18
ESV+
*Devote yourselves to
prayer, keeping alert in it with an
attitude of thanksgiving;
We should always pray in the Spirit for all our needs, others needs, knowing our Father will hear us. And confess all our sins to our God, knowing He will forgive a repentant sinner.
*If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 1Jn 1:9 NKJV+
*praying at
all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that
end keep alert with all perseverance, making
supplication for all the saints, Eph 6:18 ESV
(Saints here refers to all believers still living on earth)
We should inwardly meditate with our God: our Father, Jesus and the Spirit, and sing songs of praise to Him.
*Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Ps
19:14 ESV+
*Let the word of Christ dwell in
you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with
gratitude in your hearts to God.
The most important thing when we talk with our God is the intent in our hearts, not the manner of words which we use. A humble sincere prayer will be heard and answered by the love our God has for all of His children.
We should
bring all things to our God in prayer.
*do not
be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Phil
4:6 ESV+
We should
have faith knowing our God will hear our prayers, will answer them according to
His will. Any who doubt our God will receive nothing.
*But let him ask in faith, with no
doubting, for he who doubts is
like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Ja 1:6-7 NKJV+
We must
always remember to pray with the love of God in our hearts, praying for that
which pleases Him. For when we pray with the wrong motives in our hearts, our
prayers will not be answered.
*You ask and do not receive,
because you ask with wrong motives,
so that you may spend it on your pleasures. Ja 4:3 NASB
*If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
Ps 66:18 NIV+
We should pray persistently, with our specific requests, and never give up. Jesus told us this parable to emphasize this.
*And he told them a parable to the
effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge
who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that
city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ Lk 18:1-3 ESV+
*"For a while he was unwilling; but
afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,
yet because this widow bothers me, I
will give her legal protection, otherwise
by continually coming she will wear me
out.'" Lk 18:4-5 NASB+
*And the Lord said, "Listen to what the
unjust judge says. And will not God
bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and
night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.
However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Lk
18:6-8 NIV+
Yet we should not use meaningless repetition in our prayers, believing they will be heard because of the many times we say them, the many words we use.
*"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as
the Gentiles do, for they suppose
that they will be heard for their many words. Matt 6:7 NASB+
We must be patient for our needs, our wants, rejoicing in hope, as we continue steadfastly in prayer. We wait on the Lord’s answer with courage, for we know He will strengthen our hearts.
*rejoicing
in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing
stedfastly in prayer; Ro 12:12 ASV
*Wait
on the Lord; Be
of good courage, And He shall
strengthen your heart; Wait, I say,
on the Lord! Ps 27:14 NKJV+
We must
always remember our God: our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy
Spirit are all that we need, the only ones we should pray to. We need to
contact no other spiritual being to help us.
*Oh, the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! Ro 11:33 NASB+
*For from him
and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Ro 11:36 ESV+
Copyright
2012 by Ron Borkey
+ESV “Scripture
quotations marked [ESV] are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version,”
copyright © 2001 by
Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good New Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.”
+ NEW AMERICAN
STANDARD BIBLE (1995 Update) Copyright © 1981, 1998 The Lockman
Foundation, A Corporation Not for Profit,
+ NIV Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible
Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
+ NKJV "Scripture taken from the New King James
Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved."