Additional Thoughts about Prayer

I want to add that there are no steps or rules of prayer. However, a mature Christian will understand the attitude of prayer. Humility is putting God first in our prayers while pride is putting God last in our prayers. In Matthew 6:9-13 deals with the first half focusing on God, His will and plans before coming to our personal petitions. God does not always say yes to every prayer even though we expect Him to do so. We are not to have faith in prayer but rather have faith in God and His character. God does promise that He will answer prayers but His answers can vary and often we missed His true answers. Sometimes, the answer will be NO for one reason: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives" (James 4:3). This also may includes that He will not give grace as well. God will not respond to self-centered requests unless it is according to His good and perfect will (His plans). Mature Christians will not be discouraged for a "no" answer because it is more than likely that the answer is delayed because of His plans. The cause of failure is not failure itself but rather, other reasons why God chose to wait or look for grace that He have provided or any other answers He already gave that we may be over-looking. God does answer in a different way. The answer may not be the one you like or accept but God will give it to you anyway. Often He will give the promised compensating grace (Sufficient of Grace). We have to understand that God may be delaying the answers because He has something better for us than what we have asked (John 11:1-6; Luke 5:1-16; Luke 8:40-56). Also keep in mind that God may be witholding what we ask in order to do special work that He have placed us according to His plan and will (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Remember, God knows before you ask because He is ALMIGHTY God. Romans 8:26 says that "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for". The Holy Spirit will help us know what we pray for. We have to keep in mind that Satan can fool us and that there are times when God answers "no" and we missed His true answers. This is when Satan comes in and answer "yes" by tricking a believer into believing the blessings may actually came from God. Quotes: God's timing is infallible. He takes every factor and contingency into account. We often want to pluck unripe fruit, but He will not be pressured into premature action. If He in His wisdom delays the answer to our prayer, that delay will in the long run prove to be for our good (Hebrews 12:10). It will be either because He has some better thing for us, or because there is something He desires to achieve in our lives that can be effected in no other way. J.Oswald Sanders, Guidelines for Disciples, pg 126 Tepid praying does not move God's arm. J.Oswald Sanders, Guidelines for Disciples, pg 124 The mature disciple will not stumble because of apparently unanswered prayer. He will not, however, adopt a fatalistic attitude; he will examine his prayers and seek to discover the cause of failure" J.Oswald Sanders, Guidelines for Disciples, pg 124-125