Do You Ever Feel That Your Prayers Are Inadequate

[marks]

For me the thing is, God is eternally all knowing and all seeing, are we really bringing anything about ourselves or our life to God's attention?

If he likes us to pray and ask for things, is that because he'll grant those wishes,prayers? Or is it in order that we, in the praying, realize something about ourselves?

Personally I think God's intent is more to draw is deeper into relationship with Him. I think that's what everything is about. That we can come to discover in this world the boundless love of our Creator, as He delights in our delight in Him, which would be His gift to us having been received.

I think He created us to share the joy of knowing Him with Him, strange as that may sound. But our Pure Loving God knows . . . the very best that there is that He can give to us is . . . Himself! So He created us, and gives Himself to us, amazing!! And has a million ways to help us know Him, learn to recognize Him, come to understand,

We truly ARE communicating with our Creator Who is not bound by our reality. One spectacular way He does this, at least sometimes, is when you ask Him for something really unusual, and He provides it in some really unusual way. What I've come to call a "kiss from God". When He leaves His fingerprints.

There's nothing we can tell Him that we don't know, but I think He treasures those times we can curl up with Him and openly share our hearts. He knows what's in them better than we do, but I think He treasures that we want to share with Him.

Much love!

 

[marks]

I've never been so stunned in all my life. I tried to say a prayer of thanks, but there were no words to express what I felt. That awestruck silence probably was (no, undoubtedly was) the best prayer of praise I've ever offered.

In Spirit and in Truth.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Something I heard years ago from a pastor . . .

Imaging being 16 again, your big teenage crush, and as you lay in bed late at night, talking on the phone, she says, Hey! When you get sleepy, don't hang up the phone, just lay it on the pillow next to you, and all night, and in the morning, we'll still be connected. That's how we should be with God . . . you just never hang up the phone.

There was another story I hear repeated on Family Radio sometimes, this will be my telling . . .

The pastor received a call from one of the ladies in his church, "Please, go see my father, he's not a member, but he's dying." So he goes to the hospital, finds the room, and looks in. The man laying in the bed looks up, they introduce themselves, as the pastor explains the man's daughter asked him to stop by. He points to the empty chair pulled up next to the bed, says, "You already have a visitor, so I won't keep you, may I pray for you?"

The man smiles, waves to the chair, "No, go ahead and sit down . . ." And during their fellowship the man tells him, "The thing with the chair . . . I've never told anyone, it seems foolish. Years ago I was talking to my friend, and I told him how praying never felt "real", like I'm just talking to myself. And he told me, "Jesus is just as much here as I am, sitting right here in this chair."

So later that day I thought about that. I pulled a chair close to me, closed my eyes, and imagined Jesus, sitting there, listening to me. And I've never felt like I was just taking to myself ever since!

They talked, and prayed, and the pastor promised to check back in with him in a couple of days. But when he returned, the bed was empty, made, and the man's daughter was there, gently collecting his things. He consoled her, ministered to her. And he asked her, "Was he peaceful at the last?" She said, "Yes, they had just checked him, he was sleeping." She looked distracted. "Was there something else?" "It was the strangest thing . . . when they found him a few minutes later, he had half pulled himself out of bed, so his head was laying in that chair! Isn't that the strangest thing??"

Much love!

 

[MatthewG]

Hello @TEXBOW this is from a lesson that I am working on.

Desire to share with you how important prayer is in the daily life of a Christian.

Col 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

Here in verse three of this letter we see again always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when Paul and timothy are praying for others there in Colossians, which it is important for us to also pray for others in our own lives. Did you know that is something that is good and pleasing in the sight of the Father? Let me share with you four verses from

1Ti 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
1Ti 2:2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

What is the purpose of praying? Giving supplications, prayers, intercession, thanksgivings to be made for all people, even for Kings, and all who in high position (Like supervisors, or bosses at work),

Therefore praying helps you in your spiritual walk as a Christians relying on God, in and through your day to day life as you pray for people that you know, you ask God for help on a problem or situation, reading and looking at your bible for help as well to keep you spiritually inclined living by faith with the holy spirit of God which is given by God and placed into our hearts.

1Ti 2:2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

The outcome from doing the above is that way you are able to get into a method of having a peaceful, and quiet life while here on earth having fellowship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and love for God and love for others. Praying for them, even help with your own problems to God that are dealing with spiritual things heavenly requests and helps from the Holy Spirit. To have love, peace, mercy, grace, freely in and through Christ though us.

1 Ti 2:2 godly and dignified in every way.

Living in a devotion to having God first in your heart, and having a dignified life style that will end up bringing forth to you a peaceable and quiet life.

Who doesn't like that have that, even with being married from time to time, you need peace and quiet, having devotion to God and reading and sharing the word with others when given those chances to, and learn and grow in the word of God and your mind will be renewed and transformed which is the work of God doing so, by you allowing it to be so provided in doing so is in faith.

1Ti 2:3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

Because of doing these things, it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.

1Ti 2:4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Did you know that it is such an important aspect for us to pray as Christians?

The word here for prayer is pros-yoo-Khay-

which prayer is a form of worship; and by implication an oratory - X pray earnestly, prayer.

The word for supplication - is deh'-ay-sis - which is a petition - a request a seeking, asking, entreating, entreay to God or to man.

The word for intercession here is - an interview - that is supplication - intercession - a Falling in with, meeting with, an interview a coming together, to visit, converse or for any other cause.
1b that for which an interview is held - a conference or conversation

 

[marks]

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; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Asking for wisdom in faith, to me, means that I ask God for wisdom to make a choice, and I make that choice knowing God has given me the wisdom.

When we pray, and we doubt, we are double minded, unstable.

The way to pray without doubting is to know that we don't know what's right and best, but we know Who is right and best, and at the end of it all, my crowning glory in the eternal realm will not be whether or not I get a good report at the dentist today, of if I'm going to need $1000's of dollars of painful care. It's not going to be about whether I was able to buy this or that car, or whether I will ever get out of this wheelchair (I don't use one, the others are actual concerns). Eternal glory will be found in, what I think, Knowing God, and making Him known.

My focus in prayer is first to know God, to accept His love and care for me, and after that, well, whether I get this or that, it's secondary. And I think all those pains and problems and everything is all there in our lives to help us find our Father in every situation, to train us to just run into His arms at all times.

Much love!

 

[Pythagorean12]

Personally I think God's intent is more to draw is deeper into relationship with Him. I think that's what everything is about. That we can come to discover in this world the boundless love of our Creator, as He delights in our delight in Him, which would be His gift to us having been received.

I think He created us to share the joy of knowing Him with Him, strange as that may sound. But our Pure Loving God knows . . . the very best that there is that He can give to us is . . . Himself! So He created us, and gives Himself to us, amazing!! And has a million ways to help us know Him, learn to recognize Him, come to understand,

We truly ARE communicating with our Creator Who is not bound by our reality. One spectacular way He does this, at least sometimes, is when you ask Him for something really unusual, and He provides it in some really unusual way. What I've come to call a "kiss from God". When He leaves His fingerprints.

There's nothing we can tell Him that we don't know, but I think He treasures those times we can curl up with Him and openly share our hearts. He knows what's in them better than we do, but I think He treasures that we want to share with Him.

Much love!

Well said .

I don't see us having to work our way to communion with God. Because we are of God as that which was,is,created from God.
I think the sooner we know this, the sooner the false imagined veil that we think makes for a separation like unto ," us and them", the sooner we'll follow God's leading to be and do his will on earth, as it is in heaven.

 

[quietthinker]

You too, my brother?

One part of my prayer life that is inadequate is on the praise side. Some people I know can naturally offer up praise; I can't. It feels like I'm be trying to get what I want from God through flattery, and I don't want to be judged as a flatterer after having read Inferno in college and seeing the damned souls in the Pit of Flatterers. (Google it if you haven't had the dubious pleasure of reading Dante.) But "Hey God, that sunset is really pretty" seems so inadequate.

Recently, a brother from my church was hospitalized with CoVid19. He couldn't have visitors, of course. His condition worsened until he told our pastor on Friday that he'd like his church friends to call or text and say goodbye; the doctors said he wasn't going to make it through the weekend. Sad, but we knew with his pre-existing conditions it was inevitable. Then late on Monday afternoon I was out riding my bike when my smart watch pinged. It was an email from our church secretary saying our brother had all of a sudden gotten well and been released from ICU and was in rehab. I've never been so stunned in all my life. I tried to say a prayer of thanks, but there were no words to express what I felt. That awestruck silence probably was (no, undoubtedly was) the best prayer of praise I've ever offered.

God hears the heart and intentions. Even while praying there will be thoughts in my mind which I have come to recognise as not mine and have learned that the evil one is regularly present planting thoughts and then accusing me of thinking them in hope I will take the bait and condemn myself.....which is not trusting God's judgement of me which says; you are my child whom I love dearly.

We are not to be ignorant of his tactics and can call for strength and clarity.

 

[quietthinker]

I live my life everyday in gratitude. God and I talk all the time.

hmmmm, interesting statement in the light of what you said in post #2

I rarely pray.
The prayer of Jesus on the Mount of Olives is partly what led to that conclusion. "...thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven."

 

[Pythagorean12]

hmmmm, interesting statement in the light of what you said in post #2

Odd? How so?

 

[farouk]

I do think that by nature our prayers in and of themselves are indeed comepletely inadequate; but when we know that the Lord Jesus at the right hand of the Father 'ever liveth to make intercession' for us (Hebrews 7.25), the utter imperfections of our prayers are perfected before the Throne on account of Christ's blessed Person and work at the Cross.

 

[Nancy]

God knows my thoughts. He knows my words before I speak them. He knows my needs. When I pray a repeated thanks or need I must assume God didn't hear or understand me the first time. I can rationalize repeated thanks but is it a lack of faith to repeatedly seek a need from God?

Thoughts

Hi brother,
He wants us to ask, seek and knock. It has gotten to be, for me anyhow, that I ask and continue to thank Him for hearing my petition. Now, it seems different when praying for others as, we do not know what God is doing in their lives but, we can be sure as it's not His will any should perish, that He will and does hear our intercessory prayers. His answer is either yes, no or wait. Can be difficult but then, my mom who prayed for all 7 of us kids did not live to see but one of my brothers come to faith in Christ. But, we all did!
But, yes, there are also times my prayers are powerless IMHO, as we should be in the proper state of mind when giving prayers of thanks, for needs, for the salvation and health and safety of others. I PRAY to have a more vibrant prayer life!

 

[farouk]

His answer is either yes, no or wait.

@Nancy Indeed, this is all part of being able to pray, 'Thy will be done', right

 

[quietthinker]

Odd? How so?

is it not obvious?? In one post you say you rarely pray and a few posts down you say you and God talk all the time.

 

[Pythagorean12]

is it not obvious?? In one post you say you rarely pray and a few posts down you say you and God talk all the time.

You can't understand that? OK.

 

[Nancy]

You can't understand that? OK.

Hello P12,
I think what Quietthinker is saying is that talking to God IS prayer...?

 

[farouk]

Hello P12,
I think what Quietthinker is saying is that talking to God IS prayer...?

@Nancy In its most basic form, crying 'Abba, Father' (Romans 8) by the Holy Spirit is praying....

 

[post]

God hears the heart and intentions. Even while praying there will be thoughts in my mind which I have come to recognise as not mine and have learned that the evil one is regularly present planting thoughts and then accusing me of thinking them in hope I will take the bait and condemn myself.....which is not trusting God's judgement of me which says; you are my child whom I love dearly.

We are not to be ignorant of his tactics and can call for strength and clarity.

we don't need The Evil One to plant such thoughts. he isn't omniscient - he doesn't know our hearts or speak in our brains. he's not in all our minds. he can't be everywhere at once - he has localization. he roams to and fro throughout the earth. he isn't speaking to everyone at all times. he wants to be like God, so he will clearly pretend, but he isn't. but only God searches the heart. only Christ knows the intentions of your heart. we don't even know our own heart, as He does.

we're all poisoned, in our flesh.
our own flesh condemns us. our own flesh is full of sin and wicked desires & thoughts. out brain is flesh. our heart is flesh.
we wait now, momentarily, for the completion of our redemption - Romans 8:23 'to wit, our bodies;' -- all creation waits for this.


it ain't Satan personally trying to make me sin. it's me.
i need my Saviour, every day. for myself.
Satan is defeated & i am waiting for my Lord to finish His work in me - The Blood Transfusion, The Surgery

 

[GRACE ambassador]

op: inadequate prayer?

Yes, all the time, But Thanks Be To God, "when I know not how I ought to pray"
HE "Makes Intercession" FOR me, According To The Will Of God!" Amen?

Rom_8:26 "Likewise The Spirit also Helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but The Spirit Itself Maketh Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (part of 9 below...)

Am I In GREAT Hands, or what?

 

[Truman]

God and I talk all the time. I sometimes get down on my knees and seek Him earnestly.