The prayer and faith things is kinda off topic to the OP, but I've been taking a class and I agree with the teaching so I'll post this from the syllabus by Troy S. Welch. I'll use -- to indicate what I am copying from his material.
--In John 14: 13-14 Jesus said: "...whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, taht will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask anything in My name, I will do it."--
He took the time during class to explain that the word ask in the original language meant to present a petition to a superior within the presented guidelines.
Before continuing, he explained that God is more concerned with out attitude than our method of prayer, but that the Bible gives us ways to address our petitions to God.
--1. Prayer Is To Be Addressed To The Father
First of all, we need to understand that there is a proper form to making a withdrawal from this account through prayer. We are to address our prayer to the Father. All prayer is to be addressed to God the Father.
Matthew 6:9 says; "after this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
John 15:16 says; "...that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
Ephesians 5:20 says; "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"
In each of these passages we are told to direct our prayer to the Father. Yet, many of us pray to Jesus or to the Holy Spirit, and some even attempt to pray to Mary or the saints. All prayer is to be directed to the Father. Jesus and the Holy Spirit even pray to the Father.
According to John 14:16 Jesus prays to the Father; "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
According to Romans 8:26 the Holy Spirit prays to the Father; "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."
2. Prayer It To Be In The Name Of Jesus
Second, according to John 14:13-14 our prayer should be presented in the name of Jesus. "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that thte Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Jesus is the only one who has established an account with us. So, we are to ask in the name of Jesus.
3. Prayer Is To Be In The Sphere Of The Spirit
Thirdly, our prayer should be offered in the sphere of the control of the Holy Spirit. He is the personalty of the Godhead which has the role of controlling us, comforting us, guiding us, and empowering us.
Misunderstandings Concerning Prayer
There are a lot of misuinderstandings and false teachings concerning prayer today. Some indivisuals have taken certain scriptures about prayer out of context and are teaching that the only hindrance to your getting anything you desire is your faith..
There is another misunderstanding that we need to get straight right now. Some have said God doesn't always answer their prayer. That's not true. God answers all our prayers! The problem some have is that they don't understand how God answers prayers.
Two Aspects Of Every Prayer
The Bible teaches us that God answers prayer in four ways. However, before we can study the four ways that God answers prayer we need to understand that there are two aspects of every prayer.
Every prayer consists of a petitiona nd a desire. To understand the way God answers prayer, we must see the distinction between the petition and the desire.
The petition is the specific thing we ask God to do. The desire is what we believe the petitioned thing will accomplish. Listen, I want to state that again. The petition is the specific thing we ask God to do. The desire is what we believe the petitioned thing will accomplish. You see, behind every pettiion, there is a motivating desire. God answers our prayers with these two aspects in mind.
Four Ways God Answers Prayer
When God answers prayer, He considers both the Petition and the Desire associated with each prayer. Various combinations of response to petitions and desires result in four ways that God answers. Now let's look at the four ways God answers our prayers.
1. Yes to the petition- No to the desire
One way God answers prayer is by saying yes to the petition and no to the desire. Our illustration is found in Numbers 11:4-34
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It talks about how the children of Israel were unsatisfied with the mana and asked God for meat. They got their meat but they still weren't satisfied showing God answered their petition but not the desire.
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2. No to the petition- yes to the desire
Another way God answers prayer is by saying No! to the petition but Yes! to the desire. That is, we ask God for something believing it will give us the happiness we desire. God says no to the petition but brings about the happiness in another way. This is illustrated in Genesis 18 and 19 by Abraham's petition to God to spare Sodom and Gomorra so Lot might be safe. God said not to the petition. He did not spare Sodom and Gomorra. But He said yes to the desire and spared Lot. God often answers our prayer just this way. He says not to the petition but yes to the desire.
3. Yes to the petition- Yes to the desire
The third way God answers prayer is by saying Yes to the petition and Yes to the desire. This is illustrated in John 11:39-44 where Jesus prayed to the Father...
Jesus' petition was that Lazarus might be raised from the dead. His desire was that the bystanders might believe. God said yes to the petition and yes to the desire. He raised Lazarus from the dead, and the bystanders believed. That's the way we want all our prayers answered. But it's only one way God answers prayer.
4. No to the petition- No to the desire
The last way God answers prayer is by saying No to the petition and No to the desire. That's an answer. It may not be the one we want, but it is an answer.
Seven basic reasons God says no
If God says no to both the petition and the desire, it's because of one of seven basic reasons.
1. Carnality
The major reason He says no to both petition and desire is because of Carnality. Psalm 66:18 says: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me..."
God does not obligate Himself to answer the prayer of a believer out of fellowship. Remember the Prodigal Son had nothing and was destitute when he had wasted his substance in riotous living. It was only when he returned to his father's house that his access to the family resources was restored.
2. Selfishness
James 4:2-3 says, "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
3. Lack of Faith
The third reason God says no to both the petition and desire is due to our lack of faith. We are instructed in many different passages of scripture to pray believing. In speaking in praying for wisdom James 1:5-7 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is ilke a wave of th sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."
Faith in God is essential- faith that God is able to do what He promises and that God will do what He promises.
Matthew 21:22 says: "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
4. Lack of Compassion
Proverbs 21:13 says: "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard."
God has placed a condition on prayer that is based on our compassion of others. This factor has to be harmonized with the other biblical concepts with regard to prayer. This is a basic principle of God in watching over the welfare of His children.
5. Pride
Job 35:12-13 says "There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it."
6. Lack of Harmony In The Home
1 Peter 3:7 says "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
Yes! God has told us that there needs to be a positive response to our proper roles in the family structure in order to precent our prayers from being hindered.
7. Not compatible with His will
1 John 5:14 says, "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us.
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A few other points he makes are
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Prayer is to be offered with thanksgiving, Ephesians 5:20 says, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
The only prayer God has Obligated Himself to respond to from the believer out of fellowship is the confession of his sins as per 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
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His closing words
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As a believer you have been places as a son with the right to draw upon the family account and your access to that account is prayer. If you make out your check accroding to the guidelines, God will honor that check and say yes to the petition, the desire, or to both the petition and the desire.
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Hope this was beneficial. I agree with what he teaches here about prayer.
M