Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41.
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
Do you believe that you are a doer of My Word? Do you honor My Word and love to spend time in it? Would you say to others that you follow My Word in your life? I am pleased that you do. But I would like to ask you a few questions as a little checkup, because if you are willing and obey you shall eat the good of the land. And I promise you that if you obey My Word the BLESSING will pursue you, overtake you and overwhelm you.
One thing I talk to you about often and stress as extremely important is prayer. You read in the early community of believers they devoted themselves to prayer. Acts 2:42. And they prayed in unity. Acts 4:23-31.
I tell you certain things that I need you to partner with Me in praying so that My Will can be done on earth. So may I ask you: How often do you pray for your government leaders? 1 Timothy 2:1-4. How often do you pray for all people to be saved and come to know the truth? 1 Timothy 2:2-4. How often do you pray for the shalom of Jerusalem? Psalm 122:6. How often to you pray that you not fall into temptation? Matthew 26:42. How often do you pray for one another when one of you is sick or suffering? James 5:14-16. How often do you pray for one who is sinning that their eyes may be opened to the truth and they may change their ways? James 5:16-20, 1 John 5:16. How often to your pray for your enemies? How often to you pray for those who persecute you or speak badly about you? Matthew 5:44. I actually give you commands in My Word to pray for all these things. Do you take Me seriously?
Or I might just ask, how often do you pray? I tell you to pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17. And I tell you to pray at all times without losing heart. Luke 18:1.
I ask you to go to your room, a secret place, a place in your heart, and close the door and pray to Me. I tell you to come with confidence to My throne of grace for help in time of need. I tell you that I answer prayer.
Do you pray? Jesus prayed early in the morning in quiet places by Himself. Sometimes He prayed late into the night. Sometimes He prayed all night. But you know that He always did My Will, so He prayed without ceasing. He never was out of touch with Me. He only said what I said and only did the works I showed Him.
Many, even believers, today have become anxious. But I give you a remedy for that and it is casting all your cares on Me and you do this only by prayer. Have you, who love My Word, never read, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7. This is not optional if you want peace. Pray to Me about everything and then let Me take care of it. And once you have prayed about it, know that I am taking care of it in the way that is best. And that is the prayer of faith. It is when you can say you have no fear or anxiety about anything in your life—whether it be you or a family member—because you have handed it over to Me in prayer. When you pray, believe you have received, and know your request is being taken care of in the best and most expedient way. And refuse to budge from that position. Do not let your hearts be troubled, do not let them be afraid. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give constant thanks. This is the direction I give you as My Will for you in Christ Jesus.
Tell yourself you are happy instead of telling yourself the opposite and you will be surprised how happy you become! Joy is a choice and it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in you. Let it grow and don’t cut it off by your negative words, taking of offense, and selfishness. It is not so much whether others are treating you with honor, but whether you are honoring Me. Why? I honor those who honor Me. And you honor Me when you forgive and serve others. It is then I promote you in My Kingdom. Remember who My Son told you is the greatest in My Kingdom? The one who serves the rest.
And Jesus taught you a prayer that is actually a pattern for prayer. Do you ever pray the prayer He taught you? Do you pattern your prayers on that model? You will find that even David prayed in that fashion. He started with praise and declaring who I was to him, went on to pray My glory and kingdom, asked for all he needed, and asked Me to protect him from harm. And all his prayers were filled with thankful praise, for he knew I heard him and was with him.
I make it clear how you are to pray as a new creation in Christ. You are to pray in and with Jesus. You are to pray in His Name. You are in Christ and members of His Body, the Church. And He is your great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for you. And since He is praying for you at all times, you can join with Him in prayer. Hebrews 7:25.
And Jesus teaches you how to pray as He taught His disciples, for He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and you should be happy to become like your Teacher, because His prayers have POWER. His prayers raised Lazarus from the dead and caused fig trees to wither at the root. They healed blind eyes and multiplied loaves and fish for the multitude. And they obtained His resurrection from the dead. When He prayed I heard. Why? He only said My Word, in fact, He is My Word made flesh. Hebrews 4:14-16.
Jesus told you not to offer prayers that are meaningless repetitions. Matthew 6:7. But when you pray you are to say: “Our Father, who art in Heaven.” This tells you who you are praying with, who you are praying to, and where you are praying. In saying “Our Father,” you are praying unto Me, your heavenly Father, with your brother, your kinsman Redeemer, Jesus. Just as the risen Christ told Mary Magdalene at the tomb, God is His Father and your Father, His God and your God. John 20:17. You are joint heirs with Christ. Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:4-7. You are not praying alone, you are praying with Jesus, and He is God and Man. He understands you and He understands Me, and He has reconciled you and joined you with Me as one. He takes your hand and puts it in My hand— He in you and in Me, and I am in Him and in you through Him being in you. Through Him, with Him, and in Him. And that is how you are to pray, with Him, right at My heavenly throne. Not to Jesus, but with Jesus to Me in His Name. John 16:26-27. And whatever you ask in His Name, He will do, but through you. John 15:7. He is the vine, you are the branch, and I am the vine dresser. John 15:1.
Thus, you begin by joining your prayer with your Kinsman Redeemer and Great High Priest, with the Lamb of Sacrifice and the One who ransomed you, as He ushers you into the throne room and stays right there with you. I told the Israelites not to come before Me empty handed, but to bring their sacrifice to atone for their sins. Jesus fulfills all the sacrifices of old Covenant by being the true propitiation for your sins, He is your burnt offering, your grain offering, your peace offering, your sin offering, your shame offering, and your Passover Lamb. But He is also your High Priest, the Head of the Body (how can you, who are the Body of Christ, pray without your head?), your Brother, and the One who is your only way into access to Me. Ephesians 2:18. No one comes to Me except through Him. John 14:6. Think of Him as your prayer partner coming into agreement with you as you confess My Word over your life to obtain grace just when you need it, for yourself and others. Hebrews 2:16-18.
When you come to pray, Jesus is opening the way for you. John 14:2-6. He prepared a place for you and He comes to take you there so you can be where He is. John 14:2-3. And where is He? At My right hand in the very Holy of Holies, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for you, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:18-20. This is not a future promise but for your prayer time now.
When you go to pray, you are going into the Holy of Holies with Him. And it is all held together in fellowship with the Holy Spirit in you and upon you. For you know not how to pray as you ought, so Jesus left you another advocate to be with you and in you always and who helps you in your weakness, praying and interceding within you. John 14:16-17; Romans 8:26. The Spirit of Truth. And what is truth? My Word is truth. John 17:17. And My Word is Jesus. He is the Word made flesh. And when you pray with Him, you are praying with My Word. And Jesus always did and always does the things which are pleasing to Me, so with Jesus you are always in fellowship with Me. John 8:29; 1 John 1:3.
You are partakers of the heavenly calling to prayer and fellowship as a royal priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:5-6. And how do you do that? By speaking the same Word with Him—He is the Apostle (envoy) and High Priest of your “homologia.” Hebrews 3:1. He is your great High Priest over the kingdom of priests that He has made us by His Blood. Revelation 5:9-10. And just as only brothers who were sons of Aaron could be priests under the Old Covenant, so now your brother Jesus has made you priests unto Me.
When I raised Jesus from the dead, I raised you up in Him too and seated you with Him in the Heavenly realm in Him. Ephesians 2:6. Thus, you are not sending a prayer up randomly to somewhere beyond your reach, wondering if I am there and whether I hear you, you are right there in the Holy of Holies seated with the Me in Christ. Revelation 3:20-21. And I know you better than you know yourself. 1 Corinthians 13:12.
Thus, you begin to pray knowing whose you are, who you are praying with, to whom you are addressing your prayer, and where you are seated as you pray. And do not forget that you enter My gates with thanksgiving, My courts with joyful songs of praise, and then you enter the Holy of Holies to worship and hear My voice. Psalm 95; Psalm 100.
And you can ponder on the rest of the prayer from here on from the vantage point of your seat with Me in Christ. Never see yourself as praying from a distance to Me. You are seated with Me in the very throne room of grace.
I have given you a lot to meditate on, but you have time to do so. We have eternity. And you have My Holy Spirit in you as your counselor, teacher and guide in prayer (and everything else besides).
I love you. Pray. Which just means, tell Me everything and let Me take care of you. I am your Father, your beloved and your friend. Song of Songs 5:16. And that will never end. Lean on Me.