Prayer

STUDY INDEX

Page 1 - Introduction; Why pray?; Praying effectively

Page 2 - Is there a wrong way to pray? Fasting; Conclusion

 

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16).

Welcome to our study on Prayer. We will examine more closely during our study the acts of prayer, fasting and intercession, and we will answer some of the common questions many people have regarding prayer, "Why should I pray?; How can I pray more effectively?; Is there a wrong way to pray?; Why aren't my prayers answered?"

Prayer refers to the way of communication between people and God; or to state more simply, prayer is talking to God. God often talks to His people during times of prayer as well. Intercession can be defined as a persevering form of prayer where a person pleads with God for Him to intervene in a situation, either for himself, another person, or even a whole nation.

Prayer

As previously stated, prayer is simply talking to God. Throughout the Scriptures, the act of prayer is described by several terms: (1) Calling upon God. David the Psalmist said, "I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech."; (2) Calling on the name of the Lord. Peter echoed Joel's prophecy during his message on the day of Pentecost, "And it shall come to pass, that whosover shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21; see also Genesis 4:26, Acts 22:16, Romans 10:13). (3) Crying unto the Lord. David exclaimed in Psalms 3:4, "I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill." (4) Lifting up the soul. "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul," David cried, "O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed.... Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach my thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." (Psalms 25:1-2,4-5). (5) Seeking the Lord. Isaiah the prophet said, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6). (6) Coming unto the throne of grace. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16). (7). Drawing near to God. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith," the writer of Hebrews said. (Hebrews 10:22). James also voiced this promise, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." (James 4:8).

Reasons for Praying

(1) We are commanded by God to pray. Throughout the Scriptures, from the psalmists to the prophets to the apostles, we see that God desires fellowship with each and every person, and that that relationship be maintained through regular times of prayer and communion with Him. "Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore," David cried. The prophet Isaiah exhorted us, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6). Paul in his letters instructed us to "Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..... Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving..... Pray without ceasing." (Ephesians 6:17-18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Through the parable of the widow and the judge, Jesus taught us that we "ought always to pray, and not to faint." (Luke 18:1). During Jesus' time of great distress in the Garden of Gethsemane, He told His disciples, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." (Matthew 26:41). In the Gospel of John, we find Jesus' promise to us "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:24).

(2) Prayer is the method by which we receive His blessings and promises, and by which we receive power and strength for living in victory. The early church continually devoted themselves to prayer. The apostle Paul requested that believers prayed for him and the ministry. "I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit," Paul told the Romans, "that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." (Romans 15: 30). Paul instructed the Ephesians to "pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit," and to pray for "me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make know the mystery of the gospel." (Ephesians 6:18,19). "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving," Paul to the Colossians, "withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ." (Colossians 4:2,3). People who are sick or who battle sin and tempation, are exhorted to pray, and to have the church pray for them as well. James remarks, "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righeous man availeth much." (James 5:14-16).

(3) God desires that His people work with Him and share His goal of the salvation and redemption of mankind. God often limits Himself and works only as His people perservere and believe in prayer. There are many things that need to be accomplished concerning God's kingdom, but will not be done so with the intercessory prayers of the church. Consider how Abraham interceded for the people of Sodom and Gomorrha when he learned of God's plan to destroy these twin cities. "Abraham remained before the Lord. Then Abraham approached him and said, 'Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righeous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing --- to kill the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?' The Lord said, 'If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." (Genesis 18:22-25 NIV). As Jesus travelled through the countryside, going from town to town, He was moved with much compassion, and He healed every disease and teached and preached to them. They were like sheep without a shepherd, scattered and confused. You can sense the anguish in His soul as He cries, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few." He then continues with a command for all believers everywhere, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:35-38).

Matthew Henry penned in his commentary, "Jesus visited not only the great and wealthy cities, but the poor, obscure villages; and there he preached, there he healed. The souls of the meanest in the world are as precious to Christ, and should be so to us, as the souls of those who make the greatest figure. There were priests, Levites, and scribes, all over the land; but they were idol shepherds, #Zec 11:17|; therefore Christ had compassion on the people as sheep scattered, as men perishing for lack of knowledge. To this day vast multitudes are as sheep not having a shepherd, and we should have compassion and do all we can to help them. The multitudes desirous of spiritual instruction formed a plenteous harvest, needing many active labourers; but few deserved that character. Christ is the Lord of the harvest. Let us pray that many may be raised up and sent forth, who will labour in bringing souls to Christ. It is a sign that God is about to bestow some special mercy upon a people, when he stirs them up to pray for it. And commissions given to labourers in answer to prayer, are most likely to be successful."

God's power to accomplish many of His goals and purposes is released only through the fervent and effectual prayers of His people. If we fail to pray, we may actually be hindering the accomplishment of God's redemptive purpose, both for ourselves as individuals and for the church as a whole. Leonard Ravenhill lamented in his book Why Revival Tarries, "No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be a shopwindow to display one's talents; the prayer closet allows no showing off. Poverty stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere."

There are several requirements which must be met for our prayers to effective.

1. We must have true faith. For our prayers to be answered, we must exhibit true faith in God to hear and answer our petition. "What things soever ye desire," Jesus said, "when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24). James tells us, "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." (James 1:6-7). To the other extreme, we see several cases in the Gospels where Jesus or His followers could not work because of unbelief. When Jesus was teaching in the land of His birth, Matthew states, "He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:5-6). When the disciples could not cast the demon from the possessed man, they inquired of the Lord why they could not cast him out. "Because of your unbelief," Jesus responded. "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20). It should be our prayer with tears, as the man with the demon possessed child, "Lord, help thou mine unbelief!" (Mark 9:24), for it is our inbelief which hinders so much the work of the Lord. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, so promises Paul to the Ephesians. But here is the key..... "according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20). We are His hands and His feet. If we do not believe in our Savior, then we make the gospel of none effect, and His work is hindered.

2. Prayer must be offered in the name of Jesus. Jesus stated, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14). To pray in the name of Christ implies two things on the part of the believer. (1) You are praying in harmony with God's will, and not for any thing contrary to Christ's character or to the Word of God. (2) You desire, through the answered prayer, that God would be glorified.

3. You must pray for the perfect will of God. The apostle John wrote, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us" (1 John 5:14). Jesus touched on this in His model pray, or The Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." We see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane desiring God's will above His own, even in facing death. "Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me," Jesus declared in His Gethesemane prayer, "nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14:36). John has proclaimed, declaring confidence in Christ, that He hears us if we ask any thing according to His will. In most instances, we can determine God's will through what He has revealed through the Scriptures. And we can be assured that any person who prays desiring God's will to be accomplished, who desires that God be glorified, and who comes before God in faith, will have His prayer heard and answered. This thought of desiring God, His will and His righteousness, above our own needs can be found in Jesus' words, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33).

4. We must not give up! Jesus began His parable of the widow and judge, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." The word "faint", from the Greek word "ekkakeo," means "exhausted, wearied out, or utterly spiritless." To the Colossians, Paul wrote, "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." And to the Thessalonians, Paul penned, "Pray without ceasing." (Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). In the parable, the widow repeatedly came before the Judge asking to avenge an adversary until the Judge grew weary of seeing her. Jesus' teaching on the widow and the judge is not to imply that God is not caring and simply answers prayer because He grows tired of us repeatedly coming to Him and asking for the same thing. The parable's purpose is merely to teach us the value of not giving up, of perseverance and persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1-7). This is echoed in Jesus' teaching in Matthew, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8). "Ask..... Seek..... Knock" implies perseverance in prayer. These three verbs imply a continual action, and not something that is only done one time. Asking denotes a consciousness of need and a belief that God hears you as you ask. Seeking implies a desire to find something, often leaving other tasks undone as you search. Knocking implies a desire to see God answer, even if He does not respond quickly, just as you would knock on the door of a neighbor's home more than once. Matthew Henry penned in his commentary, "Prayer is the appointed means for obtaining what we need. Pray; pray often; make a business of prayer, and be serious and earnest in it. Ask, as a beggar asks alms. Ask, as a traveller asks the way. Seek, as for a thing of value that we have lost; or as the merchantman that seeks goodly pearls. Knock, as he that desires to enter into the house knocks at the door. Sin has shut and barred the door against us; by prayer we knock. Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, shall be given you, if God see it fit for you, and what would you have more? This is made to apply to all that pray aright; every one that asketh receiveth, whether Jew or Gentile, young or old, rich or poor, high or low, master or servant, learned or unlearned, all are alike welcome to the throne of grace, if they come in faith. It is explained by a comparison taken from earthly parents, and their readiness to give their children what they ask. Parents are often foolishly fond, but God is all-wise; he knows what we need, what we desire, and what is fit for us. Let us never suppose our heavenly Father would bid us pray, and then refuse to hear, or give us what would be hurtful."

The Lord's Prayer

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name. They kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13). Jesus gave us this prayer as an example on how we should pray, or what constitutes an effective, pleasing prayer to God. Jesus certainly was telling us to repeat this prayer, for that would contradict what He said just a few verses before, "When ye pray, use not vain repetitions." (verse 7). From this prayer, we learn that when we pray, we should: (1) Offer to God reverence and worship, (2) Pray for His kingdom to come soon, (3) Pray for His will, (4) Ask for daily strength and guidance, (5) Ask for forgiveness of sins and grace to forgive others, (6) Ask for strength to resist temptation, and finally, (7) Offer to Him praise and thanksgiving. Now let's look closer at each verse in Jesus' prayer.

After this manner pray ye.....
Through this model of prayer, Jesus gives indications of what should consititute the believer's prayer. It is by no means inclusive, meaning you cannot pray about anything else, but our prayers should contain the same elements which constructed Jesus' prayer. The Lord's Prayer consists of six elements. Notice how the first three petitions concern God and His will (Hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done), while the last three petitions concern man and his needs (Give us this day our daily bread, Forgive us our debts as we forgive others, Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil).

Our Father Which Art in Heaven.....
Jesus always referred to God as "Father" indicating someone who desires to be close to His children, and not distant and aloof, clueless of people's needs or suffering. As a Father, God cares for us, loves us, and desires intimacy and fellowship with His people. When Jesus died upon the cross, the veil in the temple which separated the place of the presence of God from man, was torn in half from top to bottom, indicating to mankind, "The door is always open." Like an earthly Father, God can bless us, or withhold blessings. He can act in justice or be merciful.

Hallowed by Thy Name.....
Prayer always should involve a time of worship and adoration of God. His name is to be hallowed, respected, honored and reverenced. The Greek word "hagiazo" which is translated "hallowed" implies purity, and separation from anything profane. The sacredness of God, His Word, and His work should be of concern to us, and we should desire not to do anything which would bring scandal and reproach to the name of Christ, nor damage the reputation of the church or the Gospel.

Thy Kingdom Come.....
As Christians, we should long for Christ's return and pray that He will come quickly. It should be a factor governing how we live and how we conduct ourselves. The apostle Peter remarked that seeing the destruction and calamity which is prophesied to come upon the earth, "what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:11). Paul wrote to Titus, "Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:12-14).

Thy Will be Done.....
We should always pray for God's will to be accomplished in our lives and in the world as well, as it is in Heaven. We must pray for God's kingdom to be manifested on the earth now; a revival of holiness, healing of the sick in body, mind and heart, and salvation of the lost. Jesus instructed us to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into his harvest, for "the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few." (Luke 10:2). As believers, each one of us should desire to know God's will or plan for our lives, and we should seek to walk in His will. As free moral agents, we do not always allow God to perform His will in us. And certainly, His will is not accomplished in the people of the world who do not desire to know God nor please Him.

From the Scriptures, we can find several desires which constitute the will of God, or goals He desires to perform or achieve. (1) He is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). (2) It is God's will that all who believeth on Christ may have everlasting life and that no believer become lost and fall from grace. (John 6:39-40). (3) Many Christians endure hardship and suffering as a part of God's will, not that God actually desires His people to suffer, but that growth, maturity and patience would result (1 Peter 3:17, 4:19). Satan, as the god of this world, causes suffering and hardship to befall God's people. God, in turn, uses this hardship and suffering, which lasts momentarily in the light of eternity, to mature the believer and to accomplish eternal goals. "For ALL THINGS are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God," Paul wrote in his second letter to the Thessalonians, "for which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:15-18). (4) It is God's will that we should abstain from fornication, that we should possess our bodies in sanctification and honor, and that we do not defraud others concerning any matter (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7). (5) It is God's will that, by doing well, we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men (1 Peter 2:15). We should not be rebellious, but should submit ourselves to every ordinance (law) of man. We are free, but should not use our liberty for a cloke of maliciousness (1 Peter 2:13-17).

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.....
In times of prayer, we can petition God for any needs we have. Notice that Jesus specifically stated "daily" bread. The idea here is that God doesn't want us to worry about tomorrow. God knows what we have need of: food, clothing, shelter. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," Jesus said, "and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore not thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:25-34). Remember back when the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness and God provided them with bread daily. Littering the ground with the morning dew was a seed which the people called "mannah", literally interpreted, "what is it?". This seed was used to make a sweet bread. There was enough on the ground every morning to feed the people for the day. Any which was stored quickly rotted and become worm-infested. On the sixth day of the week, God sent enough for the day, plus the Sabbath. God desires for us to learn that He knows our needs and will provide for us as long as our first priorities are seeking after God, His kingdom, and His righteousness. (see Exodus 16:13-35). God must always come first.

This concept is even seen in the construction of the Lord's prayer --- notice how the first three petitions concern God and His will (Hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done), while the last three petitions concern man and his needs (Give us this day our daily bread, Forgive us our debts as we forgive others, Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil). Jesus taught us that the bread which we eat only satisfies for a little while. Our priority must be in seeking the bread of heaven first before seeking the bread of this earth. "Our fathers did manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat," Jesus proclaimed. "Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world..... I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:31-35).

Forgive Us Our Debts as We Forgive Our Debtors.....
We should always be concerned in confessing our sins to God and seeking forgiveness for any sins committed. Likewise, we should always be willing to forgive others who commit wrongs against us. The apostle John assures us, "If we confess our sines, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from al unrighteousness.....My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin,we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 1:9; 2:1). The word "advocate" is translated from the Greek word "parakletos", which means "one who is summoned or called to one's side, one who pleads another's cause before a judge, or a council for defense."

It doesn't matter who you are, where you have been, or what you have done, you can find forgiveness at the cross of Christ. We have an advocate, a defense council, to plead for us before the Father. "Come now, and let us reason together," the Lord said through Isaiah the prophet, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18). David the Psalmist cried with assurance, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name..... Who forgiveth ALL thine iniquities.... The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy..... He hath not dealt with us after our sins, or rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." (Psalms 103:1,3,8,10-12). "Like as a father pitieth his children....." It was Henry Ward Beecher who penned, "God pardons like a mother who kisses the offense into everlasting forgiveness." Whatever you have done, no matter what load of guilt you are carrying, you can find forgiveness and freedom in Christ.

And as God extends His mercy and forgiveness to us, we are to do likewise for our brethren. As Jesus began His ministry, He stood before the congregation and read the prophecy found in Isaiah (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1). But I want to focus on just one point, "to set at liberty them that are bruised." Why would someone who is bruised need to be set at liberty, or set free? I can understand someone who is bruised needed healing. But freedom? This verse in the book of Isaiah says, "proclaim liberty to the captives." People who have been bruised are captives. The wounds people suffer to their physical bodies are not as bad as those people suffer to their hearts. A friend turns on you. A parent hits you and calls you names. A child rebels. A spouse cheats. A co-worker uses you for a stepping stone. Wounds such as these cause one to be bound up in the chains of unforgiveness. They're bitter, hurt, and want revenge. Jesus said, "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25-26). If you are bitter or angry toward a friend or family member, forgive them of what they have done to you, and let God's peace come into your soul. (Read also the parable of the unforgiving servant, Matthew 18:23-35).

Lead Us Not into Temptation, But Deliver Us from Evil....
As believers in Christ, we become targets for Satan's wrath and fury. We must seek God's continual protection as we go about our daily lives. Temptations are everywhere, and we need God to strengthen us to resist the snares of the enemy. God may allow us to be tempted (God does not tempt anyone), but will never let us endure anything above what we are able to bear, and with the temptation will also provide a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:13). God longs, as David the Psalmist proclaimed, to lead us beside still waters and in the paths of righteousness (Psalms 23:2,3). He has provided us with armor that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. "Put on the WHOLE armor of God," Paul told the Ephesians, "that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand." (Ephesians 6:13). Paul also exhorted us to "pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." (see Ephesians 6:10-18).

For Thine is the Kingdom
While Satan is the god of this world, it is God who is ultimately in control and will one day again establish the kingdom of Christ on earth. The Kingdom is God's, and God alone, and the power and the glory, forever. One day soon, Jesus shall return in the clouds to take us home. On that day, God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no more sorrow or pain, no more death or crying, for all these things will have passed away. (Revelation 21:7). "Write," Jesus told John, "for these words are true and faithful." Doctors and nurses will be out of work. Funeral homes and cemeteries will be closed and boarded up. Insurance companies will shut down. Policemen will have nothing to do and firemen will twiddle their thumbs. Prisons, hospitals and nursing homes will all be giant empty shells. Where the golden streets intersect, there will not be any children standing there selling drugs or their bodies, nor any thugs wielding weapons. Our mansions, as well as the city, will not need the gates to be shut nor the doors to be locked. The lion with lie down with the lamb, and "they will not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," God has promised (Isaiah 11:9). But even though Heaven will be a beautiful place, and in the promise of a new heaven and earth we shall find peace, it still is not the primary reason I want to go. "We know that when He shall appear," John wrote, "WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see Him as He is." That is why I want to go. "We shall be like Him." Never again will I have to cry in prayer, "Lord, forgive me, I've done wrong. Wash me and cleanse from my sin." The days of getting down on my knees and praying for God's forgiveness will be over, for all sin, and the temptation to sin, will have vanished. No more fighting the flesh, no more guilt over sin and no more yearning for victory. Never, ever again will I long to be like Jesus. It will all be over.

"And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. "Behold, I show you a mystery. We all shall not sleep, but WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:49, 51-57 ASV).

Matthew Henry said concerning this prayer, "Christ saw it needful to show his disciples what must commonly be the matter and method of their prayer. Not that we are tied up to the use of this only, or of this always; yet, without doubt, it is very good to use it. It has much in a little; and it is used acceptably no further than it is used with understanding, and without being needlessly repeated. The petitions are six; the first three relate more expressly to God and his honour, the last three to our own concerns, both temporal and spiritual. This prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and that all other things shall be added. After the things of God's glory, kingdom, and will, we pray for the needful supports and comforts of this present life. Every word here has a lesson in it. We ask for bread; that teaches us sobriety and temperance: and we ask only for bread; not for what we do not need. We ask for our bread; that teaches us honesty and industry: we do not ask for the bread of others, nor the bread of deceit, Pr 20:17; nor the bread of idleness, Pr 31:27, but the bread honestly gotten. We ask for our daily bread; which teaches us constantly to depend upon Divine Providence. We beg of God to give it us; not sell it us, nor lend it us, but give it. The greatest of men must be beholden to the mercy of God for their daily bread. We pray, Give it to us. This teaches us a compassion for the poor. Also that we ought to pray with our families. We pray that God would give it us this day; which teaches us to renew the desires of our souls toward God, as the wants of our bodies are renewed. As the day comes we must pray to our heavenly Father, and reckon we could as well go a day without food, as without prayer. We are taught to hate and dread sin while we hope for mercy, to distrust ourselves, to rely on the providence and grace of God to keep us from it, to be prepared to resist the tempter, and not to become tempters of others. Here is a promise, If you forgive, your heavenly Father will also forgive. We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven. Those who desire to find mercy with God, must show mercy to their brethren. Christ came into the world as the great Peace-maker, not only to reconcile us to God, but one to another.

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