I’m gathering Scriptures which can help strengthen my faith. Obviously all scripture can be used to that, but in certain circumstances different bible verses have different purposes. That’s what is so amazing about the Bible, it is a living breathing book that can serve so many purposes.
Firstly, before I look for specific scriptures for my situation, I need to know whether I can pray, how I can pray and what it means to pray.
2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
What gives us the right to go to God and ask him for the things we need?
Hebrews 10:19 – 22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Luke 23:45 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
In the Old Testament only the high priest was allowed to go through the curtain into the Holy of Holies and into the presence of God. There is nothing standing in the way of a believer to have access to God. We can speak directly to Him, we don’t need a priest to intercede for us.
1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
We can’t have a proper conversation with God while we are being dragged down with worries. First of all we have to give Him our cares. We have to really give them to Him, not just for the duration of our prayer time. We have to leave them with Him. They now become His possession, they no longer belong to us.
We can also pray anywhere, anytime. And we should be praying much more than we actually do.
Ephesians 6:18
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication
What can we pray for and how?
John 14:13 – 14
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Matthew 21:22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
John 16:24
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
These verses say that we should ask in the name of Jesus. I understand this to mean that we have the right to ask if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior. And we did not accept Jesus out of our own, God drew us towards Him first. If we are in Him and He is in us we can approach the throne and we can ask for what we need. We have to pray in accordance with scripture and with God’s will. We can’t pray for the downfall of fellow Christians. That is not in God’s will.
John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
We should stay in the Word and we should not only pray when we’re in trouble. Prayer should be a daily, hourly, minute by minute conversation. God’s words should always be foremost in our lives. And we have to pray with faith. We must not have doubts that God is hearing us and that He will answer our prayers.
Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
God wants us to speak to Him. He wants to give us what He has for us. We have to be willing to trust Him and always believe His promises.
Romans 8:32
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
This verse says it all. God gave us His own and only beloved Son so that we should not be lost. Why wouldn’t He give us everything else we need, and more?
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