Questions About Prayer Por arte de portada

Questions About Prayer

De: Keith Muoki
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  • The most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer is not meditation or passive reflection; it is direct address to God. It is the communication of the human soul with the Lord who created the soul. Prayer is the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to communicate his emotions and desires with God and to fellowship with God. Prayer can be audible or silent, private or public, formal or informal. All prayer must be offered in faith (James 1:6), in the name of the Lord Jesus (John 16:23), and in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). As the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia puts it, “Christian prayer in its full New Testament meaning is prayer addressed to God as Father, in the name of Christ as Mediator, and through the enabling grace of the indwelling Spirit” (“Prayer” by J. C. Lambert). The wicked have no desire to pray (Psalm 10:4), but the children of God have a natural desire to pray (Luke 11:1). Prayer is described in the Bible as seeking God’s favor (Exodus 32:11), pouring out one’s soul to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:15), crying out to heaven (2 Chronicles 32:20), drawing near to God (Psalm 73:28, KJV), and kneeling before the Father (Ephesians 3:14). Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). Worry about nothing; pray about everything. Everything? Yes, God wants us to talk with Him about everything. How often should we pray? The biblical answer is “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should keep a running conversation going with God all day long. Some find the ACTS formula of prayer helpful, but there is really no special formula for how to pray in the Bible. We should just do it. We can pray under any and all circumstances. Prayer develops our relationship with God and demonstrates our trust and utter dependence upon Him. Prayer is the Christian’s way of communicating with God. We pray to praise God and thank Him and tell Him how much we love Him. We pray to enjoy His presence and tell Him what is going on in our lives. We pray to make requests and seek guidance and ask for wisdom. God loves this exchange with His children, just as we love the exchange we have with our children. Fellowship with God is the heart of prayer. Too often we lose sight of how simple prayer is really supposed to be. When we make petitions to God, we let God know exactly where we stand and what we would like to see happen. In our prayers, we must admit that God is greater than we are and ultimately knows what is best in any given situation (Romans 11:33–36). God is good and asks us to trust Him. In prayer, we say, essentially, “Not my will, but your will be done.” The key to answered prayer is praying according to the will of God and in accordance with His Word. Prayer is not seeking our own will but seeking to align ourselves with the will of God more fully (1 John 5:14–15; James 4:3). The Bible contains many examples of prayer and plenty of exhortations to pray (see Luke 18:1; Romans 12:12; and Ephesians 6:18). God’s house is to be a house of prayer (Mark 11:17), and God’s people are to be people of prayer: “Dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love” (Jude 1:20–21).
    Copyright Keith Muoki
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Episodios
  • Why should we ask God to forgive us our debts?

    Why should we ask God to forgive us our debts?
    Aug 18 2021
    Matthew 6:12 appears toward the end of what is often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, part of the Sermon on the Mount, a discourse on the kingdom of heaven. In this model prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Some may wonder why believers, who are forgiven of their sin, need to ask God to “forgive us our debts.” When exploring the forgiveness of sins, it’s important to note there are three aspects of salvation: positional, progressive, and ultimate. Positional salvation is often thought of as synonymous with justification—the state of being declared righteous. Progressive salvation involves the process of becoming holy or righteous, as we are set apart in this world for God’s purposes. Ultimate salvation is our glorification, when we are removed from the presence of sin and made complete in holiness. All three aspects of salvation are acts of God completed by grace through faith (John 3:16; Romans 3:21–28). The Christian is positionally righteous, but not practically so. We are declared innocent in Christ, but we still sin day to day in this world. That’s why we still need to ask God “to forgive us our debts” and why we still need to forgive the debts of others. The “debts” Jesus refers to are sins. John addresses the same matter: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9). Christians should acknowledge their sins and offenses against God and confess them to the only One who can forgive. Jesus, in Matthew 6, teaches humility and praying for God’s recognition rather than man’s (cf. Matthew 6:1, 5). He’s speaking to a Jewish audience, showing them that their law-based righteousness is not enough to enter the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matthew 5:20, 48). John is speaking to “brethren,” pointing to a Christian audience, both Jew and Gentile (1 John 3:13, 14, 16). This is critical to understand, as it means the principle of asking God to forgive our debts is universal. Belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ leads to justification (John 3:16; John 6:47; 1 John 5:1–5; Romans 4:1–3; 1 Corinthians 15:1–4). A repeated request for forgiveness is not required for salvation in this sense. Post-salvation confession of sin and requests for forgiveness are for the purpose of a healthy relationship with God. We must ask God to forgive our debts for the continuance and strengthening of our fellowship with Him. A daily prayer that God would “forgive us our debts” is not necessary for justification but instead is an aspect of the continuing process of sanctification. www.keithmuoki.com
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    11 m
  • Is it biblical to light candles for the dead?

    Is it biblical to light candles for the dead?
    Jul 20 2021
    The practice of lighting candles for the dead may or may not have religious connotations. Sometimes, after a tragedy, people hold candlelight vigils or leave lighted candles at the scene of a person’s death. In these contexts the candles could simply be symbols of the brevity of life or pledges of the living to brighten a dark world. There is nothing wrong with lighting candles for such purposes. However, there are some churches that advise people to light candles for the dead, an action usually accompanied by prayers for the dead. This practice is clearly contrary to biblical teachings. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that lighting candles for the dead in correlation with prayer prolongs and amplifies the prayer and memorializes the deceased. The teaching behind candles associated with praying for the dead is the Catholic doctrine of purgatory. The idea is that, after death, some people exist in a state of misery between heaven and hell; Catholics believe that the prayers of people on earth can improve the lot of those in purgatory and speed up their journey toward heaven. However, the doctrine of purgatory is not found in the Bible; rather, it is based on Roman Catholic tradition. The belief that candles hasten our prayers’ journey to heaven, make our prayers more powerful or effective, or add anything to our prayers is superstitious. Prayer is a conversation with our heavenly Father—a dialogue between two live, conscious, responsive beings who share the same Spirit. No candle can enhance this relationship. There is nothing wrong with candles, per se. A lighted candle can provide beauty and symbolize our testimony in the world. However, candles are inanimate objects, with no power, strength, or mystical or supernatural abilities. Candles will not affect how God answers prayer, and they will certainly not assist in changing the destination of a dead person’s soul. Lighting candles for the dead in order to help the dead to a better place is not biblical. It is natural to have a desire to pray in times of pain, suffering, and loss for loved ones and friends, but praying for the souls of the dead is of no value. Instead, the focus should be on the grieving friends and family members of the departed, as we offer compassion and practical assistance, showing Christ’s love in tangible ways. . . . . Keith believes that we are saved only once (Hebrews 9:12) by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) in the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross (John 19:30) and we can NOT lose our free (Romans 5:15) God-given Salvation (John 6:39). This is because our salvation is based purely on faith in the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and not on any of our fleshly works of righteousness (Titus 3:5-7). ………………………………………………………………………………… Please Subscribe, Like, Share & favorite our Videos and Podcasts: Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/KeithMuoki/videos Spreaker Podcast Channel: https://www.spreaker.com/user/14810659 Our Website: https://keithmuoki.com/ ………………………………………………………………………………… Watch & Listen to More bible study videos & Podcasts from our other Channels: Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki01 Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/101uy9WzWYah/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/keithmuoki Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/keithmuoki Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/keithblackkenya Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/keithmuoki Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/31clxlnx72ssrgtquuiwq7ytml2e?si=a96c414059514a3a _______________________________________ SUPPORT OUR CHANNEL: If you want to get a step by step detail on how to be saved, or you'd like to know more about our ministry or support us, please check out the details in our website; https://keithmuoki.com/ …………………………………………………………………………………… ➤𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁: Email: keithmuoki@gmail.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/keith_muoki Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithmuoki/ Facebook Account: https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki/ LinkedIn:...
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    5 m
  • How does prayer work?

    How does prayer work?
    Jul 20 2021
    There is no magical formula for prayer. In the simplest of terms, prayer is staying in communication with God—talking to Him, spending time in His presence, and drawing near to Him. Through prayer, we express adoration and thanks to God, we make requests known to Him, we intercede for others, and we learn more about His character and His will for our lives. Learning how prayer works is part of the natural process of growing in our relationship with the Lord. As we develop an active and continuous connection with God our Father through Jesus Christ His Son by the power of His indwelling Spirit, we discover the heart of prayer. Prayer is a uniquely human activity; no other beings have the privilege of communicating in such a way with their Maker and Redeemer. But prayer can be intimidating, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the practice or if you’ve been taught to see prayer as a complex, formal, or ritualized activity. The foundation of prayer that works is a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus told us to pray in His name (see John 16:23–24), that is, to pray in His authority, on the basis of our union with Him, for what would honor and glorify God. Because Jesus is our “great high priest,” we can “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:14, 16). Prayer that works—the effective prayer—must be offered in faith (James 1:5–7). Part of praying in faith, Jesus taught, is that we persevere in prayer and never give up (Luke 18:1). Prayer is relational. It is not meant to be forced but, rather, to flow comfortably from the heart since God knows our hearts (Psalm 44:21; Luke 16:15; Acts 15:8; Romans 8:27). Prayer is based on God’s love for us. As children of a compassionate Father, we can trust God and turn to Him to care for our needs (Isaiah 64:8–9; Psalm 103:13–14). If we genuinely want to know how prayer works, we will make it our mission to study the prayer life of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. More than anyone else, Jesus shared a close personal connection with God the Father, and, therefore, He is our best example to follow. Jesus gave His disciple this specific teaching about prayer: “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:5–8, NLT). Jesus stressed honest, heartfelt prayer based on a loving relationship with God the Father. Through the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus also gave His disciples a pattern for prayer. First, He showed them what their motives in prayer ought to be—that God’s name be honored and His will be fulfilled: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’” (Matthew 6:9–10). Submission to God’s will was a defining characteristic of Jesus Christ’s prayer life (see Luke 22:42). God answers prayer that lines up with His will: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15). Jesus taught the disciples that, through prayer, they could come to God to meet their daily needs: “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Our Father takes care of us. We don’t have to worry about what we might need today or in the future; we talk to God about our needs, and we depend on Him as our faithful provider. Prayer also involves searching our hearts, recognizing that we...
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    14 m
Ministerio y Evangelismo Espiritualidad
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