Practical Prayer Lessons part 1

vs. 1-2--Perfectly joined together, united in their desire to please God

vs. 3--"Lord, show me where I should go...and also show me what I should do at that place--what ministries I should get involved in, who I should spend my time with. Please guide every step I take, every moment I have...that my life may be pleasing to You."

vs. 4--Jeremiah commits to pray for others...and he follows thru! How often do I promise to pray, but then quickly forget? (Too often, I'm ashamed to admit; or I pray once and then forget about it until I see that person again.) The prophet not only prays for them, mentioning them in prayer: he diligently seeks for the Lord's will in the matter, mediating earnestly and often for them, until the matter is resolved.

vs. 5-6--The people were confident God would hear Jeremiah's prayer. (Do people KNOW God will hear my prayers lifted up on their behalf? Do I KNOW God will hear my prayers?) Often, I hesitate to ask people to pray because I'm not sure they will pray or I'm not sure God will hear because of inconsistencies in their Christian walk. While this may be the wrong attitude, seeing Christ in someone sure does make me more willing to ask them to go before God on my behalf.

The people had unconditional obedience: No matter what God says, what He tells us to do, we will obey, even if difficult and hard, because He is our God and we desire Him to bless us, which He promises to do when we listen to and obey Him. One of the first steps in repentance is a willingness to change, a desire to do right. "Wanting to is half the battle."



Created about 1 year ago