ONE FAMILY PLAN
The Parable of Prayer
Look for 2 or 3 witnesses in Scripture to establish a truth:
"In the mouth of TWO OR THREE WITNESSES shall every word be established" (2 Cor. 13:1 & Rev.11:3)
"The words that I speak unto you, they ARE SPIRIT, and they are life" (John 6:63)
"...comparing (or: 'matching') SPIRITUAL things with SPIRITUAL" (1 Cor. 2:13)
Letter (OLD Covenant) = Killing (death) but the Spirit (NEW Covenant) = LIFE
"...God, Who also makes us competent dispensers of a NEW covenant, not of the letter, but of the spirit, for the letter is killing, yet the spirit is vivifying [giving life]." (II Cor. 3:6)
Prayer is NOT what is being taught. It is Spiritual!
"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, WHEN YE SHALL NEITHER IN THIS MOUNTAIN, NOR YET AT JERUSALEM, WORSHIP THE FATHER. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. GOD IS A SPIRIT: AND THEY THAT WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH." (John 4:21-24)
"And he carried me away IN THE SPIRIT to A GREAT AND HIGH MOUNTAIN, and shewed me THAT GREAT CITY, THE HOLY JERUSALEM, descending out of heaven from God..." (Rev 21:10)
"With all prayer and petition PRAY AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT, and WITH THIS IN VIEW, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..."(Ephesians 6:18)
There are physical parallels but ALWAYS the SPIRITUAL is the heart! The Lord’s Prayer is cited immediately AFTER we are warned of vain repetitious prayer. Why is this? As we walk in the Spirit, as Paul did (remember he judged in spirit while away physically) ...our life, our sacrifice is our prayer ...God knows EVERYTHING we need BEFORE we ask. In essence, God does NOT desire our physical words, traditions, repetitions, rituals... He desires our hearts!
We are to pray at ALL times! - Without ceasing! This is NOT physical [of the flesh] praying... this is spiritual! This is a NEW way... a lifestyle of the Spirit! This is a life of NO worry! It is a rejoicing ALWAYS! A praying [in the Spirit] without ceasing when ALL our lives honor HIM! ...esteeming others more than ourselves ...forever thanking, praising Him [in the Spirit]! HE HEARS THE HEART!!!
"REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU." (1 Thess 5:16-18)
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"But the natural man receiveth not THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED." (1 Cor 2:14)
"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, THAT MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, and not to faint..."(Luke 18:1)
Day AND Night! ALL the time!! At night? While sleeping? How is this? IN THE SPIRIT!!
"Watch ye therefore, and PRAY ALWAYS, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:36)
"Peter therefore was kept in prison: but PRAYER WAS MADE WITHOUT CEASING of the church unto God for him." (Acts 12:5)
A Physical List?
Do we literally make a physical list [I know some do] and pray [with our flesh] for everyone on that list ALL the time, EVERYDAY?! We are serving God in our spirit! These prayers will reach Him in Spirit! We pray all the time [without ceasing] when we live our lives IN THE SPIRIT!!
"For God is my witness, WHOM I SERVE WITH MY SPIRIT in the gospel of his Son, THAT WITHOUT CEASING I make mention of you ALWAYS IN MY PRAYERS..." (Romans 1:9)
"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, PRAYING ALWAYS for you..." (Col 1:3)
"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, ALWAYS LABOURING FERVENTLY FOR YOU IN PRAYERS, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." (Col 4:12)
"We give THANKS TO GOD ALWAYS for you all, making mention of you in our prayers..." (1 Thessalonians 1:2)
"PRAY WITHOUT CEASING."
(1 Thessalonians 5:17)
"when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all WHO HAVE BELIEVED, because our testimony TO YOU WAS BELIEVED. TO THIS END WE ALWAYS PRAY for you..." (2 Thessalonians 1:10-11)
"I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that WITHOUT CEASING I have remembrance of thee IN MY PRAYERS NIGHT AND DAY..." (2 Timothy 1:3)
"I thank my God, making mention of thee ALWAYS IN MY PRAYERS..." (Philemon 1:4)
It was declared in the Spirit ...for this reason they will never cease to pray in the Spirit! ...for the knowledge of HIS will in ALL wisdom and SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING!
"as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, WHO ALSO DECLARED TO US YOUR LOVE IN THE SPIRIT. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, DO NOT CEASE TO PRAY FOR YOU, and to ask that you may be filled with THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL IN ALL WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING..." (Colossians 1:7-9)
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: AND THE SPIRIT of the LORD shall rest upon him, THE SPIRIT of wisdom and understanding, THE SPIRIT of counsel and might, THE SPIRIT of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD..." (Isaiah 11:1-2)
Enter into your [spiritual] closet and shut the door [He is our Refuge]! Pray to the Father which is in secret [Spirit]! He will hear your heart and reward you openly! It is NOT the outward VAIN repetitions!
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But WHEN YE PRAY, USE NOT VAIN REPETITIONS, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."(Matthew 6:6-7)
We are NOT to use vain repetitions! That is NOT to say we are never to pray out loud. More importantly, however, we are to live in prayer – to pray ALWAYS IN THE SPIRIT! The Words that HE speaks ARE SPIRITUAL!! He already knows what we need BEFORE we ask! He doesn't need to hear the [physical] words ...He hears the heart!
"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for YOUR FATHER KNOWETH WHAT THINGS YE HAVE NEED OF, BEFORE YE ASK HIM. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy 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 6:8-13)
The Lord's Prayer is NOT a VAIN REPETITION! It is a prayer OF THE SPIRIT!! In our hearts we are crying THY WILL BE DONE because in our hearts we BELIEVE HIS WILL “WILL� be done as it most certainly WILL BE DONE! We believe He will give us our Daily Bread [the Word of God] ...what we NEED! In our hearts we forgive and we BELIEVE HE WILL FORGIVE US! Why? He told us He would and we believe Him!
"FOR IF YE FORGIVE men their trespasses, YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER WILL ALSO FORGIVE YOU: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)
We BELIEVE we will NOT be led into temptation [as in... succumb to... because He told us He will deliver us from evil!
"GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, a very present help in trouble. Therefore WE WILL NOT FEAR though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea..." (Psalm 46:1-2, ESV)
"Because thou hast made the LORD, which is MY REFUGE, even the most High, thy habitation; THERE SHALL NO EVIL BEFALL THEE, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." (Psalm 91:9-10)
Beware the Pharisees and the long prayers
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense MAKE LONG PRAYERS. Therefore YOU WILL RECEIVE GREATER CONDEMNATION." (Matthew 23:14, KJV)
"who devour widows' houses, and FOR APPEARANCE'S SAKE OFFER LONG PRAYERS; these will receive greater condemnation." (Mark 12:40, NASB)
"who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. THESE WILL RECEIVE GREATER CONDEMNATION." (Luke 20:47, NASB)
NOWHERE TO HIDE... HE WILL FIND US ALL!
"WHITHER SHALL I GO FROM THY SPIRIT? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139:7-10)
"Turn you at my reproof: behold, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UNTO YOU, I WILL MAKE KNOWN MY WORDS UNTO YOU." (Proverbs 1:23)
"that is, THAT GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF, not imputing their trespasses to them, and HAS COMMITTED TO US THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION." (2 Cor 5:19)
The "still small voice" ...listen:
"And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire A STILL SMALL VOICE." (1 Kings 19:12)
"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and BE STILL..." (Psalm 4:4)
"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus..." (Hebrews 10:19)
"REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU."
(1 Thess 5:16-18)
"With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, WITH MY SPIRIT WITHIN ME WILL I SEEK THEE EARLY: for WHEN THY JUDGMENTS ARE IN THE EARTH, THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS."(Isaiah 26:9)
