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ASKING AMISS!PRESENTATION TITLE

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“PRAYER”

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What is Prayer?

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him {A Call to Stand Apart pg26. par3}

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WHY PRAY?

God has made earnest prayer the condition of the bestowal of His richest blessings. His heart of love is touched with our sorrows even more our utterance of them. {HP 213.3}

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HOW DOES GOD WANT TO ANSWER OUR PRAYER1.YES?

2.WAIT?

3.NO?

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WHAT ANSWERS DOES GOD WANT TO GIVE TO OUR PRAYERS?

Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

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Matt 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Mark 11:24. “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

John 14:13. "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

IS GOD PLEASED BY SAYING NO TO OUR PRAYERS?Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

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LENGTHY PRAYERS?

Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Q.

1. What Was Christ Praying For?

2. Why was His prayer Lengthy?

3. Was He repeating himself?

4. Did the Father Answer NO!

WHEN DOES GOD SAY NO?James4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.

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Amiss: defn 1. Wrong; faulty; out of order;

improper; as, it may not be amiss to ask advice. [This adjective always follows its noun.]

2. adv. In a faulty manner; contrary to propriety, truth, law or morality.

WHY?? James4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 12

DO WE REALLY KNOW HOW TO PRAY

Romans 8:26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

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SOLUTION

Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples

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LORD”S PRAYERLuke 11:

CHRIST PRAYER

JOHN 17:He prays for Himself to be GLORIFIEDHe prays for His disciples to continue in HIMHe prays for those who would believe in Him in the future

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WHAT ARE YOU PRAYING FOR??

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ASKING AMISS!Do we Pray according to HIS will and HIS desire - or -accordingOur will and our Desire?

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1 John 5:14, 15. "If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him."

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WHAT DOES GOD DESIRE TO GIVE US?

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Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 11:12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

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WHAT DOES GOD DESIRE TO GIVE US?

“HOLY SPIRIT”

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RAIN -

James 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

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LATTER RAIN

Zechariah 10:1 Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; [so] the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

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CHRIST ALSO PRAYING FOR THE SAME.

John 14:15,1614:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

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ALREADY ANSWERED PRAYERLATTER RAIN – HOLY SPIRIT

Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

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The great need of this time of peril is the Holy Spirit, for it will bring to the receiver all other blessings in its train. The truth believed will transform the character. {CTr 371.2}

A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work.--Review and Herald, March 22, 1887. {ChS 41.4} 

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PRAYING FOR MATERIAL GAIN

Luke 12:13And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 12:14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

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WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WORRY IN PRAYER?

Luke 12:22-24 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body [is more] than raiment. 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

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WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WORRY IN PRAYER?Luke 12:25-29 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 12:26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith? 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

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FOR EARTHLY WEALTH!

Malachi 3:10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].

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WHAT PRAYER DOES NOT DO!

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DID JESUS PRAY AMISS ??Matt 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].

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Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him. {A Call to Stand Apart pg26. par3} Prayer is not intended to work any change in God; it brings us into harmony with God. It does not take the place of duty. Prayer offered ever so often and ever so earnestly will never be accepted by God in the place of our tithe. Prayer will not pay our debts to God. . . . {Messages to Young People pg248. par1}

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DOES GOD ANSWER PRAYERS AS WE EXPECT? God does not always answer our prayers as we

expect, for we may not ask what would be for our highest good; but in his infinite love and wisdom he will give us those things which we most need. Happy the minister who has a faithful Aaron and Hur to strengthen his hands when they become weary, and to hold them up by faith and prayer. Such a support is a powerful aid to the servant of Christ in his work, and will often make the cause of truth to triumph gloriously. {GW92 32.2}

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THAT’S WHAT THE DISCIPLES NEEDEDActs 1:4 And, being assembled together with

[them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he], ye have heard of me. …

1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

The baptism of the Holy Ghost as on the day of Pentecost will lead to a revival of true religion, and to the performance of many wonderful works. Heavenly intelligences will come among us, and men and women will speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Spirit of God. {2SM 57.1}

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