The halfbaked Bard

James:5:13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. James:5:16 Prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Prayer is effective and powerful only if it is preceded by confession. Confession of sins is quintessential in reinstating your relation with your Father in heaven. For He is a holy God. Not that your sins will be forgiven when you confess. But inorder that your prayers will be heard, you need to have a reinstated relation with the Father. Therefore the reasons for unanswered prayers is this. Sin harboured in your mind. And also - you do not pray according to His will. You pray your selfish prayer, not according to His will and expect God to answer in your ways and your plan. Like a Genie, you need God's approval stamp of your shopping list. James:4:3 When you ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend what youbget on your pleasures. Are your prayers powerful and effective? Look into these things. Image credit: https...

Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Col:4:2 This is how prayers should be - watchful and thankful. Watchful for all the needs. Praying not just for you and your immediate needs. Praying for all. Then time won't be enough. Look at Epaphras (v:12-13). He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodecia and Hierapolis. How thin is your prayer list? Not just physically. Content wise. Even when you pray for others. what is it that you pray for them? Their physical needs are important. But their spiritual growth do you pray? Be thankful - God has been gracious to you - first of all, in plucking you from the very gates of hell. Secondly, every moment, there are only reasons to thank Him. How He has led you, how He has guided you, how He has protected you.  It is worthwhile to take a break from your frantic running. Take y...

Phil:4:6 Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Are you worried; are you disappointed; are you concerned; are you confused; The key is praying. In praying there is letting go of the reins. Praying develops trust. Pray about absolutely everything. Then time wouldn't suffice for you to pray - in contrast to, there is no time to pray. V:6b. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Being thankful for what He has done in the past is part of your prayer. Praying thus develops gratefulness. V:7. Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand. The key to peace that passeth all understanding is to be thankful for what He has done. To remember what He has done helps you to be at peace in tumultuous situations, because you remember that the God who has led you in the past, will lead you now as well. This is the key to living in Christ Jesus (v:7b). There is no point in worrying or trying to do things your...

Eph:6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me too. This is like summing up of all that Paul had to tell them. Guys. Just pray. In the Spirit.  Rom:8:26. And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying. For the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. To pray in the Spirit is to agree and acknowledge what the Holy Spirit would pray for you. We do not know what we should pray for ourselves. But the Spirit in us pleads for us and the Father knows what the Spirit is saying. It is like, you pray through the filter of the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Spirit, you pray. At all times and in every occasion. It is the helplessness that will lead you ...

Rom:8:26 But the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. The Holy Spirit in us prays with us and intercedes for us and presents our prayers to the Father according to the will of God. Even when we don't have the strength to pray. Even when we are angry at God and are rebellious enough to pray. Even when we are unable to pray. Even when we do not know how or what to pray. The Holy Spirit, the Triune God in us, prays to the Father and present our prayers acceptable to Him. These are part of the divine communications within the Trinity. The one who is in us being one with the Father. So be encouraged dear one. If you are unable to pray, know that God that is in you is interceding for you. But let not that be an excuse. Keep praying. Keep talking to your Father - in season and out of season. Pray without ceasing. Always. Image credit: https://www.freepik.com/premium-ai-image/pious-person-reads-prayer-when-white-dove-holy-spirit-descends-from_395916101.ht...

Prayer is power. When Peter was imprisoned, the church fervently prayed for him. And because the church prayed, Peter was miraculously rescued from the prison Prayer is not powerful. Prayer is power. Then why was James not rescued, but Peter was? The Church might have prayed for him as well, just as much they prayed for Peter! That is where we need to understand God's Sovereignty. Our duty is to pray. Gods responsibilities is to act according to His Sovereign will. We don't intervene. We don't push Him against His will. We just fervently, consistently, incessantly pray. Image credit: https://billelliff.org/blogs/news/the-model-of-prayer-in-the-early-church

John 17 They were always yours. They belong to you. May they be in us. I am in them and you are in me. You love them as much as you love me. Your love for me will be in them. And I will be in them. The prayer of Jesus is for you specifically. The prayer is all about knowing the Father and the Son Jesus Christ. Whom the Father sent. The love between the Father and the Son is to us and also among us. That we belong to the Father originally and He has always loved us. Do we realize the mindset of the Father. He is mindful of us. He wants us to experience the unending love, that He has. He is the source of all love. As much as there is love in the Trinity, so much He loves me. He can't love less. What is there in me to love me this much, Oh! Father. Image credit: https://stjohnswestbrunswick.org.au/2024/03/21/john-17-the-prayer-of-jesus/

Jn:11:5. So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus, He stayed where He was for the next two days. What kind of love is this? Though He loved them, He did not answer their request. Why because a greater glory was awaiting. Martha would make a statement of confession later, which would save her soul. Martha who was focussed on many things, now knew the one thing that is required. Mary would know the real purpose of Jesus and anoint His body for burial later. Many people who were with Mary would believe in Him. Lazarus would be called out from death. And through these all, the Father will be glorified. Why delays? Why so called unanswered prayers? Why God seems so far away? Why is He not seemingly hear my prayers? All for the glory of God alone. Delays are not denials. Wait doesn't mean No. Why don't we then wait patiently? It is difficult to wait during that waiting period. But let us wait expectantly. Sure of the truth that we are in the center of God's pa...

Mk:11:24 Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. If prayer is this powerful, then why don't we receive answers for everything we ask for?  One- is about believing. Two- is about seeking God's will. If these are sorted out and then we pray, then Jesus promises that you have received it all.  Oh! How I desire to believe that God is able to fulfil what I pray. Oh! How I desire to pray in accordance to God's will. Oh! How I desire to pray the right way. Image credit: https://redeemercitytocity.com/articles-stories/a-model-for-prayer-pt-1-how-to-pray

When you pray do not keep babbling like pagans for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Matt:6:7 Do not be formal in your prayers. Do not be official. The formulation of words is not what pleases the Father to answer your prayers. It is not the way a child asks that impresses a father to provide for him.  Let our prayers be more secret than public. Let our prayers flow from a wholesome relationship with the Father. Let the relationship be the key. Not the prayers. Your Father knows your needs. Will He not provide even before you ask? It doesn't mean you shouldn't ask. Asking brings in trust. But more important than asking is trusting. That He is Jehovah Jireh. That He is enough. That He is Jehovah Shammah.  Image credit:  https://earlychristiantexts.com/praying-in-secret/

The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked But He delights in the prayers of the upright.  Pro:15:8 Have you ever wondered, why God is not listening to your prayers. Well, it is an outright lie which the devil wants you to believe.  As a child of God, made right with God, we have this confidence in God, that He delights in my prayers. He is waiting to listen.  But do we pray in faith? In confidence in God Almighty, who is our Father? Are our prayers filled with complaints over things which we did not receive? Are our prayers filled with "Why God?" Are our prayers delightful for God. Prayers which He loves to hear. Prayers of faith and confidence and boldness as a child of God - not pleadings and cryings of helplessness.  Father let my prayers be pleasing for you to hear and let you hear the words from my mouth which you long to hear, which delights you. Which excites you and which prompts you to act according to your good pleasure.