Paper Purge Worth Saving

  “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” Mathew 5:44

  Along with moving stuff around to ready the place for the renos, I was going through a bunch of papers to see if they were worth keeping any longer. I came across a word study I’d done in 2016 about prayer. Using a concordance, a word study is an exercise of looking up the pertinent passages containing a specific word.

  My idea this morning is to simply copy it as today’s post. That way I can get rid of a couple more pieces of paper and I feel it does no harm to refresh my own understanding. I won’t write out every Scripture verse but will provide the reference and what I understood the passage to mean. There may be more references beyond the Gospels but I guess I felt they were enough for a clear understanding or, far more likely, I got bored with the exercise. (Smile.)

 A word study always starts with the dictionary definition:

  Prayer     -a devout request or petition to a deity

                  -the act of praying; esp. to God

                  -a set form of words used for a devout purpose, petition, etc.

                  -spiritual and wordless communion with God

                  -a religious service

                  -something prayed for as in any earnest request

Mathew   5:44      Prayer is an expression of grace.

                6:5-6     Prayer is a secret/private conversation with God.

                6:7        Prayers should not consist of vain repetitions.

                6:9        This is the introduction to the Lord’s Prayer, the model we are to use. It also 

                                  contains every attribute found in the word study and them some. (I might 

                                  investigate this tomorrow even though I know there many scholars who have

                                  written books about this subject.)

                9:38       Prayer can be for specific things.

                17:21     Prayer can cast out evil.

                21:13     God’s house is a house of prayer. (Not walls, not ceilings but words.)

                21:22     Confirms Mark 12:24

                23:14     Warning to Pharisees re: long prayers as a cover for ungodly behaviour

                24:20     It can be a petition for an easing of trials and tribulations.

                26:36     Even Jesus prayed to His Father.

                26:41     Prayer can be used to ask for help in times of temptation.

                26:53     Unlike a sword, man cannot interfere with prayers to our Father.

Mark        9:29       confirms Mat 17:21

                11:17     confirms Mat 21:13

                11:25     repentance, forgiveness and forgiving are important aspects of prayer

    12:24     We have to believe in what we are praying for

                13:18     confirms Mat 24:20

                13:33     Prayer should happen all the time.

                14:32     confirms Mat 26:36

                14:36     Prayer is a way of surrendering to God’s will.

                14:38     Confirms Mat 26:41

Luke        6:28        Prayer is for our enemies. (Mat 5:44 confirmation.)

                10:2        For labourers to work towards the harvest of souls (Ask for help?)

                14:18-19  Prayer is an expression of humility before authority.

                16:27     To beg.

                18:19     Prayers can be cries for mercy and an offering of repentance.

                19:46     confirms Mark 11:17, Mat 21:23

                21:36     Request to be made worthy and for relief from the dark times.

                22:32     Prayers are also to support others during times of trial or need.

                22:40     Confirms Mat. 26:41 (The second time re: protection against temptation!)

                22:46     Again, reiterates that prayers are for help against temptation.

John         14:16     Prayer can release good things! (Jesus prayed to release the Holy Spirit which

               also defines His role as mediator between God and man.)

                 16:26     All prayers are to be asked in Christ’s name.

                 17:9        Jesus prays for those who have come to know Him because they are His.

                 17:15     Prayers are for protection against evil. (Intercession.)

                 17:20     Prayers are for developing unity with God, to cement the belief that we dwell in                                        Christ and Christ in us.

                 20:23     Prayer is a uniting force for all believers.

  As I typed the last reference I came to realize again that prayer is having an ongoing conversation with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit about all the subjects under the sun. Although I think I may have missed something very important when this study was first done: prayer is also used as an offering of words to honour, celebrate and glorify God. Gratitude is the most powerful prayer of all.