Amen, and Amen and Amen. Praise the Lord all mighty. -- Christ is either Lord of all or he is not Lord at all. Karen Carter '74 > Angel, > > I might ask if we see any biblical examples of our spiritual forefathers > praying to anyone but God? Below is some info on saints, and prayer too. > Since you asked regarding this all, I thought you might appreciate the > info. > > Saints > People who have been separated from the world and consecrated to the > worship and service of God. Followers of the Lord are referred to by this > phrase throughout the Bible, although its meaning is developed more fully > in the New Testament. Consecration (setting apart) and purity are the > basic meanings of the term. Believers are called "saints" (Rom 1:7) and > "saints in Christ Jesus" (Phil 1:1) because they belong to the One who > provided their sanctification. > > > PRAYER > PRAYER > Communication with God. Because God is personal, all people can offer > prayers. However, sinners who have not trusted Jesus Christ for their > salvation remain alienated from God. So while unbelievers may pray, they > do not have the basis for a rewarding fellowship with God. They have not > met the conditions laid down in the Bible for effectiveness in prayer. > Christians recognize their dependence upon their Creator. They have every > reason to express gratitude for God's blessings. But they have far more > reason to respond to God than this. They respond to the love of God for > them. God's love is revealed through the marvelous incarnation and life of > Christ, His atoning provision at the Cross, His resurrection, as well as > His continuing presence through the Holy Spirit. > Prayer cannot be replaced by devout good works in a needy world. Important > as service to others is, at times we must turn away from it to God, who is > distinct from all things and over all things. Neither should prayer be > thought of as a mystical experience in which people lose their identity in > the infinite reality. Effective prayer must be a scripturally informed > response of persons saved by grace to the living God who can hear and > answer on the basis of Christ's payment of the penalty which sinners > deserved. As such, prayer involves several important aspects. > Faith. The most meaningful prayer comes from a heart that places its trust > in the God who has acted and spoken in the Jesus of history and the > teachings of the Bible. God speaks to us through the Bible, and we in turn > speak to Him in trustful, believing prayer. Assured by the Scripture that > God is personal, living, active, all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful, > we know that God can hear and help us. A confident prayer life is built on > the cornerstone of Christ's work and words as shown by the prophets and > apostles in the Spirit-inspired writings of the Bible. > Worship. In worship we recognize what is of highest worth-not ourselves, > others, or our work, but God. Only the highest divine being deserves our > highest respect. Guided by Scripture, we set our values in accord with > God's will and perfect standards. Before God, angels hide their faces and > cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" (Isa 6:3). > Confession. Awareness of God's holiness leads to consciousness of our own > sinfulness. Like the prophet Isaiah, we exclaim, "Woe is me, for I am > undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a > people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" > (Isa 6:5). By sinning we hurt ourselves and those closest to us; but first > of all, and worst of all, sin is against God (Ps 51:4). We must confess > our sins to God to get right with Him. We need not confess them to another > being. But we should confess them directly to God, who promises to forgive > us of all our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). > Adoration. God is love, and He has demonstrated His love in the gift of > His Son. The greatest desire of God is that we love Him with our whole > being (Matt 22:37). Our love should be expressed, as His has been > expressed, in both deeds and words. People sometimes find it difficult to > say to others and to God, "I love you." But when love for God fills our > lives, we will express our love in prayer to the one who is ultimately > responsible for all that we are. > Praise. The natural outgrowth of faith, worship, confession, and adoration > is praise. We speak well of one whom we highly esteem and love. The one > whom we respect and love above all others naturally receives our highest > commendation. We praise Him for His "mighty acts...according to His > excellent greatness!" (Ps 150:2), and for His "righteous judgments" (Ps > 119:164). For God Himself, for His works, and for His words, His people > give sincere praise. > Thanksgiving. Are we unthankful because we think we have not received what > we deserve? But if we got what we "deserved," we would be condemned > because of our guilt. As sinners, we are not people of God by nature. We > have no claim upon His mercy or grace. Nevertheless, He has forgiven our > sins, granted us acceptance as His people, and given us His righteous > standing and a new heart and life. Ingratitude marks the ungodly (Rom > 1:21). Believers, in contrast, live thankfully. God has been at work on > our behalf in countless ways. So in evervthing, even for the discipline > that is unpleasant, we give thanks (Col 3:17; 1 Thess 5:18). > Dedicated Action. Christ's example does not require us to withdraw from > society, but to render service to the needy in a spirit of prayer. He wept > over Jerusalem in compassionate prayer, and then He went into the city to > give His life a ransom for many. Authentic prayer will be the source of > courage and productivity, as it was for the prophets and apostles. > Request. Prayer is not only response to God's grace as brought to us in > the life and work of Jesus and the teaching of Scripture; it is also > request for our needs and the needs of others. > For good reasons God's holy and wise purpose does not permit Him to grant > every petition just as it is asked. Several hindrances to answered prayer > are mentioned in the Bible: iniquity in the heart (Ps 66:18), refusal to > hear God's law (Prov 28:9), an estranged heart (Isa 29:13), sinful > separation from God (Isa 59:2), waywardness (Jer 14:10-12), offering > unworthy sacrifices (Mal 1:7-9), praying to be seen of men (Matt 6:5-6), > pride in fasting and tithing (Luke 18:11-14), lack of faith (Heb 11:6), > and doubting or double-mindedness (James 4:3). > More positively, God has promised to answer our requests when we start > helping the hungry and afflicted (Isa 58:9-10), when we believe that we > will receive what we ask (Mark 11:22-24), when we forgive others (Mark > 11:25-26), when we ask in Christ's name (John 14:13-14), and when we abide > in Christ and His words (John 15:7), pray in the Spirit (Eph 6:8), obey > the Lord's commandments (1 John 3:22), and ask according to His will (1 > John 5:14-15). Until we have properly responded to God and His Word, He > cannot entrust us with His powerful resources. > Prayer is request to a personal Lord who answers as He knows best. We > should not think that we will always have success in obtaining the things > for which we ask. In His wisdom, God hears and answers in the way that is > best. > Effectiveness. Prayer has power over everything. God can intelligently act > in any part of the universe or human history. Although some people think > prayer is a waste of time, the Bible declares that "the effective, fervent > prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16). > Prayer meets inner needs. One who prays will receive freedom from fear (Ps > 118:5-6), strength of soul (Ps 138:3), guidance and satisfaction (Isa > 58:9-11), wisdom and understanding (Dan 9:20-27), deliverance from harm > (Joel 2:32), reward (Matt 6:6), good gifts (Luke 11:13), fullness of joy > (John 16:23-24), peace (Phil 4:6-8), and freedom from anxiety (1 Peter > 5:7). > Is prayer effective only in the inner lives of those who pray? No, prayer > can make a difference in the lives of others. Biblical writers believed > prayer for others could result in greater wisdom and power (Eph 1:18-19); > inward strength, knowledge of Christ's love, filling with God's fullness > (Eph 3:16-19); discernment, approval of what is excellent, filling with > the fruits of righteousness (Phil 1:9-11); knowledge of God's will, > spiritual understanding, a life pleasing to God, fruitfulness, endurance, > patience, joy (Col 1:9-12); a quiet, peaceable life (1 Tim 2:1-2); love > for one another and all people, holiness before God (1 Thess 3:10-13); > comfort and establishment in every good word and work (2 Thess 2:16-17); > love for God, steadfastness in Christ (2 Thess 3:5); the sharing of one's > faith, promotion of the knowledge of all that is good (Philem 6); and > equipment for every good work that is pleasing to God (Heb 13:20-21). > Some people who think prayer can affect others question the ability of God > to change His usual patterns in the physical world. But some prayers in > the Bible changed nature and physical bodies. > Jabez prayed for enlarged borders and protection from harm (1 Chron 4:10). > Other people in the Bible prayed for deliverance from trouble (Ps > 34:15-22), deliverance from both poverty and riches (Prov 30:7-9), > deliverance from the belly of a great fish (Jonah 2:7-10), daily bread > (Matt 6:11), preservation and sanctification of spirit, soul, and body (1 > Thess 5:23), the healing of the sick (James 5:14-15), and the ending of > the rain and its beginning again (James 5:17-18). PRAYER > When the disciples prayed, the building around them shook (Acts 4:31) and > an earthquake opened the doors of their prison (Acts 16:25-26). Our > prayers do make a difference in how God acts in the world! > > Brad