understanding prayer through scripture

This is a thread to accumulate the scriptures dealing with prayer ... examining the many aspects ... it's my hope it will be educational, factual and edifying ... it's not a thread for debate or condemnation ... may the Lord bless this effort in understanding ... may we receive a word of wisdom from Him ...

subject: God does or doesn't hear prayers

Psalm 4:3
an evening prayer of trust in God

But know that the Lord hath set apart
him that is godly for himself:
the Lord will hear when I call unto him.

2 Timothy 2:19
a good soldier of Christ

Nevertheless the foundation of God
standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord
knoweth them that are his. And, Let
every one that nameth the name of Christ
depart from iniquity.

Nahum 1:7
God's majesty in mercy and judgement

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the
day of trouble; and he knoweth them that
trust in him.

Proverbs 15:29
the wise and the foolish contrasted

The Lord is far from the wicked:
but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Psalm 145:18
the Lord is gracious

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call
upon him,
to all that call upon him in truth.

Deuteronomy 4:7
Moses' exhortation to obedience

For what nation is there so great, who
hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord
our God is in all things that we call upon
him for?

John 4:24

God is a Spirit: and they that worship
him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Proverb 28:9
comparisons, warnings, and instructions

He that turneth away his ear from hearing
the law,
even his prayer shall be an abomination.

Psalm 66:18
the great works of God

If I regard iniquity in my heart,
the Lord will not hear me:

Isaiah 1:15
a call to repentance

And when ye spread forth your
hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea,
when ye make many prayers, I will not hear:
your hands are full of blood.

John 9:31
Jesus heals one blind man from birth

Now we know that God heareth not
sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of
God and doeth his will, him he heareth.

Job 27:9
the hypocrite's hopelessness

Will God hear his cry
when trouble cometh upon him?

Job 35:12
man is not God

There they cry, but none giveth answer,
because of the pride of evil men.

Proverbs 1:24,25,28
wisdom speaks

Because I have called, and ye refused;
I have stretched out my hand, and no man
regarded;
but ye have set at nought all my counsel,
and would none of my reproof:
Then shall they call upon me,
but I will not answer;
they shall seek me early,
but they shall not find me:

Jeremiah 11:10,11
the broken covenant

They are turned back to the iniquities
of their forefathers, which refused to hear
my words; and they went after other gods
to serve them: the house of Israel and the
house of Judah have broken my covenant
which I made with their fathers.
Therefore, thus saith the Lord, Behold,
I will bring evil upon them, which they
shall not be able to escape; and though
they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken
unto them.

Jeremiah 14:10,11,12
the message of the famine

Thus saith the Lord unto this people,
Thus have they loved to wander, they
have not refrained their feet, therefore the
Lord doth not accept them; he will now
remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.
Then said the Lord unto me, Pray
not for this people for their good.
When they fast, I will not hear their
cry; and when they offer burnt offeringand
an oblation, I will not accept them: but I
will give you assured peace in this place.

Ezekiel 8:17,18
the vision of the abominations in Israel

Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen
this, O son of Judah that they commit the
abominations which they commit here? for
they have filled the land with violence,
and have returned to provoke me to anger:
and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
Therefore will I also deal in fury:
mine eyes shall not spare, neither will I have
pity: and though they cry in mine
ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear
them.

Micah 31-4
judgement on Israel's leaders

And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads
of Jacob, and ye princes of the house
of Israel; Is it not for you to know judg-
ment?
Who hate the good, and love the evil;
who pluck off their skin from off them, and
their flesh from off their bones;
Who also eat the flesh of my people,
and flay their skin from off them; and
they break their bones, and chop them in
pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within
the cauldron.
Then shall they cry unto the Lord,
but he will not hear them: he will even
hide his face from them at that time, as
they have behaved themselves ill in their
doings.

Zechariah 7:13
disobedience the cause of captivity

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant
stone, lest they shoul hear the law, and the
words which the Lord of hosts
hath sent in his spirit by the former proph-
ets: therefore came a great wrath from
the Lord of hosts.
Therefore it is come to pass, that as
he cried, and they would not hear; so
they cried, and I would not hear, saith
the lord of hosts.


speak, Holy Spirit, please
open eyes and ears, please, Father
thank You Jesus

Mixolydian said:

Great thread topic! I'll make it a point during devotional and Bible reading to make note of any verses to add.

Click to expand...

awesome! thank you

thank you, Gerty ... I sure hope we see you back ... didn't see your post soon enough ...

1 Timothy 2:1-8
Paul exhorts to prayer

I exhort therefore, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks, be made for all
men;
For kings, and for all that are in au-
thority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and hon-
estly.
For this is good and acceptable in the
sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of
the truth.
For there is one God, and one medi-
ator
between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to
be testified in due time.
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher,
and an apostle, (I speak the truth in
Christ and lie not a teacher of the
Gentiles in faith and verity.
I will therefore that all men pray every
where, lifting up holy hands, without
wrath and doubting.

all prayers of all kinds are made to be for all peoples ... God wants salvation and Truth for all ... not one person is crossed off the list ...

no one stands between you and your prayer life ... the only one who mediates for us is Christ Jesus ... Christ Jesus already paid the cost ...

all should pray for all ... that would include our enemies ... and those who persecute us ... for it's easy to pray for someone you love ... how much more that we pray for those whose souls are in danger of eternal damnation ...

another note here ... we are to put our hands in the air if we are moved ... it's not about this or that religion ... it's about the Holy Spirit moving us ... somewhere I have a list of the Hebrew words for prayer and their meaning ... I think there is five of them ... one I remember ... hopefully correctly ... is barauch? ... meaning prayer on bended knee ... I'll try to find them ...