I am doing a study in church on prayer next Sunday evening so thought it would be helpful to share some of these concepts here to help me be more organized and comprehensive in thought and also; Lord willing help to edify those on this site.
Last night one of our elders taught on the first prayer as stated in Genesis states in chapter 4; verse 26. There are different interpretations here; some saying that any conversation with God at that time was prayer; so we could consider man as soon as he was created in that role. Today; of course God doesn't walk with us in the cool of the day in a visible form and scripture once again is particularly vague when it comes to the conversations as to when it was a visible manifestation or just a sense or knowing of God's presence and responses to prayer.
I would separate a conversation from a petition or request out of a need to some extent; especially now when we don't have God or Christ visibly with us. The paradox here is that the Apostles (12 Disciples and others) didn't pray when Christ was physically on earth; but Christ Himself both withdrew with the Disciples to pray to God and on His own and it seems strange that they had to ask how to pray; and even more odd to pray as John the Baptist did. Hadn't they been observing or overheard some of what Christ was praying in the years of following Him? We remember that it was some time that His ministry had progressed that Jesus rebuked them for now praying in Mark 9:29 (we see only prayer in Luke's rendition of the same event); and even in Gethsemene and His darkest hour they couldn't stop and pray ( Matthew 26:40). These are sobering reminders that we should be ever vigilant.
In light of this; we should examine Christ's pattern of prayer and; although we don't have specific details on much except for Gethsemene why He prayed with particular emphasis on key timing of His earthly ministry.
I am doing a study in church on prayer next Sunday evening so thought it would be helpful to share some of these concepts here to help me be more organized and comprehensive in thought and also; Lord willing help to edify those on this site.
Last night one of our elders taught on the first prayer as stated in Genesis states in chapter 4; verse 26. There are different interpretations here; some saying that any conversation with God at that time was prayer; so we could consider man as soon as he was created in that role. Today; of course God doesn't walk with us in the cool of the day in a visible form and scripture once again is particularly vague when it comes to the conversations as to when it was a visible manifestation or just a sense or knowing of God's presence and responses to prayer.
I would separate a conversation from a petition or request out of a need to some extent; especially now when we don't have God or Christ visibly with us. The paradox here is that the Apostles (12 Disciples and others) didn't pray when Christ was physically on earth; but Christ Himself both withdrew with the Disciples to pray to God and on His own and it seems strange that they had to ask how to pray; and even more odd to pray as John the Baptist did. Hadn't they been observing or overheard some of what Christ was praying in the years of following Him? We remember that it was some time that His ministry had progressed that Jesus rebuked them for now praying in Mark 9:29 (we see only prayer in Luke's rendition of the same event); and even in Gethsemene and His darkest hour they couldn't stop and pray ( Matthew 26:40). These are sobering reminders that we should be ever vigilant.
In light of this; we should examine Christ's pattern of prayer and; although we don't have specific details on much except for Gethsemene why He prayed with particular emphasis on key timing of His earthly ministry.
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