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LpJ Enterprises
Category:
Spirituality
Publisher: LPJ Enterprises
ISBN-10: 1490993193
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 114
Copyright: May 10, 2012
ISBN-13: 9781490993195
Price: FREE! (eBook)
Spiritual Growth. A Collection of Encouraging and Inspiration Writings.
A must read for all who endeavor to increase their prayer life, strengthen their relationship with the Lord, and more brightly Shine His Light so that those who are seeking the Way are able to more clearly see in the Spirit. The E-Book is FREE and can be found on my website and on Smashwords -links below!
Excerpt
*Let's talk about Prayer*
Or rather, let's talk about talking to God.
For a long time. I thought that prayer required that I learn how to talk the way the people in the bible talk...with the 'thees' and 'therefores' and such.
I think a lot of people believe this, and from those I've talked to and spoken with, this seems to be something of a
deterrent to building a prayerful relationship with God.
So...let's discuss language for a moment.
The original Old Testament was written in the language of a people whose manner of speaking and communicating
with one another was different from the Greek in which the New Testament was written after Jesus returned to be with
the Father.
This was the reason different disciples were sent to different parts of the community and country-side...because the
Jews and the Gentiles had different ways of thinking and speaking and communicating and understanding one another, so they needed people to speak to them in a way they could understand.
Today's English is derived mostly from the Greek which was used in early Rome and it's outlying areas, and from the
Latin which came to be the 'Church' language in early Europe.
However, we must keep in mind that today's ‘King James’ Bible was translated into what was THEN the 'proper' manner of speaking in the church of England; a language which bears little resemblance to the way we speak and think today.
We don't talk this way anymore...most of us don't even think of these manners of speaking unless we are reading an
original version of the KJV.
Why do we feel the need to sound like the early English to pray effectively?
We speak to our friends in plain language - whatever our language happens to be - and Jesus identified Himself as our Friend
John 15:15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have
called you friends, for all things that I hear from my Father I have made known to you."
Of course we are to be humble, and always acknowledge Him as our Sovereign, but our Jesus is not interested in who
can speak in the most 'proper' language!
He Himself told us not to pray in the manner of the hypocrite...with long-winded speech designed to impress man.
If you are worried about 'how you sound' how can you be focused on worshiping God in the Spirit realm? The Lord is
interested in what is coming through from your heart. And when you speak from the heart you are telling it like it
is...not trying to dress it up in pretty words.
Yes, there is a certain manner in which you may pray for others or for a group when in a group setting...and that is
covered in another Scripture that we will visit at another time.
But in your personal life Jesus tells you to go to your 'closet' --- meaning your private place in your Heart, so that you can be lifted into the Spiritual world and thus make the connection which will allow you to HEAR what He wants from you and for your life.
Jesus also gave us a 'format' for effective prayer. We call it the 'Lord's Prayer'. So let's take a moment to go through these important Scriptures and determine how we may be able to use this formula in our everyday lives -- with
everyday language.
~~~~
*Our Father, who art in Heaven; Hallowed be Thy name.
~"Dear God in Heaven."~
{For us this says it all. Dear means beloved, or held up above others. God is Translated from Jehovah or Jah,
which means ‘ALL’ -Almighty, All Powerful. This is an acknowledgment of God as being our Divine Provider,
Protector, and Master.}
*Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heaven."
~"I want everything about me to be like you Lord. I want everything about my life to be as you direct. I want to do
your will"~
*Give us this day, our daily bread...
~"Show me how to live by your Word Lord, everyday.~
*Forgive us our debts (or ‘trespasses’), as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us).
~Here is your own cleansing, your place to admit your wrongdoing...to confess your misguided judgment of others,
and ask for help in letting go of what you feel are the wrongs others have done to you.~
*And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
~Here is where you pour it out. Tell Him what is hindering you, tempting you, what you recognize as the tricks of
the Enemy.
Here is where you seek the strength to overcome those things in your life that are standing in the way of the kind of
relationship...fellowship…you want to have with Him.
Here is where you unburden your heart, and share your life with Him. Also seek His intervention in the lives of
others -- healing, deliverance, their 'miracle'.~
*For Thine is the kingdom, and the Power...
~"I know you are able to do these and all things Lord.
*And the Glory
~Praise and thankfulness for His gifts of grace, for His forgiveness through His Son our Savior and for all that He
has already done in your life...~
*Amen
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