The Wonders Of Prayer
Dr Harold J. Sala
Dr Harold J. Sala
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." -Hebrews 4:16
You have probably heard of the Seven Great Wonders of the Ancient World including the following: The Pyramids of Egypt, built 1000 years before baby Moses floated on the Nile, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the great Temple of Diana in the city of Ephesus, the Statue of Jupiter on the Parthenon of Athens, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, on the Aegean, the Colossus at Rhodes, and the Pharos or the great Lighthouse of Alexandria.
In 1926, Dr. Henry W. Frost suggested than there are seven wonders of prayer, no less outstanding that the seven great wonders of the ancient world. How improve on what he observed?
Wonder #1: You as a mortal can approach this great God in prayer. Until World War 2 was over, Japanese people had never heard the voice of their emperor. They would never have considered standing and boldly speaking to him. Yet God said, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).
Wonder #2: You may address God with simplicity in ordinary conversation. In many languages, there are levels of intimacy and formality. To speak to your superior as you would your best friend would be insulting and demeaning, yet God's Son encourages us to come to Him saying, "Our Father who is in heaven…." and tell Him of our needs, wants, and wishes.
Wonder #3: You can pray for definite needs--not simply use religious verbiage when you pray. The thief on the cross knew exactly what he wanted and voiced it. "Lord," he cried, "remember me when You come into Your kingdom!" Like the old spiritual which goes, "Not my father, not my mother but it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer," he voiced a specific request and a personal one.
Wonder #4: You can pray anywhere. Anywhere? Not just in the temple or a church or a place of religious worship? Paul wrote to Timothy and said, "I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing" (1Timothy 2:8). Some pray in prison. Paul was in a dungeon when he prayed. Some pray in their closet, some as they drive to work, some as they do housework. Prayer knows no distance; thus, I can pray for a friend in Manila or Russia as though I were by the person's side.
Wonder #5: You can pray about everything that is of concern to you. Paul urged the Philippians, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). Personally, this wonder greatly encourages me. “Everything” is all-inclusive--little things, big things, irritations, celebrations. Whatever I do, whatever consumes my interest is fodder for prayer.
Wonder #6: You can be in constant touch with God through prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, which says simply, "Pray continually!" You can maintain an awareness of God, the realization that He is as close as your sigh: "Lord, what do I do now?" As a friend put it, you never say the "Amen!" which means you don't close the circuit saying, "I'll be back next Sunday, God; until then, Bye!"
Wonder #7: You may pray with boldness and confidence. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." The King James text says, "Let us come boldly…" Answered prayer is based on the relationship of a son, a child, with His father, and because of that we may cry, "Abba, Father!"
Yes, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are awesome and marvelous, but of great awe and wonder is the fact we can touch God through prayer.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." -Hebrews 4:16
You have probably heard of the Seven Great Wonders of the Ancient World including the following: The Pyramids of Egypt, built 1000 years before baby Moses floated on the Nile, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the great Temple of Diana in the city of Ephesus, the Statue of Jupiter on the Parthenon of Athens, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, on the Aegean, the Colossus at Rhodes, and the Pharos or the great Lighthouse of Alexandria.
In 1926, Dr. Henry W. Frost suggested than there are seven wonders of prayer, no less outstanding that the seven great wonders of the ancient world. How improve on what he observed?
Wonder #1: You as a mortal can approach this great God in prayer. Until World War 2 was over, Japanese people had never heard the voice of their emperor. They would never have considered standing and boldly speaking to him. Yet God said, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).
Wonder #2: You may address God with simplicity in ordinary conversation. In many languages, there are levels of intimacy and formality. To speak to your superior as you would your best friend would be insulting and demeaning, yet God's Son encourages us to come to Him saying, "Our Father who is in heaven…." and tell Him of our needs, wants, and wishes.
Wonder #3: You can pray for definite needs--not simply use religious verbiage when you pray. The thief on the cross knew exactly what he wanted and voiced it. "Lord," he cried, "remember me when You come into Your kingdom!" Like the old spiritual which goes, "Not my father, not my mother but it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer," he voiced a specific request and a personal one.
Wonder #4: You can pray anywhere. Anywhere? Not just in the temple or a church or a place of religious worship? Paul wrote to Timothy and said, "I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing" (1Timothy 2:8). Some pray in prison. Paul was in a dungeon when he prayed. Some pray in their closet, some as they drive to work, some as they do housework. Prayer knows no distance; thus, I can pray for a friend in Manila or Russia as though I were by the person's side.
Wonder #5: You can pray about everything that is of concern to you. Paul urged the Philippians, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). Personally, this wonder greatly encourages me. “Everything” is all-inclusive--little things, big things, irritations, celebrations. Whatever I do, whatever consumes my interest is fodder for prayer.
Wonder #6: You can be in constant touch with God through prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, which says simply, "Pray continually!" You can maintain an awareness of God, the realization that He is as close as your sigh: "Lord, what do I do now?" As a friend put it, you never say the "Amen!" which means you don't close the circuit saying, "I'll be back next Sunday, God; until then, Bye!"
Wonder #7: You may pray with boldness and confidence. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." The King James text says, "Let us come boldly…" Answered prayer is based on the relationship of a son, a child, with His father, and because of that we may cry, "Abba, Father!"
Yes, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are awesome and marvelous, but of great awe and wonder is the fact we can touch God through prayer.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
O Father, thank You for showing me that prayer is not begging for blessings. It is becoming a blessing - to myself. I pray, not to change Your attitude towards me, but to change my attitude towards You. Thank You, Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen and Amen.
