It's been awhile, but now I'm back and I wanted to come back with something that will make people think as well as help with spiritual growth. So here is my first Bible study for "Honestly, Natalie."
This time I want to address the subject of prayer. Prayer isn’t just about asking God to help you and to sustain you, it is openly communicating with God. It is about growing spiritually, connecting on a higher level. Without a prayer life, what are we, just natural beings who are simply existing?
When we are having a dialogue with God, we are allowing our spirits to breathe rather than having them trapped within our body on this earth. Below are some scriptures about prayer. Please study them and pray about them and about this bible study and ask God to not only listen to you, but to speak to you as well.
Ps. 145:18-19 - The lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
Deut. 4:7 - For what great nation has a god as near to them as the lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him?
Ps. 10:17 - lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
1. When you pray, is it a monologue or a dialogue? Sometimes we may continually ask God for things, but never wait to hear from Him. Something to work on would be to quiet our minds sometimes and listen, or look for what He wants to say to us.
Heb. 4:14-16 - So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
2. Let's not be timid and think ourselves unworthy of God's love and mercy. The fact that He sacrificed His son shows that we have a special place in His heart and should not be afraid to communicate with our Father.
Job 22:27 - You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him.
Is. 58:6-11 - Then when you call, the lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! 10Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. 11The lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
3. Prayer is intended to be an open line of communication between us and God. It is also guidance for us to walk the way God wants us to walk and for His light to shine through us.
Please leave your comments/questions/suggestions below! I would like to set up a Skype, or Google Chat for those who are interested in discussing this in real time.
