Attitudes of Prayer

Necessity

"Time spent alone with God is not wasted. It changes us , it changes our surroundings; and every Christian who would live a life that counts and would have power, must take time to pray." M.E. Andross
We need to talk to God. I f I pray because it's what's expected or someone told me to or because I'm afraid of something bad happening if I don't, it isn't truly necessary to me. God wants me to desire to pray, regardless of circumstances. It's also His will that we talk to him before things get in a mess, instead of praying when we're smack down in the middle of it.

There is NO substitute for a willing prayer.

Oughtness

"Therefore whether the desire for prayer is on you or not, get to your closet at the set time, shut yourself in with God ; wait on Him, seek His face, realize Him, pray" R.F.Horton

We need an inner sense of obligation. D.L. Moody once said "If you have so much business to attend to that you have no time to pray, depend upon it, you have more business on hand than God ever intended you should have." Prayer , though a privilage, is not a luxury, something to do in your free time. Service and prayer can't be separated.

Fruitful Repetition

"True Prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fulness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length." C.H. Spurgeon

Is it wrong to say the same things time after time in prayer...is this what the Bible calls vain repetition? I don't believe so... my prayers tend to run along the same lines, praying for the same people and the same issues, thanking God for the same things because , until those prayers are answered and they are still upon my heart, I need to pray for those. Jesus didn't warn us against repetition! He warns against "vain" repetition. The definition of vain:
1.
excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited: a vain dandy.
2.
proceeding from or showing personal vanity: vain remarks.
3.
ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile: a vain effort.
4.
without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless: vain pageantry; vain display.

No, I think vain repetition comes into play when you have a memorized prayer , void of any thought, never putting anything into it. When you've got it scripted to the point that you can recite it without your heart truly being into it.

Privilage

"Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed but as rather a privilage to e enjoyed , a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty" E.M. Bounds

Prayer is a privilage because an all powerful God of the universe calls us to pray. Everytime I pray , I need to remember that it is a special, personal invitation, made possible by God giving his Son, Jesus Christ as an atonement for my sins so I could , as Paul said "Approach the throne of grace boldly."

Humbleness

"Prayer is weakness leaning on omnipotence." W.S. Bowd.

Humility is being able to see myself as God sees me, as I really am...someone who is not worthy of blessings from Him, but on the recieving end anyhow. My privilage and ability to pray to a Holy God does not come about because of who I am, but rather, who Jesus is and what he's done for me.

"You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more until you have prayed." A.J. Gordon.

Have a Blessed (prayer filled) Day!