Prayer works.

Almost all atheists pray.  Why?  They don't want to miss out on the blessing.  Why would a Christian miss out on the benefits of praying?

James 4:2 "You desire [or, lust for], and you do not have. You murder and are jealous and are not able to obtain. You fight and wage war [fig., dispute and quarrel]. But you do not have because you do not ask."  Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say to you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."  Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."  1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."  James 1:6-7 "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."  Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." 

Romans 15:30 "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;"  Psalm 119:2 "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, That seek him with the whole heart."  Psalm 119:145 "I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes."  Hosea 7:13 & 14 "Woe to them! for they have fled from me: destruction to them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. And they have not cried to me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me." 

Hebrews 10:19,22 "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus...Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."  Hebrews 9:14 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge (cleanse) your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"  James 5:16 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  1 John 1:9  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."   Psalm 66:18  "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:"  Isaiah 59:2  "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."  Psalm 18:20  "The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me."  1 John 3:20-22  "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."  Psalm 24:3-6 "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah." 1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."

Matthew 5:23-24 "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

Mark 11:25-26 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."  Matthew 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  Matthew 6:14-15 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Matthew 6:5-6 "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him"  Matthew 26:39 "And he went forward a little, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."  James 4:3" Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures."  Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth."  John 16:23 "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say to you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name [the prayer He give you to pray], he will give it you."  John 14:6 "Jesus saith to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh to the Father, but by me."  Romans 8:14-15 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."  Romans 8:26-27 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."  John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you."  1John 2:20-22 "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written to you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."  1 John 2:27 "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

Luke 11:9 "And I say to you, Ask [keep asking], and it shall be given you; seek [keep seeking], and ye shall find; knock [keep knocking], and it shall be opened to you."  The A.L.T. gives the correct continuous verb tense: "And _I_ say to you, be asking, and it will be given to you; be seeking, and you* will find; be knocking, and it will be opened to you.  Luke 11:5-13 "And he said to them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say to you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"  Luke 18:1-7 "And he spake a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them"

John 15:7 "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done to you."

Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Philippians 4:6 "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Colossians 4:2 "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;"  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Matthew 6:7-8 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like to them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

FREE on-line BOOK (a classic): With Christ In the School of Prayer, by Andrew Murray

Topic: Growing in Christ

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