BRETHREN
PRAY
FOR US: Adelphoi proseuchesthe
kai peri hemon: (Romans 15:30; 2Corinthians 1:11; Ephesians
6:18, 19, 20; Philippians 1:19; Colossians 4:3; 2Thessalonians 3:1, 2,
3; Philemon 1:22; Hebrews 13:18,19)
Spurgeon once told his
congregation...
Dismiss me or else intercede for
me.
Spurgeon wrote...
If I were allowed to offer only one
request to you, it would be this: "Brethren, pray for us." Of what use
can our ministry be without the divine blessing, and how can we expect
the divine blessing unless it be sought for by the church of God? I
would say it even with tears, "Brethren, pray for us." Do not restrain
prayer. On the contrary, be abundant in intercession, for only so can
our prosperity as a church be increased, or even continued....Dismiss
me or else intercede for me.
Brethren (80)
(adelphos from collative a = denoting unity + delphús
= womb) is literally one born from same womb and so a male having the
same father and mother as reference person. Figuratively, adelphos
as in this verse refers to a close associate of a group of persons
having well-defined membership, specifically here referring to fellow
believers (including sisters!) in Christ who are united by the bond of affection.
It is notable that brethren
is the first word in the Greek sentence which indicates that Paul is
emphasizing adelphos (none of the 14 other uses of adelphos in
1 Thessalonians are emphatic) He wants the brothers to not miss his
strong plea for personal prayer! This great apostle understood the
vital importance of prayer in effective ministry. To him going into
the battlefield without prayer would be like walking out completely
unclothed. Paul knew his need for God and God's supernatural solution
of providing that need through the prayers of the saints. Are you a
pastor? A teacher? An elder? If so, when was the last time you asked
those in your flock for specific prayer. You didn't just say pray for
me but you specifically ask them to pray the prayers of Paul such as
Colossians 1:9-12, Ephesians 3:14ff, Philippians 1:9-11,
1Thessalonians 5:23-24, etc. Tomorrow is not too soon to make this a
regular part of your ministry.
Utley writes that...
Prayer somehow releases the power
of God for effective ministry. The sovereign God has chosen to limit
Himself in some areas to the prayers of His children (cf. James 4:2).
What a responsibility this puts on each one of us as Christians.
(Utley, R. J. D. Volume 11: Paul's First Letters: Galatians and
I & II Thessalonians. Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International)
Constable is surely correct
in stating that...
Doubtless much of the success of
his missionary work could be attributed to the prayers of the
Thessalonians and other believers. Paul understood both his personal
insufficiency and God’s sufficiency (cf. 2 Cor. 3:5). He requested
prayer for his fellow workers as well as for himself. (Walvoord,
J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985.
Victor or
Logos)
Adam Clarke offers a pithy
comment noting that...
Even apostles, while acting under
an extraordinary mission, and enjoying the inspiration of the Holy
Ghost, felt the necessity of the prayers of the faithful. God requires
that his people should pray for his ministers; and it is not to be
wondered at, if they who pray not for their preachers should receive
no benefit from their teaching. How can they expect God to send a
message by him, for whom they, who are the most interested, have not
prayed? If the grace and Spirit of Christ be not worth the most
earnest prayers which a man can offer, they, and the heaven to which
they lead, are not worth having.
Matthew Poole comments that
Paul...
The apostle, as he did not think it
below him to call these Thessalonians brethren, so neither to beg
their prayers. Those that stand highest in the church may stand in
need of the meanest and lowest; the head cannot say to the foot, I
have no need of thee. Those that preach not the gospel, may yet
promote it by their prayers (Matthew Poole's Commentary on the New
Testament)
Pray for us - Hiebert
makes an interesting observation noting that
The preposition rendered "for"
literally means "around, about" and pictures the prayers of the
readers as surrounding the writers and their work. They were keenly
conscious of their need for the supporting prayers of fellow believers
for success in their missionary labors (cf. 2 Cor. 1:11;
Philippians 4:19;
Philemon 1:22). Elsewhere, Paul's requests for prayers are more
specific (see notes
Romans 15:30;
31;
32;
Ephesians 6:19;
20;
Colossians 4:3;
4:4;
2 Thess. 3:1-2), always in connection with his ministry, but here the
request for prayer is left undefined as to its contents.
Paul believed in the efficacy of
prayer. He makes it a practice at the beginning of his letters to
assure his readers that he is praying for them and at the close to
urge their prayers on his behalf. This request assures the readers
"that it is the privilege of the saints to pray for the most honoured
servant of the Lord, and that he seeks and values their prayers!"'
Surely the widespread prayer support Paul was able to enlist is one of
the keys to the power of his ministry.
Paul "knew of no faster way to get the Gospel through the enemy lines
than by recruiting Christian converts into the secret service of
prayer.... He depended upon it as his basic weapon." (Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
Marshall says that Paul's
request includes
the thought that through prayer the
churches share in the work of mission; those who cannot go on mission
themselves can share in the work by praying for missionaries. (New
Century Bible Commentary)
Plummer makes the
significant observation that...
The Apostle prays for himself and
for his disciples, and he charges them to pray for themselves and for
others, and in particular for himself. Christ prays for Himself and
for His disciples, and He charges them to pray for themselves and for
others; but He never asks them to pray for Him. (A Commentary on St
Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians)
Barnes comments that Paul...
He was a man of like passions as
others; liable to the same temptations; engaged in an arduous work;
often called to meet with opposition, and exposed to peril and want,
and he peculiarly needed the prayers of the people of God. A minister,
surrounded as he is by temptations, is in great danger if he has not
the prayers of his people. Without those prayers, he will be likely to
accomplish little in the cause of his Master. His own devotions in the
sanctuary will be formal and frigid, and the word which he preaches
will be likely to come from a cold and heavy heart, and to fall also
on cold and heavy hearts. There is no way in which a people can better
advance the cause of piety in their own hearts, than by praying much
for their minister. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary)
Pray
(4336)
(proseuchomai
from pros = toward,
facing, before [emphasizing the direct approach of the one who prays
in seeking God’s face] +
euchomai = originally to speak out, utter aloud, express a
wish, then to pray or to vow. Greek technical term for invoking a
deity) in the NT is always used of prayer
addressed to God (to Him as the object of faith and the One who will
answer one’s prayer) and means to speak consciously (with or without
vocalization) to Him,
with a definite aim (See study of noun
proseuche).
Proseuchomai encompasses
all the aspects of prayer -- submission, confession, petition,
supplication (may concern one's own need),
intercession (concerned with the needs of others), praise, and thanksgiving.
Vine says that proseuchomai
carries with it a notion of worship (but see the Greek word for
worship =
proskuneo) which is not
present in the other words for prayer (eg, aiteo, deomai, both of
which involve spoken supplication)
Wuest adds that the prefixed
preposition pros...
gives it the idea of definiteness
and directness in prayer, with the consciousness on the part of the
one praying that he is talking face to face with God...(thus
proseuchomai) speaks
also of the consciousness on the part of the one who prays, of the
fact of God’s presence and His listening ear.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos)
Detzler writes that...
The basic idea of
proseuchomai is to bring
something, and in prayer this pertains to bringing up prayer requests.
In early Greek culture an offering was brought with a prayer that it
be accepted. Later the idea was changed slightly, so that the thing
brought to God was a prayer. In later Greek, prayers appealed to God
for His presence. (Detzler,
Wayne E: New Testament Words in Today's Language. Victor. 1986)
Richards notes that
In classical Greek
proseuchomai was the
technical term for calling on a deity. The NT transforms the classical
stiffness into the warmth of genuine conversation. Such entreaty in
the NT is addressed to God or Jesus and typically is both personal and
specific. (Richards,
L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
NIDNTT writes that...
In profane Gk. prayer is
often accompanied by an offering, the object of which is to make the
gods favorably disposed. Here prayer mostly takes the form of
supplication. Though used originally, as early as Mycenean Greek,
almost exclusively with reference to tangible benefits, at a later
period (e.g. in the Tragic Poets), the words have in view spiritual
and ethical values (e.g. Aesch., Cho. 140 f.; Eur., Medea 635 ff.) or
denote prayer for preservation from spiritual or moral harm.
Characteristically, the assurance of being heard is lacking, belief in
an omnipresent divine principle excluding all possibility of an
epiphany. In the piety associated with the Hellenistic mysteries the
worshipper at prayer experiences the nearness of the deity, especially
at those rare moments of climax when he is granted a sight of the god
concerned. At such times all prayer is extinguished, and is replaced
by silent rapture. Intercession, and supplication for earthly things,
are totally absent from this kind of prayer.
In the OT prayer is all-important
because of that which both characterizes and constitutes the nation of
Israel, his relation to his God. The whole history of Israel is
therefore permeated and borne along by prayer. At all its important
points man is found in converse with God. This is true even
when no use is made of those specific Hebrew terms for to pray...Expressions
like to speak, to call or to cry are frequently
used instead. To indicate intense emotional involvement, the Hebrew
used verbs such as to groan, to sigh or to weep
(Lament). But however urgently he prayed, the OT suppliant never
forgot that he was addressing the holy, almighty God (an utter
impossibility apart from God’s condescending kindness and grace). This
is shown by the frequent use of the verb histahawâh which
really means to prostrate oneself (before superior) (proskuneo),
and which may therefore indicate man’s customary posture in prayer,
though there is also evidence of prayer being offered from a standing
position. The parallel expression, to fall down on one’s knees, is
also used occasionally. Such phrases are intended to indicate the
humility of mind which must always characterize a man as he prays. In
addition the OT contains many expressions for the prayer of praise and
thanksgiving, e.g. the familiar verb halal, to praise, glorify, extol
(halelûyâh, praise the Lord; yâh = Yahweh; Amen,
Greek = allelouia), and a whole range of words intensifying the
idea of praise: to shout with joy, to exult, to sing (often to
instrumental accompaniment; Thank). (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan)
This is a command (imperative
mood) calling for
continued prayer (present
tense). Paul is
calling for them to keep on praying! How often have you asked those
you lead or teach or pastor to pray for you -- ask frequently! Paul
did! He understood that God's work done in God's power
was dependent on God's people interceding. He knew that he was not
sufficient in himself to carry out the great work he had been called
to -- to take the gospel to the Gentiles. It is therefore not
surprising that Paul called for prayer at the close of six of the
thirteen epistles!
Note prefixed preposition pros
meaning towards adds the idea of definiteness, a conscious direction
of one’s prayer to God, and a consciousness on the part of the one
praying, of God’s presence and attention. This verb is always
used of requests addressed to God, whereas another verb meaning to
pray, deomai, may be used of requests addressed to man as well.
Proseuchomai carries with it a notion of worship which is not
present in the word deomai.
Here are some other instances in
which Paul sought the prayers of the saints...
Romans 15:30
Now I urge you, brethren, by
our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive
together with me in your prayers to God for me,
(see note)
2Cor 1:11 (God would deliver
Paul and his co-workers from great peril) you also joining in helping
us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on
our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many.
Ephesians 6:18 With all
prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in
view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the
saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in
the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of
the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in
proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (See notes
Ephesians 6:18;
6:19;
6:20)
Colossians 4:2 Devote
yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of
thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God may
open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the
mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned (see notes
Colossians 4:2;
4:3)
2Thessalonians 3:1-2
Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread
rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you 2 and that we
may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.
Note that Paul says us,
referring obviously to not just himself but to Silas and Timothy for
they were all equally standing in the need of prayer.
Paul had begun the letter with an
emphasis on prayer, reminding the saints at Thessalonica that the
missionaries were praying for them (see note
1Thessalonians 1:2)
but now he calls for their prayers. This is the beautiful,
interdependence of the body of Christ. We really do need each other
and prayer is one vital facet of that need.
If you have any doubt about our
need for one another, take some time to study the Pauline uses
of the phrase one another (not all 40 occurrences are relevant
to the point of the believer's interdependence but those you can
quickly discern from the context. Studylight also includes Hebrews an
epistle which cannot be proven as having been authored by Paul) -
click here.
James Denney notes that...
Paul has prayed for the
Thessalonians; he begs their prayers for himself. This request is made
no less than seven times in his Epistles — including the one before
us: a fact which shows how priceless to the Apostle was the
intercession of others on his behalf. So it is always; there is
nothing which so directly and powerfully helps a minister of the
gospel as the prayers of his congregation. They are the channels of
all possible blessing both for him and those to whom he ministers. (Classic Commentary
Collection. See
AGES Software
for their full selection of highly recommended resources)
William Barclay comments
that...
It is a wonderful thing that
the greatest saint of them all should feel that he was strengthened by
the prayers of the humblest Christians. Once his friends came to
congratulate a great statesman who had been elected to the highest
office his country could offer him. He said, “Don’t give me your
congratulations, but give me your prayers.” For Paul prayer was a
golden chain in which he prayed for others and others prayed for him.
(Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press
or
Logos)
Dear reader, are you praying for
your spiritual leaders? Would you call it prevailing prayer or
pittance prayer?
Proseuchomai is used some 85x
in 80v in the NT and a study of these Scriptures makes for a wonderful
Biblical view of prayer (Interrogate these passages with the
5W'S & H
and always examine the
context). For example, where do you find most of the
commands to pray? Where (which book) do we see the most emphasis on
prayer (and what might the implications of this observation be to the
church in America?...your local church?...the Wednesday evening prayer
meeting?)....
Matthew 5:44 (note)
"But I say to you, love your enemies, and
pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) for those who persecute you
Matthew 6:5 (note)
"And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for
they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street
corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have
their reward in full.
6:6
"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you
have shut your door, pray
(aorist
imperative) to
your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will
repay you.
6:7
"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition,
as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their
many words.
6:9
"Pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) , then, in this way: 'Our Father who
art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
Matthew 14:23 And after He
had sent the multitudes away, He went up to the mountain by Himself to
pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. (Note how
all important decisions are made with prayer)
Matthew 19:13 Then some
children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them
and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.
Matthew 24:20 "But
pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) that your flight may not be in the
winter, or on a Sabbath;
Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus
came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His
disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
Matthew 26:39 And He went a
little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying,
"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I
will, but as Thou wilt."
Matthew 26:41 "Keep
watching (present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) and
praying
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) , that you may not enter into
temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Matthew 26:42 He went away
again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this
cannot pass away unless I drink it, Thy will be done."
Matthew 26:44 And He left
them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the
same thing once more.
Mark 1:35 And in the early
morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed
to a lonely place, and was praying there.
Mark 6:46 And after bidding
them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray.
Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say
to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you
have received them, and they shall be granted you. 25 "And
whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything
against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive
you your transgressions.
Mark 12:40 who devour
widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers;
these will receive greater condemnation."
Mark 13:18 "But
pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) that it may not happen in the winter.
Mark 14:32 And they came to
a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here
until I have prayed."
Mark 14:35 And He went a
little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began to pray
that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.
Mark 14:38 "Keep
watching (present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) and
praying
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) , that you may not come into
temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 14:39
And again He went away and prayed, saying the same words.
Luke 1:10 And the whole
multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of
the incense offering.
Luke 3:21 Now it came about
when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and
while He was praying, heaven was opened,
Luke 5:16 But He Himself
would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
Luke 6:12 And it was at this
time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the
whole night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:28
bless
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) those who curse you,
pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) for those who mistreat you.
Luke 9:18 And it came about
that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him,
and He questioned them, saying, "Who do the multitudes say that I am?"
Luke 9:28 And some eight
days after these sayings, it came about that He took along Peter and
John and James, and went up to the mountain to pray. 29
And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became
different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.
Luke 11:1 And it came about
that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had
finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray
just as John also taught his disciples." 2 And He said to them,
"When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom
come.
Luke 18:1 Now He was telling
them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and
not to lose heart,
Luke 18:10 "Two men went up
into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a
tax-gatherer. 11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying
thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people:
swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer.
Luke 20:47 who devour
widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers;
these will receive greater condemnation."
Luke 22:40 And when He
arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) that you may not enter into
temptation." 41 And He withdrew from them about a stone's
throw, and He knelt down and began to pray,
Luke 22:44 And being in
agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like
drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.
Luke 22:46 and said to them,
"Why are you sleeping? Rise and
pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) that you may not enter into
temptation."
Acts 1:24 And they prayed,
and said, "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which
one of these two Thou hast chosen
Acts 6:6 And these they
brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their
hands on them.
Acts 8:15 who came down and
prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 9:11 And the Lord said
to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at
the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is
praying,
Acts 9:40 But Peter sent
them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the
body, he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she
saw Peter, she sat up.
Acts 10:9 And on the next
day, as they were on their way, and approaching the city, Peter went
up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
Acts 10:30 And Cornelius
said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house
during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining
garments,
Acts 11:5 "I was in the city
of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain
object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the
sky; and it came right down to me,
Acts 12:12 And when he
realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who
was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were
praying.
Acts 13:3 Then, when they
had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent
them away.
Acts 14:23 And when they had
appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with
fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Acts 16:25 But about
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of
praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
Acts 20:36 And when he had
said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
Acts 21:5 And when it came
about that our days there were ended, we departed and started on our
journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we
were out of the city. And after kneeling down on the beach and
praying, we said farewell to one another.
Acts 22:17 "And it came
about when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the
temple, that I fell into a trance,
Acts 28:8 And it came about
that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent
fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had
prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.
Romans 8:26 (note)
And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not
know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for
us with groanings too deep for words;
1 Corinthians 11:4 Every man
who has something on his head while praying or prophesying,
disgraces his head. 5 But every woman who has her head
uncovered while praying or prophesying, disgraces her head; for
she is one and the same with her whose head is shaved.
1 Corinthians 11:13 Judge
for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with
head uncovered?
1 Corinthians 14:13
Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may
interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit
prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What is the outcome
then? I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with
the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the
mind also.
Ephesians 6:18 (note)
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit,
and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and
petition for all the saints,
Philippians 1:9 (note)
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more
in real knowledge and all discernment,
Colossians 1:3 (note)
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying
always for you,
Colossians 1:9 (note)
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased
to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Colossians 4:3 (note)
praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up
to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of
Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
1Thessalonians 5:17 (note)
pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) without ceasing...5:25
Brethren, pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) for us.
2 Thessalonians 1:11 To this
end also we pray for you always that our God may count you
worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the
work of faith with power;
2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally,
brethren, pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) for us that the word of the Lord may
spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;
1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I
want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and dissension.
Hebrews 13:18 (note)
Pray
(present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) for us, for we are sure that we have
a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all
things.
James 5:13 Is anyone among
you suffering? Let him
pray (present
imperative -
command to make this your habit) . Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing
praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the
elders of the church, and let them
pray
(aorist
imperative) over
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
James 5:17 Elijah was a man
with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might
not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six
months. 18 And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain,
and the earth produced its fruit.
Jude 1:20 But you, beloved,
building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the
Holy Spirit;
There are 73 uses of proseúchomai
in the non-apocryphal
Septuagint (LXX)
(Gen. 20:7, 17; Exod.
10:17; Jdg. 13:8; 1 Sam. 1:10, 12, 26f; 2:25; 7:5; 8:6; 12:19, 23;
14:45; 2 Sam. 7:27; 1 Ki. 8:28ff, 33, 35, 42, 44, 48, 54; 2 Ki. 4:33;
6:17f; 19:20; 1 Chr. 17:25; 2 Chr. 6:19ff, 24, 26, 32, 34, 38; 7:1,
14; 30:18; 32:20, 24; 33:13; Ezr. 6:10; 10:1; Neh. 1:4, 6; 2:4; 4:9;
Est. 5:1; Ps. 5:2; 32:6; 72:15; 109:4; Isa. 16:12; 37:15, 21; 38:2;
44:17; 45:14, 20; Jer. 7:16; 11:14; 14:11; 29:7, 12; 32:16; 37:3;
42:2, 4, 20; Dan. 6:5, 8, 10; 9:4, 20; Jon. 2:1; 4:2)
Genesis 20:17 And Abraham
prayed (Hebrew = palal = intervene, mediate, intercede, pray; Lxx
= proseuchomai) to God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his
maids, so that they bore children.
Judges 13:8 Then Manoah
entreated (Hebrew = athar; Lxx = proseuchomai) the LORD and said,
"O Lord, please let the man of God whom Thou hast sent come to us
again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born."
1 Samuel 1:10 And she (the
godly but barren Hannah), greatly distressed, prayed (Hebrew =
palal = intervene, mediate, intercede, pray; Lxx = proseuchomai) to
the LORD and wept bitterly. (Note mention of prayer 4 times in chapter
1 of 1Samuel!)
1 Samuel 7:5 Then Samuel
(like mother [Hannah] like son) said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah,
and I will pray (Hebrew = palal = intervene, mediate, intercede, pray;
Lxx = proseuchomai) to the LORD for you."
1 Samuel 8:6 But the thing
was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king
to judge us." And Samuel prayed (Hebrew = palal = intervene,
mediate, intercede, pray; Lxx = proseuchomai) to the LORD.
1 Samuel 12:23 "Moreover, as
for me (Samuel speaking to the rebellious King Saul), far be it from
me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray
(Hebrew = palal = intervene, mediate, intercede, pray; Lxx =
proseuchomai) for you; but
I will instruct you in the good and right way.
1 Kings 8:30 (cf also 1 Ki
8:33, 35, 42, 44, 48, 54) "And listen to the supplication of Thy
servant and of Thy people Israel, when they pray (Hebrew =
palal = intervene, mediate, intercede, pray; Lxx = proseuchomai) toward this
place (Jerusalem, the Holy City and the Holy Temple, the House of
God); hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place; hear and forgive. (Note
what godly Daniel did in Daniel 6:10 - see below).
Nehemiah 1:4 Now it came
about when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for
days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 2:4 Then the king
said to me, "What would you request?" So I prayed to the God of
heaven. (A classic "arrow" prayer!)
Psalm 32:6 Therefore, let
everyone who is godly pray (Hebrew = palal = intervene,
mediate, intercede, pray; Lxx = proseuchomai) to Thee in a time when
Thou mayest be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not
reach him.
Jeremiah 29:12 'Then you
will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel
knew that the document was signed (forbidding petition to any God or
man for 30 days, except King Darius), he entered his house (now in his
roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he
continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and
giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed
(Hebrew = palal = intervene, mediate, intercede, pray; Lxx =
proseuchomai)
to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish
Hosea Ballou, an American
preacher once said
Between the humble and the contrite
heart and the majesty of heaven there are no barriers; the only
password is prayer.
Fred Beck said
If you are swept off your feet,
it's time to get on your knees.
The following phrase was scrawled
on the wall of an underground bomb shelter during the blitz in London
If your knees are knocking, kneel
on them.
As the famous Presbyterian Pastor
Louis Evans said
The man who kneels to God can stand
up to anything.
Puritan John Bunyan
said that
Prayer is a shield to the soul, a
sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan.
Richard Cook wrote
that...
Most of us have much trouble
praying when we are in little trouble, but we have little trouble
praying when we are in much trouble.
Ole Hallesby a
theologian in the early part of the 20th century said that..
To pray is nothing more involved
than to lie in the sunshine of God's grace.
Rowland Hill a
preacher in the late 1800's said that...
Prayer is the breath of the newborn
soul, and there can be no Christian life without it.
Robert Murray
McCheyne spoke about the association of revival and prayer writing
that...
What a man is on his knees before
God, that he is--and nothing more.
Dwight L. Moody said
The Christian on his knees sees
more than the philosopher on tiptoe.
Leonard Ravenhill in
his book Revival Praying said
The self-sufficient do not pray,
the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No
man is greater than his prayer life.
Donald Grey Barnhouse, the
great Presbyterian preacher once said
I am not sure that I believe in the
'power of prayer,' but I do believe in the power of the Lord who
answers prayer.
