Written by: John Sernaque
Dear Reader,
Books / Pr - Prayer (2002) / Chapter 2—Our Need Of Prayer Chapter 2—Our Need Of Prayer
Prayer Needed Daily— In following Christ, looking unto Him who is the Author And Finisher of your faith, you will feel that you are working under His eye, that you are influenced by His presence, and that He knows your motives. At every step you will humbly inquire: Will this please Jesus? Will it glorify God? Morning and evening your earnest prayers should ascend to God for His blessing and guidance. True prayer takes hold upon Omnipotence and gives us the victory. Upon his knees the Christian obtains strength to resist temptation.—(Testimonies for the Church 4:615, 616.) {Pr 21.4}
As the priests’ morning and evening entered the holy place at the time of incense, the daily sacrifice was ready to be offered upon the altar in the court without. This was a time of intense interest to the worshipers who assembled at the tabernacle. Before entering into the presence of God through the ministration of the priest, they were to engage in earnest searching of heart and confession of sin. They united in silent prayer, with their faces toward the holy place. Thus their petitions ascended with the cloud of incense, while faith laid hold upon the merits of the promised Saviour prefigured by the atoning sacrifice. The hours appointed for the morning and the evening sacrifice were regarded as sacred, and they came to be observed as the set time for worship throughout the Jewish nation. And when in later times the Jews were scattered as captives in distant lands, they still at the appointed hour turned their faces toward Jerusalem and offered up their petitions to the God of Israel. In this custom Christians have an example for morning and evening prayer. While God condemns a mere round of ceremonies, without the spirit of worship, He looks with great pleasure upon those who love Him, bowing morning and evening to seek pardon for sins committed and to present their requests for needed blessings.—(Patriarchs and Prophets, 353, 354.) {Pr 22.1}
No better way to begin and end your day then by entering into God’s presence as to commune with a friend. Christ being the originator, author, and finisher of our faith will always be there to receive your prayers and relay them to our Father. By Him, we receive the power to overcome sin, as He also overcame. He knocks on the door to our hearts, and if we open, one day we will sit with Christ on His throne. Now that is an amazing promise we all should look forward. Present your requests to God evening, morning, and noon to receive much-needed blessings.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
We thank You for giving us the honor and privilege to come into Your presence in thanksgiving and prayer. We thank You for always being there for us, evening, morning, and noon when we come to commune with You through prayer. You are the originator, author, and finisher of our
faith, and it is in faith we bring our petitions before You. We thank You for receiving our prayers, as we lift them up to You as sweet incense, and presenting them to our Father. We thank You for giving us Your strength and power from on High that we may resist temptation and overcome sin. We come to the altar of prayer in confession of our sins and are sorry and humbly repent of our sins and pray for Your forgiveness. May You pour out Your Spirit upon us to help us sin no more. May Your influence upon us lead us and guide us into all truth that we may claim the victory You have won. We pray that no matter where we are, we regard these hours of prayer as sacred as did the early priests and Jews. We thank You, as Christians, for giving us the example of prayer. We pray that we may search our hearts when we come humbly before You and receive all the blessings You have in store for us. We thank You for presenting our petitions to our Father, and when we know not what to pray, for making an utterance on our behalf ensuring that our prayers will be answered. We thank You for the wonderful promise that one day we will sit with You on Your throne. You are the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end and know all of our motives. We pray that everything we say and do will bring honor and glory to Your name. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers, and it is in Your name, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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