Written by: John Sernaque
Dear Reader,
Books / Pr - Prayer (2002) / Chapter 6—The Prayer Of Faith
Press Your Petitions in Faith—God will be to us everything we will let Him be. Our languid, halfhearted prayers will not bring us returns from heaven. Oh, we need to press our petitions! Ask in faith, wait in faith, receive in faith, rejoice in hope, for everyone that seeketh findeth. Be in earnest in the matter. Seek God with all the heart. People put soul and earnestness into everything they undertake in temporal things, until their efforts are crowned with success. With intense earnestness learn the trade of seeking the rich blessings that God has promised, and with persevering, determined effort you shall have His light and His truth and His rich grace. {Pr 56.1}
In sincerity, in soul hunger, cry after God. Wrestle with the heavenly agencies until you have the victory. Put your whole being into the Lord’s hands, soul, body, and spirit, and resolve to be His loving, consecrated agency, moved by His will, controlled by His mind, infused by His Spirit. {Pr 56.2}
Tell Jesus your wants in the sincerity of your soul. You are not required to hold a long controversy with, or preach a sermon to, God, but with a heart of sorrow for your sins, say, “Save me, Lord, or I perish.” There is hope for such souls. They will seek, they will ask, they will knock, and they will find. When Jesus has taken away the burden of sin that is crushing the soul, you will experience the blessedness of the peace of Christ.—(Our High Calling, 131.) {Pr 56.3}
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it]. If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14: 13-15. Christ Jesus Himself spoke these words. There is a promise, with a condition. The condition is to be obedient to His word. God welcomes all sinners who come to Him with repentant and sorrowful hearts. However, a halfhearted effort will not do. We must present ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice. God will not work with anyone or use anyone that has not first offered himself or herself to Him. He will not overstep our will. Be sincere, ask the Lord for forgiveness, to be saved, and receive the peace that only comes from having a relationship with Christ.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
We come to the foot of Your throne in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer. We bring our petitions before You with meek and sorrowful hearts. We are all sinners, and are truly sorry we have sinned against You. We consecrate ourselves to Your service and pray that You forgive us of our sins, the known and the unknown, from the beginning until now. We are eternally grateful for giving us the victory over sin by our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. We pray, in faith, that You will be our God and we Your children. We thank You for making us heirs of the Royal Family. We pray to receive Your light, truth, and grace. We pray for strength and wisdom to put our energies into doing Your work, and to put aside our earthly ambitions. We present ourselves to You as a living sacrifice. We pray that You will work with us and use us as Your consecrated agencies. That we may be Your vessels, ready to be filled with oil that overflows to be imparted unto the lost souls of this world. We claim Your promise to us, that if we ask, we shall receive, if we seek, we shall find, and if we knock, it shall be opened unto us. We thank You for all Your promises and keep Your commandments out of love for You. We pray that we can continually commune with You, receive Your thoughts, spirit, and truth. We pray for Your saving truth, that we may be saved and receive the peace that only You can give. That we may have the blessed hope of Christ in us. Our prayer of faith is that we may honor and glorify Your name, and let not our will, but let Thy will be done. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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