75.4 Pray Always

(Ephesians 6:18-20)

Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help.  Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people. And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel's secret.  For the sake of this gospel I am an ambassador, though now I am in prison.  Pray that I maybe bold in speaking about the gospel as I should.

75.3 The Corrupt Judge (i.e. Keep On Praying)

(Luke 18:1-8)

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged. "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that same town who kept coming to him and pleading for her rights, saying, 'Help me against my opponent!' For a long time the judge refused to act, but at last he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or respect man,  yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me, I will see to it that she gets her rights.  If I don't, she will keep on coming and finally wear me out!'"

And the Lord continued, "Listen to what that corrupt judge said. Now, will God not judge in favor of his own people who cry to him day and night for help? Will he be slow to help them? I tell you, he will judge in their favor and do it quickly.But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes?"

75.2 Knock And It Shall Be Opened To You

(Luke 11:5-13)

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Suppose one of you should go to a friend's house at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. A friend of mine who is on a trip has just come to my house, and I don't have any food for him!' And suppose your friend should answer from inside,'Don't bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give anything.'  Well, what then? I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking. And so I say to you: Ask,and you will receive;  seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks will receive, and he who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to anyone who knocks. Would any of you who are fathers give your son a snake when he asks for fish? Or would you give him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

75.1 Pray In Private: The Our Father

(Matthew 6:5-15)

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.  But when pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.

"When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that God will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

'Our Father in heaven:
May your holy name be honored;
may your Kingdom come;
may your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
Forgive us the wrongs we have done
as we forgive the wrongs
that others have done to us.
Do not bring us to hard testing,
but keep us safe from the Evil One.'

"If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done."

74.4 Praise The Lord For He Is Good

(Psalm 147)

Praise the Lord!

It is good to sing praise to our God;
It is pleasant and right to praise him.
The Lord is restoring Jerusalem;
he is bringing back the exiles.
He heals the broken-hearted
and bandages their wounds

He has decided the number of the stars
and calls each one by name.
Great and mighty is our Lord;
his wisdom cannot be measured.
He raises the humble,
but crushes the wicked to the ground.

Sing hymns of praise to the Lord:
play music on the harp to our God.
He spreads clouds over the sky;
he provides rain for the earth
and makes grass grow on the hills.
He gives animals their food
and feeds the young ravens when they call.

His pleasure is not in strong horses,
nor his delight in brave soldiers;
but he takes pleasure in those who honor him,
in those who trust in his constant love.

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
He keeps your gates strong; he blesses your people
He keeps your borders safe
and satisfies you with the finest wheat.

He gives a command to the earth,
and what he says is quickly done
He spreads snow like a blanket
and scatters frost like dust.
He sends hail like gravel;
no one can endure the cold he sends!
Then he gives a command, and the ice melts;
he sends the wind, and the water flows.

He gives his message to his people,
his instructions and laws to Israel.
He has not done this for other nations;
they do not know his laws.

Praise the Lord!