THE POWER

OF PRAYER

Karen J. Jones

and Dr. John

Baskalier Publishing

First published in e-book and paperback formats in September 2012 by Baskalier Publishing.

Baskalier Publishing, 97 Sheppard Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3JH, United Kingdom

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Text content © authors:  Karen J. Jones and Dr. John, 2012

Cover image and design © Karen J. Jones, 2012

Text layout and design © Baskalier Publishing, 2012

Editing: Karen J. Jones

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Introduction

The biblical commandments form the basis of Christian Law for past, present and future times, and is the moral basis for many of the state laws currently used by countries of the Western world. As Christians, the commandments help us to identify where in life we have committed sin or have fallen short of God’s expectations, as well as giving us guidance on how we should conduct our lives on a daily basis. The commandments have been provided for our benefit and protection. They provide a framework for us to work with as we aspire to live a good and eventually sin-free life, knowing that our past actions and sinful behaviour can be forgiven.

It is true to say that no-one has ever lived a perfect sin-free life except Jesus Christ, who, by His grace and as the son of our living God, can take and cancel our sins, however serious society might consider them to be. One thing the bible teaches us is that the absence of sin in our lives is far more important to God than the good works we do. He knows we cannot achieve perfection. Our duty is to try our best to live our lives in harmony with those around us, and to accept Jesus into all parts of our lives.

In the Power of Prayer, you will learn how to pray, when, where and why prayer is considered to be one of the most important skills we can learn and teach others to do, and how it can be used in everyday life. Also discussed are topics such as faith healing, angel interactions, and how to avoid coming under spiritual attack.

The aim of this book is to enable a wide-ranging readership to understand and engage with God’s Law. It is suitable for established Christians, people new to the Christian faith as well as those who are simply seeking to find out more about the commandments and how they fit in with modern lifestyles.

Each of the ten commandments from the Old Testament, as well as several (but not all) of those from the New Testament have been published as separate e-books (and pamphlets) as bible-aids; together, these comprise part of a compilation, God’s Law, which is a reference book for the commandments and is written by the same authors: Karen J. Jones and Dr John.

The meaning of each commandment has been explained and applied in context to familiar problems and activities that many people are likely to experience in their daily lives. The sub topics the authors have selected for discussion within the book are by no means an exhaustive list of eventualities; instead, they are intended to promote the reader to find out more about living life based on Christian principles. The series of commandment books form a useful tool for open discussion amongst family members, church groups and also within school and college environments.

There will be inevitably be varied opinions on several issues discussed in relation to each commandment; this is actually a positive outcome, as it serves to cause readers and participants of discussion groups to examine God’s word more closely. For this purpose, scripture verse numbers have been provided for cross-referencing with your own version of the Holy Bible, which is strongly recommended for further reading.

Scripture passages and commandments included in this book have been written with common-use vocabulary wherever possible to enable the text to be accessible to a wide readership.

Please check the publisher's website (www.baskalierpublishing.com) for the availability of downloadable resources and study aids relevant to each of the books in this series.

Throughout this series of commandment books, there are instances where words of prophesy, wisdom or knowledge from the Holy Spirit have been used - these are shown as quotations in italics, thus differentiating them from biblical scripture references.

The authors do not claim to have the answers to all of your questions nor claim to be able to advise on legal matters. They have, however, attempted to interpret God’s commandments for you in this series of commandments books, and have applied them in context to life in the twenty-first century.

God Bless!

The Power of Prayer

The Commandment:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

The commandment to pray is one that forms the focus of many Christian lives. It is one of the lesser known commandments within the Christian and the non-Christian communities, though it alone forms an essential tool in being able to carry out the greatest of all commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and all your mind.” (Luke 10:27). It is impossible to show love to God without communicating with Him at a soul level - prayer facilitates this.

Why we should keep this commandment:

There are many references throughout the Holy Bible relating to prayer and of the requirement for it to be a habitual process. Jesus regularly prayed to His Father in heaven (our one and only God) and taught us how to do this for ourselves by giving us the Lord’s Prayer to learn and use. He demonstrated how to live a perfect sin-free earthly life and set high standards for us to try and live by. Prayer is no exception to this. He commands it of us.

Whether we realise it or not, prayer is a natural process for most people; even in those that declare that they do not have any religious beliefs. These automatic prayers may take the form of a simple wish for something to change in life, such as gaining a promotion at work, removing stress, recovering from illness or seeking help in finding a lost pet. The list is endless.

Prayer is a form of communication; an audience between God and every living soul here on Earth.

To pray without ceasing implies that the process should be automatic and regular, just like breathing. If we don’t breathe, our bodies die. Similarly, if we don’t pray regularly, communication with God becomes sporadic; souls lose direction and face eternal death. The choice is simple!

Prayer should be a daily habit. Each of us has physical life; this on its own is something we should be thanking God for each morning as we wake. Prayer is the most powerful spiritual tool available to mankind. Through it we can build up a relationship with God and transform not only our lives, but those of those around us too. Heartfelt prayers are always answered according to God’s will.

Jesus taught “Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:13-15). The only way we can ask Jesus anything is by talking to Him. We do this through prayer.

What is prayer?

Prayer is often a highly personal event and can be seen as an open channel of communication with God, often through His son, Jesus Christ. It should be considered as a two-way dialogue; all of our words and thoughts are heard. The exciting part is that if our eyes, ears, heart, mind and soul are open to receiving God’s word, responses to our prayers will be received in some form.

The majority of the book of Psalms is devoted to prayer and praise, a few examples of which give different definitions of what a prayer can be:

         a means of talking to God at soul level (Psalms 103:1)

         a cry to God (Psalms 142)

         a pouring out of our heart to God (Psalms 86 – A Prayer of David)

         praise  (Psalms 105:1-5)

         a declaration of trust and faithfulness (Psalms 16: 1-2; 63:1-4)

Each prayer will be as individual as the person offering it. Prayers that are heartfelt and offered in faith will be heard and answered, though not everything we ask for will be granted; this relies on God’s will, (Matthew 21:22). God already knows our thoughts, hopes and dreams – He knows everything about us; He created everything.

Prayer is a powerful weapon in the fight between good and evil; between God and the Devil; between what we ought to do and the sinful desires of the flesh. Even the apostle Paul struggled with sin (Romans 7:14-25).

Prayer is the means by which we ask our Father God for things we want in life, for things we need, the things we think we want or need, for help in what we are doing, for His help in whatever we may ask of Him. There is no way for us to communicate directly with Him, other than through prayer.

We are told to pray for others, so we may direct our prayers to helping our leaders make correct and sound decisions on our behalf. We may ask that they be filled with appropriate knowledge and discernment they need in order to help them reach the decisions they make for us.

Finding comfort in prayer

Many people make excuses that their lives are too busy to find time for themselves, let alone time to stop work and spend time with God. In reality, this is a serious error of judgement and self-guidance.

Overworking, task repetition and a self-centred world can lead to stress and mental burnout. In contrast, a God-centred life is never dull or boring; there is always something to be thankful for.

Taking a short, regular period of time each day to stop what you’re doing and mentally focus on the positive aspects of whatever activity you are currently engaged in has more benefits than pitfalls. This time, even if just for a couple of minutes during each break period, will bring you rewards if you choose to spend it by saying a quick, quiet prayer to God. This can be done whilst sitting at your work desk, walking through a park, in fact anywhere that guarantees you silence and freedom from distraction. As a result, you will notice that stress levels will be lowered, conflicts with family or work colleagues can be thought through rationally rather than on an emotional level, your concentration will improve, and you will return to the task you were initially undertaking feeling refreshed and relaxed. This is exactly how most Christians feel after taking time out to talk to God through prayer. If this is new to you – try it. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

With time, Christians build up a relationship with God through prayer, and know Him as a comforter, a counsellor, a friend and soul-mate. He can carry burdens, will dry tears, share in joy and celebrations, give confidence and guidance when necessary. He offers more love and support than can ever be returned. This is given willingly to those who find the time to talk to Him, read and listen to His word as written in the Bible, love Him and put Him first in their lives. The closeness of the bond between God (as the Holy Spirit) and a follower of Jesus may all sound a little unreal to non-Christians. It is, however, a relationship waiting to be developed between each of us and our Father in heaven.

The comfort, peace, knowledge and spiritual renewal obtained through prayer is something not to be underestimated. It can be a truly exhilarating experience, especially when the miracle of healing is witnessed.

The power of the Holy Spirit is phenomenal, as many witnesses can testify. To be granted free, unlimited access to this valuable resource in our lives is a true blessing. After all, we need to remember that each of us is a sinner and, unless we have accepted Jesus into our lives through the Holy Spirit, we remain unworthy of God’s love and grace.

People who believe they are already perfect and do not need God’s steadying hand in their lives are in a period of denial; they are deceiving themselves. A doubtful mind is the perfect breeding ground for lies.

How to pray

A Lot of people are taught to pray using the acronym, ACTS. This is what it means:

A   Adoration (praise and worship)

C   Confession (and forgiveness)

T    Thanksgiving

S    Supplication (asking for God’s help)

Adoration: “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Confession: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and will forgive us our sins, and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

Thanksgiving: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Supplication: “Do not worry about anything; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.” (Philippians 4:6).

The ACTS method of prayer is like a framework: it is not meant to be confining or restrictive. The choice of wording is the personal choice of the person saying the prayer; the main thing is that a prayer is heartfelt, rather than spoken by rote. In fact, Jesus told us not to use vain repetitions like heathens do when praying (Matthew 6:7).

In Mathew 6:9-13 Jesus teaches us how to pray. We learn that it is through prayer that we praise God, make our requests known to Him, ask forgiveness for our sins, forgive sins done against us, and ask for His protection against evil.

Prayer should not be used as an opportunity to shut your eyes, shut down your mind and fall asleep, although this is often what happens, for example, when praying in bed before going to sleep. We are told to stay alert when in prayer to prevent distractions (Matthew 26:41), though after praying, with the loving sensation of the Holy Spirit present, it is easy to feel totally relaxed, at peace and drowsy. If praying before going to bed at night, you should sleep well!

Children are often taught to pray by closing their eyes, putting their hands together and kneeling down on the floor. They should remain alert, and by having their eyes closed, should not be distracted by other people or their surroundings. Jesus prayed differently to this – He chose isolation from other people when talking to God (Matthew 14:23), kneeled down and cast his gaze upwards toward heaven (John 17:1).

The overall answer to prayer is likely to be in proportion to how earnestly we pray, how long we pray for, and how persistent we are in going back to that prayer. Sometimes a period of fasting helps forge a feeling of closeness to God (Mark 9:29); our bodies can survive for short periods of time without food – to be controlled by food means that we are not spending our time worshipping God. The tearing of clothes, wearing sack cloth and lying in ashes is spoken about in the Old Testament; these are all forms of personal sacrifice to God.

Pray earnestly, as if today is the last day of your life… You never know, it might well be!

The Lord’s Prayer

This is the prayer that Jesus gave to us (Matthew 6:9-15). It covers all aspects of praise, worship, confession, forgiveness, thanksgiving, and requests, as covered by the ACTS prayer framework.

Our Father (God)                               This is who the prayer is addressed to

in heaven                                              This is where God can be found

Hallowed be Your name                We offer praise to God

Your kingdom come                               God’s kingdom awaits those that believe in Him

Your will be done                               An offer to do whatever God wants us to do

on Earth                                             Here in this (mortal) lifetime

as it is in heaven                              As in heaven where God reins without any opposition from Satan

Give us this day

our daily bread                             A request to God to supply us with everything we need

and forgive us our sins                              A confession of sinfulness, and a request for forgiveness

as we forgive those

who sin against us                               A promise to do unto others as we would have others do to us

Deliver us from evil                                Protect us from Satan and other evil entities

for thine is the kingdom                  An acknowledgement that God rules heaven and earth

the power and the glory                  God is the victor and deserves to receive all of the glory

for ever and ever                                For all time

Amen                                                          This is how we close a prayer, and is similar to saying ‘so be it!’

The advantage of a set prayer like this is that it covers what Jesus taught us to pray, and it should be able to get the job done. The key point though is that it should be said with emotion and sentiment, not just by rushing through the words.

Hope

Hope is loosely based on faith, desire and a reasonable confidence of a favourable outcome for an event occurring, though there is an element of doubt there too. It is a wish, a prayer, something that requires clarification and confirmation of success or failure.

It is probably true to say that from time-to-time, we all ‘hope and pray’ for something to happen; almost like hedging a bet – not being fully trusting or having confidence that things will go our way. An example of this is going for a job interview – you think you are the ideal candidate, you think you have answered all of the questions correctly; the final decision lies with somebody else. Praying to God is very much like this. We do not know if our prayer requests will be answered fully or what God’s overall plan is for us: the decision lies with Him. He knows what is best for us at certain periods of our lives – our human understanding is based on the here, the now, the past and the present, not on our actual needs as we tread the pathway he has already set for us. We know we have free will for minor events, but God’s will, if He chooses to enforce it, is far stronger than ours; much like a strong adult father and a young child. An example is when a child screams and kicks, thinking he will get his own way by being obnoxious and demanding attention – the father can easily pick up the child and move him elsewhere until the temper tantrum has subsided.

We need to be humble and gracious with what we receive and sincere in what we offer to God – prayer is a two-way process.

Having high hopes for the future is all very well, but for those who do not yet truly ‘know’ God through the Holy Spirit in prayer, the chance of real success in this life and into eternity is less. That is not to say that success will not come – it is just that it might come at a higher price than expected.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may over-flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13).

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12).

It is perfectly normal to wish for things to improve in your life. With God present, life can be more rewarding and exciting than you ever thought possible. He gives hope to everyone that calls on him for help.

H   Holy Spirit present

O   Open eyes, ears, mind and soul

P   Power and patience to achieve God’s plan

E   Evangelism – spreading the news of answered prayer to others

Healing through faith

In this era where scientists attempt to disprove and belittle anything and everything associated with the existence of God and the relevance of religion, it is heartening to see and hear of the undisputable proof of miracle healings. In many cases, the medical history of the person who has benefitted from a significant faith healing event, such as recovery from a cancerous tumour or restored vision will corroborate the account that the patient, the healer or witness has given. The Bible also gives reference to many healings that Jesus gave through the power of the Holy Spirit, which dwelled both within Him and the Lord God. It was Jesus’ absolute faith that the healing would occur that allowed it to happen.

The key to faith healing is that it MUST be through God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (together forming the Trinity of God). It is through heartfelt prayer given in faith that this healing can occur, if it is God’s will. With ‘hands on’ healing, the recipient needs to give permission for the healer to touch them and deliver the healing power of the Holy Spirit. For healing to occur, it needs to be requested through God in faith. Healing can be given directly to the person who needs or requests the help, or from a distance through prayer. The Holy Spirit is omnipresent. Sometimes the recipient will not know that healing prayers are being offered for them; this is the case with animals who receive healing. The recipient does not necessarily need to be a practicing Christian for the Holy Spirit to perform the healing miracle, though he or she will almost certainly wish to give praise to God for any noticeable health or injury improvement. The ability to be able to direct the healing energy of the Holy Spirit to other people as a healer is seen as a blessing, a spiritual gift that some Christians are lucky enough to have received – something that is meant to be shared, to the glory of God.

Occasionally, the opportunity of faith healing is rejected by the person who it is offered to; this may be a conscious or sub-conscious decision. If the recipient does not wish to be healed by God, or doesn’t believe that He has the ability to perform such miracles, the likelihood of the prayer being answered is remote.

Healing-based experiences bring people to know, love and respect God. He does not need to prove how powerful He is. Healing is an act of Grace and mercy. God seeks our love and loyalty to both Him and His son, Jesus Christ.

There are many heart-rending stories where God (sometimes via his angels) has intervened to save lives in the most extraordinary high-profile ‘rescue’ situations, such as babies and elderly adults being pulled from beneath collapsed buildings, avalanches and deep mudslides long after the search for survivors had been called off. Following such life-changing experiences, many people turn to religion in gratitude to God’s mercy.

Sadly, many misguided people seek healings from sources that can unintentionally let in the forces of evil. Yes, there may be a temporary improvement in the state of health of the person receiving the treatment, but at what cost to the soul? Think – is it really worth betraying God by seeking treatment that might involve interference from Satan and his merry band of evil-doers? The only spirit healing that should be sought is that from the Holy Spirit, our God!

Spiritualists who offer healing may attract or unwittingly use harmful entities in their healing sessions; these entities can be far more dangerous than they initially appear to be and are difficult to remove (1 John 4:1-3). Similarly, Reiki practitioners claim to use Universal energy in their healing therapy sessions. It is worth considering: if Reiki healing is not administered through prayer (through God) then where is the energy actually coming from? The spiritual realms are in battle between forces of good and evil – which force would you like to enter your body when you are already unwell?

“The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.” (James 3:13). It can be assumed that this refers to the healing of the sick as well as those who are riddled with sin or demons. The definition and degree of wellness will differ between people based on each individual’s personal perception of improvement to the quality of life, or pain threshold.

Not everyone should expect or will receive a full recovery from whatever ailment they are afflicted by. The healing might be directed to the patient’s family, allowing them support and understanding, especially in the case of someone who is suffering from a potentially terminal condition.

It must be remembered that prayers are not always answered in the timescale we hope for. Also, a person should not expect to live forever in human form.

“Healing is not just for the sick, it is for the soul.”

H   Holy Spirit present

E   Expectation and faith

A   Allow God to enter your heart

L   Let go of fear and the past

Where to pray

Everyone you talk to will have a different idea as to where you should pray. This is because prayer is personal. It should never be undertaken as a performance, exhibitionism or with the desire to impress other people; indeed, this is strictly warned against (Matthew 6:5). There may, however be occasions when you choose or need to pray with or for other people – this is perfectly acceptable, and is encouraged. It is the basis for faith healing (not just for illness, but for other life issues too).

Praise and worship is a form of prayer (spoken or sung) that is either offered alone or in church with other people. The glory should be given to God, not to each other – it is not a performance.

Our personal journey of developing our relationship with God will be a private matter. He already knows our deepest thoughts, needs and problems. So why pray about them? The answer is to open dialogue with Him by talking freely, just as you would with another close friend or family member.

It is suggested that we find a place of solitude and silence when we pray and to close the door, if it is a room (Matthew 6:6); this will limit any distractions. Sometimes the urge to pray may come when you are not able to hide away from the situation you are in, or remove yourself from the people around you. This is alright too – any prayer to God will be heard. He loves us all the time, not just when we are alone. It is better to speak what is on your mind to Him than to wait, especially with praise and thanksgiving. Remember, we are told to pray without ceasing. If you are pleased to be alive; thank Him for it! Give Him glory for everything that fills you with joy – He deserves it!

We live while we pray, and can pray while we live.

Jesus referred to His temple as being a house of prayer Mark 11:17). Each of us is also described as being part of God’s temple, because of the presence of the Holy Spirit: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Silence in prayer

Prayer could and should have a quiet time where-in we wait on God to speak to us, to guide us, to influence our thoughts, to give us images or visions, or words. If we are with others, we may pray out loud in an unknown language (known as speaking in tongues) or receive interpretation of tongues or prophesy.

Being quiet and receptive to God in prayer time is like fine-tuning a receiver; similar to the alerting systems that let us know we have a mobile phone text message waiting or email in our 'in box'. There are lots of messages being sent to us from God all the time, though we may only receive some of them.

By reading God’s word from the Bible and meditating on it, we draw closer to Him.

Praying for other people

A prayer given for another person is a gift. We are told to pray for the Saints, people in authority, the sick; everyone who is needy (1 Timothy 2:1-8; Ephesians 6:18). God places people in positions of authority and expects that we will respect His judgment.

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16).

Sin and forgiveness

God detests and turns away from evil.

When Jesus took our sin upon Himself and was dying on the cross, he called out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). He is believed to have said this because God had turned away from Him because of the sins of mankind being placed upon Him. Sin separates each of us from God.

Even though we, as sinners are separated from Him, He can hear our prayers and can act upon them in any way He chooses. Just like a wayward teenager can phone home for help, we can call on our heavenly father by praying to Him. He may, in turn choose to answer our prayers, e.g., by instructing his angels to assist us.

God wants us to be in a good relationship with Him, just as we would like to be in a good relationship with our parents and our children. By Grace, He forgives us sins that we truly repent from, giving us a fresh start in life. There is no reason why God should heed the prayers of those who are knowingly disobedient to Him (Isaiah 59:1-2). “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commandments.” (1 John 2:3). “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life.” (1 John 5:16).

“God’s favour brings mercy, freedom from hardship, beauty and order to chaos.”

Protection

Part of any prayer must be to ask for protection for ourselves, to prepare for what could be a spiritual battle between good and evil, to put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), to ask God to be with us through the Holy Spirit, and for Him to send in the angelic troops to fight with us in the part of the battle we are unable to see.

Prayers answered

Prayer it is a two-way interaction. The magnificence of God's response to our praise, queries and requests may vary according to God's understanding of our needs and words. His ways, after all, are higher than our ways.

If we ask God to help us, He will. If we are in danger or struggling with something, He should be the first port of call. If we ask for something that we don't need, and which might cause us harm, we may not get what we ask for.

Answers may be received in many different ways; if we ask a question or ask for help, we must be patient as well as being vigilant. If we are not open-minded, we may miss the responses He gives. Answers to questions may be given as audible words or thoughts, images given as visions, Bible passages which you are drawn to, or in dreams. Requests for help will often depend on the urgency and faith in the outcome. Many people can recount stories of receiving help from God’s messengers; angels. Other ways might involve opportunities that ‘coincidentally’ arise or interactions with people you least expected to meet or receive help from. Prayers for healing will be evident in their success.

Many ideas for inventions have been given to people through their dreams. It would be advisable write everything down on paper if you do believe that an answer to prayer has been given in this form rather than relying on your memory alone.

Angels

A visitation never forgotten is from that of an angel. They are entities that are the messengers of God. They can help us in times of extreme need, often in answer to prayer. God commands them; not us.  Many people have either seen them or received help from them. Most of the time, they remain invisible to us. Interestingly, both of the authors of this book have physically seen an angel (at different times to each other), as have other people they know. A few of these angel interactions have been in the form of help, where lives have been saved. It is amazing how immediate thanksgiving prayers are offered to God when an angel has intervened in such circumstances.

Praise and glory should not be given to angels; this is reserved for God alone, who has instructed them to work on His behalf, though it goes without saying that gratitude should be given to whomever or (in the case of angels) whatever has given help to you, where appropriate.

Angels are mentioned in the Bible, the most famous of which is the Arch Angel Gabriel, who appeared as a messenger to Mary, maternal parent of Jesus Christ.

Arch Angel Michael is mentioned. He is known as a protector, a warrior angel, engaged in the spiritual battle between the forces of good and evil; between God’s angelic forces and the non-godly angels who are loyal to the fallen angel, Satan (also termed the Devil).

Angels can appear in many different forms. Unlike the westernised image of a tall androgynous human form with large wings, most reports of sightings are of them being very tall, but wingless. They seem to change appearance so as not to frighten us.

Who are we praying to?

Sadly, it needs to be said: be careful who you pray to. There are other entities around that are able to see and hear everything you say and do. Do not be fooled into praying or talking to spirits of the dead. In fact, the Bible warns against it. All the warnings we are given are for our own benefit, not because we have a jealous God. These other entities are not visible to us, just like angels. Not everything is as it seems in the spiritual realm.

Prayers should only be given to God, which is why the majority of people pray silently, and are therefore not overheard by anyone or anything.

Some people are misguided into talking to what they believe to be spirits of the dead. If these people were godly natured and Christian, would it not be best to believe that their spirits and souls are safely received into heaven? If they are unworthy of that transition, there is only one other destination for them: hell. There is no heaven-earth limbo land as far as we are aware. It must be assumed that any spirit entity that you engage with in this manner is not of God. The highest risk of letting dangerous forces into your lives follows bereavement, when the bereaved person is seeking comfort, especially from the ‘spirit’ of the deceased person. You MUST challenge anyone or anything that communicates with you from the spirit realm – it is an instruction written in the Bible.

Reserve your prayers for Him that deserves them and can act on them, not for entities that are potentially not of God, and who have the potential to meddle with your emotions and lead your soul on a pathway to destruction.

Spiritual opposition

When we are told in God’s word that it is a spiritual battlefield out there, He really means it. We may not be aware of all the fighting, but get affected by it none the less.

The Devil (Satan), seeks to cause disruption. We need to pray for protection of our 'airwaves' or communications with God, so that we have less chance of being hindered by Satan and his plans of deception.

Doing God's will, and praying (or the transition to increasing the frequency of prayer) and teaching others about the power of prayer is likely to evoke a response from our enemy, Satan.  The effect can be likened to taking a baseball bat and hitting a hornet's nest with it, hard. The hornets will be furious and will certainly vent their anger. The result will be that we’ll come under attack from them!

From science, Newton's third law of motion states that: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It can certainly feel, however, that the opposite reaction is much, much more that we expected, and from our perspective, more than the initial reaction.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1Peter 5: 8-9).

Praying in tongues

Do not be afraid if, when you are praying or relaxed in preparation to do so, that you find yourself praying ‘in tongues’. This can happen when the Holy Spirit in us helps us in our prayers – it is a spiritual language, directly to GOD and comes through us, for example, when we do not know what we ought to pray for – the ‘tongues’ are more of an emotion being expressed, rather than words we have to think about using (Romans 8:26). Spiritual language, ‘tongues’, can be thought of as the language of the soul. God understands it without the need for interpretation when we are praying to Him.

Praying in tongues is slightly different to people who can be heard talking aloud in tongues during a church service, as the Holy Spirit communicates through them. If it is meant to be heard by other people, there should be an opportunity for God, through the Holy Spirit, to ‘interpret it’ through another person.

Prayers to adapt and use:

The most important prayer that you can learn, use and adapt is, of course, the one that Jesus gave to His disciples and to us: The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). This should become a daily habit.

When you first accept Jesus into your life, you will probably make your commitment by praying the most important prayer of your life: a prayer of acceptance. It will be personal to you, and might be similar to this:

Dear Jesus,

I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I ask your forgiveness for all of the sins that I have committed. I thank you for sacrificing your life for me, and taking the punishment that I deserve for my sin, so that through your love for me, and by your Grace, I may live.

I ask you to come into my life, Lord Jesus. I welcome you into all aspects of my life, and need you by my side to guide me. I accept your Holy Spirit into me. I ask that you work with me to help me turn away from evil and change me day by day to break away from sin and become more like you. Please help me to serve you.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting my commitment to you, and for entering into my life.

Thank you father God that I can now approach you directly through your son, Jesus.

Thank you Holy Spirit for being with me and the promise that you will stay with me and guide me in my life.

Amen.

Bibliography

Brown, Rev. John, Brown’s Self-Interpreting Family Bible, (c. 1800), John D. Murdock, London

The Bible, Authorised King James Version with Apocrypha, 2008, Oxford World Classics, Oxford University Press

Books in this series

Available in paperback and e-book formats

Keep the Sabbath Holy

Honour your Father & Mother

Love your Neighbour

Love your God

Sole God

Have No False Idols

Do Not Blaspheme

Do Not Kill

Do Not Commit Adultery

Do Not Steal

Do Not Lie

Do Not Envy

Do Not Judge

Forgive Others

The Power of Prayer

Heaven is Near; Touch it, Feel it, Live it

God's Law

Please see www.baskalierpublishing.com for ordering information.

Table of Contents

Copyrights

Introduction

The Commandment:

Why we should keep this commandment:

What is prayer?

Finding comfort in prayer

How to pray

The Lord’s Prayer

Hope

Healing through faith

Where to pray

Silence in prayer

Praying for other people

Sin and forgiveness

Protection

Prayers answered

Angels

Who are we praying to?

Spiritual opposition

Praying in tongues

Prayers to adapt and use:

Bibliography

Other Books