Words in bold in Scripture
(Bible) verses is for
emphasis.
Words of our Lord Jesus
Christ are in red.
Jesus told us to pray for
those that despitefully
use us and persecute us!
Matthew
5:44 But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do
good to them that hate
you, and pray for them
which despitefully use
you, and persecute you;
Please keep reading.
This is an interesting
Bible study from our
loving Saviour, Jesus
Christ.
Jesus Christ said that
hypocrites like to pray to
be seen of men to receive
praise from men. But
Jesus told us to get alone
and pray to God in secret.
Matthew
6:5 And when thou prayest,
thou shalt not be as the
hypocrites are: for they
love to pray standing in
the synagogues and in
the corners of the streets,
that they may be seen of
men. Verily I say unto you,
They have their reward.
6:6 But thou, when thou
prayest, enter into thy
closet, and when thou
hast shut thy door, pray
to thy Father which is in
secret; and thy Father
which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly.
Jesus told us to NOT use
vain repetitions when
we pray as the heathen
do. God wants us to
pray to Him from our
heart and talk to Him
as we would with a
friend, praying
specific prayers for
specific needs and
specific needs of other
people.
Matthew
6:7 But when ye pray, use
not vain repetitions, as
the heathen do: for they
think that they shall be
heard for their much
speaking.
In the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ Jesus
Christ gave us a sample
prayer to use. He said to
pray “in this manner”. He
did not say repeat this
prayer over and over
every day! In verse 7
above Jesus told us not
to use vain repetitions
like the heathen do. God
wants our prayers to be
sincere and open as
you would share with
someone you love.
Matthew
6:9 After this manner
therefore pray ye: Our
Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
6:10 Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
6:11 Give us this day our
daily bread.
6:12 And forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our
debtors.
6:13 And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver
us from evil: For thine is
the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory,
for ever. Amen.
When Jesus prayed to
God the Father in
heaven He would get
alone away from other
people in the quiet so
there were no distractions
when he spent prayer
time with his heavenly
Father.
And Jesus sometimes
And Jesus sometimes
prayed all night in
prayer! If the Son of God
needed to pray all night,
that means we need
more time in prayer,
too.
Matthew
14:23 And when he had
sent the multitudes away,
he went up into a
mountain apart to pray:
and when the evening
was come, he was
there alone.
Mark
1:35 And in the morning,
rising up a great while
before day, he went out,
and departed into a
solitary place, and
there prayed.
Luke
5:16 And he withdrew himself
into the wilderness, and
prayed.
Luke
6:12 And it came to pass
in those days, that he
went out into a
mountain to pray, and
continued all night in
prayer to God.
When Jesus Christ's
disciples could not heal a
child, He told them that it
was because they did
not pray and fast
before they tried to heal
the child.
Mark
9:29 And he said unto them,
This kind can come forth
by nothing, but by prayer
and fasting.
I’ve heard preachers say
that fasting was only done
in the Old Testament times.
Apparently that’s not true.
Jesus Christ believed in
fasting because he gave
instructions to his disciples
about what to do when
they fasted. He said that
they should not go around
looking forlorn so people
would notice that they
were fasting; but to wash
their face and look normal
to other people because
God knows that they are
fasting in secret and
would reward them
openly for it.
Matthew
6:16 Moreover when ye
fast, be not, as the
hypocrites, of a sad
countenance: for they
disfigure their faces,
that they may appear
unto men to fast. Verily
I say unto you, They
have their reward.
6:17 But thou, when thou
fastest, anoint thine head,
and wash thy face;
6:18 That thou appear
not unto men to fast, but
unto thy Father which is
in secret: and thy
Father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward
thee openly.
The Pharisees asked
Jesus Christ why his
disciples were not fasting;
and Jesus said that once
he is gone back up into
heaven, then they will
fast. So that means us,
too, as his disciples,
should fast, as Jesus
said they would.
Matthew
9:14 Then came to him the
disciples of John, saying,
Why do we and the
Pharisees fast oft, but thy
disciples fast not?
9:15 And Jesus said unto
them, Can the children of
the bridechamber mourn,
as long as the bridegroom
is with them? but the days
will come, when the
bridegroom shall be taken
from them, and then shall
they fast.
Jesus Christ told us that
before we go to pray to God
the Father in heaven if we
have anything against
some other person, we
need to forgive that
person if we want God to
forgive us for our sins.
Mark
11:25 And when ye stand
praying, forgive, if ye
have ought against any:
that your Father also
which is in heaven may
forgive you your
trespasses.
On the night of Jesus
Christ's arrest, he prayed
to his Father in heaven
three times that God
would remove 'the cup' from
him (in other words change
what was about to happen
to him because Jesus
knew he would be
separated from God the
Father when he was
covered with our sins on
the cross). But each time
Jesus prayed, he ended
the prayer telling God that
he wanted it to be God the
Father’s will, not his will.
We need to keep that in
mind in our prayers - to
always prayer for God’s
will, not ours, to be done.
Luke
22:41 And he was
withdrawn from them
[the disciples] about a
stone's cast, and kneeled
down, and prayed,
22:42 Saying, Father, if thou
be willing, remove this cup
from me: nevertheless not
my will, but thine, be
done.
Jesus Christ told us a parable
about two men who went into
the temple to pray, the one
was proud and
self-righteous and the
other was humble. Jesus
said the humble man would
be justified rather than the
other; and that he who
exalts himself will be
abased, and he who
humbles himself will be
exalted.
Luke
18:9 And he spake this
parable unto certain which
trusted in themselves that
they were righteous, and
despised others:
18:10 Two men went up into
the temple to pray; the one
a Pharisee, and the other a
publican.
18:11 The Pharisee stood
and prayed thus with
himself, God, I thank thee,
that I am not as other
men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or
even as this publican.
18:12 I fast twice in the
week, I give tithes of all
that I possess.
18:13 And the publican,
standing afar off, would not
lift up so much as his eyes
unto heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying,
God be merciful to me
a sinner.
18:14 I tell you, this man
went down to his house
justified rather than the
other: for every one
that exalteth himself
shall be abased; and
he that humbleth
himself shall be
exalted.