Posts Tagged ‘prayers’
What should I do to have my prayers answered the way that I pray them?
Question: What should I do to have my prayers answered the way that I pray them? Answer: I think the hardest thing to remember about prayer is that sometimes the answer is “no”. We have the ability to ask for far too much and a father cannot always grant everything that a child could want.…
Read MoreShould I just give up asking God for things?
Question: Hi. I hope things are well with you. I was thinking about something. I have been suffering from a chronic stomach illness since I was 16. I prayed endlessly for healing but never received any. Now I am 20, and in addition to my disease, I now have chronic back pain. Of course, I…
Read MoreShould I ask God to give my daughter all my blessings?
Question: Good morning. I’m struggling with the thought of how to pray for a blessing. My daughter is in university, and she has for many years had a struggle with confidence. She is really smart but doesn’t believe in herself. In some of the classes, she is barely passing, though she has a B, which…
Read MoreJesus said we can pray for anything, so why can’t we pray for salvation?
Question: Can we accept as a general statement the following: “You are saved through the blood of Jesus, and through His blood only. Because your salvation is not based on your performance, it is based on what Jesus did 2000 years ago on the cross”? I also would like to bring up Matthew 19:25-26 and…
Read MoreWhy doesn’t God deliver the addicts in our congregation after all our prayers?
Question: There are many things I notice in our church, which I feel propelled to address, but I am not sure what to say, or how to approach my pastor. I really don’t want him to think I’m forward. I just need to get your take on the situation before I approach him. There’s this…
Read MoreHow do I pray when I don’t feel like it?
Question: I have been good at praying. Recently though, I just feel like my prayer life is going downhill. It started with my nightly devotion and now with my morning devotion. I am just not in the mood to pray. I know how important prayer is, so it worries me. My house has become too…
Read MoreWhat does it mean to give your problems to the Lord?
Question: What does it mean to give your problems to the Lord? Does it come down to the fact that things on earth are temporary and we should be looking at the bigger picture? Answer: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your…
Read MoreIf you’re shy, do you have to lead prayer in church?
Question: If you’re shy, do you have to lead prayer in church? Answer: That is a great question! Let us be honest, you don’t have to do anything if you do not want to! For example: When I was a child, I would try to keep a beat to the music, but to no avail.…
Read MoreIf a woman can’t lead prayer then she shouldn’t discipline or deal with finances
Question: I am currently in a discussion with my brother about women praying with their husbands. I agree with your view of the matter and what the Bible says regarding a woman leading her husband in prayer. My brother takes the opposing view and states that if that were the case, a woman shouldn’t discipline…
Read MoreCan I ask God for help in finding a wife?
Question: Would it be proper to go to God in prayer and ask for help in leading you to the right person to marry? This of course would be someone you have not met, and you are well aware of God’s requirements for a godly and eligible person. Answer: “Now this is the confidence that…
Read MoreHow true is: “Pray as if God will take care of all; act as if all is up to you”?
Question: Hello, my brother, I hear the following quote: “Pray as if God will take care of all; act as if all is up to you,” how true is it? Thanks for your time. Answer: This is one of old sayings that get passed around. I find it attributed to a large number of famous…
Read MoreHow should prayers be offered in worship?
Question: Where I need help is with prayers. Is it scriptural to pray saying “In Jesus’ name” several times in between the prayer before concluding? Does it not count as vain repetitions? Is it scriptural to raise prayer points while everyone prays until the person leading will ask everyone to round up and stop eventually?…
Read MoreDo you think God hears every prayer I pray?
Question: Do you think God hears every prayer I pray? Is He busy sometimes answering someone else? Why does the Bible say in some verses “God heard their shout?” Is that just the way it was written? I could find the verses, but I’m sure you remember. Answer: “Now this is the confidence that we…
Read MoreI didn’t keep all of my sacrifices. Will God still help me?
Question: Hello, A few months ago I started going through a hard time in my life, I had a problem that I, myself, couldn’t solve, so I put it in God’s hands. As I was really desperate and willing to do anything for it, I offered a few sacrifices (yes, more than one) and I…
Read MoreWhy is the Temple called a house of prayer?
Question: Can you tell me what the phrase “house of prayer” means from Matthew 21:13? Is this word used as a synecdoche or is it meant to mean literal “prayer?” If prayer was not the only thing they did at the temple, could this word have been used to mean a house of ‘worship?’ Answer:…
Read MoreThe Need for Prayer
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015Fall5TheNeedForPrayer.mp3 by Brace Rutledge 2015 Fall Meeting
Read MoreHow to Pray
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/HowToPray.mp3 by Steven Chetelat
Read MoreIs it wrong to quote the Bible in your prayer?
Question: Is it wrong to quote the Bible in your prayer? If yes, why, and if no, why? Thanks. Answer: Nowhere in the Bible does it forbid one to quote Bible passages in prayer. As long as your prayers are sincere, humble, with faithfulness, fervent, watchful, praising, and thankful, quoting Scripture is not inappropriate. As…
Read MoreWhat does “praying in the Spirit” mean?
Question: Can you please explain to me Jude 20 when it said “praying in the Spirit”? Answer: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also…
Read MorePray Without Ceasing
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014Fall8PrayWithoutCeasing.mp3 by Mike Waters The Good Life
Read MoreHow can people talk about a loving God when my mother has cancer?
Question: I was at work today and my mom sent me a text telling me she was diagnosed with stage two cervical cancer. A text telling me she has cancer! A text! Now I’m home, and she is sleeping, so I can’t ask her what they are going to do. I really, really am doubting…
Read MoreI prayed to God to change my heart but nothing has changed
Question: I prayed to God to change my heart but nothing has changed my way of thinking or my attitude to show love and not anger. I tried to read the Bible, but I don’t feel anything. Please help. Answer: It appears that you are looking for something outside of you to change you, instead…
Read MoreShould one prayer or two be given at the Lord’s Supper?
Question: Is it proper to give thanks for the bread and the cup in one prayer instead of two separate prayers? I have been searching for scriptural examples that support one position or the other or both. Answer: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and…
Read MoreIs it wrong to be competitive in school?
Question: Is it wrong to be competitive in school? I know that God stresses the importance of education, but I see myself to be very competitive when it comes to grades. It’s not an ego thing where I get scores to show off or anything, but it is because I want to get into good…
Read MoreI prayed to God but He doesn’t answer me. Your God is asleep!
Question: Regarding witchcraft: Unless you have lived the person’s life walked the same miles as they walked can you be certain of your responses, a mile in your own shoes does not describe how they feel and what they are going through. I have been impacted for 46 years by my own mother. I have…
Read MoreIs it appropriate to say a prayer in a restaurant?
Question: Hello, Mr. Hamilton! My husband and I have been studying the book of Matthew, and we have a question about Matthew 6:5-6. How do these verses apply to saying a prayer of thanks before a meal in a restaurant? We have read your answer to the question, “Must a prayer be said before eating…
Read MoreIs justification through faith? Is a sinner forgiven when he prays?
Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, I was reading your article on the NIV and I found it very informative! I just want to start off by saying thank you I had no idea there were a few discrepancies I needed to be aware of. With regards to this, I had a question. I completely agree with the point…
Read MoreShould the husband lead Bible discussions and prayers when the family is gathered together?
Question: Hi, If God were to bless me with a wife and kids, I would like for the family to have Bible study sessions as a family. Would it be proper for my wife to lead the discussions at times? Or to pray? Or it should always be the husband? How about the kids? Answer:…
Read MoreWill God bring my boyfriend back to take responsibility for me and our soon-to-be-born child?
Question: Good Afternoon, I am a strong believer and was recently engaged to a believer for about a year and a half. We had an amazing relationship until things took a hard toll in our relationship when we lost our son at 7 months into pregnancy. Things began getting harder for us since we did…
Read MoreCan a Christian’s worship be hindered if he is in sin?
Question: Good morning, Can a Christian’s worship be hindered if they are in sin? Does God expect Christians to be completely holy when we worship Him? Answer: “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that…
Read MoreIf people on opposite sides are praying for their team to win, whose prayer does God answer?
Question: Please, I need your help on an issue. We are very fanatical about football (soccer) in our country. I was involved in a discussion some time ago with my roommate and he was saying God answered his prayer for the team he supports and that was why they were able to win, but I…
Read MoreWhat about prayer cloths?
Question: I have a friend that asked me about “prayer blankets or cloths”. I am aware of the Scripture she is referencing: Acts 19:11-12. I’m just unsure on how to help her understand scripturally why this is not necessary. Thank you for your time and scriptural truth; I really appreciate it. Answer: “Now God worked unusual…
Read MoreWill God forgive me for not saying my prayers as I had promised?
Question: Hello, I’m 17 years old. My family has always been very secular. For a small period of time, my older sister went to a Catholic school, and I was sent to Sunday school. When I was little I was very much afraid of death and the concept of eternal nothingness. This fear led me…
Read MoreIs it a lack of faith if your prayer isn’t answered?
Question: Dear Sir, Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to your website. I have recently started attending a local church of Christ, in part because of the wonderful Scripture-based answers on your website and the freedom and new life promised by following God’s laws rather than man-made directives. My boyfriend attends…
Read MoreI failed to pray last night because I fell asleep. Should I offer two prayers tonight?
Question: Hello, I have a question. I ask you because I did not find any topic related to what I am curious about. Last night I was watching TV and in a moment I fell asleep. The problem is that I did not pray that night because I fell asleep. Will God forgive me or…
Read MoreHow do I call prayer points?
Question: Hello Sir, I will be leading a prayer meeting (small group). The title is “Trusting God”, from Psalm 125:1. Please how do I go about it, especially calling the prayer points? I have led prayer meetings in the group in the past, but I want to do this right. My church, the teenage church,…
Read MoreWhy doesn’t God restore my marriage?
Question: I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for putting the article, The Awful Aftermath of Adultery, on the Internet. My wife committed adultery over 30 years ago with a man while she was in the military. She told me she did nothing wrong. She places all the blame on me and then…
Read MoreThe Sinner’s Prayer
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SinnersPrayer.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 9:1-19 I. A key feature of salvation in many denominations is the praying of the sinner’s prayer. A. It is generally presented at the end of a service to tell people how they may be saved. B. Each “Sinner’s Prayer” varies in detail, but generally carry the same theme: that…
Read MoreHow many times a day should a Christian pray?
Question: Is it required that a Christian pray once every day? The Bible tells us to never cease to pray, but how often are we required to pray? Answer: The concept of not ceasing to pray refers to not giving up on prayers. “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). Or as Paul told the Romans,…
Read MoreHow We Ought to Pray
How We Ought to Pray – Part 1How We Ought to Pray – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 11:1-13 I. Being creatures of habit, we often fall into a pattern of doing certain things in certain ways. A. There is nothing wrong with a habit, so long as it is a good habit. B. In…
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