True and Complete Prayer

It can be shown in the Lord's Prayer and numerous other Scriptures that true and complete prayer consists of four components: ATTITUDE, COMPASSION, TRUTH and STANDING.

ATTITUDE - There are a number of attitudes which enhance prayer: Repentance, humility, joyfulness, patience, thankfulness, selflessness etc. or, conversely, There are a number of attitudes which inhibit prayer: stinginess, anger, selfishness, self-righteousness, self exaltation etc.

Some examples can be seen in Lk.18:9-14 and Mt.6:2-8. By far the greatest testimony regarding attitude and prayer is given in Heb.5:7: "During the days of Jesus' life on Earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears . . . and He was heard BECAUSE OF HIS REVERENT SUBMISSION". So, clearly, the first component of true prayer is to... PRAY WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE.

COMPASSION - There are numerous examples of compassion: Love (greek. agape-meaning fellowship, love), mercy, kindness, goodness, friendship, acceptance etc. Two of the most prevalent in Scriptures are love and mercy. There is an amazing provision made by God to allow us to restore fellowship with Him: The act of baptism for the forgiveness of sin (Ac.2:38). Paul tells Titus that God saved us BECAUSE OF His MERCY (Titus 3:4-5). He exhorts the husbands in the church at Ephesus to LOVE their wives "as Christ loved the church . (Eph.5:25-26). Let us NOT MISS this tremendous provision so that we may truly... PRAY HAVING RECEIVED AND DEMONSTRATED COMPASSION.

Truth - God IS truth. . . . Idolatry, falseness, lies and deceit are the natural realm of the devil. The Old Testament abounds with illustrations of God's people being "led astray to mute idols". God sent prophets again and again but the people failed to respond. Jeremiah Chapter 7 is an excellent overall reference containing this scathing indictment: "This is the nation that HAS NOT OBEYED THE LORD or RESPONDED TO CORRECTION . . . TRUTH HAS PERISHED" (Jer.7:27-28). What was the consequence of this lack of TRUTH? . . . "DO NOT PRAY FOR THIS PEOPLE . . . for I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU" (Jer.7:16). Can we be in idolatry today? Very much so! Not so much in the physical sense but, absolutely, in the spiritual sense. The word, idolatry (the offspring of falseness), in the New Testament comes from two Greek words: "eidos" meaning forms and "latreia" meaning worship, ministry or service. Are we participants in only forms of worship, forms of ministry and forms of service? If so, forgiveness is available so that we may... PRAY IN TRUTH.

STANDING - In the Old Testament the way God gives us to understand this is COVENANT. People were either IN COVENANT or OUT OF COVENANT (bluntly God was either FOR them or AGAINST them). The New Testament Scriptures verify that Jesus came as the MEDIATOR of a NEW AND BETTER covenant. How do we come into this covenant? "We were all BAPTIZED by one Spirit into one body" (1Cor.12:13) - THE BODY OF CHRIST. Being IN CHRIST is a key New Testament principle with numerous stated benefits. Here are seven of them:

1. We are INCLUDED
2. There is NO CONDEMNATION
3. We become SONS (DAUGHTERS)
4. There is a FULLNESS OF POWER GIVEN
5. We FORM ONE BODY
6. We are CALLED HEAVENWARD
7. We are given the GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

There are four possible positions in which we may be found regarding being IN CHRIST:

1. We can be IN CHRIST and ACT like we are IN CHRIST
2. We can be IN CHRIST but ACT as though we are NOT IN CHRIST
3. We can NOT BE IN CHRIST but THINK THAT WE ARE IN CHRIST
4. We can NOT BE IN CHRIST and KNOW we are NOT IN CHRIST

The only mark of being in right STANDING (ie IN CHRIST) is the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. He is the Spirit of TRUTH, the ATTITUDE Changer, the Prompter of COMPASSION and the Restorer of STANDING. How do we get this gift? . . . By being a son/daughter of God (Gal.3:26). Those who can truly call God, Father, just need to ask (Lk.11:13. YOU MUST BE IN RIGHT STANDING WHEN YOU PRAY.

So here's the question! Are you truly in THE BODY OF CHRIST (ie IN RIGHT STANDING)? . . If so, make no mistake about it: YOUR PRAYERS WILL BE ANSWERED.

For a more detailed scriptural analysis check in here: http://www.prayeramid.org/prayer-misunderstood.html