Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13  Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy.   - 10 -   May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.   - 11 -   Give us today the food we need,   - 12 -   and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.   - 13 -   And don't let us yield to temptation,  but rescue us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]

Matthew 7:7-11  "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.   - 8 -   For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.   - 9 -   "You parents--if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?   - 10 -   Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!   - 11 -   So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.

Luke 11:1-13  Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."   - 2 -   Jesus said, "This is how you should pray:  "Father, may Your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon.   - 3 -   Give us each day the food we need,   - 4 -   and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation. "   - 5 -   Then, teaching them more about prayer, He used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him,   - 6 -   'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.'   - 7 -   And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.'   - 8 -   But I tell you this--though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.   - 9 -   "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.   - 10 -   For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.   - 11 -   "You fathers--if your children ask [for bread, do you give them a stone? Or if they ask] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?   - 12 -   Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!   - 13 -   So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."

Psalms 50:14-15  Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.   - 15 -   Then call on Me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give Me glory."

Matthew 21:21-22  Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen.   - 22 -   You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it."

Mark 11:22-25  Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God.   - 23 -   I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.   - 24 -   I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.   - 25 -   But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. "

John 14:12-14  "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.   - 13 -   You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.   - 14 -   Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it!

John 15:7  But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

John 16:23-24  At that time you won't need to ask Me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My name.   - 24 -   You haven't done this before. Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

Hebrews 4:16  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

1 John 5:14-15  And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.   - 15 -   And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.

John 2:3-10  The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus' mother told Him, "They have no more wine."   - 4 -   "Dear woman, that's not our problem," Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come."   - 5 -   But His mother told the servants, "Do whatever He tells you."   - 6 -   Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons.   - 7 -   Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water." When the jars had been filled,   - 8 -   He said, "Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies." So the servants followed His instructions.   - 9 -   When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over.   - 10 -   "A host always serves the best wine first," he said. "Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!"

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God's Provision

Matthew 6:24-34 NLT "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. - 25 "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? - 26 Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are? - 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? - 28 "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, - 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. - 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? - 31 "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' - 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. - 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. - 34 "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 17:24-27 NLT On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?" - 25 "Yes, He does," Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered? " - 26 "They tax the people they have conquered," Peter replied. "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free! - 27 However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us."

Mark 8:15-21 NLT As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod." - 16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. - 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so He said, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don't you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? - 18 'You have eyes--can't you see? You have ears--can't you hear?' Don't you remember anything at all? - 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?" "Twelve," they said. - 20 "And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?" "Seven," they said. - 21 "Don't you understand yet?" He asked them.

Romans 4:16-25 NLT So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. - 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. - 18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping--believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!" - 19 And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead--and so was Sarah's womb. - 20 Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. - 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. - 22 And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. - 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded - 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in Him, the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. - 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.

Philippians 4:17-19 NLT - 17 I don't say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. - 18 At the moment I have all I need--and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. - 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:17 NLT Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

Daily Confession:

I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear; don't worry about these things.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and God will give you everything you need; and don't worry about tomorrow.

Don't you know or understand even yet?

When Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers were picked up afterward?

And when Jesus fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers were picked up?

Don't you understand yet?

These promises are received by faith. We are all certain to receive them if we have faith like Abraham's. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises.

I have all I need--and more! I am generously supplied with gifts!

God who takes care of me will supply all my needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to me in Christ Jesus.

God richly gives me all I need for my enjoyment.

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Faith, Hearing, Maturity, Priests

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you. "Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? "But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'? "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"  Luke 17:5-10 NASB

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.  Romans 10:17 NASB

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?  Galatians 3:2 NASB

So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?  Galatians 3:5 NASB

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.  Hebrews 5:9-14 NASB

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,  Hebrews 6:1 NASB

And this we will do, if God permits.  Hebrews 6:3 NASB

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,  Hebrews 6:4-5 NASB

But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.  Hebrews 6:9 NASB

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  Hebrews 6:11-12 NASB

And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.  Hebrews 6:15 NASB

In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.  Hebrews 6:17-20 NASB

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