Prayer Glorifying God For His Abundant Provision

31 Prayer Quotes – Be Inspired and Encouraged!

Prayer Glorifying God For His Abundant Provision

God promises us in His Word that He hears every word that we pray to Him. a good parent, He is waiting, ready, and willing to listen to our worries, concerns, and needs. Whether we are seeking forgiveness, strength, or healing, prayer provides the channel to communicate with God and receive supernatural strength and power! 

The following prayer quotes will help inspire and encourage your prayer life as you seek a stronger faith. Share these verses with others who need to experience the power of prayer in their life!

Our Favorite Prayer Quotes:

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” – Max Lucado

“She (my mother) became a warrior far superior to any epic hero. She became a giant on her knees. With a sword in one hand she battled the enemies of death and disease, and with her other hand stretched toward heaven she kept beseeching God’s help and His mercy.” – Bishop T.D. Jakes 

“There are parts of our calling, works of the Holy Spirit, and defeats of the darkness that will come no other way than through furious, fervent, faith-filled, unceasing prayer.” – Beth Moore

“The reality is, my prayers don't change God.  But, I am convinced prayer changes me.  Praying boldly boots me that stale place of religious habit into authentic connection with God Himself.” – Lysa TerKeurst

“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” – Corrie ten Boom

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” – Martin Luther

“The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'” – Billy Graham

“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that – it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” – Charles Spurgeon

“If you believe in prayer at all, expect God to hear you. If you do not expect, you will not have. God will not hear you unless you believe He will hear you; but if you believe He will, He will be as good as your faith.” – Charles Spurgeon

“Let no one profess to trust in God, and yet lay up for future wants, otherwise the Lord will first send him to the hoard he has amassed, before He can answer the prayer for more.”  – George Muller

“I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right; but it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation may be on the Lord's side.” – Abraham Lincoln

“Prayer is simply talking to God a friend and should be the easiest thing we do each day.” – Joyce Meyer

“Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” – Soren Kierkegaard

“God is looking for people to use, and if you can get usable, he will wear you out. The most dangerous prayer you can pray is this: 'Use me.'” – Rick Warren

“Rather than set aside daily time for prayer, I pray constantly and spontaneously about everything I encounter on a daily basis. When someone shares something with me, I'll often simply say, 'let's pray about this right now.'” – Thomas Kinkade

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” – Corrie Ten Boom

“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” – Mother Teresa

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” – Abraham Lincoln

“The prayer offered to God in the morning during your quiet time is the key that unlocks the door of the day. Any athlete knows that it is the start that ensures a good finish.” – Adrian Rogers

“God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil.” – Mother Teresa

“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” – Mother Teresa

“To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.” – Billy Graham

“It is not well for a man to pray cream and live skim milk.” – Henry Ward Beecher

“Prayer makes a godly man, and puts within him the mind of Christ, the mind of humility, of self-surrender, of service, of pity, and of prayer. If we really pray, we will become more God, or else we will quit praying.” – E.M. Bounds

“Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty.” – E.M. Bounds

Max Lucado video on Prayer: Pastor Max Lucado, author of Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer, may surprise you with his explanation of the most important aspect of any prayer. “Of all the words of a prayer,” Max teaches, “the most important one is the first one…”

Crosswalk.com: What is the most important aspect of prayer? – Max Lucado from crosswalkquestions on GodTube.

Bible Quotes on Prayer

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. – 1 John 5:14

And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. – 1 John 5:15

Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. – 2 Chronicles 6:21

My prayer is not that you take them the world but that you protect them from the evil one. – John 17:15

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. – Mark 11:24

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

More Bible praying quotes at the BibleStudyTools.com Prayer Bible Verses page. 

Popular Prayers

Here are some of the most read prayers from our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray.

Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.

Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Strength
Intercessory Prayer
Prayer for Protection
Prayer for Sick
Morning Prayers
Thanksgiving Prayer
The Prayer of Jabez
The Lord's Prayer
The Prayer of St Francis
A Birthday Prayer

This article is part of our larger Inspiring Quotes resource meant to encourage strengthen your faith. Visit our most popular quotes by well known Christians and theologians to find more inspiration.

Remember, the Holy Spirit can work through us when we increase our faith and share it with us! Please pass along any quotes that touch your heart because you never know light you can shine on someone else’s dark day! 

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer Quotes
Charles Spurgeon Quotes
Billy Graham Quotes
Corrie Ten Boom Quotes
C.S. Lewis Quotes
Elisabeth Elliot Quotes
Mother Teresa Quotes

Источник: //www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/31-prayer-quotes-be-inspired-and-encouraged.html

21 Bible Verses About God’s Provision

Prayer Glorifying God For His Abundant Provision

The word of God is full of inspiring assurances of how God will provide for his followers. God is fully aware of our needs and the Bible tells us of how God wants us to come to him with every need and care and worry that we may have.

We often turn to God for our physical needs but many (this writer included) fall short in asking God and seeking his provision for our spiritual and emotional needs.

We must remember that when our focus is on God, and when our worldview about God shows that we believe that he is interested and cares about every area of our life; then we are starting to be in the place that God desires for us.

That place will be where we talk constantly to God and listen for him to speak to us. There are many, many verses that speak about God’s provision for us. Here is a sampling, just 21 Bible verses about God’s provision for you to read and meditate on.

Luke 12:24 “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”

Bible Verses About God’s Provision

Genesis 3:21  And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

Exodus 14:22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters beinga wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Job 38:41 Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food?

Psalms 34:10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Psalms 81:10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin

Matthew 6:31-32 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Bible Quotes About Asking God For Our Needs

Matthew 7:7  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask meanything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

John 16:23-24 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

James 4:1-2  What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passionsare at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

1 John 3:22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

Final Thoughts 

One of the main impressions that I thought on while writing this article is the picture and feeling that I get as God being our true Heavenly Father. The words of Scripture paint this beautiful picture of God loving us so much that he will provide for us in all areas of life.

God will take care of you just he takes care of the lilies of the field. God is the best Father ever and He knows what our needs are and what our wants are. Sometimes, we get these two mixed up but we truly can trust God.

Maybe you came to this article because you are in a bad stage of life where you just don’t know where to turn. Maybe you are in over your head financially or emotionally or spiritually. Maybe you feel that you are in it all alone.

I hope that reading through some of these Scripture passages encourages you that God knows what is going on in your life and He will provide for you.

We don’t always know how that will happen and there are situations that seem hopeless but the Lord God is a big God and He is still in the business of making beautiful things our messes. My prayer for you today is that you pray and talk to God about whatever you are going through. He loves His children and He has made promises that He will always be with us regardless of what we are going through.

Related reading: Bible Verses About God’s Love

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Источник: //www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/21-bible-verses-about-gods-provision/

Seven Steps to Making the Best Decision

Prayer Glorifying God For His Abundant Provision

The Lord, in his goodness, has given us decisions to make in our daily lives. Some of those decisions seem relatively insignificant— what to eat or how to cut our hair. But the constant barrage of choices can be stressful.

Especially perplexing is the choice between multiple good options—when a decision can have more than one beneficial outcome our decision. How can we weigh those options and choose that which is most God-honoring?

1. Pray for God’s guidance in seeking his will

Commit your work to the Lord, then it will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3)

Jesus said to his disciples, “Anything you ask for in my name, I will do, that my Father may be glorified in the son (John 14:13).” The first step should always be to bring concerns and choices before God in prayer.

It is important to note that Jesus’s main focus is not fulfilling our requests, but glorifying the Father.

If any request is not glorifying to the Father, then it is not worthy of being asked for in the name of Christ and should be avoided.

Paul tells us that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).” There is a lot of freedom in what can glorify God once you are in Christ. Pray to God for guidance in choosing his best for you at this time.

2. Praise God for his blessings.

While in prayer, praise God for his provision and abundant grace. Choosing between multiple good things is a wonderful problem to have! Any decision can be stressful, but choosing between two legitimately good outcomes is a blessing.

Both Romans and Hebrews tell us that, while we were in our sin, it was impossible for us to do anything to please God. Now, in Christ, we are free to bring pleasing gifts to our God in every moment. This is why we should “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

3. Go to Scripture

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Bible is the primary way in which God speaks to us. The Holy Spirit may stir something within us, God may guide us with circumstances, but there is no work of God in any believer’s life that will not conform to the revealed word of God in the Bible.

So search the Scriptures for guidance in all circumstances. If you find that Scripture does not support an option before you, you know that option is to be discarded.

4. Use your Christ-redeemed mind to analyze the situation

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

God gave us our minds. If we are in Christ and he is us, then our minds have been freed to work for him. Therefore, we can bring those capacities which God has given us—logic, reason, and rational thought—and use them to discern his will in light of his revelation.

When my wife and I starting having kids, we disagreed about having one of us stay home, partially because our financial situation didn’t seem to allow for only one income.

While we struggled with bringing the matter before God, we truly wanted his will to be done, and he had mercy on us—he provided us with phenomenal daycare and an abundantly supportive family. For the time, it seemed that we would both keep working.

Almost three years and two kids later, our ridiculously affordable, amazingly proficient, godly in-home nanny was led to a different job. This caused us to revisit the idea of one of us staying home.

Over that time, we had both seen success in our jobs, and the Lord had guided us to be much better with our finances. We could almost afford to live on either of our salaries alone. Also, we had been spoiled by excellent child care and were uncomfortable with other new options. Therefore, we agreed that one of us should stay home.

We prayed and considered how best to continue. My wife loved her job, I struggled with mine; she worked close to home, I commuted over an hour one-way; she had lots of room to grow, I felt I’d hit a ceiling. It seemed to us that God was leading me to stay home.

5. Seek godly counsel

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14)

Even after careful prayer, diligent searching of Scripture, and rational thoughtfulness, it can be hard to know the right course. But Jesus is the head of a great Church, and he has put us here to do life together.

Talk to someone about decisions or struggles you are facing. It can be a spouse, close friend, mentor, or pastor. You may need to talk to multiple people.

Once it seemed as if I were the best choice to stay home with the kids, we began seeking counsel. I talked to my pastor about the Scriptural issues with that decision and emailed several other pastors with similar questions.

I talked to my Bible study about concerns with that sort of life change. We both talked with close friends about possible relationship issues that could arise.

We met with people whom we felt were discerning and wise, taking our cue from Scripture: “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed (Proverbs 15:22).”

6. Analyze your motivations

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

My wife and I were fairly confident where God was leading, but I still had some reservations. Some of my motivations were suspect. I didn’t my job, I wanted more time at home, and I arrogantly overstated my place in my children’s spiritual development. I worried that I was pushing this outcome for my own selfish purposes.

We must always guard against the sin that resides in our flesh and against which we still struggle. Sin wants to corrupt every good thought and deed and to cause the believer to become petrified and stagnant.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8)

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)

We can’t do nothing, but neither can we run ahead blindly and hope for the best. As God searches us constantly, we must also search ourselves and lay all sin before him. If we are diligent to confess, he will forgive our sin and lead us on.

A good place to start in prayer on such things is to ask, “Does this course of action benefit anyone besides myself?” Jesus has freed us to glorify God in many ways, but we are not to use our

…freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Galatians 13b-14)

If you are the only person who truly benefits from any course of action, that course should be highly suspect.

7. Accept that the answer may not be as clear as you desire

We want a clear message from God on the way to go, but that is rarely how he works. Even after prayer, Bible study, soul-searching, wise counsel, and diligent thought, you may not have an obvious directive. Usually some option will stand out, but there may still be unanswered concerns.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The Lord has promised that he will guide those who devote themselves to him. He never promised a roadmap; he promised to take our hand and walk with us.

No part of your life is arbitrary or happenstance:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10).

Those of us in Christ, who have laid our daily decisions before him, can choose with confidence, knowing that part of our freedom is the reassurance that God will not allow anything to impede his good and perfect will.

What other truths have helped you make God-honoring decisions?

Источник: //unlockingthebible.org/2016/01/seven-steps-to-making-the-best-decision/

If God knows what I need and want, why is prayer important?

Prayer Glorifying God For His Abundant Provision

Just as the Bible is important for teaching us about who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and who we are in Him, so also is prayer a key part of building a deeper and abiding relationship with God.  When we read the Bible, God speaks to us.  When we pray, we speak to God.  

We know that we can pray directly to God and that He hears us (More about praying directly to God. Read, “Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints?”).   We long to hear God’s voice.

 But do we also remember that God desires to hear our voices?  The God of the universe, the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God of all creation invites us into His presence to speak to Him and to share with Him all that is on our hearts.

Our Purpose in Life?

The Westminster Shorter Catechism answers the question, “What is the chief end of man?” with this statement:

“To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” 

Every person who belongs to Jesus should strive to live their lives for God’s glory.  In doing so they will find joy in Him.  Prayer is one way in which we can glorify and enjoy God.  

Why Pray?

Read about this year’s National Day of Prayer. Watch an adorable puppy pray, thanking God for food.

It’s sometimes easy to fall into the trap of thinking, God knows my every thought and all my needs.  He loves me and has promised to care for me.

  So why do I need to pray?  If God is immutable (without changing) and He is eternal and omniscient (knowing the beginning from the end), then why should I ask for something He might not be willing to give me?  Or why would I tell Him about things He already knows?  Why should I tell Him of my cares, if I trust He is good and cares for me?

These are reasonable questions.  They exhibit an understanding of the sovereignty of God over all creation and His goodness and kindness, His mercy and love, as well as the gifts of abundant grace that He gives us every day. 

So why should we pray?  The reasons for praying are both biblical and personal.  

Biblical Reasons to Pray

The first mention of prayer is found in Genesis 4:

Genesis 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Seth was the son of Adam and Eve who had enjoyed perfect communion with God in the Garden prior to their disobedient sin.

  Once sin entered the world, man found it necessary to seek God, “to call upon His name,” to guide and direct them and to discern His will for their lives. We too must call upon His name.

 Not because God won’t guide us, but because we will more readily receive His guidance and direction. 

Prayer is a necessary part of communion with God.  It is a time of asking of God and receiving from God.  It is also an exercise of faith—knowing and believing that God hears and answers according to His good will and love for us.

 With each passing generation, man has become further removed from God and His ways. He increasingly follows the secular culture and is all too often overcome by worldly influences.

Prayer returns our focus to Jesus and enables us to turn from the world.

There are many reasons that God has given us prayer, and many reasons that we should pray.  As you read through the following reasons, consider the importance of prayer in your life and allow these reasons to become personal and to motivate you to a more frequent and deeper prayer life.

We are Invited to Pray

Psalm 50:15  And call upon me in the day of trouble…

Jeremiah 29:12  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me…

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

We are Commanded to Pray

Matthew 5:44  …pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you…

Mark 13:33  Take ye heed, watch and pray:

Luke 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Ephesians 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Colossians 4:2  Continue in prayer,

1 Thessalonians 5:17  Pray without ceasing.

1 Timothy 2:8  I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

We are to Respond to God’s Invitation and Command

We are invited and commanded to pray because God loves us and desires a prayer relationship with us.  When He calls us to something we are to respond as the prophet Isaiah did, “here am I.”  (Isaiah 6:8)  Responding to God in prayer is not only an act of obedience, it is also an act of honor given to the One who gave His all for us.

Jesus Prayed

We are told that in our walk of sanctification we are being conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29).  Prayer was a regular part of the Lord’s daily life and it is to be part of ours also. 

Jesus prayed because He was living in a human body.  When Jesus set aside His divinity (Philippians 2:7), He no longer shared the union with God that He had in glory.  Prayer for Jesus, was just as it is for us, a personal way of communicating with God.  

Let His example be a motivation to seek God early in all things.

“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” –Matthew 14:23

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’” –Matthew 26:36

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” –Mark 1:35

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” –Luke 5:16

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” –Luke 6:12

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” –Luke 18:1

There is Power in Prayer

The power in prayer is not a power that comes from the act of prayer.  It is a power that flows from the One to whom we pray.  In our impotent humanity, we are blessed to be able to reach upward to God in prayer knowing that He hears.

  In His omnipotence He responds and we receive—that’s the power of prayer! Prayer unleashes a deeper communion with God in our hearts and it comforts our souls.  It grows a richer faith in who He is, and unleashes power in us to live our lives in service to Him and others.  The power is not in our petition.

The power comes from His response and a confidence in knowing He is ever-present with us.

John 14:13-14 – And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

1 John 5:14-15 – And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  

James 1:5 – If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 5:16  …The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Luke 11:9 – And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

How Should We Pray?

God loves our prayers and He desires us to enter into closer communion with Him through prayer. There is no required method of prayer.  It truly is simply a conversation with our Father in Heaven. 

Prayers can be long or short, petitions or praises, questions or affirmations. Prayers can be for oneself or for another.

  They can be from a joyous heart, a downcast heart, a repentant heart, or a broken heart,  but all prayer should be in reverence of God and with a desire to submit to His will.

  That will produce prayers of trusting faith, knowing God will hear and believing He will answer.  (A beautiful pattern of trinitarian prayer can be found here: What are the various types of prayer? How should I pray?)

The prayer of the upright is the Lord’s delight.   Proverbs 15:8  

Pray often.  Pray reverently and fervently.  

Wait upon the Lord—He answers prayers.  

Give thanks.

Источник: //reasonsforhopejesus.com/why-is-prayer-important/

1. To Know God

Prayer Glorifying God For His Abundant Provision

God originated creation without any prior example. He showed us the realm of His Might and demonstrated wonders that speak of His Wisdom. The proof of His creative power and His wisdom is in the wonderful things we see. His creation is an argument in His favor, and it guides us towards Him. Even an inanimate creation guides us towards Him, as though it “speaks” in its silence.

(O God), I stand witness that he who imagines You with having limbs or a body does not have any knowledge of You, and his heart does not show conviction that You have no partner. Those who n You to their idols and imagine you to wear apparel creatures, they are in manifest error.

I stand witness that whoever compares You with anything from Your creation makes an equal for You, and whoever does that is an unbeliever according to unambiguous verses and clear arguments in Your Book (The Qur’an).

(I stand witness that) You are God, Who cannot be comprehended by the limit of (human) intelligence, nor do You suffer any change of condition or alteration of state by any stretch of the imagination.
(Sermon 90)

The Magnificence of Creation

Praise be to God, the Creator of humankind. He spread the earth, He makes streams to flow, and He makes vegetation to grow. His primal existence has no beginning, nor does His eternity have an end.

Foreheads bow to him and lips proclaim His Oneness. He set the limits of things at the time He created them. He kept Himself separate from any ness (to His creation).

(Sermon 162)

Among the proofs of His creation is the creation of the heavens that are suspended without pillars and are stable without support. He beckoned them and they responded obediently and humbly with promptness.

If they had not acknowledged His Godhood and obeyed His command, He would not have chosen them to be the place for His throne, the abode of His angels, and the destination for the pure words and the righteous deeds of His creatures.

He has made the stars in the skies as signposts by which the travelers on the earth are guided. The gloom of the dark curtains of night does not block their light, nor do the veils of the dark night have the power to block the light of the moon when it spreads.

Glory be to God, from Whom is not hidden low regions of the earth or the high mountains, even when the gloom of the dark night shrouds them.

The thundering of clouds on the horizons of the skies, or the sparks of lightning in the clouds, or the falling of leaves blown away from their places by strong winds, or the downpour from the sky, they are not hidden from Him.

He knows where the raindrops fall and where they collect, where the grubs leave behind their trails, or where they drag themselves. He knows what livelihood would suffice a mosquito, and what a female bears in the womb.
(Sermon 181)

About the Perfection in Creation

God has fixed limits for everything He has created and made the limits firm, and He has fixed its working and made the working delicate. He has fixed its direction, and it does not transgress the limits of its position nor fall short of reaching the end of its aim.

It did not disobey when commanded; how could it, since all matters are governed by His Will? He is the Creator of varieties of things without the use of imagination, without the urge of an impulse, without (the benefit of) any experiment, and without needing a partner who might have assisted Him in creating wonderful things.

Thus, creation was perfected by His order; it bowed in His obedience and responded to His call. The laziness of a slug (insect) or the inertness of an excuse-finder did not prevent it from responding to His call. Therefore, He straightened the things and fixed their limits.

With His power, He created coherence in their contradictory aspects and joined those that were similar. Then, He separated them into varieties that differ in sizes, quantities, properties, and shapes. He made them firm and gave them shape as He willed.

(Sermon 90)

A Description of the Creation of Adam

God collected clay from hard, soft, sweet, and sour types of earth. Then He dipped it in water to purify it, and then kneaded it, adding moisture until it became gluey. From it, He carved an image with curves, joints, limbs, and segments. He solidified it until it dried up for a fixed time and a known duration.

Then He blew into it of His Spirit, whereupon it took the form of a human being with a mind that governs him, an intellect that he makes use of, and limbs that serve him to change his position. He gave him wisdom that differentiates between truth and falsehood, and senses of taste and smell.

He is a mixture of clays of different colors, cohesive materials, and differing properties heat, cold, softness, and hardness.
(Sermon 90)

Creation of Man (continued)

Look at man, whom God has created in the dark wombs, behind layers of curtains (inside the abdomen of the mother), from a tiny sperm.

4 Then, He made it into a shapeless clot, then into an embryo, then a suckling infant, then a child, and finally a man.

He gave him a heart, a tongue to talk, and eyes to see with, so that he may take lesson (from whatever is around him) and reflect upon it, and pay heed to warning, and thereby abstain from evil.
(Sermon 90)

More on Man’s Creation

O creature, who has been fairly created and who has been nurtured and cared for in the darkness of the womb! You were originated with the essence of clay and deposited in a quiet place for a known length and a fixed term.15 You moved within the womb of your mother as an embryo, neither responding to a call nor hearing any voice.

Then, you were taken out from your place of stay to a place you had not been, and you did not have knowledge of the awaiting benefits. You were not aware as to who guided you to obtain nourishment from the breast of your mother. He who is unable to comprehend the intricacies of a physical being certainly cannot comprehend the (sublime) nature of the Creator.
(Sermon 162)

On the Creation of the First Man and the Deputation of the Prophets

When God had spread out the earth and enforced His commands, He chose Adam (peace be upon him) as the best of all of His creation. He made him to reside in Paradise and arranged for his sustenance, and He informed him of what was prohibited. He warned Adam that approaching the prohibited would be considered disobedience to God, and would jeopardize his status.

However, Adam disobeyed, and God knew it beforehand. Consequently, God sent him down to earth after (accepting) his repentance, in order to populate the earth with his (Adam’s) progeny, and for him to serve as a prophet among His creatures.6

When God made Adam to die, He did not leave humankind without another person, who would serve as His proof and plea for His Godhood and be a link between humankind and God.

He ordained livelihoods, both plentiful and scarce. He distributed bounties sparingly as well as abundantly. He tested whomever He chose, with prosperity or with poverty, to know who was grateful and who was patient. He coupled affluence with destitution, safety with calamity, and pleasure with grief. He fixed their ages; some were long and others were short. He has ordained death for all.

He did not create from preexisting matter, 27 or from existing examples. He created whatever He intended and then He fixed its limits, and He shaped whatever He shaped and gave it the best shape.

Obedience to Him is ordained; however, it is of no benefit to Him. He has knowledge of the past, the knowledge of the present, knowledge of what is in the high heavens, and what is (deep) in the earth.

(Sermon 90)

About Those who are Misguided

When a human being attains adulthood, he/she falls victim to self-conceit and becomes perplexed. He (a human) satisfies his desires, gets busy in fulfilling his wishes, and seeks the pleasures of the world. He does not fear the consequences of his deeds. He spends his short life in vain pursuits.

He earns no rewards for the afterlife, nor does he fulfill obligations. Fatal illness overtakes him while he is still immersed in enjoyments, and he becomes perplexed. He passes the night in wakefulness due to grief and pain from the ailment. His relatives watch helplessly as he suffers the pangs of death. He dies burdened with his vices.

(Sermon 82)

About the Creation of the Ant

Do they not see the tiny beings He has created; how He designed their systems, gave them hearing, sight, and made for them body parts? Look at the ant with its small body and delicate form; how it moves about and secures its livelihood.

It carries the food grain to its hole in the earth and deposits it in place. It collects its sustenance during summer for use in winter. God has guaranteed its livelihood. God, Kind is He, does not overlook its needs and does not deprive it of its sustenance.

If you ponder over its anatomy and physiology, and its eyes on its head, you would be amazed at its creation.

Exalted is God, Who made it stand on its legs. No one helped Him in its origination and no one assisted Him in its creation.

The reaches of your imagination will not grasp knowledge about Him, except that you will realize that the Originator of the ant is the same as the Originator of the date palm.

God created everything with intricate details, and all living beings have a similar origin.
(Sermon 184)

About the Creation of the Bat

An example of His delicate and wonderful creation and great wisdom is seen in bats. They stay hidden in the daylight, although daylight reveals everything else. They are active in the night, whereas other creatures rest at night. Their eyes are dazed by the daylight.

God has confined them to their places of hiding instead of going out in the daytime. Consequently, they shut their eyes in the day, treat night as a lamp, and forage in search of their livelihood.

The darkness of night does not hinder their eyesight, nor does the gloom of darkness prevent them from flight.

They obtain their sustenance at night. Glorified is He who has made the night as “day” for bats to seek livelihood and made the day for them to rest and sleep. He has given them wings without feathers. You can see the veins in the wings quite distinctly.

The two wings are delicate yet sturdy, and just right for them to fly. When they fly, their young ones hang on to them for protection. The young stays with the parent wherever it goes, and does not leave until it becomes strong enough for flying.

Glorified is God, Who creates everything (unique) without any precedent.
(Sermon 154)

About the Creation of the Peacock and Creation of Birds

God has accomplished wonderful creations, including the living, the lifeless, the stationary, and the moving. He has established such clear proofs for His fine creative power and His Might that minds submit to Him in acknowledgment. His creation is proof of His Oneness.

He has created birds of various colors and shapes that live in the burrows of the earth, in the openings of high passes, and on the peaks of mountains. They fly by God’s permission. They flutter with their wings in the expanse of the open atmosphere. God brought them into existence from nonexistence.

(He gave some of them) exotic shapes, and fashioned their bones and joints and covered them with flesh. He prevented some of them from flying easily in the sky because of their heavy bodies and allowed them to use their wings only close to the ground.

He has set them in different colors by His Might and exquisite creative power.

The most amazing among them is the creation of the peacock. God created its male in the most symmetrical shape, gave it a variety of hues, and set them in attractive design. Its tail is (unusually) long.

When it is close to the female, it spreads out its folded tail and raises it up to cast a shade over its head, as if it were the sail of a boat.

It feels proud of its colorful tail and swaggers with its movements.

I am telling you all this from (my own) observation. You would imagine its feathers to be sticks made of silver and the wonderful circles and sun-shaped design thereon to be of pure gold and of green emerald. They resemble a bouquet of flowers. If you ned them to ornaments, then they would be gems of different color, studded in silver.

The peacock walks with vanity and pride, and throws open its tail and wings, self-admiring the handsomeness of its dress and the hues of its necklace of gems. On the crown of its head, there is a bunch of green variegated feathers.

Its neck begins in the shape of a goblet and the stretch up to its belly is as the hair dye of Yemen in color, or silk cloth put on a polished mirror that looks as if it has been covered with a black veil. Because of its excessive luster and extreme brightness, it appears that a lush green color has been mixed with it.

Along the openings of its ears, there is a line of shining bright daisy color the thin end of a pen. Whiteness shines on the black background. There is hardly a hue that it does not have, its surface is polished, and its appearance is bright and silken. It is therefore scattered blossoms that have not been seasoned by the rains of spring or the sunshine of summer.

However, when it casts its glance at its legs, it bemoans, displaying grief, because its legs are thin the legs of Indo-Persian crossbred cocks. At the end of its shin, there is a thorn (- projection).

It also sheds its plumage and puts off its dress. They all fall away but grow again. They fall away the falling of leaves from twigs, and then they begin to grow until they return to the state that existed before their shedding.

The new hues match the previous ones, and all the colors are restored the original. If you carefully examine its feather, it would appear a red rose, surrounded by emerald green and then golden yellow in color.

(Sermon 164)

A Description of the Locust

God gave the locust two red eyes with two moon pupils, gave it tiny ears, fashioned for it a mouth, gave it two teeth for cutting, and two sickle feet to grip with them.

The farmers are afraid of locusts for their crops, because when they attack the fields (usually in large numbers); they gobble up the crop, despite the tiny size of the insect.

The farmers are usually unable to drive them away.
(Sermon 184)

Источник: //www.al-islam.org/what-true-success-excerpts-peak-eloquence-nahjul-balagha/1-know-god

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