382 Why is prayer important in our lives

Why is prayer important in our lives?

Prayer is vitally important in the life of every believer who should be aware that it is an opportunity to talk to YHVH the almighty King of the Universe who is attuned to effective heartfelt prayer as Rav Yaa’cov assures us in the second part of James 5: 16, saying:‘The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.’ As kings and priests in the making we should pray at least twice a day, but possibly even three times a day as King David wrote in Psalm 55: 16 & 17, saying: ‘As for me, I shall call upon Elohim, and YHVH will save me. (17) Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, and He will hear my voice.’

Nevertheless, it is important for us as servants of Elohim to know that there are certain pre-requisites to ensure that our Father hears and answers our prayers. We read appropriately from Isaiah 59: 1 & 2, ‘Behold, (YHVH)’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. (2) But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your Elohim, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.’ A second witness to this is found in John 9: 31, as follows: “We know that Elohim does not hear sinners; but if anyone is Elohim-fearing, and does His will, He hears him.” This is also confirmed in Psalm 34: 14 – 16, in this way: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (15) The eyes of YHVH are toward the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. (16) The face of YHVH is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.’ Elohim does not hear those who are actively involved in breaking His commandments - in fact sin forms a barrier between us and Elohim, which diminish the working of His Set-apart Spirit within us, as we read from Isaiah 63: 10, as follows: ‘But they rebelled and grieved His Set-apart Spirit; therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.’ So it is abundantly clear that obedience brings us in line with Elohim’s will and opens the required communication channels with Him.

Apart from obedience there are also other requirements necessary for a successful prayer life. Firstly YHVH requires that we approach Him in a humble attitude, as we read from Isaiah 66: 2, in this way: “For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,” declares YHVH. “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” We read two additional requirements for worshipping YHVH from John 4: 22 - 24, as follows: “You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews. (23) But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. (24) Elohim is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” But the most important requirement remains obedience to Elohim’s teachings as we read from 1 John 3: 21 & 22, in this way: ‘Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before Elohim; (22) and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.’ If we come to YHVH in a humble attitude He will definitely hear us, as we are ensured in (the often quoted) 2 Chronicles 7: 14, as follows: ‘and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’ We may with confidence approach our heavenly Father if we seek Him according to His will, as we read from 1 John 5: 14 & 15, ‘And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (15) And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.’

Being followers of Yahshua our Messiah, we also need to consider the principles that He taught including the model prayer that He gave His followers in Matthew 6: 5 – 13, in this way: “And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. (6) But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. (7) And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. (8) Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him. (9) Pray, then in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. (10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (13) And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amein.” As Nazarene Israelites we all know the model prayer that our Master Yahshua communicated to His disciples, when He taught them how to pray. Nonetheless, we should not forget that in addition to giving them the specific elements to include in their daily prayer requests to our heavenly Father (Avinu), He also told them not to use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, as they believe they will be heard for their many words. This means that we may use elements of the model prayer in Matthew 6: 9 – 13 in our daily prayers, but should not like some in Christianity recite the same prayer over a number of times at a time. YHVH wants us to talk to Him from the heart, but in so doing we need to be ever mindful that He is our Creator and He demands that we come before Him respectfully. We should also remember that we can only come to YHVH the Father in and through the blood of Messiah, and therefore always conclude our prayers in and through the name of Yahshua our Messiah, adding the words Amein (meaning, ‘so be it’) at the end.

Because we are human most of us have or are experiencing feelings of pain because a loved one said or did something to offend us; or sorrow that will not go away, or guilt that keep us captive; or even bitterness that promotes hatred of others because of the grief they caused us. When someone offends us, or sin against us; our first reaction is usually to hit back by saying or doing something equally nasty. However, if we truly believe in what Yahshua taught whilst He was on earth, we will recall His words in Matthew 5: 38 & 39, as follows: “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ (39) But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Yahshua did not here abolish a Torah command, but merely informed His disciples that the section that He quoted from in Deuteronomy 19: 21, namely: “Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,” was reserved for capital punishment meted out by a court of law, and not for interaction between people. In reading from verses 43 – 48 of Matthew 5, we see that Yahshua was actually associating verbal abuse to physical violence against us, in this way: “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, and hate your enemy.’ (44) But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (45) in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (46) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? (47) And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (48) Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” It is clear; the starting point for our healing is to obey the teachings and advice of our Master Yahshua the Messiah.

Resuming His lesson about prayer Yahshua added in Mark 11: 25 & 26, saying: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. (26) But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” If we truly want to be in the kingdom of Elohim one day, we will take these words of Messiah very seriously, since we cannot enter the Kingdom, without being forgiven our past sins. Yes, we are forgiven our sins, conditionally that we also forgive those who sin against us! Forgiveness is vital in us getting rid of bitterness, animosity and hatred. When Kepha asked Yahshua in Matthew 18: 21, saying: “Master, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” In answering Kepha, Yahshua related the parable in verses 22 – 35 to him, saying: “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (23) For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. (24) And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. (25) But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. (26) The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.’ (27) And the master of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. (28) But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ (29) So his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ (30) He was unwilling however, but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. (31) So when his fellow slaves saw what happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened. (32) Then summoning him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. (33) Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?’ (34) And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. (35) So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

As human beings we react in accordance with our emotions and the destructive influence that Satan continues to broadcast into our minds, as he is fully aware of the condition required by YHVH for forgiveness and wants us to be permanently antagonistic toward each other. Most of us who count the Omer will recall that in day 32 of counting the Omer we considered the attribute of Endurance in Humility transliterated in Hebrew as ‘Netzach of Hod’. Endurance in humility stresses the fact that real humility does not make you into a spineless person for others to walk all over; but gives you enduring strength, so that others do not take advantage of you. We should learn to react to curses and negative comments about us by blessing and making positive comments/remarks about those who abuse us verbally. However, this is easier said than done and because of our pride we sometimes refuse to forgive, as at times we consider someone’s sin against us as purely ‘too great to forgive’. This is when we feel that the offender needs to be taught a lesson, before we will even consider forgiving him or her.If we feel this way, we need to realize that our own foolish pride often prevents us from forgiving others. Such reasoning is loaded with emotion and overlooks the basic Scriptural principle that it is not within us to know what is right and wrong, as we cannot on our own determine what is important to Elohim and what is not, as we read from Proverbs 14: 12, in this way: ‘There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.’That is why the on-going study of Torah is important, so that we remain mindful of our Father’s will and way. Reading Rav Shaul’s admonition in Romans 12: 17 – 21, we see that Elohim’s words do not allow us to take revenge, as follows: ‘Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. (18) If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. (19) Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of Elohim, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says YHVH. (20) “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS UPON HIS HEAD.” (21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’

We read the example Rav Shaul left us regarding forgiveness and his admonition of the brethren in Corinth to forgive a sinner amongst them, whom he expelled from the congregation earlier for his sins, in second Corinthians 2: 6 – 8, saying: “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, (7) so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. (8) Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.” It is essential for us to stay in a forgiving frame of mind, as the peace that is produced by a forgiving attitude is far better than incapacitating hatred and resentment. We need to be ever mindful that Yahshua our Messiah gave His very life for the forgiveness of our sins, as He said when He gave His disciples the cup at His last Passover in Matthew 26: 27 & 28, saying:“Drink from it, all of you; (28) for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”Even though it is very difficult to suddenly develop a forgiving attitude if we have been our worldly self for most of our lifetime, it is possible for us to change as we are assured by Yahshua in Mark 9: 23, where He said: ‘Allthings are possible to him who believes.’ In addition we read from Hebrews 9: 13 & 14: ‘For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, (14) how much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?’ We simply need to deeply convince ourselves to forgive others and ask Elohim to help us do so. We need to understand that just as insincere forgiveness will not remove feelings of animosity and bitterness, so faith without works is dead as witnessed by Rav Yaa’cov in James 2: 26[1]. We need to comfort ourselves with the knowledge that Elohim will never allow trials to come upon us that are more than we can bear. He always provides us with a way to escape and the wherewithal to handle our problems, as Rav Shaul assures us in first Corinthians 10: 13, saying:‘No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and Elohim is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.’

YHVH gave us the ability to forgive as a way to escape – provided we personally choose to do so. The alternative is to remain captive by our feelings of guilt and resentment. We need to ask ourselves: When we at times ask Elohim to heal such feelings, do we reject the ways that He provides to accomplish the healing? Do we ignore the fact that spiritual as well as emotional healing requires our forgiveness, i.e. by putting our faith into works? One thing is certain; forgiveness does not ignore or condone crime. However it requires an understanding for the transgression and a readiness to help the offender with his problem. As we practice forgiveness, we will learn that by doing so, we are released from our feelings of guilt and resentment. As soon as we forgive we also start the healing process. In addition to getting rid of our suffering and sorrow, we are also assured forgiveness of our own personal sins, when we repent. Rav Yochanan tells us in first John 1: 9, ‘If we confess our sins, He (Elohim) is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ YHVH tells us through David in Psalm 103: 12 & 13, saying: ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (13) Just as a father has compassion on his children, so YHVH has compassion on those who fear Him.’ The prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 1: 18 that Elohim’s forgiveness is absolute, as follows: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” We may remind YHVH of His promise that Yahshua gave us in and at the end of the model prayer that He gave His disciples in Matthew 6: 12 & 14, by including it in our daily prayers, as follows: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (14) For if you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.’ It is necessary to understand that it is easier to forgive someone, if we do not obsessively turn their wrong actions over in our minds. We need to stop ourselves before we become hardhearted and eventually bitter and twisted. We also need to ask Elohim to forgive those who sin against us and to lead them to repentance. By so-doing we become co-workers with Elohim in pursuing the wrongdoer’s forgiveness, as Yahshua our example how to follow the way of Elohim did when they impaled Him in the first part of Luke 23: 34, saying: Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”.

We need to remember that Yahshua suffered much more injustice and rejection than what most of us ever will as we witnessed in John 1: 10 & 11, ‘He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (10) He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.’ We read accordingly from the prophesy in Isaiah in chapter 53: 2 & 3, ‘For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. (3) He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.’ Yahshua was never concerned about His own feelings, but always considered that of others. The rebellious condition into which the house of Israel progressed after YHVH our Elohim scattered us into the nations of the world, required that He come as ‘one of us’ to pay the penalty for our sins, so that we may be reconciled back to Him in a sinless state, but also as our kinsman redeemer to buy back our piece of the Promised Land that we lost because of idolatry. This is so aptly put in Romans 8: 2 to the first part of verse 4, as follows: ‘For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahshua has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (3) For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, Elohim did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, (4) in order that the requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in us.’’ Yahshua endured by patiently accepting and waiting on Elohim for the reconciliation of Israel and ultimately all of mankind. We who claim to be His followersshould therefore do as He did.

However, it will take a lot of practice to overcome our normal antagonistic fight or flight nature. It can be likened to a body builder who has to continue to push and pull against huge weights in resistance training until his body is sculptured into that of a champion. It takes months, even years for a body builder to develop from a skinny or overweight body to what is required to enter into competitions. Because forgiveness is not something that we can do naturally; we have to learn and practice to forgive. Similar to a body builder we have to practice to overcome our resistance to forgive those who sin against us, if we eventually want to be awarded the crown that Rav Shaul spoke about in 2 Timothy 4: 7 & 8, in this way: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; (8) in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which YHVH, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.’ If we practice forgiveness daily, it will become a habit with us and slowly but surely we will conform to the image of Elohim, namely Yahshua our Messiah who left us a perfect example of forgiveness. However, we should understand that the model prayer given us by Yahshua should also not be repeated many times over, as that will simply be meaningless repetition that He warned about in this prayer.Our prayers should at times include some of the elements that Yahshua mentioned in His model prayer; one of which is to ask for our daily supply of food. Note it does not say we should pray for our annual supply of groceries. We should also remember that when we do use some of the elements of the model prayer, we should give it some thought, so that it has meaning to us; we may also expand and refine the elements that Yahshua gave us. Most of all we should remember that YHVH is our loving Father, who wants us to share with Him our needs and successes in life.

But YHVH also wants us to thank Him for all that He does for us. The point is that we should sometimes sit still and think (meditate) about all the good things that YHVH continually provides for us – this will help us to thank Him for His loving kindness toward us. We read fittingly from Philippians 4: 6, ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to Elohim.’ Everything that we have and are comes from YHVH our Elohim, and only He is worthy of our thanks for what He has done and will do for us in the future. We should praise YHVH through Yahshua as we read from Hebrews 13: 15, as follows: ‘Through Him (Yahshua) then, let us continually offer up sacrifice of praise to Elohim, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.’ Even though YHVH knows what we need, we should make our needs known to Him, as Rav Kepha wrote in 1 Peter 5: 6 & 7, saying: ‘Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of Elohim, that He may exalt you at the proper time, (7) casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.’ We read further instructions regarding prayer from Proverbs 2: 1 – 6, in this way: ‘My son, if you will receive my sayings, and treasure my commandments within you, (2) Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; (3) For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; (4) If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; (5) Then you will discern the fear of YHVH, and discover the knowledge of Elohim. (6) For YHVH gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.’

A major portion of our prayers should be for others, as that is one way in which we may love our neighbor as ourselves, as we read from 1 Timothy 2: 1 – 4, as follows: ‘First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, (2) for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (3) This is good and acceptable in the sight of Elohim our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ A second witness to this comes from Ephesians 6: 18 & 19. in this way: ‘With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (meaning fellow believers), (19) and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.’Since we as humans sin knowingly and unknowingly on a daily basis, it behooves us to come boldly before YHVH our Father in the blood of Yahshua our Messiah, asking for His forgiveness. We read the example that Yahshua gave us in a parable in Luke 18: 9 – 14, as follows: ‘And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: (10) Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-gatherer. (11) The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, “Elohim, I thank thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. (12) I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’(13) But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘Elohim be merciful to me, the sinner!’ (14) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” A second witness to this comes from 1 John 1: 9, in this way: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

If you and I are sure of our calling, then we may also be assured of Elohim’s commitment to us; He called us because He knew that we have the potential to make it into His eternal kingdom. It is as Rav Shaul writes in Philippians 1: 3 – 6, saying: ‘I thank my Elohim in all my remembrance of you, (4) always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, (5) in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. (6) For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Messiah Yahshua.’ In fact Yahshua confirmed this in John 10: 27 – 30, saying: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me ; (28) and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (30) I and the Father are one.” Nevertheless, even though it is impossible for Satan or anybody else to snatch us out of our Father’s hand, we ourselves are able to let go of the one faith once delivered to the saints, if we through a dangerous root of bitterness come to disbelief through the hardness of our hearts, as clearly described in Hebrews 3: 12 – 4: 1, as follows: ‘Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living Elohim. (13) But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (14) For we have become partakers of Messiah, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; (15) while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.’ (16) For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? (17) And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? (19) And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. (4: 1)Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.’

Fellow believers, this is very serious since it has been prophesied to happen again with some of those of us whom YHVH is presently busy calling out of the world, as is witnessed by the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 20: 33 – 38, in this way: “As I live,” declares YHVH Elohim, “surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you. (34) And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; (35) and I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I shall enter into judgment with you face to face. (36) As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares YHVH Elohim. (37)“And I shall make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the covenant; (38)and I shall purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I shall bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am YHVH.Think carefully about it!

[1]James 3: 26, ‘For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.’