Title Ask in Faith/James 1:5-8
Contents What do you think is the most important thing to focus on as a believer in this age? Don't you think it's prayer? These days, a lot of people who come to counseling come with almost total problems in life. Work, business, home, and even the future of the country. However, because I lack wisdom, I am often troubled because I cannot tell you what to say. The last thing he says every time is always "Let's pray." There was no other alternative than these words. But think again. '-Let's pray- What better solution is there than prayer?'
Didn't the Bible teach that when a test comes, the only way to solve it is through prayer? Without faith, prayer is no solution. But those who have faith realize that prayer is the best solution. Pastor James has been well aware of what is the biggest problem in the life of faith through his pastoral experience for a long time, so he first prayed about the test through the book of James.
In James 1:2-4 we read, “My brethren, when you meet trials of various kinds, count them all joy, for you know that the trial of your faith produces patience. so that there will be no shortage of anything.'
'There are tests in the life of faith. He said that faith grows only when we overcome this test well.
The secret to overcoming temptation is to persevere.' And the next thing was to pray. The life of faith is fundamentally a life of prayer. To believe in Jesus without praying is a lie.
In the life of faith, prayer must precede ethical and moral things. Only with the help of Heavenly Father can an ethical and moral life emerge. If I live a good life, do good deeds, and love my neighbor, isn't this faith? You shouldn't think that. When God allows us to accomplish His will, love must be realized as the fruit.
Prayer is possible only when the relationship between God and me is right. Who is praying to whom? Everyone, the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray is the Lord's Prayer.
The Lord's Prayer begins with our Father in heaven who will receive the first prayer. Surely Jesus didn't teach us to pray by calling us "God"? He called me "Father" and told me to pray. How important is this teaching? He said that the relationship between God and me is that of a father and children, and that this relationship should be established first.
Can you ask anyone for help with anything? It wouldn't be possible.
To those who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Therefore, how can we not pray for the right relationship between God and those who believe in Jesus? Our prayers are to God our Father.
Another important thing here is to remember the words of Jesus.
Heavenly Father who answers prayer is the one who gives us useful things, so those who pray to Heavenly Father should expect the answer to be useful for us.
In Matthew 7:9, “Which of you, whose son asks for bread, will give him a stone, or if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake?”
He is the Father in heaven who gives good things. Prayer is not for me. Prayer tells us to pray that God will give us good things.
Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
It's like putting a sign in front of the faucet saying, 'Turn on the faucet and tap water will come out' after installing the faucet. Because God told us to pray because we wanted to give it, it is prayer as a means of accomplishing God's will.
There is an act of going to an idol and praying.
This is an act of believing that something will be achieved in direct proportion to one's devotion in order to achieve what one desires. But think about it. is everything good? It's not like that. I think what I want is the best thing for now, but in reality there may be many things that are against me.
Let's all think about it. When the 1988 Olympics were held in Seoul, didn't people who care about Korea say to us, "You pop the champagne too straight"? At the time, it was exciting and really refreshing. Since then, we have had a lot of consumerism and a lot of arrogance without knowing it. When our hope is not perfect, our heavenly Father is preparing what is best for us. God, who gives only useful things, answers our prayers to our Heavenly Father.
There are some things to keep in mind when praying.
I urge you not to have any doubts. The Greek word for 'doubt' is diakrino menos.
'Dia' thoroughly means 'crino' means to criticize, count and measure. This is the heart of doubt. First of all, will God hear me? Won't you listen? This kind of doubting heart hurts the heart of God. God is love. God is Almighty. God is our Father. Do not doubt. Doubt is also a very painful heart. How painful would it be to be suspicious? Should I doubt God? Can you call prayer while doubting Heavenly Father a prayer? This cannot be considered prayer. It seems that God cannot do this, and it seems that this is impossible. To think like this is a heart that does not want to receive an answer from God.
Things to be careful about when praying Second, he told us not to be double-minded.
You said not to quarrel. You must be of one mind. Two hearts in prayer also means that there are two masters. It is not believing in one God, but having the heart of believing in creation.
The Bible says that you cannot serve both God and material things. There are people who pray but do all their own calculations. We pray with our lips, and our head counts. This is not prayer.
You must have only the Creator, God the Father, in your heart. And you should pray with your heart tied to him.
The apostle James said that there is another important thing in prayer. "What will you save?" You said. He said, "Seek wisdom." Wisdom is first of all knowing the will of God. He told them to pray, “May I know the will of God.”
There are times when I say this when I study the Bible. You look at your Bible and say, 'Look at the Bible from a parent's point of view'. It is very unfortunate that Israel is perhaps so utterly disobedient. But their disobedience is also pitiful. 'I'm so sorry, why do you live your life like that?' God is our parent. It means to become that mind. In particular, in the parable of the prodigal son, isn't the heart of God the Father well represented? 'You may squander your property. It's okay to betray your father and leave. Just come back.' To know this heart is wisdom.
Another wisdom is the power to apply the will of God in your life. Simply put, it is asking for the Holy Spirit. Even if you have the knowledge of God's Word, the power to put this knowledge into your life is wisdom. Only when we are in the power of the Holy Spirit can we live according to the Word. That is why He said to seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Guys, these days, the more I go, the deeper I dig into the idea that fleshly things are nothing.
I think that only living according to God's will is a life worth living. When you stand before the Second Coming Lord, what will the Lord ask you to do? Have you lived according to Heavenly Father's will? Did man live according to his own will? Don't you think there is nothing else to ask about this? Only a life led by the Holy Spirit will be a true life. Of course, economic prosperity is also good. The wealth of knowledge is also important. You don't even need to enjoy power. But there is no real value of life other than the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Solomon asked God for wisdom. God has also given wealth and glory to those who seek what is in line with God's will. Is there still no one who can surpass Solomon's glory and wealth?
Now is the time to pray. Because you hit the wall. Hezekiah, who looked at the wall and prayed before God, also received an extension of life from God. Miss Kub, who was held hostage in Iran for 444 days, testified: “For the first five months, when I was confined in a small cell, my heart was strangely stable and I put my hands together and prayed every day. It’s a habit I learned from my mother since I was a child. He said, -Put your hands together and don't forget to pray. If you are on God's side, God will help you in any case.- After 5 months you were allowed to be with Miss Swift. We pray together and have a faith discussion. The hostage life in Iran is not a hell, but a paradise for growth of faith that has changed our lives.” is saying
Pray. Pray in Jesus name. Heavenly Father sees His Son, Jesus, and receives our supplication. Prayer is the power that enables God's will to be done on this earth.
When Samuel was gathering all the people at Mizpah and praying together to God, the Philistines invaded. However, God received the prayer according to the will of the God of Israel and destroyed the Philistines directly.
Let's pray. The fire of prayer must be kindled in our church. When we pray, there must be a prayer of repentance that is pleasing to God. God will be pleased.
A life of faith is a life of prayer. If we do not pray, the church will be tested, the family will be tested, and furthermore, individuals will not be able to escape from the test. Our economy today is not the problem. Not praying is the problem. There must be prayer.