TIME TO PRAY & TIME NOT TO PRAY
A. Pray Without Ceasing [uninterrupted, 0 omission, constantly recurring] – 1 Thes. 5:17
B. Always [at all times, ever] To Pray … – Luke 18:1 Note: This is the sense in the following statements: “Son thou art ever with me (Luke 15:31); “hearest me always” (John 11:42); “speech be always with grace” (Col. 4:6).
C. Don’t Faint – Luke 18:1 Cp. Prov. 24:10; Isa. 40:29, Psa. 42:5, 6, 11 à 43:5
D. God’s Command to Jeremiah “Pray not…” – Jer. 14:11 Note: This was the same word God gave Pastor Benson in New York when he called me at work and said, “God said, “When you go, don’t pray for healing!”” I asked God for confirmation and He told me Psalm 55:23. This was after a three day fast, just as I was getting off my knees at my office to drive to Cleveland and pray. I understood when I arrived at the hospital and was told the sick pastor was dying of AIDS (1 John 5:15).
STILL & QUIET WORKS
A. Hannah - “Spake in her heart – Lips moved but her Voice was not heard – 1 Sam 1:13
Note: Because she employed this method, Eli the man of God thought she was drunk.
B. How GOD Speaks In Prayer – 1. “Groanings Which Cannot Be Uttered” – Rom. 8:26 2. Pray & Sing In Spirit – 1 Cor. 14:14-15 Note: In dealing with Elijah, God spoke with a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12-13).
C. How To ‘Speak To Yourself In Song’ – Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16
Note: This must be the method David employed, when he encouraged himself in the
LORD (1 Sam. 30:6).
D. The Silent Prayer Is Not Silent (To God) – 1. Hannah – “Spake in her heart - Lips moved – Voice was not heard – 1 Sam 1:13 2. David – Meditation [ygygh S:1901 Hagiyg] was a silent murmur lifted to God’s Ear – Psa. 5:1 3. The Corinthian Model – “Silence in the church” means “Let him speak to himself, and to God” – 1 Cor 14:28
Note 1: Here, the tongue speaker’s silence means the Church does not hear: for he prays by speaking loud enough for only him and God to hear (1 Cor. 14:28).
Note 2: Though the “women” are commanded to “keep silence in the churches” (1 Cor 14:34), the same women “prayeth and prophesieth” (1 Cor. 11:5). Similarly, the wife’s questions do not necessarily negate her fulfilling Paul’s command to “learn in silence with all subjection” (2 Tim. 2:11). Note: Compare to these Paul’s event on the Damscus road. In Acts 9:7 it says of those that accompanied him, “hearing a voice, but seeing no man”; but in Acts 22:9 it says, they “heard not the voice of him that spake to me.” The same with Hannah’s voice
MOUTH & LIP SIGNIFICANCE
Pray* + say* = 137
times Prayed + saying = see below Pray* + med* = 0 Prayed + think* = Prayed + thought* = 0 2
Kings 19:15 - And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.
16 Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. 20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying , Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 2 Kings 20:2 - Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying , 3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 2 Chron 30:18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying , The good Lord pardon every one19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
20 And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. Jer 32:16 - Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the Lord, saying Jonah 4:1 - But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying , when I was yet in my country? Mat 26:39 - And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed , saying , O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed , saying , O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest.
. CRIED & CRY OUT
A. Israel (because of Egypt) – Didn’t Necessarily Call Him – Exo. 2:23 Exo. 2:23 - Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried [S:2199 to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly)], and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. Note: The word “cried” is used 199 times in the Bible.
B. Prayers Aloud – 1. David ‘Cried Aloud’ [Ehªmeh hmha] – Psa. 55:17 2. Daniel “Prayed” [Tsela alc; bowing, pray vs. Tsela [lc; rib] & “Gave Thanks” [Mowdee] – Dan. 6:10 Note: Though there is no inference that it was loud, he made no effort to conceal. 3. The Levitical Priests – Mal. 2:13 Note: No matter how loud, God was not hearing the Pharisee’s prayer (Luke 18:9-14). The Bible says, “[he] stood and prayed thus with himself” (Luke 18:11). 4. Jesus “Strong crying and tears” – Heb. 5:7 Cp. Heb. 5:8-9 and Exo. 2:23 Note: As discussed in great detail, Jesus was heard because he “feared” [S:2124 Eulabeia (yoo-lab’-i-ah); caution, reverence]. This was the submission of his will to that of the Father (Luke 22:42); hence the Angel (Luke 22:43).
C. Disciples (thinking He was a spirit) – Didn’t Know Who He Was: Mark 6:48 - would have passed by them. 49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they … cried out [S:349 to scream up (aloud)]:
D. Pride versus Haughty – Prov. 16:18Prov. 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction , and an haughty spirit before a fall. E. Death & Life – Prov 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
F. When the Enemy Talks – Gen 29:33 - And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. Jer 30:17 - For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
G. Pray Without Ceasing –
Note: At all night prayer on 06/25/10, Joe Maddix testified about his prayer regarding being evicted from their apartment. He asked God, “Why aren’t you talking?” He said God spoke and said, “Because I’m listening!” Praying Saying? Yes; Prayed Thinking? No –
PRAY (TO MAN) – the Hebrew Na Note 1: “Na” an, S:4994 is translated “now” in its first use (Gen. 12:11) and is the usual Hebrew word that is translated “pray” (Gen. 12:13) in the Old Testament. It is used 405 times in the Bible and speaks of Man’s communication to Man. In contrast, “Palal” llp, S:6419 is used 84 times in the Bible and speaks of Man’s communication to God. Note 2: “Na’aph @an, S:5003 means “to commit adultery” or figuratively, “to apostatize.” It is translated “adulterer(-ess), commit(-ing) adultery, woman that breaketh wedlock.”In addition to the root “Na”; it also has the root “Aph” @a S:639 meaning “the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire.” It is also translated “anger(-gry), before, countenance, face, forebearing, forehead, [long-] suffering, nose, nostril, snout, worthy, wrath