Prayer is Private and of One Accord
Pastor Jerry Wilhite,
Author
Unfortunately when most people read the Bible they do it just to do it, to say they have read it. There are even those who memorize the word who do not understand all they memorize because that is not what the Bible is meant for. It is a book of God's breathed word (in Greek and Hebrew). It is a way to know Him, to hear from Him, and to grow in Him. To be of God one must be of one mind or one accord with God; anything less misses the target. 2 Corinthians 12 2. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. If we are not of one mind with God and miss the target God’s Ear we may very well be hitting something lower. Paul said in the verse above that he was caught up to the third heaven. The first heaven is that we can see, where the stars, moon, and sun are. The third is where God is. The second or middle heaven is where Satan is standing accusing us before God. So when our prayers miss the target and Satan gets them he will use them to mess with us. Matthew 6 1. Take heed that ye do not your alms(righteousness) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2. Therefore when thou doest thine alms(righteousness), do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3. But when thou doest alms(righteousness), let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4. That thine alms(righteousness) may be in secret(private): and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Alms are the good deeds you do to others. 1. |4337| Watch out |9999| {that} |3588| the |1654| righteousness |5216| of you |3361| not |4160| to do |1715| in front |3588| of |0444| men, |4314| in order |3588| to |2300| be seen |0846| by them. |1490| if But not, |3408| reward |3756| not |2192| you have |3844| from |3588| the |3962| Father |5216| of you |1722| in |3588| the |3772| heavens. Strong's Ref. # 1654 Romanized eleemosune Pronounced el-eh-ay-mos-oo'-nay from GSN1656; compassionateness, i.e. (as exercised towards the poor) beneficence, or (concretely) a benefaction: KJV--alms(-deeds). Strong's Ref. # 2927 Romanized kruptos Pronounced kroop-tos' from GSN2928; concealed, i.e. private: KJV--hid(-den), inward[-ly], secret. Matthew 6 5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret(private) ; and thy Father which seeth in secret(private) shall reward thee openly. 7. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. In secret would be in private or concealed from others. All public praying is answered in public and not by God, but that which is in private of one accord with God is answered by God. So far we have learned 99% of all prayers are not about what we were told to pray or even how we’re supposed to pray. They are usually long winded, repetitious, in public, and not of one accord or in line with God's will. How could my healing not be in line with God's will? Easy–if it is not of His will alone but is of your will or others will. Our will does not count–only His does. Then how about debt or relationships? Debt is one something that most misunderstand. They consider debt to include deliverance from lack as well. For debt deliverance you need to find His will on it, meaning what was said in the word and not in English but in Greek or Hebrew and then pray. Of course instead of knowing Greek or Hebrew you could go to Him to understand. There are two ways to get prayer answered, the first is to know what God said on the subject and what His exact will is on it, in the original language of Greek for New Testament and Hebrew for Old. Of course the superior method is by having a personal relationship with Him and knowing directly from Him. Matthew 7 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Above Jesus states those people did all these things that to us to be of God but then Jesus says they are not because He did not KNOW them. He knew of them, but did not know them personally – there was no relationship. He does not recognize them or their prayers so does not promise to answer them. No where in scripture does it say that God will even hear, much less answer, the prayers of all who pray. It does mention the prayers of the righteous and righteousness can only come from a one on one relationship with Him. Matthew 6 8. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11. Give us this day our daily bread. 12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. How can anyone think their prayers will be answered if they do not forgive all? If we do not forgive we are not forgiven and if we are not forgiven we are not even saved. There is a work that happens in us once we are of God. When we are saved and hear from God we seek to be born again and baptized in His spirit and then the work begins. It is not a work of our own, but of His being in us working in us and through us. What we have learned is if we do not pray as told to us in Matthew 6 God will not answer our prayers. Those who pray publicly have their answer from man not by God. Those who pray repetitiously, long prayers, in public or do not forgive do not have their prayers answered by God. Matthew 6 16. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18. That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 19. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26. Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28. And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29. And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32. (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Those who seek God out of desperation due to debt, lack, sickness, relationship issues, etc and are not in one accord (one mind) with God will not get their prayers answered. Now if any who are of one mind with God pray for them those prayers will be answered. If you lived in one kingdom back in the Middle Ages and sought help from the king of another realm, do you think you would get the answer you sought? More than like you would not even get an audience from the foreign king. If you never pay social security tax do you think you could make a claim to receive social security? The Social Security department wouldn’t even know who you are. If you are not of one mind with God you can not have any idea of what or how to pray. Worse is if we are not of one mind with God then we are of one mind with the world. He does not honor or recognize those of the world at all because it is of Satan. Mark 11 22. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 25. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. If the above was true for all or even for one young in the Lord it would be like giving him/her a gun with no instructions on what it could do–they could kill themselves but it would be for eterenity. There are many wonderful things of God, but we all mast first start with a relationship with Him. From that relationship we will grow and become more than we ever imagined, not of our own, but of Him who is in us. John 9 31. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him He heareth.