The
Upper Room
"And when they were come in, they went up into an
upper room....
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication"
~ Acts 1:13 ~
Prayer is a conversation with
God. That simple. There are no rituals, ceremonies, or other human intervention. Is a
matter of "face to face" between God and man. But, before speaking to God, we
have to believe in Him, to adknowledge His existance and that He is sovereing above all
things. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that come to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"
(Hb. 11:6).
Some consider 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), as the first register of a public prayer. Prayer,
along with fasting, was one of the practices of the pious Jew. In the Old Testament,
prayer was related with the temple sacrifices. After the year 70, the Rabbi came to
sustain that prayer was better than sacrifices, for which reason, in the synagogue, the
same took the place of it. Although in the Bible there is not an order about it, the Jew
used to pray at least three times a day.
Psalm 55:17
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice
Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his
windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times
a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as was his custum since early days
The time of prayer were:
The Third (9:00 am)
Acts 2:15
For these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the
day.
The Sixth (12:00pm)
Acts 10:9
On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew near the city, Peter went up upon
the housetop to pray about the sixth hour
The Ninth (3:00pm)
Acts 3:1
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth
hour
When praying, it was accustumed to
look toward Jerusalem
2 Chronicles 6:34
When Your people go out to war against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when
they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built
for Your name..
Daniel 6:10
Daniel went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward
Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees
When prayer was done in the
temple atrium, the face was turned to the temple itself. Both customs were practiced by
the first Christians
Prayer was not only practiced
in the temple, but also in the houses as well as in the field.
Luke 1:10
And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense
When in the house, generally a
room in the upper floor, name the upper room was used.
Acts 1:13,14
And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both
Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew,
James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother
of Jesus, and with his brethren.
There is not a specific position
to pray. One can pray:
Standing
1 Kings 8:22
And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of
Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven
Kneeling
Acts 21:5
And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all
brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we
kneeled down on the shore, and prayed
Face to the ground
Joshua 7:6
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of
the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads
Face between the knees
1 Kings 18:42
And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth,
and put his face between his knees
With the exception of the
dedication prayer of the first fruits and tithes (Dt. 26:1-15), and the
Lord's Prayer in the NT (Mt.6:9-13), the Bible does not order the repetition of
established formulas of prayer. Jesus improved the prayer, adding a more profound level of
intimacy. For example, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus spoke in Aramaic, addressing God
as "ABBA" a term of endearment and trust.
The New Testament order to
pray always and everywhere
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, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
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
For us, prayer is an act of
worship and communication, and include the introduction to God of our desires in the name
of Jesus. According to the Bible, the spirit attitude of the one praying is more important
than the time, place, position of the body or the manner in which the prayer is made. It
should be made with spiritual intensity.
Luke 22:44
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly
1 Thessalonians 3:10
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect
that which is lacking in your faith
Generally, prayer express it:
Our feelings - for
the kindness and the greatness of God
Daniel 4:34,35
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and
mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and
honoured him that live for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his
kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed
as nothing: and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What have you done?
Confession - by
which we recognize our sin
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness
Suplication - by
which we ask forgivness, grace or any other blessing
Mathew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you
Intercession - by
which we plead for others
James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much
Thanksgiving - by
which we express our gratitude to God
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God
Sometimes, there is no need for many words
for the prayer to be effective
Nehemiah 2:4,5
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God
of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found
favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers'
sepulchres, that I may build it
It might be an act of
contemplation, or a dialogue between the one praying in the language of the Spirit and
God. In the most pure christian sense, a tear, a cry, or silence, it may turn, before God,
in the most high spiritual level of prayer
1 Samuel 1:10, 12, 13
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And
it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. Now
Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard:
therefore Eli thought she was drunk
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered
Prayer should not be used to
exhibit self-righteousness and religious ostentation. In Mathew, Jesus do not condemm the
act of the public prayer, but the proud motivation in which it was made
Mathew 6:5
And when you prayest, you shall 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
Is a Christian's
responsability to pray:
With Faith
James 1:6,7
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. For he who doubts is like a wave of the
sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any
thing of the Lord
With Understanding
1Corinthians 14:15
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the
understanding also
For the Enemies
Mathew 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you
For oneself
Psalm 5:2
Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for to You will I pray
For the Government
1 Timothy 2:1-3
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that
we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour
For One Another
James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much
For the expansion of the Word
of God
Mathew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers
are few; Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest, to sent out labourers into his harvest
For the establishment of
God's Kingdom
Mathew 6:10
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven
Among the questions in
relation to prayer, some people ask: If God knows what we need, even before we ask, and if
He has a plan traced for everyone, why pray? The Bible teaches that the prayer is needed
because even though God knows all things, He has established to intervene in them
generally in answer to prayer. Is a matter of FAITH and OBEDIENCE.
Furthermore, in this way, some degree of responsability is given to man that allow
him to develop and establish priorities. The purpose of prayer is not to tell God what to
do and how to do it. He is the absolute master of His plan, but because man is a moral
being, God doesn't impose His plan upon man, but offer it to him. Through prayer, the man
get to know the will of God, comply with it and is enable to accomplish it in his life.
Why some prayers are not
answer?
In reality, ALL prayers are answered by God. What happens is that
sometimes we don't like His answer. On occasion He explains His refusal
Deuteronomy 3:23-26
And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, O Lord GOD, you have begun to show
your servant your greatness, and your mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in
earth, that can do according to your works, and according to your might? I pray, let me go
over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. But
the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto
me, enough of that; speak no more unto me of this matter.
If the one praying believe in
the following divine attributes, will be able not only to accept God's
refusal or silence, but even the circumstances that may appear to denied the effectivness
of prayer. He will come out triumphant even before the most disturbing cases.
God's love
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
Romans 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things?
God's Justice
Genesis 18:25
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the
wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not
the Judge of all the earth do right?
God's Wisdom
Jude 25
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both
now and ever. Amen.
God's Omnipotence
Revelation 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and
which was, and which is to come, the Almighty
The one praying sometimes
confronts big obstacles, not all natural: his personality, worries, time limitations,
sorroundings, ignorance of what is not convenience, etc. In order for the prayer reach God
he has to confront the spiritual forces of evil
Daniel 10:12-14
Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set
thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard,
and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and
twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me
Luke 4:13
And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season
Ephesians 6:11,12
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places.
In this struggle the only
warranty of victory in prayer comes from the help of the Holy Ghost
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. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it
Romans 8:26,27
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the
Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God
The clear conditions that
establish the efectivness of prayer are observed in:
The Relation of Son
Mathew 6:26
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?
Mathew 6:32
For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things
Mathew 7:11
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Faith
Mathew 17:20
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If
ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to
yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you
Mark 11:22-24
And Jesus answering said to them, Have faith in God. For verily I say to you, That
whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; and does not
doubt in his heart, but believe that those things which he says shall come to pass;
he shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire,
when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.
Cleanliness of Life
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new
Harmony with the Will of God
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: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we desired of him
A Forgiven Heart
Mark 11:26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses
Persistency
Genesis 32:22-26
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of
the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his
thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he
said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let you go, unless you bless
me
Acts 1:14
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication
Acts 12:5
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the
church unto God for him
Romans 12:12
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer
Colossians 4:2
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving
The Right Motives
James 4:3
You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your
lusts
The Answer
Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that
ye receive them, and you shall have them.
James 5:14,15
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray
over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall
save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall
be forgiven him.
An Eternal Example
The Lord's Prayer (Mt.6:1-13)
is not a substitute of our own words and thoughts. But it is a valuable revision of what
concerns us. Its intention is to establish the principal elements that must be included in
every prayer, and the order of importance in which they have to be presented. We can used
it to organize our ideas while we seek God's help in our lives and in others.
OUR FATHER
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name - We need to remember that our God is the
Supreme and Saint Lord of the universe
THY KINGDOM COME
- We are waiting the establisment of God's Kingdom in our lives today, and eventually in
all humanity
THY WILL BE DONE,
in earth as it is in heaven - The kingdom has come to those that have yield their lives to
God. We need His help in complying with His will in this earth with the same enthusiasm
and willing obedience as is done in heaven
OUR DAILY BREAD,
give us this day - Let's pray for our needs, not our whims. And if God has provided
our daily needs already, let's remember the less fortunate. Let's pray for them as well.
What can I do to help them? Let's ask God to present us with opportunities to help others
FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS
- Is there something in our conscience? Let's confess what is preventing us from reaching
the divine blessing. Let's ask for forgivness
AS WE FORGIVE
our debtors - But, if we expect forgivness, have we forgiven others? Or we hold on
to hate, bitterness, resentment? Is there someone we have offended? What are we going to
do about it? Let's remember Jesus instruction in Mathew 5:23,24: "Therefore if thou
bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against
thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift".
LEAD US NOT INTO
TEMPTATION - Of course, God will not bring us to sin. But we need to ask Him for
freedom of temptation. We are weak, and we don't always obey the urgency of the Holy
Spirit working on us. We must remember that temptation is not sin. What we do when we are
tempted it is
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
- A reminder that the evil influence of Satan is a fact in the christian life. He will try
to separate us from God, in the same way he try to tempt Jesus. If he didn't respect the
Son of God, what will happen to us. We need God's help to resist
FOR THINE IS THE
KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY forever - Amen. A reminder that God is in
control, and He will be triumphant over all opposition to his sovereing government.
Therefore, the problems and tribulations of life are put in perspective
The Biblical history reveal an
evolutive process of prayer. In the Old Testament, with some exceptions, prayer was a way
to obtain wealth and temporary protection. Not too many found in it a way to a genuine
communion with God. In the New Testament, prayer transforms, in a general form, into an
experience of the spirit. To enjoy the presence of God and the bond with Jesus is the
principal purpose. Prayer, along with faith, move the hand of God for our benefit. Today,
the place, the way or the length of prayer no longer matters much. What determines the
communion with God is a personal relationship that has been establish according to His
Word. He doesn't require nonsense, hollow words from us, nor long and repetitive prayers.
He only ask from us a humble heart, a broken spirit and a little bit of our time.
PRAYER POEM
"Prayers Can't Be
Answered Unless They are Prayed"
Life without purpose
is barren indeed
There can't be a harvest unless you plant seed
There can't be attainment unless there's a goal
And man's but a robot unless there's a soul.
If we send no ships
out, no ships will come in,
And unless there's a contest, nobody can win.
For games can't be won unless they are played,
And prayers can't be answered unless they are prayed.
So whatever is wrong
with your life today
You'll find a solution if you kneel down and pray.
Not just for pleasure, enjoyment and health,
Not just for honors and prestige and wealth.
But pray for a
purpose to make life worth living
And pray for the joy of unselfish giving.
For great is your gladness and rich your reward,
When you make your life's purpose the choice of the Lord.
Author Unknown
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much
The Upper Room
Study given by me at a Church Conference in 1997
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