Overview
A heart of prayer is an attitude, and Rev. Rico Magnelli teaches that it is humble, confident and pursues the big picture. It is humble because in prayer we are addressing God himself, the creator of the heavens and the earth. It is confident because the accomplished work of Jesus Christ opened direct access to God’s presence, so we can come without condemnation, anywhere and at any time. And it pursues the big picture because God knows how even the seemingly smallest request fits into his desire and gracious design for our life. This third session in the Heart series walks through Psalm 139, Psalm 119, Matthew 6, Hebrews 9 and 10, and Romans 8.
Transcript
What a Heart of Prayer Is
Well, God bless you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ and welcome once again to our heart series. This is the third in our series on heart. We’re gonna be considering a heart of prayer.
Each one of the webinars focuses on a certain aspect of man’s heart and certainly similar concepts will come up again and again as the series builds. Like for instance, God continues to remain the searcher of hearts and the heart of man is still the most precious arena within which we engage. It is the seat upon which our true self sits.
It still is the figurative womb for treasured thoughts to incubate and develop. It is the fallow ground to plant ideas and concepts to be watered. It is the inner part of man’s mind where believing comes from, where the true life of God issues from, where trust in God resides.
It is where our ethical and moral compass is calibrated and it is a sanctified place of peace where we commune with our heavenly father and where his light shines the brightest. It is where the will of God actually becomes our own. All this flows into a heart of prayer.
Two Kinds of Prayer: In the Spirit and With Understanding
Please turn to Psalm 139, 139th Psalm. Now, let’s be clear. There’s much to understand about prayer.
We cannot possibly handle all of that. But what we wanna consider is a heart of prayer is about our attitude when it comes to prayer. The Bible does note two categories of prayer for the Christian.
We can have prayer in the spirit and we can have prayer with our understanding. And our focus during this webinar will be on prayer with our understanding. Prayer is one of the most practical aspects that we can do in developing a heart relationship with our heavenly father.
It can be done anywhere and at any time. It is the fundamental and practical way to connect with him and open our hearts to him. A heart of prayer is humble, confident and pursues the big picture.
And we’ll explain these details as this webinar unfolds. A heart of prayer, that attitude of prayer in the heart is humble. And it’s humble because we are addressing God when we pray.
Because when we pray, we’re addressing God himself, the creator of the heavens and the earth. And a heart of prayer is also confident because God is accessible to us at any time, anywhere. And a heart of prayer pursues the big picture because God knows how even the seemingly smallest things we pray for really fit into a larger picture of his desire and his design for our life or what we would call his will.
Psalm 139: Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
Here in Psalm 139, David demonstrates the humility and confidence and really the big picture in these verses. He displays for us a heart of prayer. Psalm 139, verse 23.
Search me, O God, David prays, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
Wow. God is the searcher of hearts. He knows what is in the vault of our soul and where our most treasured thoughts are kept.
Now, to be honest, at times each of us may have latched on to wrong or worldly thoughts. Giving them room in our heart, giving them air time, if you will, rehearsing them again and again. These thoughts crowd out truth.
What God really wants is truth in our hearts. These wrong and worldly thoughts are the wicked way. They are the way of pain.
Wicked way could be the way of pain. God doesn’t want you to suffer. That’s not his intention.
That’s not his heart. That’s not his will. This way of pain is a hurtful way.
And God desires to steer our hearts clear of the hurtful way. Now, it does not mean that we will not experience hurtful things in this life and in this world, but we do not need to store them in our heart. Well, how do we move on? We follow God’s lead.
God is willing and able to lead us in the way everlasting. It’s referring to eternity. This is God’s will or his desire and his design is to lead us in the way everlasting.
Being Led in the Way Everlasting
The desire to be led in the way everlasting is deep within a heart of prayer. And it lines up with God’s will. It’s amazing.
God can even inspire this within us. It does take humility, no question. It takes a confidence to approach God.
And it takes understanding that he and he alone has the big picture in all matters and in all things. The way everlasting here is the big picture. It’s the encompassing scope of not only our lives personally but how our lives fit in with every other person that’s involved in our life.
And then even larger than that is all of mankind. This big picture involves eternal life and helps us to adjust our heart to what is really important in life. We don’t wanna spend our time in the way of pain, the way of sorrow and anguish and grief.
We wanna spend our time in the way everlasting in which he can lead us. He actually can teach us. David writes in Psalm 86, verse 11.
Teach Me Thy Way: Truth in the Inward Being
Psalm 86, verse 11. He writes, teach me thy way, O Lord. I will walk in thy truth.
Unite my heart to respect thy name. What a prayer. This is a great reflection of what a heart of prayer is.
He also writes in Psalm 51, six and I’ll read it from the English standard version. David writes, behold, you delight in truth in the inward being and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. This is what a heart of prayer is all about.
For the Christian, the way everlasting is not simply the new birth. Being born again, that’s where it starts. Look at Philippians chapter two.
Work Out Your Own Salvation With Fear and Trembling
Philippians chapter two, please. We’re looking at the way everlasting as it applies to the Christian believer. See the way everlasting includes the wholeness and quality of life in Christ Jesus that proceeds from being convinced we have eternal life.
This is God’s will. When I refer to God’s will, I refer to his desire and his gracious design for our lives. God is the one who leads man’s heart in this way, everlasting.
Because his will, again, referring to his desire and gracious design for life, starts with man’s salvation. That’s where he wants man to start. It’s designed to positively affect our life now, today.
To this end, God energizes his will within us. Actually, his will becomes more and more our own. It becomes part of us.
Look here in Philippians chapter two. The apostle Paul writes to the Philippian church in verse 12. He says, wherefore my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, so not when Paul was around only, but when he left, the truth that he taught stayed with them.
But now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, which is respect and awe. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. A heart of prayer works out their own salvation.
And this working out means to work down, to affect or achieve. Now, we know this is not talking about salvation through grace, because salvation came to us not by works, but by the grace of God through the faith of Jesus Christ. We know this.
But salvation should influence our daily living. This is what it means that we should work it out. We should bring down the knowledge of eternal glory that God has given to us in Christ Jesus and allow it to affect our daily living.
We bring our salvation to work. We bring it to school. We bring it to recreation.
We bring it to our relationships. We bring it to our hobbies. The result is the glory of eternal life can be seen in our love, our peace, our joy, even our smile.
It can be seen in the wholeness and quality of life we enjoy in our attitudes about worldly matters. It can be seen in our everyday perspectives, decisions and commitments. It can be seen and heard in our words, because they’re all influenced by the glory of eternal life within us, and make no mistake, others can see this in us as well.
It becomes a witness. It is to this end that God energizes and inspires within us his will, his desire, his design for our lives. That’s what it means in verse 13, for it is God, God, which worketh or energizes in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
He inspires that perfect will within us, and then we embrace it. We make it part of our life. We know in 1 Timothy 2, 4, and 5, God’s will is stated pretty clearly here.
God’s Will Is That All Men Be Saved
It says, who will have all men be saved, to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth? God wants salvation for all, but see, people have to choose that. God cannot violate free will. And then he wants them to come unto a knowledge of the truth, to experience that truth in their life and be set free, for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus.
Wow. See, from the perspective of salvation, that was the big picture that God had to initiate through Jesus Christ. And from that point, the Christian believer accesses the blessings of God.
Romans 8, 32 says it this way. 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? Absolutely. See, salvation in Christ opens all God’s blessings to us.
His health and prosperity and understanding and relationships and all of the blessings, they start with that salvation. That’s why a heart of prayer is not only humble and confident, but it retains the big picture in our daily walk. Now, let me say a heart of prayer does not force our desire on God.
Seeking God’s Desire Instead of Forcing Our Own
And we can be tempted to do this. But a heart of prayer seeks God’s desire. What does he truly want? It’s like in relationships.
For example, a marriage. A good approach in marriage is seeking to understand the other person rather than insisting that they understand us. It is more likely that they find common ground to move together.
It does take both doing it, but it yields great benefit and blessing. And a heart of prayer is similar in that we seek God and his will or desire above our own since he is the searcher of hearts. He already knows what we desire before we even ask.
If we wanna find common ground with God, we seek his desire and design for our life. And that is gonna take some humility. And you know that’s true.
See, our journey in life involves proving to ourselves that God’s will or desire, his design, his gracious plan for us is far greater than anything we could come up with without him. Look at Romans chapter 12, please. For man to embrace God’s desire and God’s gracious design requires humility.
Be Not Conformed to This World: Proving the Will of God
It says here in Romans chapter 12, in verse two, it says, and be not conformed to this world or this age. Conformed means to be fashioned. You’re molded to this age.
Often people adopt certain perspectives. They say certain things that reflect the current tone of the times. And sometimes and often they do it mindlessly.
They just pass it on like a conveyor belt. That’s not you and me. We are not fashioned to this age.
The fears, the anxieties, the confusion, the issues that people decide take center stage in life. We’re not conformed to it. We’re aware of things, absolutely.
But we’re not fashioned to it. We’re not molded to it like robots. We think for ourselves.
But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The text really here is transformed by the renewing mind. The word you’re is not in the text.
It’s the mind of Christ. That’s how the transformation happens. It says that you may prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.
Wow. Each of us has to prove this to ourselves. His will starts with salvation, eternal life, no question.
Is that good, acceptable and perfect, do you think? Is having eternal life good, acceptable and perfect? Well, you got to get convinced about that yourself. Prove it to yourself. What about truth in our heart? Because he wants us to come into a knowledge of the truth.
What about truth in our heart to make us free? Is that good, acceptable and perfect to you? Well, some people say yes. Some people say I’m not sure because oftentimes people don’t want to change. That’s right.
They’re comfortable in their situation. Well, having truth in your heart may require a little bit of change on our part. See, we get tempted at times to think God’s gracious design for our lives is not in line with our own desires and needs.
God Knows the Variables We Cannot See
Well, that’s not true. A heart of prayer takes into account that we may not know everything, but God does. We may not know the right timing of something.
We may not know all the aspects of other people’s free will which are involved in what we deal with. We may not understand and know of the attacks and the stumbling blocks that Satan puts in our way. All those things.
God is all knowing and all powerful. He knows. That’s why he can help us navigate and redirect to the way everlasting.
That’s his will. Whatever God adds, redirects or adjusts is always gonna be the best. A heart of prayer reaches beyond our earthly limitations and challenges to God for in him we find our expectations.
That’s involved in a heart of prayer. It’s his all knowing nature and big picture foreknowledge approach to our care, because he cares for us, that allows all things in our life to fit together beautifully. Sometimes we get it in our own way.
Really? Because we try to force the situation and we try to tell God what to do. This is not a good idea. See, he also can take things further with greater impact and benefit than we can even ask or think.
Exceeding Abundantly Above All That We Ask or Think
It says in Ephesians 3, 20 and 21, now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him, God, be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, amen. These verses in some way just describe God’s desire and gracious design in our life in such a beautiful way.
Because we can only think so far. We can only ask so much and yet God can go beyond that. If we just incorporate him, if we just include him, if we just have some humility when we pray, it’s amazing.
Now the world will teach you other things. The world will teach you and mold you into something else. You can’t allow that to happen.
That’s right. Only God is sure. Only God is a firm foundation.
What the Word Amen Actually Means
He is a surety unto us. This beautiful section in Ephesians 3, 20 and 21 ends with the word amen. And I just wanted to note this because we often use the word amen at the end of a prayer.
And this word amen comes from the Hebrew and it was transliterated, meaning character for character into Greek and into English. Basically it retained the same character structure. Amen, amen, amen through three languages.
It means to confirm or support or to be sure. It’s fantastic. There’s so much that we can understand.
It’s not a magic word. It just reflects a heart of prayer that we know when we pray, it’s amen. What God says is amen, is sure.
It’s a support. It’s a confirmation. In Isaiah 65, 16, the word references the God of truth.
Actually in the Hebrew, it’s the God of amen. The God of amen. In 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20, it notes all of God’s promises are yea and amen in him.
Even Jesus uses the term often. In the King James version, it’s translated verily. He says verily of a truth or verily, verily.
It actually is the word amen. This is a deep truth, because when we pray a heart of prayer, we are convinced there’s a stability, there’s a firmness, there’s a surety. There’s a truth in the words that we speak.
We don’t just say words. For this word to have retained basically its same structure in three different languages over thousands of years, how interesting that God saw to it that it would retain its meaning and depth. That when people addressed him, they would use that term.
Again, it’s not a magic word, but it helps to bring in and draw such depth of understanding and heritage of men and women and young people that have used that word in the three different cultures and many others throughout the world. These are not throwaway words. Our prayers should not be just throwaway words.
Psalm 119: Seeking God With the Whole Heart
They should mean something. Let’s look at Psalm 119, please. 119th Psalm.
Now Psalm 119, we’re definitely not gonna read the whole thing. It expresses aspects of a heart of prayer beautifully, wonderfully. I wanna highlight a few things here.
Though no writer is noted who wrote this Psalm, many conclude it was written by David. And certainly you can see similar language and heart. Regardless, 14 times the Psalmist, his personal heart is referenced, 14 times.
We’re not gonna read all of them. We’ll read a few. Look at verse 10.
The Psalmist says, with my whole heart have I sought thee. Oh, let me not wander from thy commandments. The Psalmist is saying with my whole heart, not 98%, God cannot be sought halfway.
He cannot be. You won’t find him. You will not see him.
It must be a wholehearted effort. And it doesn’t mean that we have to work more or study more or pray more necessarily. It’s just in our heart.
With our whole heart, we seek him. This reflects beautifully the attitude of a heart of prayer. Verse 11.
Thy word, the Psalmist writes, speaking to God, have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against who? Thee. Many people concern themselves with what other people think. They’re interested in what this group says.
They’re interested in what that group says. They’re interested in what their relatives or friends or coworkers or people they affiliate with. How few people interest themselves in what God thinks.
Look, he hid the word in his heart like a treasure. Why? That he might not sin against God. He was concerned about what God thought.
Look at the honesty here. That is a heart of prayer. Look at verse 32 of Psalm 119.
Enlarge My Heart: Running the Way of God’s Commandments
I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart. Beautiful. I shall run the way of thy commandments.
To enlarge means to be wide or make room. It’s difficult to run in a narrow space or a crowded space. It’s a lot easier to run when obstacles are moved out of your way or you’re in a wide open space.
Oftentimes you see little children, you let them run in the field because there’s nothing they can bump into. They just run. See, as we move swiftly, we run on his word.
Figuratively, we move swiftly. He can widen our heart. It’s like he removes the pressure, the obstacles, the stumbling blocks.
This is something you can pray for. The result is in our heart, performing his word is not an obstacle course anymore. It’s like a straight flat road, a clear path we can run.
This would be the opposite of conforming oneself to this age, which will crowd your heart with obstacles and pressure squeeze you into a narrow space. Pressure dissipates when you get honest with God. It’s almost like a burden is taken off of your shoulder because often what happens is people try to take on things that they shouldn’t, but they should do is unload them to God and only take on the responsibilities that we should take on.
So when we’re honest with God, it really brings a lot of relief, releases pressure, actually makes us more pleasant people. This is a heart of prayer. Look at verse 34.
Praying to God for Understanding
Give me understanding, the psalmist prays, and I shall keep thy law. Yea, I shall observe it with my what? Whole heart. In the Hebrew mind, true understanding only came from God, not from man.
The Greeks believe that understanding and wisdom came from men, not the Hebrew. And that understanding that comes from God is revealed to our heart. You can pray for understanding, right? Insight, understanding is not superficial.
Part of being conformed to this age is to think on the surface, to be a superficial thinker that will never contribute to a heart of prayer. It’s also not an academic intellectual exercise. Understanding involves our whole heart.
Heart is perhaps the greatest tool to understand God’s way everlasting that he reveals to us via the spirit within us. Look at verse 36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness.
The word incline means to stretch out. It says, stretch out my heart, he prays. Well, that’s kind of difficult.
If our heart is stiff, if our heart is hard, it needs to be flexible and malleable for God to stretch it out. At times we need our heart to be stretched out beyond our current understanding or even perhaps our self-prescribed comfort zones that we may have. We can pray for this type of heart and teaching of the word can do this for us.
It can cause us to allow God to stretch our heart. Look at verse 80. Let my heart be sound in my statutes that I be not ashamed.
The word sound here is wholesome or innocent, having integrity. We want our heart to be wholesome, innocent, have integrity. So when people try to assign wrong motives to you or shame you into compliance, you’re not ashamed, you’re not disappointed.
Why? Because your heart is sound in the word. Look at verse 112. It says, I have inclined my heart to perform my statutes always, even unto the end.
A Heart That Stands in Awe of God’s Word
This word inclined is the same word, to stretch out. See, when our heart is hard, when we’re stiff, when we’re calloused in our heart, it’s difficult to grow. It’s difficult to stretch our heart out.
And that’s sometimes exactly what we need. You gotta be really humble here. The things that we’re talking about.
You have to be very honest with God. And he can show you those areas that are challenging you. See, we allow our heart to be stretched out in order to do the word at times.
This is especially true at times when it comes to God’s perfect will. It may require a little stretching out on our part because he has the big picture. And finally, Psalm 119, 161, it says, it says, princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
Sure, at times, those who rule pursue us for nothing, for no reason, but the Psalmist’s heart, his response is not to be in awe of them, but in awe of the word of God. Look at Acts 13. We’re looking at a heart of prayer.
David, a Man After God’s Own Heart
Acts 13. Let’s note something very specific about King David and God’s testimony of him. Acts 13, verse 22.
It says, and when he had removed him, meaning Saul, first king, he raised up unto them David to be their king, to whom also he gave testimony. Look at this. And said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.
Wow. The pursuing of God’s heart allows us to do and fulfill God’s will in our life. God’s heart is his will.
It’s his intention, his desire, his gracious design. The word after here is according to, like on a horizontal movement. It marks the destination to be reached.
What David was after was the heart of God. It’s beautiful. It’s what he was after.
And this is what enabled him to do God’s will. Now, this cannot refer to all the word of God. David did not fulfill all the word of God.
That’s not what he’s talking about. Because David didn’t fulfill or do all the word of God. He did his portion in his life with all the rights and the wrongs he did.
And you can read about them. There’s many. But one thing is true.
A Heart of Prayer Is Also a Heart of Action
He did it with his whole heart. See, there are aspects of our heart, like understanding, that may not engage until we actually do the word. We do his will.
We don’t just desire or have good intentions. A heart of prayer also reflects a heart of action. That’s right.
John 4.34 tells us this about Jesus Christ. Look at John 4.34, please. It says in John 4.34, Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will, the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.
So a heart of prayer is also a heart of action. Jesus Christ not only made the will of God his own, he carried it out to the end. Look at Matthew 21, please.
My House Shall Be Called the House of Prayer
Matthew 21. And a heart of prayer is so beautifully expressed by our Lord and Savior. Here in this situation in Matthew 21, Jesus Christ is concerned about what’s going on in the temple.
And look at Jesus’s attitude here in this context. It gives us some insight into a heart of prayer. In Matthew 21, verse 12.
And Jesus went in to the temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple. And overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves. And said unto them, it is written, my house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.
Wow. This was in his heart. A heart of prayer is aware and vigilant against earthly attitudes that taint the things of God.
That’s right. Here they were commercializing and cheapening the significance of the temple. A heart of prayer stays vigilant against such things.
The temple is called God’s house, the house of prayer. What’s so interesting here is Jesus combines portions of scripture to make his point. He actually quotes from Isaiah 56, seven and Jeremiah 7, 11.
Teaches us something about how Jesus Christ thought about the word. From two different books, portions of scripture, we would call scripture. He combines to make his point.
I think it’s fantastic. But look at his passion to retain the sanctity, the quality of the things of God. Matthew chapter six, please.
How Jesus Taught His Disciples to Pray
Matthew chapter six. Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. And you can see this in two different sections.
We’ll go to Matthew six, but there’s others in Luke where this comes up. Actually, it’s a later time in which this comes up in Luke in the chronology of his ministry. But they asked him how to pray.
And this is what he teaches. It’s gonna teach us about the heart of prayer. Matthew chapter six in verse five.
And when thou prayest, thou shall not be as the hypocrites are. For sure. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets.
Why? That they may be seen of men. Verily, or amen, I say unto you, they have their reward. So he starts with what it is not.
And he points out, don’t be like the hypocrites when they pray. A hypocrite says one thing and does something else. And he gives us the insight into why they’re doing this.
That they may be seen of men. And the word seen is to shine. To shine.
It’s like drawing the spotlight to themselves. Isn’t that interesting? Now, this should not dissuade us to pray publicly. That’s not what we’re talking about here.
We’re talking about the wrong attitude. The hypocritical attitude in prayer. We’ll keep reading here.
Verse six. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. And when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father, which is in secret.
And thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee. The word openly is not in the Greek text. The closet here is referring to a private room or a chamber where treasures are stored.
And it has a door. So you can shut the door. Obviously for privacy.
Keeps out distractions. And this is done in secret. Which means in the hidden place.
A heart of prayer involves the idea of a personal address to the father in the hidden place. It comes from our heart. And it’s addressed to the father.
How interesting. This is what Jesus is teaching. Then in verse seven.
Vain Repetitions and Prayer That Becomes Rote
But when you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Vain repetitions are babbled.
Empty words. In other words, they have no meaning. We just say things, but there’s no meaning to them.
There’s no content. There’s no strength behind them. This is what can happen when words are like institutionalized.
We just say them and we really don’t have any connection. Oftentimes you hear people say, thank you, father. Repetitively.
Nothing wrong with thanking the father. So don’t get me wrong. That is not what I’m saying.
What I’m saying is when it’s done rote. When it’s done almost automatically. Because we’re going to get into what it should be later.
See, we live in a superficial society. Superficial. Where words mean nothing.
You can’t allow yourself to be molded to that. It’ll affect your prayer life. We don’t want words to become rote.
We certainly don’t want them to become obligation. We pray from our heart, with our whole heart. One individual that I know shared with me that they realized that they were utilizing a prayer list and their prayer list became almost like an obligation.
It almost became mindless. Now I am not teaching against prayer lists. That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m saying for this person, it became almost mindless. It almost became works. So they just made an adjustment.
And that was good for them to do. Prayer is not something that we institutionalize. Prayer is something that we do from our heart.
That’s a heart of prayer. Because these people were doing it. They were doing much speaking.
They thought that they would be heard. They thought because they’re doing a lot of works that God’s gonna hear them. It doesn’t matter to God whether your prayer is long or short.
There’s nothing wrong with a long prayer if that’s your prayer or a short prayer. That has nothing to do with it. It’s our heart, our attitude in that prayer.
Your Father Knows What You Need Before You Ask
Verse eight, it says, “‘Be not ye therefore like unto them.'” In other words, don’t follow that example. “‘For your father knoweth what things you have need of “‘before you ask him.'” Do we actually believe that? It’s what it says right here. He already knows.
A heart of prayer believes in God’s foreknowledge in that he already knows our needs before we ask. So prayer is not for his benefit to make him aware of something necessarily. But ours is, our need is to reinforce our partnership and our relationship with him.
It’s to get him involved. Prayer helps us to keep reliant and trusting in him and not in our own ability, our own credentials, our own resources. Then Jesus says, here’s an example for you.
Hallowed Be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come
“‘After this manner,’ or pray like this, “‘our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. “‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth “‘as it is in heaven.'” Hallowed be thy name. The name in the Hebrew culture carried the honor and the authority, the character, and the reputation of the one that had that name.
So it’s not just the name. It’s more the honor, the authority, the character, the reputation of the Father God. Notice how it starts.
It says, hallowed be thy name. Such great truth. See, a heart of prayer encompasses a praise and recognition for God’s greatness, his sovereignty and care.
It doesn’t mean that you have to say those words. We’re talking about an attitude now, but there is a recognition in a heart of prayer. Again, David says it so beautifully in 2 Samuel 7, 21 and 22.
It says, for thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there’s none like thee, neither is there any god beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. Look at that.
There’s an element of that praise and recognition. Thy kingdom come. It’s a metaphor.
The kingdom of God would find place or influence, be established on earth as it is in heaven. So his will could be done. People would accept God’s sovereignty and care to the end that his will, God’s desire and his design for life, the big picture would be done on earth like it is in heaven.
Isn’t that fantastic? That is the heart of prayer. The more we resist God’s will, his desire, his gracious plan, the more challenging things become. Look at Hebrews, Hebrews chapter five.
Jesus Christ Prayed That God’s Will Be Done
Jesus didn’t just teach that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. He actually carried it out. And in his own prayer life, he faced the same challenges at times that we do.
That’s right. Hebrews chapter five. Look at this.
Jesus did the will of God. Chapter five in verse seven, who in the days of his flesh, this is talking about before he was resurrected from the dead, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, Jesus presented prayers that are specifically addressed to God, wants or needs and supplications. This is a very unique word, supplications.
It refers to the olive branch held in the right hand of those approaching one in power authority. The idea is the olive branch is representing that they’re seeking protection from this authority. It’s amazing.
It says with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death or out of death, basically his resurrection, and was heard in that he feared or respected. Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered or endured. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.
Wow. He learned it. Jesus always did the father’s will.
And we know in the gospels, there’s three prayers that are mentioned in the garden of Gethsemane, in Matthew, Mark and Luke that are recorded, where he notes that not his own will, but that the father’s will be done. Jesus Christ knew his impending torture. He was willing to give his life, but that manner in which it came about was not the most pleasant.
So he isn’t telling us anything in Matthew six that he didn’t do on his own. Now, let’s be clear here. God’s will for Jesus Christ is not his will for you.
Let’s be clear about that. Christians are to be a living sacrifice in our service. How tremendous this truly is when we understand that Jesus Christ paved that path for us.
Even he at times was challenged. Jesus Christ absolutely had to be convinced and certainly raising Lazarus from the dead earlier on must have helped him. The supplications are referring to seeking the protection of somebody in high authority.
So he approached this situation and he learned how to submit to the will of God. And God certainly for the joy that was set before him, Jesus Christ, he endured the cross. So there was a lot involved there with Jesus Christ.
He knew that God had to get him up from the dead. He couldn’t do it himself. And the challenge set before him was not the most pleasant thing, but he carried it out.
We do not need to suffer like that. Let’s make sure that we’re clear on that. Look at Genesis 24.
Prayer Is Not a Formula: Abraham’s Servant in Genesis 24
We’re still considering a heart of prayer. It’s an attitude. It takes humility, confidence, and the big picture are all involved.
Now, what’s interesting about this prayer by Abraham’s servant. Abraham commissioned his servant to go find a wife for his son, Isaac. And prayer is not a formula.
It’s not a formula we follow every time. God can inspire and reveal details when we pray that when we see them come to pass, it’s a lot easier to measure the results. But oftentimes he can inspire those.
It’s not like we duplicate that prayer every time. And what’s beautiful here is as he inspires or even reveals those details, those requests fit beautifully within God’s desire and design overall. You can see this here in this prayer by Abraham’s servant.
Let’s look at it in Genesis 24, verse 42. And I came this day unto the well and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way, which I go, behold, I stand by the well of water and it shall come to pass that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water and I say to her, give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink. And she say to me, both drink thou and I will also draw for thy camels.
Let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master’s son. So this is what he prays. And look what the next verse says.
And before I had done speaking, where? In mine heart. He had said this silently in his heart. Behold, Rebecca came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder.
And it turns out that she became the wife of Isaac. But it’s no formula. It doesn’t mean that you can always be specific necessarily.
And that’s the formula that you follow. At times, God will inspire those details or even reveal them to you. But it’s not a formula.
Paul’s Prayer for a Prosperous Journey to Rome
Look at Romans chapter one, please. Like we’ve mentioned before, sometimes we have something on our heart to accomplish that we’re praying for. But all the details haven’t come together yet.
It might be the timing. There might be other variables involved. Here we can see this in Romans chapter one.
Because God’s will or desire can be very specific. Like Paul’s prayer for a prosperous journey to see the Romans. In Romans chapter one, verse nine, Paul writes, for God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son.
That without ceasing, I make mention of you always in my prayers. So he’s saying, hey, listen, I’m always praying for you guys. Well, what’s he praying for? Making request, among other things, making request, if by any means, how at length, I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
In other words, he wants it to fit within the desire and the gracious plan of God. Because only God knows all the details. He knows all the variables.
He can put something on our heart or we can have something on our heart, but we want it to fit within his overall plan. We wanna get him involved. Watch this.
For I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift. To the end, you may be established. That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith.
They had the faith of Jesus Christ. Paul had the faith of Jesus Christ. And when we share in that faith of Jesus Christ, there’s mutual comfort, both of you and me.
Wow. Paul wanted to see the Romans to impart a spiritual gift to establish them and enjoy the reciprocal comfort through the mutual faith of Jesus Christ. It teaches you something about the heart of prayer.
He wanted to go, but it had to be the right fit. All the pieces needed to come together. And the only one that knows all those pieces is God.
Well, it really teaches you something about the heart of prayer. Was it right to go to Rome? Well, I’m sure it was. They loved him.
He needed to go there and be with them. But sometimes it’s a timing thing. Look at 1 John, please.
Confidence to Access God Without Condemnation
1 John, this is in the back of your Bible. Now, a heart of prayer has confidence to access God’s presence at any time without condemnation. Wow.
This is a big one. A heart of prayer has confidence to access God’s presence at any time without condemnation. This section we’re gonna read about highlights our attitude of heart in prayer based on the accomplished work of Christ.
1 John 3, verse 19. And hereby we know, we experientially know, that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him. We want our hearts to be assured.
And the word hearts here, see that, is actually singular. It’s very individual. We want all our hearts individually to be assured before him.
Why? Because this is significant when it comes to our access to his presence. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. See, when our heart is condemned, we don’t have the confidence to access his presence.
We do like Adam and Eve did. They hid from God. Probably you know many people, maybe you’ve done it yourself, hide from God.
Usually has to do with condemnation, guilt, all those things. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we what? Confidence.
Then have we confidence toward God. Well, this is the confidence that we want to access his presence. That’s right.
And what’s this? And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment. Wow.
Commandments Under the Law and Under Grace
Wow. Now, let me clarify something about the word commandments and commandment here. Commandments under the Mosaic law were authoritative warnings, orders, charges, or commissions from God that were legally binding.
They were legally binding to carry out. You were legally bound to carry out. Commandments under grace, though, also carry that authoritative warning or orders or charges or commissions, but they are to be lovingly encouraged to carry out.
There’s the difference. Because Christ fulfilled the law and all legal requirements. That’s some depth of understanding.
See, we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight, meaning in his presence. And certainly being condemned in his presence is not something that he likes. But to keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight are not criteria for receiving from him when we ask something.
They’re more describing the attitude of those who do receive. There’s a difference. When we don’t condemn ourselves, when we boldly access his presence and address him humbly, you don’t try to direct God, we do not put our heart above him because he’s greater than our heart, right? If he’s greater than our heart, we don’t put our heart above him.
Says he’s greater than our heart. We submit ourselves humbly. This is pleasing in his sight.
Access to God’s Presence Under the Tabernacle
Now, this access to God is very important to understand because it has a lot of history to it. I wanna share with you, going back to 1 John, but look at Hebrews chapter nine. Access to God’s presence during the Mosaic law and the time of the law was of a different order.
Let’s read about it. In Hebrews chapter nine, verse three, describing in the tabernacle, that was the movable tent that was the precursor to the physical temple in Jerusalem. And after the second veil, meaning moving past the outer area into the inner area, the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all.
Literally, this reads the holy of holies. This is where the Ark of the Covenant was set. Which had the golden censer and the Ark of the Covenant overlaid roundabout with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.
The items in the Ark during the time of the tabernacle, before the temple, had a golden pot with manna in it, Aaron’s rod, and then the tables of stone, the commandments. When the Ark was brought into the temple built by Solomon, it only had the table of stones. Paul is endeavoring to communicate here in Hebrews to the Judean Christians that had the law for 13, 14 centuries.
He’s trying to communicate to them what Jesus Christ accomplished for Israel as the high priest. But it gives us insight into what we have. Verse five, and over at the cherubims of glory, shadowing the mercy seat of which we cannot now speak particularly.
The mercy seat was the lid of the Ark, covered in gold with two cherubims, wings facing each other, and the mercy seat, the lid of the Ark, called the mercy seat, or in the Greek, it’s hilasterion, represents Jesus Christ. And it was above that mercy seat where the presence of God came and spoke with Moses. And then the high priest once a year.
Why is this significant to us? Well, we have access to God’s presence now. And he, Paul, is trying to explain to the Judean Christians that this has all been fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ opened access directly to God.
At the time of Jesus Christ, the Ark of the Covenant was gone, had been gone for a while. It wasn’t there anymore. What’s this? Now, verse five, and over at the cherubims of glory, shadowing the mercy seat of which we cannot now speak particularly.
Now, when these things were thus ordained, the priest went in always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second, the Holy of Holies, went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. The Holy Spirit, this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing, which is a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformation.
But Christ, being come in high priest to Israel of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not being with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the Holy of Holies, the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. In other words, the work of Christ paved the way for us to enter into God’s presence anytime we want to, that’s the heart of prayer.
There is no longer a veil, there is no longer anything that’s standing between you and I and the presence of God Almighty, that’s the heart of prayer. And Jesus Christ’s sacrifice purged our conscience from dead works, in other words, we stopped performing the same works in order to have access and be acceptable to God, we stopped doing that. Do you know that you can access the presence of God anywhere at any time? You don’t need to go to a building, you don’t need to go to a high mountain and feel the breeze and beautiful nature, all those things are wonderful, but you don’t need any of it, you can do it in a bus, on a bus, on the way to work.
You can do it while you’re playing, while you’re going for a walk, you can access the presence of God, that’s the heart of prayer.
We need the confidence to know that we can access his presence and then what ends up happening is our conscience, which your conscience are your habits of accepting and rejecting what’s right and wrong, just purging from dead works.
Boldness to Enter the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus
Look at verse 24, for Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands, he didn’t go into the temple, you know where he went? Which are the figures of the truth, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us, he paved the way directly to God’s presence for us, amazing, that’s why we can enter his presence without any condemnation, that’s why we have access with confidence, that’s right.
Look at Hebrews chapter 10 in verse 19, having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, you are no longer a sinner in the sense that God has already cleansed you in Christ Jesus, you can put all your past behind, you can come into his presence when you pray in your heart, that’s amazing, that’s amazing.
Jesus Christ Is the Mercy Seat
We enter with boldness, but we don’t address him with boldness in the sense, we address him with humility, but we enter in confidently, boldly before his throne of grace, watch this, by a new verse 20 and living way, which he has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say his flesh, and having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near, let’s draw near, let’s not run from God, a heart of prayer draws near to him, he wants you to come to him, to open your heart to him, look with a true heart in full assurance of faith, that’s the faith of Jesus Christ, his accomplished work, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, that temporary cleansing of our bodies, will come into its fullness when we get our new bodies at the return of Christ, we draw near, we draw near, we have access, this is part of the heart of prayer.
Look at Romans three, please, Romans three, it says it another way, in Romans three, in verse 22, even the righteousness of God, righteousness just means we are right with God, we’re acceptable in his presence, and we were made that way through Christ, look at this, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that’s in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth, to be a propitiation, the word propitiation, is mercy seat, he is the mercy seat, above the mercy seat is where Moses met with God, face to face and spoken to him, where the high priest would go in once a year, you and I have access to it 24 seven, because Jesus Christ is the mercy seat, he finished the work, he did it through faith, in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins, that are passed through the forbearance of God, oh my goodness.
Asking Anything According to His Will
Here’s another way it says it, look at Ephesians three here, verses 11 and 12, it says according to the eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with what? Confidence by the faith of him, we need this confidence to access his presence, this is part and deeply rooted in the heart of prayer, our access to his presence is bold, we boldly access his presence, but our demeanor in his presence is humble, our demeanor in his presence is humble.
You know heart of prayer has confidence, that he hears our prayers, because we ask according to his will, his desire, his design, first John chapter five, first John chapter five, once we enter into God’s presence, in our heart our demeanor is humble, and then we ask according to his will, in first John chapter five, verse 11, and this is the record, the apostle John wrote, that God has given to us what? Eternal life, remember that heart of prayer, always retains the big picture, even if we’re praying for little things in life, the backdrop is always the big picture, and this life is in his son, he that hath the son hath life, and he that hath not the son of God hath not life, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name, the character, the reputation, the honor of the son of God, that you may know that you have what? Eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the son of God, there he says it again, with that context he moves into verse 14, and this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Do you see that the heart of prayer is humble, it’s confident, and it pursues the big picture, the big picture is including God in our prayer life, because he knows all the variables involved in a situation, the timing of it, so forth, that’s the confidence, we know that he hears us, because we’re asking according to his will, his desire, his gracious design, and man can have a desire, but man can’t have a gracious design, because man doesn’t know everything, only God can have the overall scope of his gracious plan for our lives, and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire that we asked of him, it’s more about praying according to his desire, what does God want? Praying according to his gracious design, which means we incorporate that there might be more things involved, and he’s the one that knows those things, we trust him, we just trust him, we’re not afraid, our prayers get answered, if he can bring us salvation, eternal life, can he not freely give us all things that we need, that we ask for? Is eternal life more difficult than what you’re seeking? No.
Father, I Thank Thee That Thou Hast Heard Me
A heart of prayer is a lifestyle of recognizing his sovereignty and care for our lives, and that he is all knowing, he is all loving, and he does have the answers and solutions, and they will be provided to us when we need them, Jesus Christ knew that the father heard him, and I’m sure it helped him when it came to his own situation where he needed to be raised from the dead.
Look at John 11, please, John 11, in this record, Jesus Christ raises Lazarus from the dead who had been dead for four days, we know that Jesus was only dead three days, here in John 11, in verse 40, Jesus commands them to take away the stone that covered the sepulcher where his friend Lazarus was, and Martha, his sister says, hey, listen, he’s been dead for four days, right now he must, he’s already starting to stink, rot, Jesus says in verse 40, Jesus saith unto her, said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God, then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid, and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, this is his prayer, his address to God, father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me, and I knew that thou hearest me always, so he must have always prayed according to the will of God, always, because the people would stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
Prayer in the Spirit Helps Our Weakness
Jesus Christ was aware that the father had heard his request, what’s interesting, he thanked him, not in anticipation that he would hear him, or his request, but he thanked him because he had already heard him, how interesting, Jesus was aware that he had access to God, remember he was sinless, in the spirit, so are you, you have direct access to his presence, where in the Old Testament would represent the holy of holies, and not once a year, anytime you want, how often do we access his presence? We access boldly, but we address him humbly.
Let’s close in Romans eight, this time we spent together was in consideration of a heart of prayer, it’s not everything there is about prayer, not even close, but it’s an attitude, it’s a humble attitude, it’s a confident attitude, it’s a big picture attitude when it comes to prayer, here in Romans chapter eight, in the context of sufferings in this present world, and how they’re not to be compared with the glory that awaits us, meanwhile, as we live on this earth, we still have corruptible bodies, and nature still has a corruptible element to it, our bodies and the environment are corruptible, they’re finite, and they’re limited, and these things do affect our prayer life, that’s why we need hope and new bodies in the future, and eventually a new heavens and a new earth without evil, which will come to pass.
But God has given us a special tool to help us where we may not know what we should pray for as we are, we may not know what the will of God is, he’s given us prayer in the spirit to help this weakness, Romans chapter eight, verse 26, it says likewise, the spirit also helpeth our infirmity or our weakness singular, what is our weakness? Tells you, for we know not what we should pray for as we are, we don’t know all the variables, we pray to the best of our understanding for God’s will, but he has given a tool to us to make up the difference, that’s our lack in prayer, and to make up that difference, God provides the Christian prayer in the spirit, you can read about it in different places in the Bible, but one place it’s called prayer in a tongue or a language in the spirit, first Corinthians 14, that’s what makes up the difference, prayer in the spirit fills that gap, that in which we are limited in our capacities and understandings.
Humble, Confident, and Pursuing the Big Picture
What’s so beautiful is that prayer in the spirit cannot pray amiss, it always prays according to God’s will, it never misses the mark, it gives thanks well, it magnifies God, it speaks the wonderful works of God and so many other things, but the spirit itself, verse 26, maketh intercession for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered, and he that searches the hearts, there’s God again, knoweth what is the mind of the spirit, because he or it maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God, and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and to them who are the called according to his purpose.
God has provided everything that we need, all the tools in order to develop a heart of prayer, prayer is one of the most practical aspects that we can do in developing a heart relationship with our heavenly father, it can be done everywhere and in any time, it’s the fundamental practical way to connect and open our hearts to him, a heart of prayer is humble, it’s confident and it pursues the big picture, it’s humble because in prayer, we’re addressing God, it’s confident because we have access to him through Jesus Christ, we’re confident and we’re confident that we pray according to his will, he hears us, because the big picture, God knows how even at times, the seemingly smallest request we have does fit within a larger desire and design of his will.
Sometimes God will do something for you that really has no meaning to anybody else, but you see his timing, you see his attentiveness, he just wants to let you know, hey, I’m still here and he does that sometimes for encouragement, a parking space or something small that wouldn’t mean much to most, but he does those things because it feeds into the overall plan that he does have a gracious design for your life and to remind us that he is still there, so all those small things do dovetail beautifully into his gracious plan for our lives, which is eternal life.
What Comes Next in the Heart Series
A heart of prayer truly gives glory to God. This webinar is our third in the series, we have two more, as we build towards the Love of Christ Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, which you can look for on our website at oikeos.org. And our next heart webinar will be on A Heart That Heals, will be part four on February 14th, 2021. So thanks for joining us, I’ll close with prayer.
Closing Prayer
Most gracious and heavenly father, we recognize that through Jesus Christ, we have access to you in your presence and in the heart of our hearts, we know it’s true. We know that you don’t want us to be in your presence with any condemnation or guilt, but that you’ve cleansed us through Christ and with great confidence, we can put forth our requests to you. And Lord, as we pray according to your will, your desire, your gracious design, we know that you hear us and we know that you hear us, we also know that we have the petitions that we ask.
Father, for our countries, our cities, our homes, our neighborhoods, we pray for peace and blessing for all those in authority that we can lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. We pray for open doors to speak your word and make known truth and the accomplished work of Jesus Christ. We pray for our health.
We pray for a prosperous way. We pray for you leading us in the way everlasting as we work out our own salvation, we bring that eternal life, eternal glory reality into our day by day walk. And thank you for showing us and opening the eyes of our understanding that we can know the hope of your calling and the riches of your glory in the saints.
We pray heavenly father for our jobs, our families, and for all those that we know for their protection and blessing and for your continued working in us to will and to do of your good pleasure, inspiring your perfect will within us as we pursue your heart and a heart of prayer. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, amen. God bless you all, till next time.
Key Takeaways
- A heart of prayer is an attitude before it is a practice: humble, confident, and pursuing God’s big picture.
- God’s will means his desire and his gracious design for our life, and it starts with salvation and eternal life.
- Prayer does not force our desire on God; it seeks his desire, because he is the searcher of hearts and already knows what we need.
- The accomplished work of Jesus Christ removed the veil, so we access God’s presence boldly but address him humbly.
- Prayer is not a formula and not vain repetition; God can inspire specific details, but rote words become obligation.
- Where we do not know what to pray for as we ought, prayer in the spirit makes up the difference and always prays according to God’s will.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to have a heart of prayer?
A heart of prayer is an attitude rather than a technique. It is humble, because when we pray we are addressing God himself, the creator of the heavens and the earth. It is confident, because God is accessible to us at any time and anywhere. And it pursues the big picture, because God knows how even the seemingly smallest things we pray for really fit into his desire and design for our life.
Why can a Christian come into God’s presence without condemnation?
Under the law only the high priest entered the holy of holies, once a year, and not without blood. Jesus Christ entered in once by his own blood and obtained eternal redemption for us, so there is no longer a veil standing between us and the presence of God Almighty. Because Christ is the mercy seat, we have access twenty-four seven. We access his presence boldly, but we address him humbly.
What is the difference between prayer in the spirit and prayer with understanding?
Prayer with understanding is prayer we pray to the best of our own knowledge of God’s will, and it is limited, because we do not know all the variables. Romans 8:26 says the spirit helps our weakness, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. Prayer in the spirit fills that gap. It cannot pray amiss, it always prays according to God’s will, and it never misses the mark.
Scripture References
Psalm 139:23-24; Psalm 86:11; Psalm 51:6; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Timothy 2:4-5; Romans 8:32; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 3:20-21; Isaiah 65:16; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Psalm 119:10; Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119:32; Psalm 119:34; Psalm 119:36; Psalm 119:80; Psalm 119:112; Psalm 119:161; Acts 13:22; John 4:34; Matthew 21:12-13; Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11; Matthew 6:5-10; 2 Samuel 7:21-22; Hebrews 5:7-9; Genesis 24:42-45; Romans 1:9-12; 1 John 3:19-23; Hebrews 9:3-14; Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 10:19-22; Romans 3:22-25; Ephesians 3:11-12; 1 John 5:11-14; John 11:40-42; Romans 8:26-28; 1 Corinthians 14
