Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is Psalm 86:7 which reads: “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

David was in a special manner earnest with God in prayer when he was in affliction: “In the day of my trouble, whatever others do, I will call upon thee, and commit my case to thee, for thou wilt hear and answer me, and I shall not seek in vain, as those did who cried, O Baal! hear us; but there was no voice, nor any that regarded.” It is thus our duty to pray always, without ceasing, and to continue instant in prayer; and then we may hope to have our prayers heard which we make in the time of trouble, if we have made conscience of the duty at other times, at all times. It is comfortable if an affliction finds the wheels of prayer a-going, and that they are not then to be set a-going.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from Bill Thrasher. He said: “As we seek to obey the Spirit’s guidance in prayer, let me tell you what will often happen – nothing! But sometimes “nothing” means that the Spirit desires to slow us down and lead us into silence. Our society is addicted to noise, and for that reason we are often insensitive to the Spirit of God.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 19 of our series titled “ASKING REALLY FULFILLS ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER” from Dr. John R. Rice.

So I say that asking covers all the conditions, all the requirements to get things from God.

Yes, to teach that we ought to be persistent in prayer is to teach the truth; but that is not all the truth. The full truth includes the fact that many, many times God hears those who pray about a matter only once, then drop it. The truth includes the fact that people oftentimes ask of God and in despair they give up and faint, but a merciful and kind God who loves His own frail and weak children does not forget as easily as we do; and He often gives the answer that was desired and longed for even when the one who prayed had ceased to expect it!

How often I have prayed for something, then because of lack of faith, or because I had been overwhelmed, it seemed, with other duties or interests, I have dropped the prayer; then later the answer came and I hardly remembered at first that I had asked for the thing I was so glad to get! Oh, God does not answer us according to our merits but according to His grace! God is more faithful to answer than we are to ask. “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” He knows the desire of our heart, the earnest need, even though we do not have faith to expect it, or strength to continue praying. Persistence in prayer is fine. Oh, that we were more steadfast in daily taking to God all of our needs and claiming all of His bounties! Persistence is a part and parcel of asking.

But even weak asking often gets great blessings from God. And when the Saviour gave us a wonderful promise about the answer that comes to persistent praying, He was not putting that as a limitation on prayer nor as the absolute minimum requirement. In that the Saviour was only making a broader promise for those who seemed not to have much faith, or for those who could not, they felt, ask wholly in Jesus’ name, or who could not meet some other precious promise. This is simply another open door to God for those who feel they cannot enter in as well by some other promise.

So if you want things from God, just pray; simply ask God! Earnest asking meets all God’s requirements.

+ Plus, listen to the City Harmonic singing “Manifesto”

Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is Psalm 119:145-146 which reads: “I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes. I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

Here we notice that David directed his prayer to God: “I cried unto thee.” Whither should the child go but to his father when any thing ails him? The great thing he prayed for was salvation: “Save me.” A short prayer (for we mistake if we think we shall be heard for our much speaking), but a comprehensive prayer: “Not only rescue me from ruin, but make me happy.’’ We need desire no more than God’s salvation and the things that accompany it. He was earnest for an answer; and not only looked up in his prayers, but looked up after them, to see what became of them: “Lord, hear me, and let me know that thou hearest me.’’ We also notice David’s good purposes, by which he bound himself to duty when he was in the pursuit of mercy. “I will keep thy statutes; I am resolved that by thy grace I will;’’ for, if we turn away our ear from hearing the law, we cannot expect an answer of peace to our prayers. This purpose is used as a humble plea: “Save me from my sins, my corruptions, my temptations, all the hindrances that lie in my way, that I may keep thy testimonies.’’ We must cry for salvation, not that we may have the ease and comfort of it, but that we may have an opportunity of serving God the more cheerfully.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from Leonard Ravenhill. He said: “The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Power helpeth our infirmity in prayer. The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Life ends our deadness in prayer. The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Wisdom delivers us from ignorance in this holy art of prayer. The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Fire delivers us from coldness in prayer. The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Might comes to our aid in our weakness as we pray.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 18 of our series titled “ASKING REALLY FULFILLS ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER” from Dr. John R. Rice.

Persistence in prayer has the promise of an answer. Now in the parable of the unjust judge the widow troubled the ungodly judge so that finally he gave her her petition, as he said, “lest by her continual coming she weary me”; then promised, “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.”

Persistence in prayer has the promise of an answer. How many precious promises are given to those who wait upon the Lord. They shall not be ashamed, they shall inherit the earth, they shall renew their strength, and the Lord is good to them. And waiting certainly means persistence in prayer. All the instances in the Bible where people fasted and prayed are implied promises that if we continue stedfastly in prayer we, too, shall see the blessing.

But is not persistence simply asking? Is it not simply praying and keeping on praying? There is no time limit on prayer. Sometimes the heart-cry in the fraction of a second is heard and answered. Sometimes people have waited on God for years before they got the desire of their hearts. But these cases all alike are covered by the blessed promise in Matthew 7:7-8 which reads, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” In fact, the very tense used here implies that one who persistently asks, and persistently seeks, and persistenly knocks, receives and finds and has God’s door opened to him.

So I say that asking covers all the conditions, all the requirements to get things from God.

+ Plus, listen to Deitrick Haddon singing “Prayer Changes Things”

Our prayer motivator verse from the Word of God today is Psalm 119:145-146 which reads: “I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes. I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

Here we have, David’s good prayers, by which he sought to God for mercy; these he mentions here, not as boasting of them, or trusting to any merit in them, but reflecting upon them with comfort, that he had taken the appointed way to comfort. We observe here that he was inward with God in prayer; he prayed with his heart, and prayer is acceptable no further than the heart goes along with it. Lip-labour, if that be all, is lost labour. He was importunate with God in prayer; he cried, as one in earnest, with fervour of affection and a holy vehemence and vigour of desire. He cried with his whole heart; all the powers of his soul were not only engaged and employed, but exerted to the utmost, in his prayers. Then we are likely to speed when we thus strive and wrestle in prayer.

We will discuss this verse further in our next broadcast.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from William Barclay. He said: “We are trying not so much to make God listen to us as to make ourselves listen to him; we are trying not to persuade God to do what we want, but to find out what he wants us to do. It so often happens that in prayer we are really saying, “Thy will be changed,” when we ought to be saying, ‘Thy will be done.’ The first object of prayer is not so much to speak to God as to listen to him.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 17 of our series titled “ASKING REALLY FULFILLS ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER” from Dr. John R. Rice.

The greatest answers to prayer in the Bible followed the petition of only one person. For example, at the faith and command of Joshua alone, the sun stood still in the heavens for about the space of a full day. Joshua 10:13 says, “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.”

King Hezekiah alone prayed, even against the discouragement of the Prophet Isaiah and the revelation from God that he was to die. God heard him and added fifteen years to his life. Isaiah 38:5 reads, “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.”

Elijah alone in Israel prayed and it rained not for three years and six months. Again he prayed and it rained. Again he alone prayed and the fire came down from Heaven to burn up the sacrifice and turn the hearts of all Israel back to God.

Peter put everybody out of the room and kneeled down by the body of Dorcas and prayed, and she was raised from the dead. Acts 9:40 says, “But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.”

Again and again in history, one person has prayed and God has done marvels. If others agree with you in prayer, that is blessed. If they do not, still all the resources of Heaven are at your command if you simply pray. Just ask God, and in this sincere, earnest asking, all God’s conditions are met.

+ Plus, listen to Casting Crowns singing “What If His People Prayed?”

Our prayer motivator verse for today is Romans 8:26, which reads: “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.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

According to the will of God, the Spirit in the heart never contradicts the Spirit in the word. Those desires that are contrary to the will of God do not come from the Spirit. The Spirit interceding in us evermore melts our wills into the will of God. “Not as I will, but as thou wilt.” The sure success of these intercessions: “He that searches the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit.” To a hypocrite, all whose religion lies in his tongue, nothing is more dreadful than that God searches the heart and sees through all his disguises. To a sincere Christian, who makes heart-work of his duty, nothing is more comfortable than that God searches the heart, for then he will hear and answer those desires which we want words to express. He knows what we have need of before we ask. He knows what is the mind of his own Spirit in us. And, as he always hears the Son interceding for us, so he always hears the Spirit interceding in us, because his intercession is according to the will of God. What could have been done more for the comfort of the Lord’s people, in all their addresses to God? Christ had said, “Whatever you ask the Father according to his will he will give it you.’’ But how shall we learn to ask according to his will? Why, the Spirit will teach us that. Therefore it is that the seed of Jacob never seek in vain. The concurrence of all providences for the good of those that are Christ’s, It might be objected that, notwithstanding all these privileges, we see believers compassed about with manifold afflictions; though the Spirit makes intercession for them, yet their troubles are continued. It is very true; but in this the Spirit’s intercession is always effectual, that, however it goes with them, all this is working together for their good.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from A.W. Pink. He said: “The prevailing idea seems to be, that I come to God and ask Him for something that I want, and that I expect Him to give me that which I have asked. But this is a most dishonouring and degading conception. The popular belief reduces God to a servant, our servant: doing our bidding, performing our pleasure, granting our desires. No, prayer is a coming to God, telling Him my need, committing my way unto the Lord, and leaving Him to deal with it as seemeth Him best.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 16 of our series titled “ASKING REALLY FULFILLS ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER” from Dr. John R. Rice.

We do not need a group of prominent citizens to bring political influence upon God when we pray! We do not need the “pull” of somebody else seemingly more favored of God than we are, when we come to pray. God is no respector of persons. The weakest of His children stand before Him, in some measure, in all the beauty and worth of Jesus Christ who has taken his place.

So if you can get someone else perfectly agreed with you on the petition to help you ask God for it, you may do so with assurance. But make sure that God does not require this before you can get your prayers answered. This is not a condition, simply an extra opportunity for prayer.

The greatest answers to prayer in the Bible followed the petition of only one person. For example, Moses alone prayed before God until He agreed to spare rebellious Israel, and God repents when He had planned to blot them out of His book. Exodus 32:9-14 reads, “And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.”

Again and again in history, one person has prayed and God has done marvels.

+ Plus, listen to Daniel Whyte Jr. singing “Pray”

Our prayer motivator verse for today is Romans 8:26, which reads: “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.”

Allow me to share with you some important points regarding this verse from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

The Spirit itself makes intercession for us, dictates our requests, indites our petitions, draws up our plea for us. Christ intercedes for us in heaven, the Spirit intercedes for us in our hearts; so graciously has God provided for the encouragement of the praying remnant. The Spirit, as an enlightening Spirit, teaches us what to pray for, as a sanctifying Spirit works and excites praying graces, as a comforting Spirit silences our fears, and helps us over all our discouragements. The Holy Spirit is the spring of all our desires and breathings towards God. Now this intercession which the Spirit makes is “With groanings that cannot be uttered.” The strength and fervency of those desires which the Holy Spirit works are hereby intimated. There may be praying in the Spirit where there is not a word spoken; as Moses prayed and Hannah. It is not the rhetoric and eloquence, but the faith and fervency, of our prayers, that the Spirit works, as an intercessor, in us. These prayers “Cannot be uttered;” they are so confused, the soul is in such a hurry with temptations and troubles, we know not what to say, nor how to express ourselves. Here is the Spirit interceding with groans that cannot be uttered. When we can but cry, Abba, Father, and refer ourselves to him with a holy humble boldness, this is the work of the Spirit.

We will discuss this verse further in the next broadcast.

Our prayer motivator quote today is from Thomas Manton. He said: “One way to get comfort is to plead the promise of God in prayer, show Him His handwriting; God is tender of His Word.”

Our prayer motivator devotional today is part 15 of our series titled “ASKING REALLY FULFILLS ALL OTHER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF PRAYER” from Dr. John R. Rice.

Where two are agreed in asking, it shall be done for them. Matthew 18:19 says, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

Again let us see that this is not an extra condition of prayer which all must meet. Rather, it is simply an extra encouragement to pray, an extra promise. When two people can agree not simply to ask a thing but as touching the thing they shall ask, the Scripture says that they shall receive. That means that with two people, each would be encouraged to believe because the other believed. It means that with two people carefully listening to the Holy Spirit’s instructions, they would feel surer of His leading when He helped them to pray for certain things. If one person understands the Scripture to promise a certain thing, and if the second person comes to exactly the same opinion and says, “Yes, I, too, believe that God’s Word authorizes us to make this request, to pray this prayer,” then naturally they can be more bold in prayer. Two people might each check the other to see that the prayer is not selfish. We are even commanded, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” So when hearts are knit together and guided by the Word and by the Holy Spirit, they can receive from God the things they are perfectly agreed upon in their prayer.

But it is still true that if one trusts the Lord, he may move mountains if there is not another person in the world to agree with him in prayer. If one meets God’s promises, those promises are plain and sure. If one is led by the Spirit of God, he may be just as sure that he prays in the will of God as if there were a thousand praying.

+ Plus, listen to Lecrae singing “Praying for You”