In verse 9, Solomon asks for a discerning heart, a heart to understand what is right and wrong. This goes beyond asking for knowing what is right and wrong. We cannot gain wisdom if we know without understanding. Solomon realizes this and thus asks God to fill him with understanding, not mere knowledge. This is how we should ask for wisdom. Asking God For What We Need, Not Want

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. One of the most significant and powerful prayers in the Bible is Jabez’s prayer for strength and protection in the book of Chronicles. From 1 Chronicles 4: 2-21, Jabez was mentioned as part of Judah’s genealogy. The author of Chronicles gave a short history of Jabez’s name and his short prayer to God. Although short, it was also a powerful prayer for protection . He believed that he had a great purpose to accomplish, and he asked God to help. Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Luke 2:22-35

Jesus did not hesitate to take his petition up to God even though he knows he can talk about it to his disciples. However, Jesus knows that God is the only way and source of comfort that he needs. In times of trouble, we can always turn to our friends and family, but who we truly need is only God. God’s Will Above Ours

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One of the most powerful prayers in the Bible made by women that we ought to look at is Hannah’s. Hannah was a faith-filled woman but faced the problem of barrenness, which was once c onsidered shameful. Hannah prayed to the Lord in the temple of Shiloh for a son and vowed that she will dedicate her child to Him. The Lord granted her prayer and gave her a son whom she called Samuel. This prayer of adoration was made by Hannah in gratitude. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group. The immediate action Hezekiah took after receiving a letter of battle that ridiculed his faith in God was to seek God in hopeful prayer and petition. Neither did Hezekiah complain nor wallow in self-pity. He simply chose God. “As a child bringing his broken toy to his father for repair, so Hezekiah laid the issues in God’s sight for resolution.” (Patterson and Austel) Declaring Who God Is Strengthens Courage

Find more prayers by topic at Crosswalk.com including prayers for healing, prayer for strength, prayers for protection, morning prayers and more! With the impending invasion of the enemy, King Jehoshaphat called upon the people of Judah to seek God. Then in front of the great assembly, Jehoshaphat prayed, reminding God of His character and His promises to give Israel the land they inhabited: We should always confess our sins so that we can receive forgiveness from God. Prayer of Healing and DeliveranceMany Christians—even those of us who serve as pastors—would confess that our prayer lives are not what they ought to be. Despite our best intentions and most recent resolutions, we often find that the discipline of daily prayer leads to frustration and guilt rather than freedom and joy. How does something that ought to be considered a privilege become a begrudging obligation? How is it that we, in the words of Donald Whitney, “can be talking to the most fascinating Person in the universe about the most important things in our lives and be bored to death?” (p. 12). In Praying the Bible, Whitney argues that the problem may be as simple as this: we tend to pray the same prayers about the same issues over and over. Father God we thank you for reconciling us through Jesus Christ, and we praise you for choosing to make redeemed sinners like us your gospel ambassadors to this broken world. Please continue to equip us and use us in your redemptive mission as you graciously bring peace to sinners. Sanctify us for your glory as we confess, repent of, and remember the trespasses that we’ve committed against you. Keep us all humble as we seek reconciliation with other people we’ve wronged. Protect us with the Holy Spirit from our spirit of pride whenever we serve our families, our church, our coworkers, or strangers in need. Though we don’t deserve your forgiveness, we praise you for the unfathomable love and grace that you demonstrate at the cross. Please nourish our hearts daily this week with the words of the Bible and give us courage to proclaim your gospel boldly to all. We pray all this in the name of Jesus and for his sake. Amen. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Life is a present from God. And He is the only one that has the power to give life and preserve life. Make it a daily habit to thank God for keeping us alive. We may not be facing the life-threatening situations David went through as seen in verse 9 (thank God for this too!) but it always pleases God when we thank Him for preserving our lives to do His good works. Be Bold And Give Thanks Aloud You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalms 30 1 I will exalt you, LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. 3 You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. 4 Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. 6 When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”

Note how Hezekiah ended off his prayer in verse 19 –“ so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”. Hezekiah’s request for deliverance was not rooted in self-interest but God’s. He asks for deliverance so that God may be glorified. When we face trials and challenges, it is okay to ask for deliverance from God. But the best pleas are those for God’s honor. This is why the Lord’s prayer begins with “Hallowed be thy name” and ends with “ For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever”. All glory to our God. When You Seek For Courage, Be Certain Hezekiah’s Prayer (2 Kings 19:15-19): And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. In response to the criminal’s great faith, Jesus promised him that the criminal will be with him in paradise. In this case, we can interpret paradise as heaven. And the promise is eternal life with God and Jesus in heaven. Repentance Can Happen Anywhere, Anytime But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” – At the end of his prayer, Jonah recommits himself in obedience to God again. I urge everyone to start our day with a prayer that recommits ourselves to God, reminding ourselves that God is the Lord over our lives, not us. God’s Timing Is Always PerfectFor this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (verses 14–19)