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by Harriet G. Croskey (Author)
Praying is asking YHWH (with inserted vowels YAHWEH transliterated
JEHOVAH commonly interpreted the LORD). Praying the Word of God develops faith because praying Scripture assures that we are asking in keeping with the LORD God's will. In other words, "God said so, therefore we say so". Hence, prayer in keeping with God's Word assures that we are asking that which the LORD God has already gifted for the benefit of mankind. More specifically, The Blessing of Abraham (material blessings) and the fullness thereof (spiritual blessings, authority) by the redemptive work of Christ Jesus. Among many titles and/or descriptors of Jesus the Anointed One and His Anointing, the Prophet Isaiah (53:12) referred to Him prophetically as the Great Intercessor. Indeed, the Lord Jesus proved no stranger to prayer; praying even amid The Passion (refer to Luke 23:34). The Lord Jesus said, God the Father already knows what we need (refer to Matthew 6:8); to which it might be asked, "if God already knows what we need, why do we have to pray/ask?" Humanity must pray/ask because Genesis 1:26-28 tells us that the LORD gave man (i.e., male, female) dominion over the earth; and through the Prophet Isaiah (55:11), God firmly relays that whatever He says never returns void. Therefore, as
John Wesley stated, ". . . (God) can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks Him." The Apostle Paul relayed that those who comprise the Body of Christ by the blood of Jesus are to pray all kinds of prayers, and requests, especially Holy Spirit led prayer (Ephesians 6:18). The Apostle John relayed in 1 John 5:14-15 that, when those who comprise the Body of Christ pray in keeping with God's will for our lives, we may be assured of manifestation. The only exception is that we are not asked to pray about the sin which leads to death (refer to 1 John 5:16). Jude relayed (v 20) that praying in the Spirit develops faith.
To which it might be asked, "What does developing faith have to do with prayer?" Except for salvation which simply requires repentance as well as believing and confessing the Lord Jesus, the issue of whether to pray/ask the LORD God once or repeatedly depends on faith development. The quality of relationship with the LORD God through the Lord Jesus, and revelation of the information in God's Word through the Teaching of the Holy Spirit strengthens "the measure of faith." That is, the answer regarding whether a particular request via prayer is to be "once-and-done" or repetitive correlates to the development of the measure of faith gifted because faith is belief. Effective prayer correlates to believing in God as well as believing God.
