Help in Time of Need
Psalm 116:1 - 4, NLT
I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Please, Lord, save me!"
James 5:13 - 14, NKJV
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Romans 8:26 - 27, HBFV
Now in the same way also, the Spirit is conjointly helping our weaknesses because we do not fully understand what we should pray for, according as it is necessary, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed by us.
And the One Who searches the hearts comprehends what the strivings of the Spirit are because it makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
John 14:13 - 15, GW
I [Jesus] will do anything you ask the Father in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son. If you ask me to do something, I will do it. If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
1John 5:14 - 15, HBFV
And this is the confidence that we have toward Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we may ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.
1John 3:22, Darby
And whatsoever we ask [in prayer] we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and practice the things which are pleasing in his sight.
John 16:23 - 24, 26 - 27, HBFV
And in that day you shall ask Me nothing. Truly, truly I tell you, whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until this day, you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full . . .
In that day, you shall ask in My name; and I do not tell you that I will beseech the Father for you, for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
Prayer Goals
Matthew 5:43 - 44, HBFV
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I [Jesus] say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you . . .
1Timothy 2:1 - 4, TEV
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.
This is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.
How Often?
1Thessalonians 5:17 - 18, KJV
Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Philippians 4:6, TLB
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank him for his answers.
Ephesians 6:18, GNB
Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.
Psalm 5:1 - 3, NASB
Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
Romans 1:9, NLT
God knows how often I [Apostle Paul] pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.
Attitude and Faith
James 1:5 - 8, HBFV
However, if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to everyone freely and does not reproach the one who asks; and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith, not doubting at all because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven by the wind and tossed to and fro.
Do not let that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Hebrews 11:6, ERV
Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.
Luke 18:10 - 11, 13 - 14, ASV
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee [religious person], and the other a publican [tax collector]. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican . . .
But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. I [Jesus] say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other . . .
Hebrews 4:16, HBFV
Therefore, we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Psalm 51:17, ERV
The sacrifice that God wants is a humble spirit. God, you will not turn away someone who comes with a humble heart and is willing to obey you.
1Timothy 2:8, CEV
I want everyone everywhere to lift innocent hands toward heaven and pray, without being angry or arguing with each other.
Persistence Matters
Luke 18:1 - 8, NIV
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.
"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly."
Luke 11:9 - 10, HCSB
So I [Jesus] say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Romans 12:12, HCSB
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.
Why Requests Are Rejected
Matthew 6:5 - 8, TEV
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I [Jesus] assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words [repetition], as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.
James 4:2 - 3, HBFV
You lust, and have not; you kill, and are jealous, and are not able to obtain; you fight and quarrel, but still you do not have, because you do not ask. Then you ask, and you do not receive, because you ask with evil motives, that you may consume it on your own lusts.
Isaiah 1:15 - 17, NET
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way; when you offer your many prayers, I do not listen, because your hands are covered with blood.
Wash! Cleanse yourselves! Remove your sinful deeds from my sight. Stop sinning! Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow!
Psalm 66:17 - 18, GNB
I cried to him for help; I praised him with songs. If I had ignored my sins, the Lord would not have listened to me.
1Peter 3:12, WEB
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
Proverbs 28:9, WEB
He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [hearing and obeying God's commandments], even his prayer is an abomination.
An End Time Warning
Luke 21:34 - 36, HBFV
Watch yourselves, lest your hearts be preoccupied with high living and drinking and the cares of this life [in the end time], and that day come upon you suddenly. For as a snare it shall come upon all those who dwell on the face of the earth.
Watch therefore, and pray at all times that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.