Matt. 6:5-8 - And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 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 openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Some declare God doesn't like to ask Him more than once for anything. But this doesn't bear out in scripture. It is hypocritical to pray in such a way that men hear you, and compliment you on your "effective prayers". Some people use verse 6 to prove public praying is wrong. But this passage isn't saying that public praying is wrong. It is saying that when you pray in public, enter into the "closet of your heart" and talk to God. Others will hear your prayer, but that isn't important. What is important is that God hears your prayer.

1. I Thess 5:17 - Pray without ceasing. How can you pray constantly and never repeat the same things? It is not important to marriage partners that they sometimes repeat themselves. It is very important that they talk to one another.

2. Heb. 4:14-16 - Verse 13 - Make comments on each of these verses. Show what a great thing it is for God to want us to come to Him in prayer. Remark that He considers our prayers a very pleasant odor, Rev. 5:8. All things are naked and open before God. God knows all things that we go through, and everything we think. He understands our problems. Let us come boldly (free utterance). We don't have to talk fancy or try to talk around the subject with God. He already knows and understands.

3. Most of the time, we say thinking is praying. I've heard people say they have been thinking about something for a long time. They lead me to believe they count their thinking for praying. This is not so. Our thinking is probably worrying, or trying to figure out a solution to our problem. Let us find ourselves in earnest prayer to God. May God help us to see what real praying is, that we might be actively engaged in true prayer.

4. James 5:15-18 - Pray one for another - with one for another. Verse 17 prayed - proseuchomaw (prayer) earnestly - proseuche (with prayer) actually prayed with a prayer. Speaks of more than just a casual prayer, but the giving of himself in the prayer that God's will might be done. Elijah was a man, and we are men. Elijah was just as we are. There is no difference. We can have the power of God if we will give ourselves totally to the Lord.

5. Luke 11: 1-13 (verse 8) - The food was given, not because the man was his friend, but because of his importunity - his barefaceness. If we desire things of God, let us bare our hearts before him, then He will bless us with His blessings. See Luke 18:1-8. God will hear our prayers, if we pray earnestly that He might bless us. Most of the time we ask once and say that is enough. We ask once because the burden is to very great, and asking once relieves that burden. I pray that God may give us burdens that won't go away by praying once. We ought to cry day and night for deliverance from God. God will avenge his own elect. But when the time comes that Christ will return, will He find people praying to Him for deliverance? Keep on asking - Matt. 7:7, Luke 11:9.

6. Luke 22:44 - When the burden got great, Jesus prayed harder. This is as we ought to do. Let us not sleep on the job!

7. Matt. 17:21 - This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. This passage speaks of prayer and fasting in a much more "continual" fashion. Many of the things we desire to do won't be done quickly, but will be accomplished only after much prayer and fasting.

8. Luke 6:12 - Jesus prayed all night before He chose apostles. Any important work we do for God must be prefaced with much praying. Then and only then will it be successful.

9. John 4:49 - This man asked Christ to heal his son, then didn't go right home and check on him. He believed the promise of Christ concerning his son. This is as we should be.

Acts 12:5 - The church prayed for Peter continually. God heard their prayer and answered them. This is what we desire, an answer to our prayer. But we don't have a will to pray constantly to God that He might hear our prayer.

Luke 18:1-8 - The unjust judge heard and granted the widow woman’s request lest by her continual coming he be wearied. Christ will willingly avenge His elect - in His own time and in His own way. Verse 8 - Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? When Jesus comes back, will He find His people still praying, or will we be "thinking" about our problems, and trying to come up with a solution?