When we read through the Bible, one thing we notice is that many times individuals prayed for themselves. Hezekiah, for instance, received word from the prophet Isaiah that he should set his house in order because he was going to die. It was upon hearing this awful news that Hezekiah prayed to the Lord (2 Kings 20:1-3). He wanted God to heal him of this deadly illness.
There are times in our lives when we get sick and maybe even near the point of death. During those times many people approach the throne of God in prayer. Is there anything wrong with doing that? Absolutely not! When Hezekiah found out that he was terminally ill, the first thing he did was pray. Peter tells us, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). When I am faced with an illness, I am going to pray. I am going to ask God to please restore my health back if that be his will. You see, like Hezekiah, we must understand that sometimes our prayers are not answered the way that we want. Sometimes we pray to get well but never do. We must always understand that God has a plan for everything. Even those things that we don’t understand, God can use for good. Paul said, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
It is also valuable for us to pray for the strength to overcome temptations. Jesus, talking to his disciples, specifically Peter, said, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). Each and every day that we wake up, we need to pray to God on behalf of ourselves for the strength to overcome the temptations that we will be facing throughout the day. If we want to fight the good fight and live a life of faithfulness, we must have God’s help in dealing with sin. He can provide us with the strength to overcome any obstacle, even the obstacle of temptation.
There are times in our lives when we fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23) and give in to those temptations that we are faced with. When that happens, what are we suppose to do? I am a firm believer that we should pray to God on behalf of ourselves for forgiveness. In fact, that’s what we read in God’s word. John tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John. 1:9). When we are weak in the flesh and give in to sin, we must pray to God and ask Him for forgiveness.
David is a great example of this. In 2 Samuel 11, we read about David’s sin with Bathsheba. We read about adultery, murder, lies and cover-ups. We read about how that one sin led David down a path of sinful behavior. When confronted by Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 12, David realized that he had sinned against the Lord. In Psalm 51 we read a beautiful prayer of forgiveness that David prayed. He had messed up. He had been weak. So He prayed to God asking God to forgive him.
Praying to God on behalf on ourselves is of great value. It is valuable because we are able to pray to God when we are sick asking Him to help heal us or asking Him to be with the doctors and nurses who are going to care for us. It is also valuable because we need to pray daily for the strength to overcome those strong temptations we will be facing. It is when we are weak and give in to these temptations that praying on behalf of ourselves is valuable because we need to seek forgiveness. If we confess, God will forgive!
*** Praying today for all of you my friends ...... and for me!!!***
Have a Super Sunday!!!
Hugs...Love & Blessings
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«´¨`·.¸¸.*Tam!*·¸¸ ..´¨`»
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