7 People Who Ought To Pray (I Sam. 12:23)

7 People Who Ought To Pray

I Sam. 12:23

“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.” (I Sam. 12:23)

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."--Jer. 33:3.

Moses cried out to God, and God spared Israel from judgment.
Joshua’s prayer made the sun stand still.

Hannah’s prayer was answered with a baby boy.

Solomon got wisdom in answer to his prayer.

Elijah prayed and fire came down from Heaven and devoured  the sacrifice on Mount Carmel.

Jonah’s prayer brought him out of the belly of the whale.

Elisha prayed for a double portion of the Spirit, God gave it to him.

Jabez prayed for God to bless him, enlarge his coasts, for God’s hand to be with him, and keep him from evil, and God granted his request!

Ten lepers prayed and were instantaneously healed.

Peter prayed, and Dorcas arose from the dead.

The thief on the cross prayed and was saved immediately.

The early church prayed, and the place was shaken where they were gathered together.

Peter got out of jail in answer to the early Christians’ prayers.

Paul and Silas prayed  and the door of the Philippian jail fell off .

So, why don’t we really pray?

It is fascinating to read of the accounts of the prayers of the saints of God in the Bible. But don’t we serve the same God? Shouldn’t we also pray?

Church history books will stir up your soul, too, as you read how God answered the prayers of George Mueller of Bristol and David Brainerd of New England. J. Hudson Taylor and Charles Finney believed the Bible and got the power of God through answered prayer. They called upon God, and He answered them and showed them
great and mighty things which they knew not.

It was Abraham Lincoln who said, "Many times I have been forced to my knees, realizing there was simply no other place to go."

George Washington met the crisis of Valley Forge on his knees in prayer.

In a speech to the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin reminded the delegates of the daily prayer to God for the guidance and protection that they had offered. Stonewall Jackson said, "I have so fixed the habit in my mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without lifting my heart to God in thanks and prayer for the Water of Life."

The Bible is filled with promises to modern-day Christians, and God still promises to hear and answer prayer.

We read in

John 14:13,14, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
John 15:7 says, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

First John 3:22 reads, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

First John 5:14,15 tells us, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." Matthew 7:7 reads, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

 Matthew 21:22 we read, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

James 4:2 we are told, "Ye have not, because ye ask not."

7 People Who Ought To Pray

1. People in Trouble Ought to Pray. The psalmist said, "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles" (Ps. 34:6).

2. People Who Need Wisdom Ought to Pray. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1:5).

3. People Who Need Power Ought to Pray. Jesus said, "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?  Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:11-13).

4. People Who Want Revival Ought to Pray. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II
Chron. 7:14).

5. People Who Want Cleansing Ought to Pray. David prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23,24).

6. People Who Want to Know God’s Way Ought to Pray. Moses prayed, "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people"
(Exod. 33:13).

7. People Who Want to Be Saved Ought to Pray. Peter cried out, "Lord, save me" (Matt. 14:30). The Apostle Paul admonished us to "Pray without ceasing" (I Thess. 5:17). Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).

Someone has said, "God waits to do the will of praying men." Remember that prayer is the Christian’s greatest privilege. It is his greatest tool, his greatest weapon and his greatest opportunity. It is the key to God’s storehouse, the switch to God’s power station and the greatest work in which one can become involved. May all of us say, with Samuel, "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you" (I Sam. 12:23).