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PRAYER
The "Lord's Prayer"
This, then, is how you
should pray:
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in
heaven.
Give us today our daily
bread.
Forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven
our debtors.
And lead us not into
temptation,
But deliver us from the
evil one."
(Matthew 6:9-13)
Prayer:
a reverent petition made
to God
Prayer is a hallmark
of the Christian faith.
The importance of prayer
is emphasized throughout
the Bible--from the Old
Testament to the New
Testament. Jesus Christ
set the example for
prayer. He prayed
regularly and took time
to teach His disciples
how to pray.
The essence of prayer
is communication, and
its main purpose is to
develop and maintain a
close relationship with
God. God's response to
our prayers depends less
upon what we ask of Him,
and more upon the
attitude of our heart
and its inclination to
please God and live
according to His will.
Synopsis
The Lord God Almighty,
the creator of all
things, gives us a
personal invitation to
pray to Him.1
We develop our
relationship with God by
drawing near to
Him--humbly and
reverently coming into
His presence.2,3
The purpose of prayer is
not to change God's mind
or convince Him of our
needs. God knows our
needs before we ask.4
Jesus Christ, our
Lord and Savior, was
well aware of the
im¬portance of prayer.
Throughout His ministry
on earth, Christ set an
example of a
prayer-filled life and
encouraged others to
follow His example. As
Christians, we should
devote our lives to
prayer.5,6
Prayer is not
intended to be something
we do only on special
occasions when we are
hurting, or when we need
something from God. To
be sure, praying when we
are in trouble,7
sick,8
or in need of a miracle,9
are completely
acceptable reasons to
pray. However, prayer
should not be limited to
any particular topics.
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This is what the LORD
says, he who made the
earth,
the LORD who formed it
and established it-the
LORD is
his name: "Call to me
and I will answer you
and tell you
great and unsearchable
things you do not know."
(Jeremiah 33:2-3)1
Come near to God and he
will come near to you.
(James 4:8)2
It is good to be near to
God.
(Psalm 73:28)3
For your Father knows
what you need before you
ask him.
(Matthew 6:8)4
Devote yourselves to
prayer, being watchful
and thankful.
(Colossians 4:2)5
Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.
(Romans 12:12)6
Is any one of you in
trouble? He should pray.
(James 5:13)7
And the prayer offered
in faith will make the
sick person well;
the Lord will raise him
up.
(James 5:15)8
O LORD my God, I called
to you for help and you
healed me.
(Psalm 30:2)9
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The Bible encourages
us to "pray continually"
and give thanks in "all
circumstances."10
Jesus told His disciples
that they should "always
pray and not give up."11
Ideally, our
entire lives (actions,
thoughts, and deeds)
should be conducted in a
prayerful manner-abiding
in Christ,12
doing what is pleasing
to Him,13
and seeking His will.14
In addition to
encouraging a personal
prayer life, the Bible
empha-sizes the power of
corporate prayer--two or
more Christians coming
together and praying for
a common cause.15,16
The members of the the
early church recognized
the importance of
communal prayer; they
devoted themselves to
the apostles' teaching,
to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread, and
to prayer.17
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Be joyful always; pray
continually; give thanks
in all
circumstances, for this
is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians
5:16-18)10
Then Jesus told His
disciples a parable to
show them
that they should always
pray and not give up.
(Luke 18:1)11
If you remain in me and
my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish,
and it will be given to
you.
(John 15:7)12
Dear friends, if our
hearts do not condemn
us, we have
confidence before God
and receive from him
anything we ask,
because we obey his
commands and do what
pleases him.
(1 John 3:21-22)13
This is the confidence
we have in approaching
God:
that if we ask anything
according to his will,
he hears us.
(1 John 5:14)14
Again, I tell you that
if two of you on earth
agree about anything
you ask for, it will be
done for you by my
Father in heaven. For
where two or three come
together in my name,
there am I with them.
(Matthew 18:19-20)15
They all joined together
constantly in prayer,
along with the
women and Mary the
mother of Jesus, and
with his brothers.
(Acts 1:12)16
They devoted themselves
to the apostles'
teaching and to the
fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to
prayer.
(Acts 2:42)17
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As mentioned earlier,
there is no exclusive or
preferred topic of
prayer; the Bible
encourages us to pray
for everything and for
everyone, including
ourselves.18-20
Because of the limitless
possibilities for
prayer, it is perhaps
not surprising that the
disciples of Jesus
Christ asked Him to
teach them how to pray.21
In response to this
request, Jesus provided
the "model" prayer for
Christians, which has
come to be called the
"Lord's Prayer."
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Do not be anxious about
anything, but in
everything, by prayer
and petition, with
thanksgiving, present
your requests to God.
(Philippians 4:6)18
I urge, then, first of
all, that requests,
prayers, intercession
and thanksgiving be made
for everyone-for kings
and all
|those
in authority, that we
may live peaceful and
quiet lives in all
godliness and holiness.
(1 Timothy 2:1-2)19
And pray in the Spirit
on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers
and requests. With this
in mind, be alert and
always keep on
praying for all the
saints.
(Ephesians 6:18)20
One day Jesus was
praying in a certain
place.
When he finished, one of
his disciples said to
him,
"Lord, teach us to pray,
just as John taught his
disciples."
(Luke 11:1)21
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The "Lord's
Prayer"
The Lord's Prayer
highlights five major
topics for prayer.
1. Praise and
Worship:22
We pray to give thanks
to God,23
to praise Him,24
and to glorify His name.25
2. Submission
to God's Will:
We pray for God's will
to be done on earth as
it is in heaven.26
The mission of Jesus was
to do the will of His
Father.27
We also are to
submit our will to God's
will.28
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Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
(Matthew 6:9)22
Give thanks to the LORD,
for he is good.
His love endures
forever.
(Psalm 136:1)23
Praise the LORD, O my
soul; all my inmost
being,
praise his holy name.
(Psalm 103:1)24
I will glorify your name
forever.
(Psalm 86:12)25
Your kingdom come,
your will be done on
earth as it is in
heaven.
(Matthew 6:10)26
For I have come down
from heaven not to do my
will
but to do the will of
him who sent me.
(John 6:38)27
Submit yourselves, then,
to God.
(James 4:7)28
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3. Petitions and
Requests: There
are many examples given
in the Bible. Here are
but a few:
· For our basic needs
to be met.29
· For physical
healing.30,31
· For strength32
and boldness.33
· For wisdom34
and guidance.35,36
· For help37
and safety.38
· For protection
from our enemies.39
· For one
another.40,41
· For those who
persecute42
or mistreat us.43
· For evangelism.44-47
4. Confession
and Forgiveness:
We confess our sins and
pray that our sins will
be forgiven--just as we
have forgiven those who
have sinned against us.48-50
5.
Deliverance from
Temptation and the Power
of the Devil:
We pray that we will not
fall into temptation and
that we will be
delivered from the evil
one [the devil].51-53
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Give us today our daily
bread.
(Matthew 6:11)29
Is any one of you sick?
He should call the
elders of the church
to pray over him and
anoint him with oil in
the name of the
Lord. And the prayer
offered in faith will
make the
sick person well; the
Lord will raise him up.
(James 5:14-15)30
Therefore confess your
sins to each other and
pray for each other so
that you may be healed.
(James 5:16)31
I pray that out of his
glorious riches he may
strengthen you
with power through his
Spirit in your inner
being.
(Ephesians 3:16)32
When I called, you
answered me; you made me
bold and stouthearted.
(Psalm 138:3)33
If any of you lacks
wisdom, he should ask
God,
who gives generously to
all without finding
fault,
and it will be given to
him.
(James 1:5)34
Show me your ways, O
LORD, teach me your
paths.
(Psalm 25:4)35
You guide me with your
counsel, and afterward
you will take me into
glory.
(Psalm 73:24)36
Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my Savior.
(Psalm 38:22)37
Keep me safe, O God, for
in you I take refuge.
(Psalm 16:1)38
Hide me in the shadow of
your wings from the
wicked
who assail me, from my
mortal enemies who
surround me.
(Psalm 17:8-9)39
Therefore confess your
sins to each other
and pray for each other
so that you may be
healed.
(James 5:16)40
I urge you, brothers, by
our Lord Jesus Christ
and by the love of the
Spirit,
to join me in my
struggle by praying to
God for me.
(Romans 15:30)41
But I tell you: Love
your enemies and pray
for those who persecute
you, that you may be
sons of your Father in
heaven.
(Matthew 5:44)42
Bless those who curse
you, pray for those who
mistreat you.
(Luke 6:28)43
Pray also for me, that
whenever I open my
mouth, words may be
given me so that I will
fearlessly make known
the mystery of the
gospel.
(Ephesians 6:19)44
And pray for us, too,
that God may open a door
for our message, so that
we may proclaim the
mystery of Christ, for
which I am in chains.
(Colossians 4:3)45
Finally, brothers, pray
for us that the message
of the Lord may spread
rapidly and be honored,
just as it was with you.
(2 Thessalonians 3:1)46
Then he [Jesus] said to
his disciples, "The
harvest is plentiful
but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into
his harvest field."
(Matthew 9:37-38)47
Forgive us our debts, as
we also have forgiven
our debtors.
(Matthew 6:12)48
If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just
to forgive
us our sins, and purify
us from all
unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9)49
Then I acknowledged my
sin to you and did not
cover up
my iniquity. I said, "I
will confess my
transgressions
to the LORD"-and you
forgave the guilt of my
sin.
(Psalm 32:5)50
And lead us not into
temptation,
but deliver us from the
evil one.
(Matthew 6:13)51
Watch and pray that you
will not fall into
temptation.
The spirit is willing,
but the body is weak.
(Matthew 26:41)52
My prayer is not that
you take them out of
this world but
that you protect them
from the evil one.
(John 17:15)53
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There is no "magic
formula" for prayer--no
exclusive "posture" or
preferred method for
approaching and drawing
near to God. The Bible
reveals that Jesus
sometimes knelt when He
prayed.54
At other times He
prayed while standing
and looking up,55
or bowing down with His
face to the ground.56
At times He prayed in
public.57
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He [Jesus] withdrew
about a stone's throw
beyond
them, knelt down and
prayed.
(Luke 22:41)54
After Jesus said this,
he looked toward heaven
and prayed.
(John 17:1)55
Going a little farther,
he [Jesus] fell to the
ground and prayed
that if possible the
hour might pass from
him.
(Mark 14:35)56
At that time Jesus, full
of joy through the Holy
Spirit, said, "I praise
you, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth,
because you have hidden
these things from the
wise and learned, and
revealed them to little
children.
Yes, Father, for this
was your good pleasure.
(Luke 10:21)57
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At other times He
pulled away from His
disciples, and prayed by
Himself, alone and far
away from others.58,59
It appears that Jesus
may have had an
established pattern of
getting up early in the
morning to pray.60
However, He also
prayed at night and on
at least one occasion,
He went out to a
mountain top and prayed
all night to His
heavenly Father.61
Although prayer can
take place under many
different circumstances
and take many different
forms, not all prayers
are equally acceptable
in God's sight. There
are many different
hindrances to prayer
mentioned in the Bible.
All of the factors cited
below may seriously
impede God's answers to
our prayers:
· Sin:
God does not easily
listen to the prayers of
sinners; those who are
unrepentant and who
willfully cherish sin in
their hearts.62-64
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But Jesus often withdrew
to lonely places and
prayed.
(Luke 5:16)58
After leaving them, he
[Jesus] went up on a
mountainside to pray.
(Mark 6:46)59
Very early in the
morning, while it was
still dark, Jesus got
up,
left the house and went
off to a solitary place,
where he prayed.
(Mark 1:35)60
One of those days Jesus
went out to a
mountainside to pray,
and spent the night
praying to God.
(Luke
6:12)61
If I had cherished sin
in my heart,
the Lord
would not
have listened.
(Psalm
66:18)62
We know that God does
not listen to sinners.
(John 9:31)63
But your iniquities have
separated you from your
God;
your sins have hidden
his face from you, so
that he will not hear.
(Isaiah 59:2)64
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Ignoring
God's Laws: If
you turn a "deaf ear" to
God's laws, as contained
in the Bible, your
prayers are detestable
to Him.65
· Wickedness:
God distances Himself
from the prayers of evil
or wicked people.66
· Wrong
Motives: God
cannot be fooled. If you
pray with the wrong
motives (for example,
asking for money for
others, when you really
want the money for
yourself), you will not
receive an answer to
your prayer.67
· Doubt and
Lack of Faith:
If you doubt God's
existence or question
His power to answer
prayers, do not expect
to re-ceive anything
from the Lord when you
pray.68,69
·
Selfishness: If
you are selfish and
ignore those who are
poor or needy, do not
expect to receive
blessings when you,
yourself, cry out for
help.70
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If anyone turns a deaf
ear to the law,
even his prayers are
detestable.
(Proverbs 28:9)65
The LORD is far from the
wicked but he hears the
prayer of the righteous.
(Proverbs 15:29)66
When you ask, you do not
receive, because you ask
with wrong motives, that
you may spend what you
get on
your own pleasures.
(James 4:3)67
But when he asks, he
must believe and not
doubt, because
he who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown
and tossed
by the wind. That man
should not think he will
receive
anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded
man,
unstable in all he does.
(James 1:6-7)68
And without faith it is
impossible to please
God, because
anyone who comes to him
must believe that he
exists and
that he rewards those
who earnestly seek him.
(Hebrews 11:6)69
If a man shuts his ears
to the cry of the poor,
he too will cry out and
not be answered.
(Proverbs 21:13)70
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·
Arrogance/Pride:
God distances
Himself from people who
are arrogant; He hates
and opposes those who
are prideful.71-73
·
Unforgiveness:
When you stand before
God praying, if you hold
anything against anyone,
you must forgive and
"let go" of everything;
otherwise, your Father
in heaven will not
for-give your sins when
you confess them.74,75
· Disharmony
in the Home: If
you mistreat your
spouse, your prayers may
be hindered.76
· Hypocrisy:
Jesus spoke out against
the religious legalists
of His time who prayed
lengthy and showy
prayers in public, while
behind the scenes they
took advantage of the
defenseless.77-79
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Israel's arrogance
testifies against them;
the Israelites,
even Ephraim, stumble in
their sin; Judah also
stumbles
with them. When they go
with their flocks and
herds
to seek the LORD, they
will not find him;
he has withdrawn himself
from them.
(Hosea 5:5-6)71
The LORD detests all the
proud of heart.
(Proverbs 16:5)72
God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the
humble.
(James 4:6)73
And when you stand
praying, if you hold
anything
against anyone, forgive
him, so that your Father
in heaven may forgive
you your sins.
(Mark 11:25)74
For if you forgive men
when they sin against
you, your heavenly
Father will also forgive
you. But if you do not
forgive men
their sins, your Father
will not forgive your
sins.
(Matthew 6:14-15)75
Husbands, in the same
way be considerate as
you live
with your wives, and
treat them with respect
as the weaker
partner and as heirs
with you of the gracious
gift of life,
so that nothing will
hinder your prayers.
(1 Peter 3:7)76
And when you pray, do
not be like the
hypocrites,
for they love to pray
standing in the
synagogues
and on the street
corners to be seen by
men.
(Matthew 6:5)77
And when you pray, do
not keep babbling like
pagans,
for they think they will
be heard because of
their many words.
(Matthew 6:7)78
They devour widows'
houses and for a show
make
lengthy prayers. Such
men will be punished
most severely.
(Mark 12:40)79
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God's Guidance
Although there are a
number of hindrances to
prayer, the Bible also
contains reference to
several factors that
promote a successful
prayer life:
· Having Strong Faith
and Belief:
God hears our prayers
and answers them when
our faith and belief are
strong.80-82
· Being Obedient:
If we have a clear
conscience and obey
God's commands, God says
He will give us anything
we ask for in prayer.83
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If you believe, you will
receive whatever you ask
for in prayer.
(Matthew 21:22)80
If you have faith as
small as a mustard seed,
you can say
to this mulberry tree,
"Be uprooted and planted
in the sea,"
and it will obey you.
(Luke 17:6)81
I tell you the truth, if
anyone says to this
mountain, "Go throw
yourself into the sea,"
and does not doubt in
his heart but
believes that what he
says will happen, it
will be done for him.
Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in
prayer, believe
that you have received
it, and it will be
yours.
(Mark 11:22-24)82
Dear friends, if our
hearts do not condemn
us, we have
confidence before God
and receive from him
anything we ask,
because we obey his
commands and do what
pleases him.
(1 John 3:21-22)83
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· Being Righteous:
God is especially
attentive to the prayers
of people who are
righteous; their prayers
are powerful and
effective, and God
promises to deliver them
from all their troubles.84-86
· Being Humble:
God hears us and
responds favorably when
we come before Him in
humility.87-89
· Seeking God's Will:
Our Lord listens to
godly people who do His
will;90
if we ask for anything
that is consistent with
His will, He hears us.91
Therefore, it is
important that we pray
to understand God's will
for our lives.92,93
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The prayer of a
righteous man is
powerful and effective.
(James 5:16)84
The righteous cry out,
and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from
all their troubles.
(Psalm 34:17)85
For the eyes of the Lord
are on the righteous and
his ears
are attentive to their
prayer, but the face of
the Lord is
against those who do
evil.
(1 Peter 3:12)86
Humble yourselves before
the Lord, and he will
lift you up.
(James 4:10)87
If my people, who are
called by my name, will
humble
themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn
from their
wicked ways, then will I
hear from heaven and
forgive their
sin and will heal their
land.
(2 Chronicles 7:14)88
Because your heart was
responsive and you
humbled yourself
before God when you
heard what he spoke
against this place
and its people, and
because you humbled
yourself before me
and tore your robes and
wept in my presence,
I have heard you,
declares the LORD.
(2 Chronicles 34:27)89
He [God] listens to the
godly man who does his
will.
(John 9:31)90
that if we ask anything
according to his will,
he hears us.
(1 John 5:14)91
Therefore do not be
foolish, but understand
what the Lord's will is.
(Ephesians 5:17)92
We have not stopped
praying for you and
asking God to
fill you with the
knowledge of his will
through all spiritual
wisdom and
understanding.
(Colossians 1:9)93
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· Abiding in Christ:
When the words of Christ
abide in our heart, we
will naturally pray for
that which Christ will
honor. When we pray in
accordance with this
indwelling of Christ, we
can ask for anything and
it will be given to us.94
· Praying in the Name of
Jesus:
Christ promised that if
we pray "in his name" we
will receive whatever we
ask for and "our joy
will be complete."
Praying in the name of
Jesus implies oneness
with Christ in heart and
will. Both Jesus and God
respond to prayers that
are consistent with the
character of Christ.95,96
· Praying in Secret:
To avoid hypocrisy,
Christ recommended we go
into a room, close the
door, and pray to God in
secret. When God sees
what you have done in
secret, He will reward
you.97
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If you remain in me and
my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish,
and it will be given to
you.
(John 15:7)94
And I will do whatever
you ask in my name, so
that the
Son may bring glory to
the Father. You may ask
me
for anything in my name,
and I will do it.
(John 14:13-14)95
I tell you the truth, my
Father will give you
whatever you ask
in my name...Ask and you
will receive,
and your joy will be
complete.
(John 16:23,24)96
But when you pray, go
into your room,
close the door and pray
to your Father,
who is unseen. Then your
Father,
who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
(Matthew 6:6)
97
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· Praying Through the
Holy Spirit:
Praying through the
Spirit is one of the
most powerful and
effective means we have
of approaching God. When
we don't know what to
pray, or how to pray, we
can draw upon the Holy
Spirit to assist us in
our prayers.
The Holy Spirit prays
within us, and for us,
in accordance with God's
will. Intercession by
the Spirit can transcend
beyond the level of
words.98
God will fully
understand these
prayers, even if words
are not used. In order
to receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit, all we
need to do is to ask
God.99
Of all the things
mentioned thus far,
arguably the most
important factor that
will determine the
"success" of our
prayers, is whether or
not the things we ask
for are consistent with
God's intentional will
for our lives (or for
the life of the person
or persons for whom we
are praying).
That is, no matter how
much we want something
to happen, and no matter
how earnest our requests
to God may be, we must
al¬ways defer to God's
will for our lives, and
accept His answer-even
if the answer is "No."
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In the same way, the
Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do
not know what we ought
to pray for, but the
Spirit himself
intercedes for us with
groans that words cannot
express.
And he who searches our
hearts knows the mind of
the
Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for
the saints
in accordance with God's
will.
(Romans 8:26-28)98
If you then, though you
are evil, know how to
give good gifts
to your children, how
much more will your
Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask him!
(Luke 11:13)99
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This point was clearly
and
profoundlydemonstrated
by Jesus Christ when, in
the Garden of
Gethsemane, He prayed to
God the Father to save
Him from death by
cru-cifixion.100-102
In the end, Christ's
prayer was not answered
(presumably because it
was not in accordance
with God's will). All of
mankind benefited when
Christ (despite His
repeated and fervent
prayer to God)
ulti-mately submitted to
His Father's will, and
was crucified for our
salvation.103
This act of submission
to God's will is a
perfect ex-ample of how
we should live our own
lives.
Finally, it is important
to remember that
Christ's death was only
temporary. He was raised
from the dead after the
third day and He lives
forever at the right
hand of God.104
Obviously, something
in-credibly good can
ultimately result when
we submit our will to
God's will.
______________________________________________________________________________
Going a little farther,
he fell with his face to
the ground
and prayed, "My Father,
if it is possible, may
this cup be
taken from me. Yet not
as I will, but as you
will."
(Matthew 26:39)100
He went away a second
time and prayed,
"My Father, if it is not
possible for this cup to
be taken away
unless I drink it, may
your will be done."
(Matthew 26:42)101
So he [Jesus] left them
and went away once more
and
prayed the third time,
saying the same thing.
(Matthew 26:44)102
He himself bore our sins
in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to
sins and live for
righteousness;
by his wounds you have
been healed.
(1 Peter 2:24)103
But from now on, the Son
of Man will be seated
at the right hand of the
mighty God.
(Luke 22:69)104
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