CHAPTER 21: PRAYER 2025

Prayer, here in Chapter 21 is an earned conversation with God. A conversation that is caused by chapter 19 and 20. A conversation that that has been allowed to mature. In Chapter 19 I learned to pray about myself, what to do with me and what God had given me. In Chapter 20 I learned about the world, i.e., convergence, good vs evil and how I stand against evil when it converges on all four major groups of my life, family, business, politics and church. Finally with all of 19 and 20, I actually had something to talk about, something to report. And now to begin the discussions of where I am on the path, and the beginning of understanding sanctification. God burning away what is not needed in my life, in myself. These three chapters begin to fine tune my dialogue with The Creator. 19 and 20 are about me, it’s a warm up to 21. 21 is about Him. Now, I go to the bible and say, I’m here, help me pray even deeper.

Jesus says in John 14:6 “that no one comes to the Father except through me.” Okay, pray to Jesus or in the name of Jesus, either way, all good. Luke 11:1 teaches five areas, “honoring God’s name, asking for God’s kingdom, give us our daily bread, forgiveness and deliverance. Matthew 6:5-14 says to go into your room, close the door and not to keep on babbling like pagans, too many words. Matthew 6:9, Jesus gives the apostles the Lord’s prayer, “Our Father who art in Heaven.., hallowed be thy Name.”
The purpose of this chapter? Clarify the path of prayer, who is God. Who I am to God? What does the Bible say? God is Creator and Sustainer ( Psalm 104 ), Redeemer and Savior ( Psalm 25:22 ), Vindicator of the Innocent ( Psalm 26 ), and Giver of mercy to the guilty ( Psalm 51 ). Who I am to Him?

Through faith, your old self has passed away, and you are a new person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I am a Believer in Jesus Christ, period. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Martian, Saturn, Lunar, Allah, no other faith is for me.

Romans 1:22-23 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

So, I see people pray. Who are they praying to, if not Jesus? In a word or two, seriously, I don’t know. I need Jesus, period.

• Romans 3:23 states that people need to recognize their sins and the need for a savior.
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 states that people need to believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose again from the dead.
• Acts 3:19 states that people need to repent of their sins.
• Ephesians 2:8-9 states that people need to put their faith in Jesus alone for salvation.
• Luke 9:23 states that people need to commit to following Jesus as Lord of their life.
• Acts 2:38 states that a Christian must be baptized after repenting.

Hard to understand? Sure? But God gets it and will help, i.e., chapter 21, now that I’m on a mission from 19 and 20, I say what next and how do I understand. With a sincere heart the Lord will teach, through the book, through fellowship, through the Spirit from within. In Mark 9:24 a man pleaded to Jesus, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Jesus answered the prayer. Take a moment and read the notes of Chapters 19-20-21 together. Find purpose in Christ, purpose in prayer, and stay the course. Learn the feeling of honesty in a conversation with Him.

The Bible is either absolute or obsolete. If it is obsolete, I am worthless, useless and doomed. Never, ever believe that! Right now much of the fight for power in the world is Government vs God, it’s a slippery slope for sure. Inside of church there is also a struggle for power, and that too, in many ways contradicts the true meaning of the message of Jesus by prioritizing cultural relevance and popularity over sin and repentance; feel-good messages of blessings instead of calls to holiness; entrenching political agendas and business-like models. The book is the key, never change even a word, it is the rock on which we stand.

Scripture strongly warns against changing God’s word, Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19 explicitly prohibit adding to or taking away from it. It states that God’s word is truth and those who alter it face severe consequences. These warnings apply to the entire Bible, as God is presented as immutable and his divine law as eternal.

I know I say it all the time. The book is the key. The central message of prayer — to discuss the challenges, teachings and direction of each and every day. Why did Jesus come?

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

I qualify as the lost, so please “Jesus talk to me.” 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. Philippians 4:6–7 advises against being anxious and instead to make requests known to God through prayer, promising a peace that “surpasses all understanding”. Proverbs 3:5 encourages trusting in the Lord completely and not leaning on personal understanding. Why pray? I want to talk to God. I want to hear God. I want to know God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

So in 21, I practice daily talking with God, the Divine Creator, from the perspective of a dork, non-divine duffus, whom He loves, I should add. I talk to Him about what we’re working on, what is against me, and you know that’s a big one. Because sometimes I think it’s the devil pushing back against me and it’s not that at all. Sometimes, it’s God pushing me to be better, testing me, but either way, whether it’s God of the devil, God is going to make lemonade out of lemons as long as my heart is in the right place with Jesus, God is protecting me.

John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

 

1 John 2:17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

What about when I’m stuck, I re-read my chapters, still I’ve got something on my mind and I don’t know how to tell Him. Well, as the story goes in the mob movies, “I know a guy..”

Romans 8:26-27 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 through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

 

Isaiah 49:16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.

He stands with me and you at the challenges of our life, the wall as it says here in Isaiah. Sometimes I think maybe I’ve been not so good, so maybe I don’t want to pray. Don’t be confused! When you have problems, hard problems, sins, when evil’s got you by the short hair, don’t be a stranger to the Lord.

Spurgeon writes, a preacher in the mid to late 1800’s describes it like this: “Sometimes, we have desires that we cannot express; they are too big, too deep; we cannot clothe them in language. At other times, we have desires which we dare not express; we feel too low, we see too much of our own undeserving nature to be able to venture near the throne of God to utter our desires; but the Lord hears the desire when we cannot or dare not turn it into the actual form of a prayer. Surely none but the Lord can prepare a heart for prayer. It is far harder work to raise the big bell into the steeple than to ring it afterwards. This witness is true. When the bell is well hung you can ring it readily enough; but in that uplifting of the heart lies the work and the labor.” (Spurgeon)

If I’m busy praying and learning, I generally don’t make as many mistakes. Prayer is my conversation with God! To listen for Him and be comforted by clear direction. Elijah, the prophet had just this situation thousands of years ago, same thing.

1 Kings 19:12-13 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Can you imagine how many times God has said that to me!! “Patrick, what are you doing here?” I just couldn’t hear Him! I didn’t know how to listen! Truly, what was I doing wherever I was?

Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Revolution/Evolution. Revolt against myself, and let the Lord mold and evolve me into “a new creation in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Fear is without the knowledge and reckoning of God. That is for sure, I can attest to that! With God, fear fades and humility prevails, humble in the wisdom of the Lord. (Psalm 139) “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” What about terror? Good question. Terror is where I learned real power in prayer. Proverbs 3:25, “the Lord will be my confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”

Colossians 4:2 – Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

 

Luke 11:1 teaches five areas, “honoring God’s name, asking for God’s kingdom, give us this day our daily bread, forgiveness and deliverance. Interesting stuff, but I assure you it goes well with 19 and 20, praying for what you already have and Convergence of evil in every area of life. Now, in 21, I got stuff to share, give thanks, ask for His will, not mine.

 

Luke 12:37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes;

 

Philippians 1:27 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”

By the time I began writing 21, I had learned to thank Him for 19 and 20 and start talking about all of it, what it means and oh yes, the most important, I began thanking Him for answering me, and oh yes, apologizing for all the things I’d done against Him, and there is a boatload list on that. We are still discussing many, many of those matters. I invite you to read and re-read these three chapters in the hope of finding your prayer path, relationship path, a wonderful moment with the Maker of all things.

John 1:3-5 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

Chapter 21, Prayer 2025 Amen, Amen, Amen.