Praying hard?

[jason3477]

What does that mean when someone says that they’re praying hard for us?

And another question… how can I increase my trust in the Lord?

Thanks…

 

[babylonsfalling]

What does that mean when someone says that they’re praying hard for us?

And another question… how can I increase my trust in the Lord?

Thanks…

It may be an incorrect assumption that you can “pray hard”. Can a kid ask his parents really hard for something? It does mean that it’s more than just a casual, daily prayer though. It’s definitely a good think with regards to their intentions toward you.

Also, if they’re praying for you hard, they’re probably praying for you a lot, and there is something to persistent prayer…

LUKE 18
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

With regards to trust…
You can pray for greater faith…

Mark 9
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

For some reason, if I pray Psalm 23 as opposed to just reading it, I get lots of benefits out of it, faith included, there is a lot of implicit trust in that Psalm…

PSALMS 23
1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

 

[ready]

They could mean that they will be praying zealously and often for you.

 

[TimothyH]

And another question… how can I increase my trust in the Lord?

Thanks…

Step out in obedience, especially to things which you don’t understand how they can be true or wonder how you could possibly manage to do it. When you don’t understand something, but you choose to believe it, God will shed light on you and you will come to understand how it can be true, but only after you choose to accept it.

When God calls you to do something which you don’t believe you can do, or which seems unrealistically diffucult, and you do it out of obedience, God will explain to you why he wants you to do it and how he has provided for you to be able to do so. But you have to step out in obedience first.

This is how God taught Israel to trust him, after they came out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt.

So Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God.” He continued: “By this you will know that there is a living God in your midst: he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. The ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth will cross the Jordan before you. Now choose twelve men,f one from each of the tribes of Israel. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the waters of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a single heap.” (Joshua 3:9-13)

The Jordan River was a raging flood, and God asked Israel to trust him, but he demanded that they put some skin in the game first. He demanded that they take the first step, and step into the river out of obedience.

The people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of them. When those bearing the ark came to the Jordan and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were immersed in the waters of the Jordan—which overflows all its banks during the entire season of the harvest — the waters flowing from upstream halted, standing up in a single heapg for a very great distance indeed, (Joshua 3:14-16)

God waited until the soles of their feet touched the water. We have to be like Israel, and step into the river first. Then God will stop the flood and we will know that we can trust him… Every time I trust God, he explains things to me after. It is a strict axiom in the Christian faith, that faith precedes understanding.

-Tim-