Should we pray?

  Last night at my church a guy came in late because he had been on the phone with his dad.  Not uncommon.  Except it is for him.  He told us that morning he had woken up from a dream about his dad.  He got up and prayed, asking God if he could please find his father this year.  He hadn't seen him in twenty years.  That same day his father called and found HIM.  This is my God.  He is Yahweh.  
   Believe it or not, my God-moving-answered-prayer story of the week shocked everyone more than that story.  Oh my God is good and His word is true.  I wish I could share on here with everyone.  I could tell you so many stories of God moving.  I've done it on here before.  Instead I want to pass along to you what has helped me in prayer and dramatically changed my life.  I read the Bible, and I take it literally.  I don't have time to explain why that means I don't have to follow Hebrew laws like not wearing clothes with mixed fibers... SO just try this little prayer piece out, whether you believe in God or are searching.  Go through the Bible and read what it says about prayer and apply it.  See that God DOES NOT ALWAYS LISTEN.  I'm so sick of hearing "God always hears you".  He says He won't.  An example here would be Psalm 66:18.  I've probably read that Psalm a dozen times and just saw this today!  You have to be looking for these things.  Here are examples of what I came across this weekend while reading some of the minor prophets.  I'd love comments of your favorite verses like these as you find them.  I'm limiting myself to only the books I read this weekend.  I could go on and on, but this way you can get in the Word yourself and be looking.

So..... should we pray?    

As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given...
Daniel 9:23

 First just start praying and see!  Study Daniel's prayer in chapter 9.  See how he talks to the Lord of All Creation and imitate him.  Study Daniel's character and why he was heard.  When you don't know what/how to pray you can turn to the Psalms and other people's prayers.

...Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.
Daniel 10:12

Seek wisdom and humble yourself.  So huge.  And humble yourself BEFORE God.  Yes we are to pray without ceasing.  There's nothing wrong with praying on your drive to work, praying a quick "give me patience" while you're talking with someone.  I think there IS a problem with never closing your door and getting prostrate before the One who gave you life, who has the power to throw you into Hell.

...All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me.
Hosea 7:7

This just struck me that it matters to God when we don't call on Him.  He wants to hear from you.

"Even now, " declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."...   ...Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. 
Joel 2:12-18

Is your prayer time this intense?  I know I couldn't drive a car while doing that.  Evidently this affects our God.  I've noticed lately that the times I'm this intense He really shows up.

Seek good, not evil, that you may live.  Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.

Amos 5:14

So you say God is with you, but is He?  When was the last time He answered a prayer in a miraculous way?  Amos is full of what the Lord finds evil.  Turn from those things. 

Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Amos 5:23

In verse 21 He says, "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies."  This tells me God is not with every church.  There are churches with hymns at 11a.m. Sunday mornings that actually hurt His ears.  He says He will NOT listen.

   When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, "Sovereign LORD, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!" 
   So the LORD relented. "This will not happen, " the LORD said. 
   This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: The Sovereign LORD was calling for judgement by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, "Sovereign LORD, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!"  
   So the LORD relented.  "This will not happen either, " the Sovereign LORD said.
Amos 7:2-6

Cry out for others!  Our prayers change God's course of action!  Check out Jeremiah 12:11 (especially in the NIV Bible).  "Never let your prayin' knees get lazy".  (That's not the verse.) 

...In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.  From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

Jonah 2:2

He listens when we call for help from Him.  When you're at the end of your rope (or the bottom of a whale), He is there.  Look at this whole prayer in context.  Jonah's answer to the storm stopping, then not drowning, was he was swallowed by a whale.  When you're inside a whale for three days, it's probably not your idea of fun.  You don't know how you'll ever get out, you can't see any light, you never would have planned this, please see that still- this "whale" prevents you from drowning.  You're walking right in the middle of answered prayer.  Get on your face and sing a song of thanksgiving like Jonah did.

When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
Jonah 2:7

Remember God in hard times.  Turn to Him, not from Him, and your prayers will rise to Him.  Amos 4 is full of God sending calamity after calamity in hopes that Israel would return to God.  What you're going through may be His way of getting your attention, so give it.  Do you want Him to send you more crap?  Worse yet, do you want Him to no longer give a hoot about you?  Things could be going well in your life because He is done trying to get your attention.  Chew on this: Satan can care less if you're healthy, rich, have good self-esteem.  All he cares about is whether you worship and fear the Lord.  If he can get your mind off the Lord by giving you "good" things, he will.

Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them.  At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.
Micah 3:4

Jesus' death for our sins was big enough for any evil in your past.  This appears to be people who are not repentant.  Are you?  

Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears.  You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.  You ask, "Why?"  It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
Malachi 2:13-14

Guess what church.  God takes marriage very seriously.  Weep and wail all you want, but He hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).  Study what the word says on marriage.  It's affecting your prayers.  (1 Peter 3:7)  This link will take you to a good sermon series on marriage by a biblical pastor.

Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard...
Malachi 3:16

This is so cool!  Just if we meet with others who FEAR the Lord He hears us.

There is so much teaching on this topic throughout the Bible.  You want to hear from God?  The Bible is His primary voice.  Listen to Him!