My Answers: Teach Us How to Pray

By Xlibris US

Mike Cater has extensive experience in Bible Church Service. He has attended classes at Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, (196264). He has taught in a high school Sunday school in Paola, Kansas. He was Sunday school director at Cornerstone Baptist Church and served as youth director at

Fellowship Baptist Church in Lawrence, Kansas, (2010). He has filled the pulpit in six Baptist churches during his church ministry: Paola, Olathe, Oak Grove, Marysville, and Lawrence.
Mike Cater graduated from Pomona High School in 1961. He retired from Honeywell Avionics Incorporated in September 2009 after thirty years service as a facilities technician. Mike Cater now resides in Lawrence, Kansas.
To my readers: This is My Answers to Prayer book following my first book on prayer, Teach Us How To Pray (a bible study). My reason for writing this book on prayer is to reintroduce everyone to the real basics for a successful prayer life. I want to give everyone a true sense of a relationship with a real all-powerful God. Our Savior-God wants a relationship that is totally honest concerning a Holy God and His Chosen People.
Christian prayers are not being answered today for several reasons. Gods word is trying to give us a peaceful heart through our baptism by faith in Jesus Christ. Since we have been quickened or made alive with God in Christ Jesus we need to put our will worship aside and worship our savior Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:1-15
I want to let Gods word help us rediscover our hypocrisy in our Christian prayer life. To do this, we need to re-examine our views of The Living All Powerful God of the Universe! The best place to begin is to in Matthew 6, where Jesus tries to introduce us to proper prayer life. Then, after we re-examine Our Heavenly Father, I want us to examine the hindrances to a successful prayer life that we commit because of our sinful daily walk according to James 4:1-17.
I want to also discuss the 5 ways that God does answer prayer. I realize that there are many ways to examine this part of our study, but we only have so much patience for Gods Word. By the time you get to the end of this book, you will be thoroughly worn out or disgusted. I hope so. That is my goal! Mike
Mike Cater and His Wife, Barbara Hook Cater, of 52 years

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499019681

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Mike E. Cater Sr.

ISBN:     Softcover     978-1-4990-1966-7

    eBook     978-1-4990-1968-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Rev. date: 07/17/2014

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoicing In The Lord Jesus Christ

A Simple Prayer Formula

Our Father

Who Is In Heaven

Hallowed Be His Name

Thy Kingdom Come

Thy Will Be Done

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Forgive Us Our Debtsas We Forgive Our Debtors

Lead Us Not Into Temptationbut Deliver Us From Evil

For Yours Is The Kingdom And The Powerand The Glory Forever

For Yours Is The Kingdom And The Power

Our Persistent Prayers

Praying As Thanksgiving To God’s Food Provision

Postscript

What Does The Salvation-Response Look Like?The Charge From Scripture.

Faith Is The Foundation Of All Our Spiritual Strength

For Your Encouragement To Pray

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Mike Cater was born in Kansas City Missouri on November 1st in 1943 and lived out his childhood in Emporia, Kansas. He is the youngest of three children. His oldest brother Robert Lavern Cater lived in California for most of his life, and his older brother Bill lives in Southeast Kansas to this day.

Mike is the son of Ida Carolyn Axe-Cater-Olson and William Danford Cater. His stepfather, Raymon Dean Olson retired as a farmer outside of Pomona, Kansas after Working as a construction operator. Mike and Barbara Hook were married in Quenemo, Kansas in 1962 and they will celebrate their 52nd wedding anniversary in 2014.

Mike and Barbara have three grown sons and two daughters.

Teach Us How To Pray

My Answers

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the assistance of several electronic programs that were instrumental in my use during the composition of this prayer study document. I am grateful for their functions to me, and therefore, each is listed herein in no particular order.

To Windows 98B, Windows-XP, and Windows 7 operating systems, I am grateful. It has taken a few years to finalize this book. (I started with Windows 98B and am now using Windows 7.

Albert Barnes N.T, Commentary

Power Bible 3.3 CD version (1999–2001)

PC Bible Study for Windows (2.1/1993–96 CD versions)

King James Version of the Bible (noted as KJV)

New American Standard Version of the Bible (noted as NAS)

New International Version of the Bible (noted as NIV)

Vines Expository Bible Dictionary (PC Bible Study, Power Bible)

Thomas Nelson Bible Dictionary (PC Bible Study, Power Bible)

Crudens’s-Complete Concordance of the Bible (PC Bible Study, Power Bible)

Matthew Henry’s Commentary of the Bible (PC Bible Study, Power Bible)

Strong’s Greek/Hebrew Dictionary of Old and New Testament (PC Bible Study, Power Bible)

Unger’s Bible Dictionary of the Bible (PC Bible Study, Power Bible)

Vines Expository Dictionary C.1985 Tomas Nelson Publisher (PC Bible Study, Power Bible)

Expert Software Spiritual Clipart Inc. 1994-1999 Graphic

Corporation/Windows 95-98 CD

Dictionary.com Collins English Dictionary—Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition

2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins

Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

Teach Us How To Pray

My Answers

Introduction

It Has been two years since I published my first book. It is a Bible Study on Prayer. It is titled Teach Us How To Pray. I used Matthew 6: 5-14 as my Bible text for the basis of my book. I formulated my book as a Bible study where I ask many questions of my readers concerning Bible Passages.

I am sure many readers enjoyed answering my questions and understood my purpose and directions in which I was taking them. My readers were asked to travel through the instructions of Jesus Christ on prayer in a detailed manner. My concern was to enforce on each person’s heart the importance of just whom we are praying to. My purpose was to enforce upon our minds how our attitudes affect our Christian Prayer Life. My purpose was not only to enable my readers to improve on their effectiveness in answered prayer, but to also allow them to benefit in their relationship with their Savior, Jesus Christ, through Prayer. Prayer is not always getting our way with our God, but experiencing Him in our requests and His desires for our lives.

I also wanted my readers to see from the scriptures, the prayers of some of the people in the Bible. We can see the perfect outline of their submissive and positive attitudes during supplication and prayer. I am hoping to encourage my readers to look for God’s people during their prayers as recorded in the Old Testament and the New Testament scripture passages.

In the last chapters of my book I also discussed Ten Major Hindrances to our prayer life. These hindrances can creep into our Christian Prayer Life without our being aware of the disastrous results which affect our daily relationships with God and our Christian Brothers and Sisters: irregardless of our answered prayer.

Finally, I brought everyone to the five basic ways that, I think, God does answer our prayers. Not always a popular discussion to have with praying Christians. We feel that whatever we ask in Jesus’ Name should be confirmed in answered prayer. Whether we express this reality or not, it is mostly expected. Most Christians do not want to hear the many ways that God ‘actually’ does answer prayer. Most Christians think they deserve the answers to their prayers just as they ask; God’s will or not!

You, however do not need to take my word for this entire introduction about my first book. You can still order it on Amazon.com, Xlibris, or Barns & Noble and E-Books. Thanks to all who do purchase my book?

Who Am I… In Christ

Teach Us How To Pray

Our Heart Attitude Before We Pray

Philippians 4: 4-7

PAGE 11 (expanded from my first book)

In my first book, I refer to where Jesus shows Us How To Pray. I base my discussion on Matthew 6: 1-15. However, The first Scripture verses that I give are Philippians 4:4-7 (KJV). All the scripture verses in my first book, Teach Us How To Prey, published on 10-28-2011 (Xlibris), are from the King James Version of the Bible. All scripture references in this book are also from the King James Version of the Bible. I use THE KING JAMES VERSION because it is now Public Domain and does not require ‘permission’. The King James Version of the Bible is also a very reliable translation.

We need to start with a well-known scripture verse (for Bible readers). This scripture passage is fundamental to our thoughts and approach to prayer.

Verse 4              REJOICE IN THE LORD

Since MY FIRST BOOK is a Bible Study On Prayer, I feel that this scripture selection is most applicable for the introduction to the subject of prayer. It is applicable for starters, because, these first scripture verses center on the word ‘rejoice’, in verse 4. JOY is based on a sense of our spiritual well being in our life. This well being that we enjoy is based on the source of our happiness. In my first book I was referring to this source of happiness or well being as the finished work of our savior, Jesus Christ, AND our personal response to His acceptance of our confession.

‘Rejoice in the Lord’. I am talking about Lordship as in the Supreme Authority of our lives, The Lord Jesus Christ. I use the word Supreme to show that this Lordship is the top of the line. It becomes the final word for our directions. It is our road map for our success. The apostle Paul is exhorting the people at Philippi to rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. God is also exhorting us to do the same. It is so important that it bears repeating. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice!

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Rejoicing in The Lord

Teach Us How To Pray

Our Heart Attitude Before We Pray

REJOICING IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

This joy that is referred to in Philippians 4:4-7 is based on our relationship to the Lord God of our universe. Our attitude in rejoicing must be connected to some real personal almighty power that can secure our emotions and state of mind. This is not our ‘Big Brother’! This is the only Supreme God. This is also the fundamental basis for prayer. This is a reality that must be obtained in our conscious mind and our spirit in varying degrees according to our spiritual discernment or ability.

Prayer is our personal right to connect with the Personal Almighty Power that rules the world and loves us enough to allow His Son to sacrifice His life for the forgiveness of our sins. This Ruling Power of the universe is God.

Verse 5              THE LORD IS AT HAND

Verse five centers upon the word "MODERATION". The basic meaning of the word moderation is restraint. Restraint that is visible in our daily living. This is Normal Spiritual Restraint, exemplifying the life of Christ; not pretending to be someone that you are not. In reality, we are not the same person in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17) This restraint is exemplified in our dress, eating, drinking, temper, passions, and lifestyle, as an example of one in anticipation of the return of Christ to earth. We copy movie star’s dress habits, Television Commercial’s Suggestive Actions, and even copy our neighbor’s lifestyles in order to belong or to ‘fit’ into an acceptable mold for society. We must realize that we are not created in the normal ‘mode’ of today’s society. We are a new creation from God’s own Son that has renewed our old nature into a living creation that glorifies our Redeemer, Creator. This moderation that we demonstrate to the world is only a reflection of our redemptive acknowledgement.

The Lord is at hand. Jesus Christ has risen from the grave and shows us victory over sin as we abide in Him. The world screams at Christians, daily about the return of our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ, to the world (2 Peter 3: 4). This Savior has come. He rules in our heart today as a living testimony that we are to show the world. This is what the world does not understand. His physical return will come soon enough. The world however may not see that Jesus Christ has come in our hearts! This is our revelation to the world that Jesus Christ is living in our lives.

Rejoicing in The Lord

Teach Us How To Pray

Our Heart Attitude Before We Pray

Verse 6              DON’T BE ANXIOUS

Be careful for nothing; brings up the word anxious. Don’t be anxious for anything! That is, let God take care of you, your home, and your family. You should not be a ‘loose cannon’ in your lack of concerns though. God still expects us to take care of what he has given to us. The use of locks and padlocks and security still exists in our society. Pardon my localized thinking. So how do we balance our need for God’s protection and our desire to protect ourselves? We secure ourselves by Prayer. Not by careless nothingness in our prayers, but by real prayer, real supplication, and real thanksgiving toward God.

SUPPLICATION is earnest down on your face asking/seeking. You know to whom you speak. Your subject matter should be honest, real needs and wants. Your prayer should be a prayer of thanksgiving, and petitions of immediate need. These statements are in context with the word supplication. God is going to allow for our whining because He knows his creation. There are plenty of scripture instructions that promise perfect immediate gifts to our prayers (Matthew 7:7-8). That fact, of course, does not explain why so many prayers are not being answered, even as a group (Matthew 18:19). That is why, hopefully, you are reading this book!

Verse 7              THE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS CHRIST

The peace of God is amazing. Having peace with God in all aspects of your life is realized through Jesus Christ (Romans 14:17-18). On the cross of Calvary Jesus Said, It Is Finished! We now on our acceptance of Salvation through Christ can have real peace with God. God’s forgiveness is what keeps our hearts and minds safely in the finished work of Jesus Christ. There is no more nagging of past sins charged against us, but the ability to go forward in life serving God. Romans 5:1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: The question is, how strong is your faith? Do you even exercise your faith?

Rejoicing in The Lord

Teach Us How To Pray

Our Heart Attitude Before We Pray

Verse 8    I have divided Philippians 4 into two sections because of the word ‘finally’ in verse eight.

Our attitudes and reputations as Christians are at stake in this verse. We know that all these things, in verse 8, are possible. It becomes our Christian Lifestyle or our ‘conversation’ as we interpret these in our new birth with Christ. Truth, honesty, justice, purity, loveliness, good report, virtuous behavior, and praise, are to be kept on your mind. We must cling to the truth of our actions as well as our thoughts and words. Our honesty must become reverence towards God in our daily lives. Justice should become our every action and thought in our relations to mankind. Our actions should begin with a chaste life as reflected from a pure heart and thoughts. Our Love of God should inspire us to show love and inspire others to love. Our life should be of a good report causing no evil reports against us and further towards our Savior and Christianity in general. Remember, Jesus has come in our hearts!

The summary of verses 8-14 is that we can say, like Paul, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The power of our lifestyle is in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Contentment is an ease of mind that gives completeness, generally.

Rejoicing in The Lord

Teach Us How To Pray

Our Heart Attitude Before We Pray

Verse 9    The Apostle Paul puts his reputation on the line here. What have we learned from Paul’s life? What blessings and encouragement have we received from Paul’s life? What instructions have we received from Paul that have given us spiritual fortitude and helped in our Christian development? What has Paul shown us through his Christian life that should encourage us to follow his example? Have we even noticed that through God’s word Paul is giving us valuable guidance in living a victorious Christian Life! Does this give us Peace when we pray?

Verse 10    The ministry that Paul has given to this church has been greatly appreciated. He now makes sure to inform the Philippians’ Church that He appreciates their support that they have recently given to him. Their support has been renewed as a fresh blooming flower. He acknowledges that he realizes they have been concerned to support his ministry, but have not had the opportunity due to distance and other concerns that have kept their interchanges at a minimum. Paul is now rejoicing ‘greatly’ for the rebirth of the church’s ministry to him.

Verse 11    Paul realizes that whatever situation God puts him in to be content. Not necessarily satisfied (given all his wishes), but to be content (accepting what circumstance he has been given). Paul is one person that has earned the right to understand what he is talking about concerning suffering. (2 Corinthians 11:26)

This, contentment, of course, is vastly miss-understated. Most of my readers in the U.S.A. Will never understand or comprehend what The Apostle Paul is talking about. This contentment comes from our commitment to the service of Christ as a result of His suffering in our stead on the cross of Calvary.

Rejoicing in The Lord

Teach Us How To Pray

Our Heart Attitude Before We Pray

Verse 12    Abased: a stain on one’s reputation; disgrace. Abound: to be rich or well supplied. Paul is referring to all aspects of his ministry. Not only to be full or hungry, but also to be lacking in everyday needs. He was abused and suffered physical harm from Jews, heathen, countrymen, wilderness beasts, robbers, and even a shipwreck. The Jewish community mocked his reputation and he was constantly threatened with death from the religious leaders of his time.

Verse 13    Not, You can do anything that you put your mind to. This is the teaching of the world system! The power is Through Christ—His Strength

The following item that I present to you is a prayer formula. Each letter of the word pray represents a word reminder of what our prayer structure should consist of. I realize that this structure or ideogram is overused and can be made to represent many words or thoughts. If used, faithfully, this process will ultimately guide your prayer thoughts involuntarily. The goal is for a healthy thoughtful, balanced prayer life. Yes we do need structure in our Christian prayer life. That is why God has given us His word, the Scriptures, to guide our Christian lifestyle. The Christian life is a structured process. It all has purpose and goals for our growth in faith. It is our development.

A Simple Prayer Formula

Teach Us How To Pray

Our Heart Attitude Before We Pray

Praising God should be foremost on our thoughts as we pray. If we can honestly show praise to our Creator, Savior, at the start of prayer, we place ourselves in the center of God’s grace. Honest praise leads to Honor.

Honor leads to reverence. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name forever and ever. I will lift you on high. (Psalm 145:1)

Communion between God and us is necessary for our yielding to our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Page 12 (expanded from my first book)

A Simple Prayer Formula

P              Praise God –––––––––– Adoration

Tell God What He Has Done For You Lately.

(Psalm150)

R              Reverence God –––— Honor His Attributes

List God’s Attributes That You Have Experienced Today.

(Psalm 145)

A              Ask God ––––––––— Prayer Requests

Supplication.

(Psalm 7:7–8)

Y              Yield to God ––––––— Will = God’s Will

Confessions.

(James 4:7–10)

Who Am I . . . In Christ

Teach Us How To Pray

Our Heart Attitude Before We Pray

Page 13(expanded from my book) Please Read Colossians 2:1-23(KJV)

Caution!

You are cautioned at the top of this page, in my first book, because Paul is describing the total you as found in the new birth of Jesus Christ. You will be exposed daily by other Christians concerning your walk and doctrines. Your ability to discern (understand) the truth of the word of God will give you peace and not cause you to be tossed around doctrinally.

Colossians 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (KJV) the fact here is that you must be born again!

Colossians 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (KJV)

There is no room for excuses here in the completed work of Christ through the Holy Spirit of God, to enlighten Christians and lead them away from the truths of God. Our roots are binding to Christ’s spiritual nourishment.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

The same ‘people’ that are active in your life and your church today may present ‘another gospel’, which is subversive in your relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, today this is happening.

Subtle instructions based on their degree or knowledge in God’s Word, which will destroy your faith in God’s Word, the Bible, or the Godhead of Jesus Christ. These people may be teaching in your church. They may have written a Bible study book for you to study, which precludes any Bible word-search for you to verify the truth.

These people in your church may be suggesting to you that the Bible contains God’s Word but

Reviews for My Answers

[fullyarmedvishnu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a good book for a peek into american morality in the '60s. On page 86, one man asks "Can a Christian be a member of a (union)?" On page 200, someone else asks if the "rocket experiments" will disarrange the planets.These may seem funny now, but at the time thay were serious questions.