As the world grapples with the final stretch toward the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat, Thailand’s Key Population-Led Hea
“PRAYER” Bible Study at St. William Church: By Justin Sharaf
Prayer is talking and listening to God. It is a way to share your heart, and to say “Thank you Lord”, and ask for help.
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. Matthew 21:22. Billy Gram once said: “Prayer is a two-way conversation; it is our talking to God, and God talking to us. As a Christian, we have a heavenly Father who hears and answers prayer”.
Types of Prayer
Praise: Telling God how great He is.
Thanks: Saying thank you for good things.
Petition: Asking for help, for yourself or for others.
Confession: Telling God you are sorry for mistakes.
How People Pray
Quietly: Speaking softly or silently in your mind.
Out loud: Using your normal voice alone or with a group.
Anywhere: Praying at home, outside, or in a special building, or any place.
At its core, prayer is simply talking and listening to God. It is a way to share your thoughts, feelings, and needs with a higher power, often done to build a relationship, find comfort, or seek guidance. You don't need special words to do it.
Why People Pray
While the practice varies across different traditions and belief systems, most people pray to do one of the following:
Give thanks: Expressing gratitude for the good things in life.
Ask for help: Seeking support, wisdom, or healing for yourself or others.
Say sorry: Asking for forgiveness and reflecting on personal mistakes.
Show respect: Praising God simply for who He is.
Different Ways to Pray
Prayer is highly personal and can take many forms depending on the individual:
Spoken or silent: You can pray out loud or just think the words in your head.
Formal or casual: Some people use set, traditional prayers, while others just talk to God like they would talk to a close friend.
Anywhere and anytime: There are no rules about where you have to be. You can pray at home, in a place of worship, or anywhere else.
The "7 P's of Prayer" is a popular memory tool used to outline a comprehensive prayer life. Often mapped directly to the verses of the Lord’s Prayer, the 7 P's include:
Presence: Acknowledging God’s glorious presence and entering into communion with Him.
Praise: Worshipping God, recognizing His holiness, and bringing Him the honor He deserves.
Purpose: Aligning your desires with God's plans and praying for His kingdom to be advanced.
Provision: Presenting your daily needs and requests to God.
Pardon: Seeking forgiveness for your sins and extending that same forgiveness to others.
Prompting/Protection: Asking God for guidance away from temptation and shielding you from spiritual or physical harm.
Persistence: Continuing to knock and pray faithfully without giving up, modeled by Jesus' teachings
Jesus defined prayer as an intimate, trusting, and honest conversation with God. Rather than providing a strict, formal definition, he taught that prayer requires private sincerity over public show, simple requests rather than empty, repetitive phrases, and a total alignment of one's will with God's purposes.
Jesus' teachings and practices centered on several core principles:
Intimacy and Simplicity: He taught his followers to approach God directly as a loving "Father". In the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew Ch 5) he instructed them to go into a private room to pray, emphasizing that God looks at the heart rather than seeking public praise or eloquent language.
The Model Framework: When his disciples specifically asked how to pray, Jesus gave them a structured model, the Lord's Prayer (found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). This template balances acknowledging God's holiness, asking for daily needs, seeking forgiveness, and requesting strength to overcome temptation.
The Ten commandments come with a threat of PUNISHMENT: the Lords Prayer comes with “GRACE”!
Boldness and Persistence: Jesus defined prayer as an active pursuit of God. He encouraged his followers to boldly "ask, seek, and knock," (Matthew 7:7-8 and John 16:24) promising that a loving God hears and responds to the needs of His children.
Matthew 7:7-8: Jesus says to ask, seek, and knock, promising that everyone who asks will receive.
John 16:24: Jesus tells His disciples to ask in His name so that they will receive and their joy will be full.
Matthew 7:11: Compares God's goodness to a human father who gives good gifts to his children
Surrender: In his own prayer life—most notably during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane—Jesus demonstrated that true prayer means bringing honest, human struggles to God while ultimately submitting to God's greater will
Bible references to: “Ask And Ye Shall Receive”
Matthew 21:22 “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
Psalm 23:1-6 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows……….
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Mark 11:24 Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Luke 11:9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Luke 18:1-8 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” ...
Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
John 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
John 14:13-15 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Psalm 126:1-6 A Song of Ascents. When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! ...
John 16:23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Matthew 18:19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Job 22:28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
James 4:2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
Luke 11:9-13 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Matthew 21:21-22 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Psalm 121:1-2 A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
John 16:23-24 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Matthew 21:1 / 25:46 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” ...
Matthew 7:1-29 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. ...
John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Acts 2:38-39 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
James 1:1-27 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ...
Revelation 1:1-20 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ...
John 4:1-54 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ...
Luke 11:1-54 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
Amos 4:1-13 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’ The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon,” declares the Lord. “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord God.
What time is God's hour? In Catholic tradition, "God's Hour" (or the Hour of Great Mercy) is 3:00 PM local time. This exact time corresponds to the hour Jesus Christ died on the cross and is traditionally set aside for praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
However, in many Christian and spiritual communities, 3:00 AM is also referred to as a "Divine Hour" or the "Watchman’s Hour". Often linked to ancient biblical watches, it is a period when believers are frequently called to intercede, pray, and seek spiritual breakthrough.
Biblical Night Watches and Early Prayer
The Fourth Watch (3:00 AM to 6:00 AM): Ancient Roman and Jewish time divided the night into watches. The final watch leading into dawn is when Jesus walked on the water toward His disciples (Matthew 14:25).
Rising Early to Pray: Jesus often woke up long before daylight to find a quiet place to pray (Mark 1:35).
Meditating in the Night: The Psalms speak of remembering God and meditating on Him through the watches of the night (Psalm 63:6, Psalm 119:148).
The Night Watches Psalm 63:6: "When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
“Psalm 119:148: "My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word.
“Lamentations 2:19: "Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches; pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord.The Morning Watches”
Psalm 5:3: "In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch”.
Psalm 130:6: "My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.”
Mark 1:35: "In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there."
The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) Prayer taught by Jesus. It is divided into two halves: Three petitions focusing on God’s glory and purposes, followed by four requests addressing human needs and daily struggles.
Part One: Honoring God
“Our Father in Heaven": Addresses God with both deep intimacy (as a loving parent) and cosmic reverence (as the supreme Creator). Using "Our" unifies believers as a community.
"Hallowed be Your name": A request for God’s reputation to be recognized, honored, and treated as holy throughout the earth.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven": Praying for God’s perfect, heavenly reality of peace and justice to break into our flawed world, aligning human desires with His.
Part Two: Human Needs and Daily Life
“Give us this day our daily bread": Acknowledges our total dependence on God for daily provisions—both physical (food, shelter) and spiritual—fostering an attitude of daily gratitude.
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors": A plea for God’s mercy that simultaneously demands we extend that same grace and forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
“And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one": A request for guidance to avoid dangerous situations and protection against spiritual despair, division, and evil.
Comparing the TEN COMMANDMENTS to the “LORDS PRAYER”, is a separate subject.
VERY BRIEFLY, THE LONGEST PUBLIC PRAYER BY JESUS:
JOHN CHAPTER 17
John 17 is known as Jesus’ "High Priestly Prayer," the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in the Bible. Spoken just before His arrest, it is divided into three sections: Jesus prays for His own glorification (vv. 1–5), for the protection and sanctification of the immediate disciples (vv. 6–19), and for the unity of all future believers (vv. 20–26).
Jesus Prays for Himself: Glorification (vv. 1–5)
1.The "Hour" Has Come: Jesus acknowledges that the pivotal moment of His sacrificial death and resurrection has arrived. He asks the Father to glorify Him so that He might glorify the Father.
Definition of Eternal Life: Jesus declares, "This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent". Eternal life is defined not merely as unending existence, but as a deep, relational knowledge of the Father and the Son.
2. Jesus Prays for His Disciples: Protection and Truth (vv. 6–19)
Kept in the World: Jesus does not ask God to remove the disciples from the world, but to protect them from the “evil one” while they carry out their mission. Sanctification: Jesus prays, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth". To sanctify means to be set apart. Jesus emphasizes that God's Word is the primary tool used to make believers holy and prepare them for service.
3. Jesus Prays for Future Believers: Unity and Mission (vv. 20–26)
Unity: Jesus shifts to praying for all future believers across time—including the present-day church. He prays that they "may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you". This unity serves as a powerful testimony so that the world will believe the Father sent Him
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. Matthew 21:22. Billy Gram once said: “Prayer is a two-way conversation; it is our talking to God, and God talking to us. As a Christian, we have a heavenly Father who hears and answers prayer”.
Types of Prayer
Praise: Telling God how great He is.
Thanks: Saying thank you for good things.
Petition: Asking for help, for yourself or for others.
Confession: Telling God you are sorry for mistakes.
How People Pray
Quietly: Speaking softly or silently in your mind.
Out loud: Using your normal voice alone or with a group.
Anywhere: Praying at home, outside, or in a special building, or any place.
At its core, prayer is simply talking and listening to God. It is a way to share your thoughts, feelings, and needs with a higher power, often done to build a relationship, find comfort, or seek guidance. You don't need special words to do it.
Why People Pray
While the practice varies across different traditions and belief systems, most people pray to do one of the following:
Give thanks: Expressing gratitude for the good things in life.
Ask for help: Seeking support, wisdom, or healing for yourself or others.
Say sorry: Asking for forgiveness and reflecting on personal mistakes.
Show respect: Praising God simply for who He is.
Different Ways to Pray
Prayer is highly personal and can take many forms depending on the individual:
Spoken or silent: You can pray out loud or just think the words in your head.
Formal or casual: Some people use set, traditional prayers, while others just talk to God like they would talk to a close friend.
Anywhere and anytime: There are no rules about where you have to be. You can pray at home, in a place of worship, or anywhere else.
The "7 P's of Prayer" is a popular memory tool used to outline a comprehensive prayer life. Often mapped directly to the verses of the Lord’s Prayer, the 7 P's include:
Presence: Acknowledging God’s glorious presence and entering into communion with Him.
Praise: Worshipping God, recognizing His holiness, and bringing Him the honor He deserves.
Purpose: Aligning your desires with God's plans and praying for His kingdom to be advanced.
Provision: Presenting your daily needs and requests to God.
Pardon: Seeking forgiveness for your sins and extending that same forgiveness to others.
Prompting/Protection: Asking God for guidance away from temptation and shielding you from spiritual or physical harm.
Persistence: Continuing to knock and pray faithfully without giving up, modeled by Jesus' teachings
Jesus defined prayer as an intimate, trusting, and honest conversation with God. Rather than providing a strict, formal definition, he taught that prayer requires private sincerity over public show, simple requests rather than empty, repetitive phrases, and a total alignment of one's will with God's purposes.
Jesus' teachings and practices centered on several core principles:
Intimacy and Simplicity: He taught his followers to approach God directly as a loving "Father". In the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew Ch 5) he instructed them to go into a private room to pray, emphasizing that God looks at the heart rather than seeking public praise or eloquent language.
The Model Framework: When his disciples specifically asked how to pray, Jesus gave them a structured model, the Lord's Prayer (found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). This template balances acknowledging God's holiness, asking for daily needs, seeking forgiveness, and requesting strength to overcome temptation.
The Ten commandments come with a threat of PUNISHMENT: the Lords Prayer comes with “GRACE”!
Boldness and Persistence: Jesus defined prayer as an active pursuit of God. He encouraged his followers to boldly "ask, seek, and knock," (Matthew 7:7-8 and John 16:24) promising that a loving God hears and responds to the needs of His children.
Matthew 7:7-8: Jesus says to ask, seek, and knock, promising that everyone who asks will receive.
John 16:24: Jesus tells His disciples to ask in His name so that they will receive and their joy will be full.
Matthew 7:11: Compares God's goodness to a human father who gives good gifts to his children
Surrender: In his own prayer life—most notably during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane—Jesus demonstrated that true prayer means bringing honest, human struggles to God while ultimately submitting to God's greater will
Bible references to: “Ask And Ye Shall Receive”
Matthew 21:22 “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
Psalm 23:1-6 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows……….
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Mark 11:24 Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Luke 11:9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Luke 18:1-8 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” ...
Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
John 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
John 14:13-15 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Psalm 126:1-6 A Song of Ascents. When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! ...
John 16:23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Matthew 18:19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Job 22:28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
James 4:2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
Luke 11:9-13 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Matthew 21:21-22 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Psalm 121:1-2 A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
John 16:23-24 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Matthew 21:1 / 25:46 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” ...
Matthew 7:1-29 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. ...
John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Acts 2:38-39 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
James 1:1-27 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ...
Revelation 1:1-20 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ...
John 4:1-54 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ...
Luke 11:1-54 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
Amos 4:1-13 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’ The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon,” declares the Lord. “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord God.
What time is God's hour? In Catholic tradition, "God's Hour" (or the Hour of Great Mercy) is 3:00 PM local time. This exact time corresponds to the hour Jesus Christ died on the cross and is traditionally set aside for praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
However, in many Christian and spiritual communities, 3:00 AM is also referred to as a "Divine Hour" or the "Watchman’s Hour". Often linked to ancient biblical watches, it is a period when believers are frequently called to intercede, pray, and seek spiritual breakthrough.
Biblical Night Watches and Early Prayer
The Fourth Watch (3:00 AM to 6:00 AM): Ancient Roman and Jewish time divided the night into watches. The final watch leading into dawn is when Jesus walked on the water toward His disciples (Matthew 14:25).
Rising Early to Pray: Jesus often woke up long before daylight to find a quiet place to pray (Mark 1:35).
Meditating in the Night: The Psalms speak of remembering God and meditating on Him through the watches of the night (Psalm 63:6, Psalm 119:148).
The Night Watches Psalm 63:6: "When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
“Psalm 119:148: "My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word.
“Lamentations 2:19: "Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches; pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord.The Morning Watches”
Psalm 5:3: "In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch”.
Psalm 130:6: "My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.”
Mark 1:35: "In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there."
The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) Prayer taught by Jesus. It is divided into two halves: Three petitions focusing on God’s glory and purposes, followed by four requests addressing human needs and daily struggles.
Part One: Honoring God
“Our Father in Heaven": Addresses God with both deep intimacy (as a loving parent) and cosmic reverence (as the supreme Creator). Using "Our" unifies believers as a community.
"Hallowed be Your name": A request for God’s reputation to be recognized, honored, and treated as holy throughout the earth.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven": Praying for God’s perfect, heavenly reality of peace and justice to break into our flawed world, aligning human desires with His.
Part Two: Human Needs and Daily Life
“Give us this day our daily bread": Acknowledges our total dependence on God for daily provisions—both physical (food, shelter) and spiritual—fostering an attitude of daily gratitude.
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors": A plea for God’s mercy that simultaneously demands we extend that same grace and forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
“And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one": A request for guidance to avoid dangerous situations and protection against spiritual despair, division, and evil.
Comparing the TEN COMMANDMENTS to the “LORDS PRAYER”, is a separate subject.
VERY BRIEFLY, THE LONGEST PUBLIC PRAYER BY JESUS:
JOHN CHAPTER 17
John 17 is known as Jesus’ "High Priestly Prayer," the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in the Bible. Spoken just before His arrest, it is divided into three sections: Jesus prays for His own glorification (vv. 1–5), for the protection and sanctification of the immediate disciples (vv. 6–19), and for the unity of all future believers (vv. 20–26).
Jesus Prays for Himself: Glorification (vv. 1–5)
1.The "Hour" Has Come: Jesus acknowledges that the pivotal moment of His sacrificial death and resurrection has arrived. He asks the Father to glorify Him so that He might glorify the Father.
Definition of Eternal Life: Jesus declares, "This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent". Eternal life is defined not merely as unending existence, but as a deep, relational knowledge of the Father and the Son.
2. Jesus Prays for His Disciples: Protection and Truth (vv. 6–19)
Kept in the World: Jesus does not ask God to remove the disciples from the world, but to protect them from the “evil one” while they carry out their mission. Sanctification: Jesus prays, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth". To sanctify means to be set apart. Jesus emphasizes that God's Word is the primary tool used to make believers holy and prepare them for service.
3. Jesus Prays for Future Believers: Unity and Mission (vv. 20–26)
Unity: Jesus shifts to praying for all future believers across time—including the present-day church. He prays that they "may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you". This unity serves as a powerful testimony so that the world will believe the Father sent Him
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"Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" By Nazir S Bhatti
On demand of our readers, I have decided to release E-Book version of "Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" on website of PCP which can also be viewed on website of Pakistan Christian Congress www.pakistanchristiancongress.org . You can read chapter wise by clicking tab on left handside of PDF format of E-Book.