Conversational Prayer – BT7

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What proseuchomai conversational-praying exactly IS

 

 

 

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Proseuche/proseuchomai conversationally-prayer seems to be the clear emphasis of the NT, fully eclipsing all other Greek words used for prayer. Although these 2 words can include the ideas of a one-way conversation or monologue of wishing, asking, entreating, petitioning, or supplicating, or even the attitudes of child-like confident trust or self-deprecating humility, or even grateful thanksgiving that the others words for prayer focus on, these 2 words evidently include much, much, much more:  1)worshipful devotion” (according to Vines) and more importantly, 2) “an exchange (pros) of wishes (euche) towards or facing (pros) one another.”

 

In other words, this kind of prayer is a dialogue conversation WITH God “immediately before and facing Him” (pros), hence involves “adoration, devotion, and worship” that is in itself an “offering to God.” In early Greek, a physical offering was brought to make the prayer more acceptable to God, but later the prayer itself became the acceptable offering.  Www.preceptaustin.org also notes that Vines indicates that “proseuchomai/proseuche carries with it a notion of worship that is not present in the other words involving supplication. Thus, this kind of prayer is meant to bring us face to face or in close, relational contact with God.” Www.renner.org recognizes this kind of prayer “demands surrender, consecration/sanctification/holiness, and thanksgiving from us as we come face to face with God.” Www.hebrew-streams.org recognizes that “Jewish apostolic worship can be discerned by focusing on words such as prayer (predominantly proseuche and proseuchomai in that section), praise, thanksgiving, blessing, and on the content of hymns.”

 

Biblical prayer uses the Greek verb form proseuchomai nearly 3 times more than the noun proseuche, actually 86 times in the NT, and together with proseuche is used nearly 2 times more than all the other words in the previous BLOG for the monologue of asking, petition, entreaty, or supplication combined. That should tell you something about the priority of having a prayer-dialogue WITH God instead of a prayer-monologue AT God.  As before, I will just include the key verses here.

 

Jesus is our example of proseuchomai prayer:  frequently withdrawing to the wilderness (a), getting up very early in deserted places (b), going up into quiet mountains (c), where He was once transfigured (d), proseuchomai conversationally-praying the whole night (e), proseuchomai conversationally-praying in a mountain garden in anguish (f).  Jesus blessed children with hands and proseuche conversational-prayed for them (g).  Jesus “told His disciples a parable to the effect that they ought always to proseuchomai conversationally-pray and/coupled not lose heart,” using an illustration of a widow that keeps coming to a judge to demand justice, where the judge gives into her saying “because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice.” Jesus then asks, “Will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?” (h) – see also Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16.  Jesus told His sleepy disciples, “proseuchomai conversationally-pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (i).  Jesus was trained by God to prayer;  In Isaiah 50:4-7, God says He will given His future Messiah a skilled tongue to train [as with little children], personally training His Messiah-Servant to sustain a logos message to the weary. How? Every morning God woke Him, waking His ear to really akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know God’s teaching as a true disciple. Not only was Christ equipped to teach well, but was also helped to not turn back, always confidently going forward despite great suffering and disgrace. If we do the same, we will not get the same results? Can you see the key words above: “frequently, deserted or quiet places, all night, every morning, ought always to do so, demanding, insisting, even bothering, crying out all day and night, all in order to withstand temptation and to really akouo listen/hear-to-understand/know God in order to be a disciple?” Jesus is our example to follow!  <Notes> a) Luke 5:16, b) Mark 1:35, c) Matthew 14:23, d) Luke 9:28-29, e) Luke 6:12, f) Luke 22:41, 44; Matthew 26:35, 36, 39, 42, g) Matthew 19:13, h) Luke 18:1-7, i) Luke 22:40; Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:46.

 

‘The Lord’s Prayer’ is also a model of how Jesus proseuchomai conversationally-prayed (a), not a teaching on how to recite a 5-minute prayer like a religious ritual, for certainly this constitutes the warning Christ gave about prayer: “Now-when/if routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying in-possibility-NOT definitively/wholly battalogeo ‘chatter many repetitions of logos words/messages’ (b) just as the pagans, for they suppose that in/by/with their polulogia ‘many logos words/messages eisakouo ‘they shall actually be heard/listened-to in order to be understood/known’.  Therefore, in-possibility-NOT be like them, for God, your Father, already [with ongoing results] eido mentally ‘sees’ to perceive/know what things you echo hold-to-have need of before this aiteo subordinate-asking Him” (c).” Yet, that’s what I hear in so many churches – religious babble of recitation of ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ but how is that any different from pagan Catholic recitation in so many of their rituals or the Muslim prayers or the Hindu mantras?  <Notes> a) Matthew 26:44; Luke 11:1, 2, Matthew 6:9, b) battalogeo:  “blubber/chatter many, long-winded, empty/idle/vain, nonsensical repetitions of logos messages like King Battus of Cyrene who stuttered or the author Battus of tedious, wordy poems,” c) Matthew 6:7-8.

 

Instead Jesus simply gave us an outline HOW to proseuchomai conversationally-pray – even if all night long (a) or every early-morning (b) as also King David often practiced (c):  1) HOW to first show humble adoring worship of God, 2) HOW to then desire God’s kingdom will to be done on earth as it already is in heaven, 3) HOW to aiteo subordinate-ask for our physical needs to be met but NOT in a “vain repetitious manner as the pagans do, because “God, your Father, already [with ongoing results] eido mentally ‘sees’ to perceive/know what things you echo hold-to-have need of before this aiteo subordinate-asking Him.”  However, this asking for God to “grant us today the bread, the daily, of/belonging-to us” very well may have nothing to do with our physical needs, but instead refer to Jesus Christ Himself because “I AM presently/ongoing the bread of zoe genuine-life that came down from heaven . . . whoever feeds on this bread will zoa genuinely-live forever” (d).  Or it could refer to Christ’s prophetic rhema words that are presently/ongoingly Spirit and/coupled zoe genuine-life” (e), that is “every prophetic rhema words that comes from the mouth of God that man shall zoa genuinely-live by and absolutely-in-fact-NOT by [physical] bread alone” (f).  Christ’s subsequent teaching on prayer does seem to be leading us away from praying for even our physical needs (g) that is explored further below, 4) HOW to ask for God to forgive our sin, implying confession, 5) HOW to decide right here and now to also forgive other peoples’ sins against us since this definitely hinders our forgiveness of our sins and/or our receiving forgiveness and healing and the effectiveness of our proseuche conversational-prayers (h), and finally 6) being kept from peirasmos  ‘testing/trials/temptation that try our character to see if genuine’  but-instead by delivered from the evil [one].”  <Notes> a) Luke 6:12, b) Isaiah 50:4, c) Psalms 63:1, d) John 6:35, 41, 48, 51, 58, e) John 6:63, f) Jesus in Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4 likely remembering the logos message He gave to Moses, since He is the “Logos Word/Message of God that became flesh” per John 1:1, 14, g) Matthew 6:19-34, h) Matthew 5:23-25, cf. 1 Peter 3:7.

 

But Jesus taught elsewhere on HOW to pray:  1) HOW to proseuchomai conversationally-pray secretly and not hypocritically for show (a), 2) HOW to proseuchomai conversationally-pray for our enemies (b), and 3) by thru several illustrations HOW to not give up in our supplication, but persevering by routinely (c) be aiteo subordinately-asking (d) UNTIL we receive and knocking on His door UNTIL it is opened. These absolutely are not passive, casual, intermittent, nonchalant actions! Are we spending enough time waiting, watching, and listening in worshiping, submitting, begging, pleading, even demanding, forgiving, and incessantly-knocking proseuche conversational-prayer for koinonia fellowship, deliverance, and enabling-power?  I know that I’m not! <Notes> a) Matthew 6:6, b) Matthew 5:44, c) Jesus always uses the present active participle to stress routine, habitual action on our part, d) aiteo: subordinately ask, petition, crave, call or cry out for, require or demand, or beg for.

 

Jesus taught even more on HOW to pray!  He strongly-urged “presently/ongoingly zeteo diligently-seek (a) foremost the kingdom of God and/coupled His righteousness, kai and/thus all these things will be added to you” (b), but doesn’t in context “these things” mean all the “treasures that are stored up” (c) that “the nations/peoples epizeteo intensely-seek” (b)?  But that’s what the ‘name it claim it’ Faith movement would have you believe that Christians should now use God to get, like He is a ‘cosmic vending machine or Santa Clause.’  NO! In context, Jesus tells His disciples to instead “Lay up treasures in heaven” (d), because your “treasures” indicate where your “heart will be also” (e). It really reveals where your “eye” (or “heart”) is focused – toward light or toward darkness, toward God or toward money, to things of the Spirit or the things of the flesh (f). Jesus even tells His disciples to “not worry” about how their basic needs will be met, and certainly to not “epizeteo intensely-seek these things like the nations/peoples do,” because that’s their preoccupation, what their “eye” is set on and what their “hearts treasure!”  Instead, Jesus tells His disciples to keep their “eye” and “hearts” on the kingdom of God and simply trust God to meet their basic needs, as God does for all His dependent creatures (g).  That’s why it’s doubtful if Jesus teaching about HOW to ask God for “the bread, the daily” is even referring to basic needs (h). <Notes> a) zeteo: search out diligently in order to find, investigate, desire/crave, aim/strive after, and even a Hebraism for worship, b) Matthew 6:32-33, c) Matthew 6:19, d) v. 6:20, e) v. 6:21, f) vv. 6:22-24; cf. Romans 8:5; Galatians 5:17, g) vv. 6:25-34, h) v. 6:11.

 

One night on a long walk with my dog, I asked the Lord “What His kingdom and His righteousness” meant in Matthew 6:33 above, because after 5 bibles schools and serving in 15 churches, I’ve always believed they referred to ‘ministry things to do,’ like more bible-study, more church, and more evangelism. Then I saw the words come into my mind saying, “It’s not a what and a what.” That really confused me, so I asked “What?” Then I saw “It’s a Who and a Who.” Now I was really baffled and I rattled off my “ministry” list above. Then I saw “My kingdom is the Holy Spirit reigning within you; My righteousness is Jesus, the Righteous One. These are Who you should seek!” Then He downloaded verse after verse that said the same things (a), including 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name/authority lower/humble themselves, and proseuchomai conversationally-pray and seek My face and turn-from (= repent) their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” In Daniel 9:3-6, he said, “I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking Him by proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer for mercy . . . And I proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying “O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and/coupled did wrong and/coupled acted wickedly and/coupled rebelled, turning away from your commandments and rules.  We have not listened to your servants the Prophets.”  Notice the focus in proseuche/proseuchomai conversational-prayer is primarily on and for the person of God, and can include both monologue and dialogue-prayer, including confession of God’s greatness and repentance of sin. <Notes> a) like Romans 14:17; Matthew 5:3, 12:28; John 3:5; Acts 3:14, 7:52, 22:14; Romans 5:18-19; Hebrews 4:15.

 

The last thing Jesus taught on HOW to pray in His ‘Prayer Model’ was not the least important, but the most important!  Just as every effective speaker leaves the best for last, Jesus then gave the most important point, a point that completes His teaching on prayer by showing us HOW to get the enabling-power for the 1st supplication in His ‘Prayer Model’ prayer’s first supplication of “Thy kingdom and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  So what is the key action item?  “If you then, who are poneros ‘pain-ridden from evil’ [fathers], know how to give agathos ‘good (a) grace-gifts’ to your children, how much more shall actually your Father (b) who is in heaven give agathos ‘good (a) things’ (c) to those who routinely aiteo subordinately-ask Him” (d).  Notice Luke 11:13’s parallel text that says: “how much more shall actually the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those to those who routinely aiteo subordinately-ask Him.” So if you are routinely aiteo subordinately-asking for the Holy Spirit you are certainly going to get the Spirit’s plural “good things” or “good grace-gifts.”  THIS is the HOW to get “the kingdom of God and His will on earth as it is in heaven!” <Notes> a) agathos:  “good-natured, pleasantly joyful, excellent or distinguished and thus useful, upright, or honorable,” b) “good gifts” would definitely comes from a non-poneros ‘good father” for certainly “Absolutely-in-fact-NO one is agathos good except God alone” per Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19, c) by parallelism, the “good things” are grace-gifts , d) Matthew 7:11.

 

James 1:13-17 says we can’t blame God for our ‘testing/temptation’ that Jesus said to pray we should be “in-possibility-NOT being led into [by God] peirasmos ‘testing/trials/temptation that try our character to see if genuine’ . . . but delivered from” (a), because James says “God presently/ongoingly peirazo ‘tests/tries/tempts to see if genuine’ absolutely-in-fact-NO one, but each person is presently/ongoingly peirazo tempted when he is routinely lured-away and/coupled routinely enticed by his own desire . . . every act of giving agathos good (b) and/coupled every teleios perfected (c) grace-gift is presently/ongoing from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is absolutely-in-fact-NO variation or show of shifting.”  One again, it’s impossible for a “Good God” who is “perfect” by definition to give anything but what is good and perfect!  Evil certainly can’t come from God! <Notes> a) Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4, b) agathos: “good-natured, pleasantly joyful, excellent or distinguished and thus useful, upright, or honorable,” c) teleios: “consummated or mature from going through the necessary stages to reach the end-goal, thus developed into a consummating completion by fulfilling the necessary process or spiritual journey.”

 

There’s that mention of “every good . . . grace-gift” again that Jesus says we should pray for!  On Pentecost, Peter’s 1st sermon says “the [singular] promise of the [singular] grace-gift of the Holy Spirit” is for “all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself,” to those who “repent/turn and/coupled are water-baptized in the name/authority of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins” (a). Acts 10:45 says, “the [singular] grace-gift of the [singular] Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.” However, Paul talks about “imparting some grace-gift to you of the [b] Spirit to strengthen you” (c), implying there are plural grace-gifts. We know from 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 that indeed there are many:  that the “things of the [b] Spirit” refer to “varieties of grace-gifts” but from the same [singular] Spirit.”  Hebrews 2:4 also says that: “God also testified/bore-witness by signs, wonders, and various miracles and/coupled by grace-gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed down-from/according-to His will” and that these same Jewish-Christians “having already been enlightened, who have tasted the [singular] heavenly grace-gift, and/coupled have metochos shared-to-be-changed by of [singular] Holy Spirit and/coupled have tasted the goodness of the [gospel] logos message of God and/coupled the dunamis enabling-power (d) of the age coming” in Hebrews 6:4-5.  <Notes> a) Acts 2:27-39, b) adjectival: belonging to the, thus Spirit-kind-of things,  c) Romans 1:11, d) dunamis: a common reference to the working of the Holy Spirit – see Spirit-Power.

 

Therefore, it’s very likely that Matthew 7:11’s “good things” or “good grace-gifts” also spoken of in Luke 11:13’s ‘Lord’s Prayer Model’ is the content of the “goodness of the [gospel] logos message” that is the “heavenly grace-gift” that they “shared-to-be-changed by of the Holy Spirit” that is the “dunamis enabling-power of the age coming,” even the Church Age, which they witnessed by the Spirit’s manifestations that is Paul’s “things of the Spirit” such as “signs, wonders, miracles, and grace-gifts given to the Church” From Hebrew 2:4.

 

Paul also testifies elsewhere: “For those who live down-from/according-to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (a), and “The natural person (of the flesh) does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are discerned [of/belonging to] the Spirit” (b). The book of Hebrews Jewish-Christians had only “tasted the goodness of the . . . dunamis enabling-power of the age coming.”  The writer of Hebrews desperately wants these Jewish-Christians to continue onto the “solid meat” that comes from the Holy Spirit’sdunamis  enabling-powers of discernment trained into them by constant practice” (c) – see New Covenant Ways – BT16, just as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 3:2, encouraging them to no longer rely simply on the “elementary abc’s” or “milk” of the OT prophetic writings that lead them to trusting-relying-faith in Christ – see Logos Word of God – BT6, saying “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it.” <Notes> a) Romans 8:5, b) 1 Corinthians 2:14, c) Hebrews 5:12-14.

 

That’s also why Jesus ended His ‘Prayer Model’ with HOW to “routinely be aiteo subordinately-asking God” for God’s “Holy Spirit who gives good things or good gifts.” That’s because no matter how much human understanding, insight, or wisdom we stuff into our heads to acquire gnosis information-knowledge of God’s will, and no matter how much we ‘work for God’ through our own “might and power” according to Zechariah 4:6 to obey God’s will, and no matter how much we “serve or minister” to God by the “palaiotes ‘old, antiquated, worn-out, useless, obsolete’ ways of the gramma writing” of graphe scripture (a), it will never be enough to “bring the kingdom of God and His will from heaven to earth” – to make us truly “holy/sanctified” no matter how long and hard we try. Anyone teaching otherwise is still stuck in the old covenant’s “might and power” and self-deceived, unable to move onto the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant Way of “by-the-means-of My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” The only way that any of the asking/supplications in the ‘Lord’s Prayer Model” are even possible is if we routinely lambano ‘grab hold of to receive’ the dunamis enabling-power of the Holy Spirit (b) that can alone make us holy in an unholy world!  Jesus says, the only way this will happen is if we routinely keep on asking for the ‘Holy Spirit’ to be given to us – it the only ways to get the “the good things/gifts of the Holy Spirit.” <Notes> a) Romans 7:6, b) Acts 1:8.

 

However, Christ’s ‘Prayer Model’ is not teaching Christians to ask for the Holy Spirit 1 time or even a few times, nor to stop once you get Spirit-baptized once, or that this somehow unnoticeably occurs during salvation at water-baptism, contrary to what too many churches teach, if they even teach about the Holy Spirit at all.  No!  The book of Acts shows the same Christians routinely being filled by Spirit or Spirit-baptized (a), even imperatively strongly-urged to with all the pleroma abundant-fullness of God by the means of the Holy Spirit” (b). This is the only way Christians can routinely pray for God’s kingdom to actually come into their lives!  Jesus is teaching ALL Christians for ALL ages throughout ALL their lives to make ALL of these asking-supplications in His ‘Prayer Model’ lifestyle requests, but especially to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to have the enabling-power to do any of it!  This is “The Normal Christians Life!” <Notes> a) Acts 1:5, 2:4, 4:8, 31, 10:47, 11:16, 13:52, b) Ephesians 3:19, 5:18.

 

Regarding the Holy Spirit and the routine practice of proseuchomai conversationally-praying, Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit during His water-baptism while proseuchomai conversationally-praying (a), so wouldn’t that be key?  Nevertheless, Paul says even when we don’t know how to proseuchomai conversationally-pray, the Holy Spirit helps us by interceding for us with inexpressible groaning (b). Yet Paul says he will continue to pray in tongues: “If I proseuchomai conversationally-pray in a tongue, The Spirit of/belonging-to me (c) proseuchomai conversationally-prays, but the mind of/belonging-to me is ‘unfruitful-unproductive of what it normally would produce’.  What should I do? I shall, in the future, actually proseuchomai conversationally-pray by-the-means-of-the [singular] Spirit  (d) but kai also by-the-means-of-the [singular] mind (e) kai and/also I shall, in the future, actually sing praises by-the-means-of-the [singular] Spirit  (d) but kai also by-the-means-of-the [singular] mind (e)” (f).  Jude is also like referring to tongues:  “But you, beloved, routinely building yourselves up in your most holy Trusting-Relying-Faith and/coupled routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit, [I strongly urge you to] tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state yourselves in The Unconditional-Love of God” (g) – the 2-part participle phrase is HOW you “tereo ‘carefully watch/observe to safely-guard, care-for/attend-to, firmly-hold/stand-in/maintain-a-present-state yourselves IN the essence of the LORD!  See also The Grace-Gifts of Tongues & Interpretation and Conversational-Prayer – BT22.  Paul’s team ceaselessly proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to God and/coupled aiteo subordinately-asked God [implying the first is listening and the second is talking] to fill the Colossian church with the genuine, experiential, relational epignosis knowledge of God’s will by the means of pas all-kinds-of wisdom and/coupled sunesis ‘connect-the-dots’ understanding of [h] [singular] Spirit (i).  <Notes> a) Luke 3:21, b) Romans 8:26, c) The Spirit is always a reference to the Holy Spirit that Christians possess, not our human spirits or mind, and certainly in 1 Corinthians:  2:4, 20, 11-14, 6:11, 7:40, 12:3, 7-8, 14:2, 12, certainly giving no reason why Paul would suddenly deviate from this, d) there is no need to repeat the definite article ‘the’ for the singular to mean “The Holy Spirit,” e) there is no need to repeat the definite article ‘the’ for the singular to mean “the mind of me,” f) 1 Corinthians 14:14, 15, g) Jude 1:20-21, h) adjectively: that belongs to the, thus Spirit-kind-of wisdom and/coupled understanding, i) Colossians 1:9.

 

Paul also strongly urged Christians about prayer:Dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of pas all-kinds-of proseuche conversational-prayer and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer, routinely be proseuchomai conversationally-praying in pas all-kinds-of kairos ‘suitable, right, seasonable, opportune seasons/occasions’ by-the-means-of  [singular] Spirit and/coupled eis ‘toward and reaching the goal of’ this, be routinely agrupneo vigilantly-watching by-the-means-of all proskarteresis devoted-relational-perseverance and/coupled deesis supplication-prayer for all the saints” (a). Again, ‘listening’ proseuche conversational-prayer and deesis ‘talking’ supplication are parts of routine proseuchomai conversational-praying, and the recommended way to do this is by the Holy Spirit, which may very well be by tongues as we saw above, not just with your ‘producing’ mind, in order to build one’s trusting-relying-faith up in order to stay in The Unconditional-Love of God, yet still being routinely attentive and watchful to persevere in supplication for all the saints – see also Conversational-Prayer – BT20.  In other words, it’s NOT all about you:  prayer is NOT all about our focus on our vertical koinonia fellowship with God through greater experience of trusting-relying-faith and unconditional-love by the Holy Spirit, but also horizontally unconditionally-loving others, particularly fellow Christians, also by the enabling-power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why “Faith and Love” are the only 2 commandments in the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant. <Notes> a) Ephesians 6:18.

 

It’s God’s will to be proseuchomai praying!  Paul says that 1 of only 3 things that is explicitly-stated as “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” other than “always rejoicing and giving thanks in all circumstances” is: “presently/ongoingly be proseuchomai conversationally-praying adialeiptos ‘not thru-the-realizing-channel-of leaving, thus without any time-gap’” – giving a double-emphasis (a). Paul says, “I parakaleo ‘close-beside encourage’ first of all that deesis supplications, proseuche conversational-prayers, enteuxis confident-intercessions, and eucharistia thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men . . . I boulomai ‘resolutely plan’ then that in every place the men should proseuchomai conversationally-pray, lifting up holy/sanctified hands apart from anger and dissension” (b). <Notes> a) 1 Thessalonians 5:17, b) 1 Timothy 2:1, 8.

 

Proseuchomai praying was an early church devotion.  “They were routinely proskartereo persistently-relationally-devoted in/by/with the teaching of the apostles and/coupled the koinonia fellowship – the breaking of the bread – and/coupled the proseuche prayers” (a).  We see this later in the gathering in Mary’s house with her son Mark and many other disciples had been ongoingly proseuchomai conversationally-praying together (b). <Notes> a) Acts 2:42, b) Acts 12:12.

 

The apostles laid hands on church-chosen servant-deacons, having proseuchomai conversationally-prayed for them, likely for anointing and leadership ordination as OT Prophets did for succession (a).  The original 11 apostles also proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to find out from the Lord through lots who the 12th replacement apostle would be (b).  When Paul’s team appointed elders in every church in Acts 14:23 they did so with proseuchomai conversationally-praying.”  The addition of “and fasting” is not found even in textual variants nor is it warranted because in 3 of the 4 other uses of that form in Acts 1:24 choosing of the 12th apostles above, Acts 6:6 laying hands on the 7 chosen deacons above, and Acts 21:5 departing of Paul bellows, there is no implication of fasting.  However, the common rabbinical phrase “fasting and prayer” is found in Acts 13:3 of the early church of Antioch prophets and teachers gathered together to leitourgeo liturgical-worship-serve the Lord and/coupled fasting.  While doing so the Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.  Then after again ‘fasting and praying’ they laid their hands on them [likely for anointing, blessing, and ordination] they sent the off.  Clearly the limited use of leitourgeo liturgical-worship-serving indicates that these Christians were Jewish still following many of the OT “traditions of the elders” like fasting.  As the church became more Gentile you see this fade away until the Catholic Church resurrected many of them after 200 AD.  Paul knelt down and/coupled proseuchomai conversationally-prayed with the Ephesus elders before departing (c). Before leaving the disciples in Tyre, Paul & Barnabas knelt down on the beach and they all proseuchomai conversationally-prayed together before saying farewell (d).  It was also common for Jews to “stand proseuchomai conversationally-pray,” which Jesus acknowledge in His teaching on prayer (e).  God directed Peter’s ministry when he fell into a trance and had a vision while proseuchomai conversationally-praying (f).  Paul asks Christians to routinely proseuchomai conversationally-pray for them for success in the preaching of the gospel logos message (g), even strongly-urged using the imperative (h).   <Notes> a) Acts 6:6, b) Acts 1:24, c) Acts 20:36-38, d) Acts 21:3-6, e) Mark 11:25, f) Acts 10:9, 30, 11:5, 22:17, g) Colossians 4:3, h) 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1.

 

Proseuchomai conversationally-praying was important for suffering and healing.  Suffering individuals were to proseuchomai conversationally-pray, and church elders were to proseuchomai conversationally-pray and anoint sick Christians requesting this in order to be healed, but they should do so with the fervent-intensity that Elijah did for rain who “proseuchomai conversationally-prayed with proseuche conversational-prayer” and thus saw miracles – the repetition be a Hebrew idiom to show intensity (a). Paul and Silas were routinely proseuchomai conversationally-praying and singing praises to God while suffering in prison and that’s when angels miraculously delivered them (b). Peter knelt down and/coupled proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to raise the disciple Tabitha/Dorcas from the dead (c). Paul did laid hands on and proseuchomai conversationally-prayed to heal the father of Publius (d).  <Notes> a) James 5:13-17, b) Acts 16:25-26, c) Acts 9:40, d) Acts 28:8.

 

Proseuchomai conversationally-praying was important to receive the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 8:14-15, Jerusalem’s apostles sent Peter and John to the Samaritans that had dechomai ‘warmly welcomed to receive’ the gospel logos message of God so they could also be proseuchomai conversationally-prayed for in order that they might lambano ‘grab hold of to receive’ the Holy Spirit.”

 

 

 

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Categories: Conversational Prayer

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