👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾 what does it mean #Prayer?
(Part 1)
Brethren beloved in Christ,
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you who seek the wisdom from above, which cometh down from the Father of lights. Today, let us draw near with reverence to speak on that holy labor by which man converses with God prayer, the golden ladder stretching from the heart of man to the throne of the Almighty.
Let us not approach this sacred subject with cold intellect or idle curiosity, but with fervent hearts, trembling hands, and minds fixed on heaven. For prayer is not a mere habit, nor a recital of words. It is the soul’s ascent to God, the voice of the bride to her Bridegroom, the cry of the child to his Father.
I. The Meaning and Nature of Prayer
The word prayer, dear brethren, springs from the Gë'ëz root "tseleye", a word heavy with meaning. It signifies to sing, to praise, to lift up hymns, and to exalt. Prayer is not a transaction, but a song of the soul, a melody not merely heard by men but carried on the winds of the Spirit to the ears of the Most High.
Indeed, prayer is a sacred speech a dialogue between dust and Divinity. As it is written:
“Prayer is a prayer that a person speaks to the Most High God” (cf. Judges 14).
Who is man, that he should speak to God? And yet, the Most High inclines His ear to hear the lowly whisper of His children.
II. The Purpose of Prayer
What saith the Scripture?
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Ps. 49:15)
Prayer is our shield in suffering, our refuge in darkness, our food in famine, and our ladder in despondency. The Lord Himself has given us the sacred charge:
“Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matt. 6:11)
Here we are not only taught to ask but commanded to ask. For our Creator is our perfect Helper, and His delight is to hear the voice of those who hope in Him.
But let our asking be with faith, not with doubt. For “hope that is seen is not hope” (Rom. 8:24–26), and prayers mingled with unbelief perish like smoke in the wind.
III. The Teaching of Our Lord
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Master and Model of prayer, gave His disciples the pattern and the spirit of true supplication (Luke 11:1–13). He prayed with tears, with sweat like blood, with lifted hands and prostrate body. He who needed nothing prayed continually, to show us that prayer is life to the soul as breath is to the body.
IV. The Procedure and Posture of Prayer
1. "Qewim "— Standing Before God
Before we utter a word, we prepare both our outward body and our inward heart.
“I will stand before you as a bridegroom,” (Ps. 5:3)
Let us not come before the Lord in sloth or filth, but clothed in dignity, as servants approaching the King.
2. "Qenite Haqe" — Facing East with Girded Loins
As our Lord said:
“Let your loins be girded” (Luke 12:35),
The east is the direction of Paradise, of resurrection, of hope. Thus we turn our faces eastward, our loins girded in readiness, like Israel before the Passover.
3. Making the Sign of the Cross
By our fingers tracing the cross, we proclaim mysteries more profound than words can express:
The Lordship and eternity of God
The descent of Christ from heaven
His birth, crucifixion, and triumph over death
The return from error (left) to truth (right)
The sign is both shield and sermon. As it is written:
“He has crossed us from death to life, from hell to heaven.” (cf. Ezek. 9:4; Rev. 7:3)
V. Reverence in Prayer
“I saw the Lord always before me; for He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Ps. 15:8)
Let prayer not be casual nor rushed, but clothed in fear and trembling. Let every soul who dares to speak to the Almighty tremble in awe.
As our Lord taught:
“Be watchful always in prayer, that you may stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)
Continues👇🏾