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1 SAM. 1: 12. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.-26. And she said, O my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

T LUKE 11: 5. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you, that is a father, will he give him a stone?

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or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or, if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

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18: 1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet, because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

ACTS 1: 14. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

VIII. Encouragement to Pray.

2 CHRON. 15: 2. Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; the LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

NEH. 2: 1. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, and said unto the king, Let the king live forever:

why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou ·wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my father's sepulchres, that I may build it.-8. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

ISA. 65: 24. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

JER. 33: 3. Call upon me, and I will answer thee.

JOEL 2: 32. Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD, shall be delivered.

JOB 42 8. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.

And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends.

¶ Ps. 81: 10. I am the LORD thy God, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

102: 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favor her, even the set time is come: for thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof.

126: 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

PROV. 10: 24. The desire of the righteous shall be granted.

ISA. 45: 19. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye my face in vain.

EZEK. 36 24. I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries ... and I

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will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. 26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. MAT. 7: 7. Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh_receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone; or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye, then being evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him.

18: 19. Again; I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

JOHN 14: 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing I will do it.

16: 23. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

ACTS 2: 21. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

T12:5. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly! And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals: and so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast

thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him, and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

16: 25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison-doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas; and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

¶ 1 JOHN 3: 21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God, and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment; That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in ĥim, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

5: 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his

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will he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that ye shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death.

JAMES 5: 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months: and he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

ZECH. 13: 9. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them.

2 KINGS 19: 20. Thus saith the LORD to Hezekiah, That which thou hast prayed to me against the king of Assyria, I have heard.

Ps. 6: 9. The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

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34 4. I sought the LORD he heard me and delivered me out of all my fears.

IX. Characteristics of a Spirit of acceptable Prayer.

1. Sincerity.

Ps. 17: 1. Give ear to my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

145: 18. The LORD is nigh unto all them, that call upon him in truth. JER. 29: 13. Then shall ye find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

ISA. 29: 13. Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men ; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people.

LAM. 3: 41. Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.

Ps. 78:34. When God slew them, then they sought him, and inquired early after God. 36. Nevertheless

they flattered him with their mouth: their heart was not right with him.

EZEK. 33: 31. With their mouth they show much love; but their heart goeth after their covetousness. MAT. 6: 5. When thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of

men.

23:14. For a pretence, they make long prayers.

2. Praying in Faith.

2 SAM. 7: 28. And now, O LORD God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant : therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee: for thou, O LORD God, hast spoken it; and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for

ever.

MAT. 21: 22. All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

HEB. 11: 6. Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is; and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

JAMES 5: 15. The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.

JOHN 15: 7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

JAMES 1: 6. Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

HEB. 10: 22. Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith.

3. Humble Submission.

2 CHRON. 7: 14. If my people shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins.

LUKE 18: 13. The publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift his eyes unto heaven, but smote

upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

MAT. 26: 39. He went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

JOHN 5: 30. I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father that sent me.

LUKE 15: 21. Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

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4. Forgiveness.

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MAT. 6: 12. Forgive us our debts, we forgive our debtors. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

LUKE 6: 37. Forgive and ye shall be forgiven.

MAT. 5: 23. If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

LUKE 23:34. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.

5. With Purity of Heart.

Ps. 26: 6. I will wash my hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar.

S4: 15. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, his ears are open to their cry.-17. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

43. The LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call unto

him.

145: 19. The LORD will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; he also will hear their cry and will save them.

PROV. 15: 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD; but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

JOHN 9: 31. If any man be a wor

shipper of God and doth his will, him he heareth.

1 JOHN 3: 22. Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Ps. 91: 14. Because he hath set his love on me, therefore will I deliver him.

66: 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me.

6. Fervor.

Ps. 88: 1. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night | before thee.

LUKE 22: 44. Being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

HEB. 5: 7. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard, in that he feared.

2 KINGS 20: 2. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which was good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.-5. Thus saith the LORD, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

NEH. 1:4. I sat down and wept and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed.

JER. 9: 1. O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears.

ROM. 10: 1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

9: 2. I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren. JAMES 5: 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail

eth much.

X. How Prayer is Hindered.

JOSH. 7: 7. And Joshua said, Alas, O LORD God, wherefore hast

thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! O LORD, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land, shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up! wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow; for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

T 1 SAM. 7: 2. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD.

Ps. 66: 18. If I regard iniquity

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