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Easter Sunday sermon snippet still on my mind!

Both thieves crucified with Jesus had a prayer request.
Both wanted to be saved.
Do you want your prayers answered?
Compare the two requests from Luke 23:39-43.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

A Word to the Wise about Prayer

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

God looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
We can’t fake Him out.
Let’s not offend Him with shallow self-serving requests.

Let’s stand our requests next to the truth to see if they measure up:

• John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.
• 1 John 5:14 if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us
• Luke 11:9 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

For Extra Credit read James 5:16-18 and figure out why someone living in an arid climate dependent on rain for crops would pray that it wouldn’t rain.
List five lessons on prayer you can learn from Elijah’s story.
The whole story is found in 1 Kings 17-18.

God wants to hear from us and He longs for us to ask Him to do amazing things in people’s lives and in this world.
Let’s raise our game when it comes to prayer.
Today open your heart and listen for God to share a little of His agenda with you. Let Him add a few items to your prayer list.