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Teach us to pray
buildontherock
2024-04-222024-06-03

Teach us to pray

God gave two sides to prayer. I will put the Lord's Prayer as side #1. The Lord's Prayer is actually a sample prayer that teaches us the right way to organise our prayers.

When examining your success under a government Christ gives us a practical and sensible approach.

  • step 1 ) look at the reputation or NAME of the leader.
  • step 2 ) look at the KINGDOM as a whole. The kingdom is the territory, the king and the subjects; see how you fare within that context.
  • step 3 ) look at the plans or WILL or intentions for the future. See how you fare within that.

Matthew adds a final step. Look at the POWER and GLORY of the leader which forms a basis for side #2 to prayer, which is our attitude or frame of mind. The power tells you if he has the means to accomplish his ambitions. The glory or reputation (fame or infamy) tells you whether or not you can trust him. God's reputation exists in His marvellous acts including miracles, answered prayers, and from the inspiration of the apostles and prophets.

The Lord's Prayer (side #1)

The Lord's Prayer teaches us how to organise and prioritise our prayers.

Matthew 6:9-13 [KJV] After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Luke 11:2-4 [KJV] And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Matthew's prayer is slightly different from Luke's in that Matthew ends as he began; with an appeal to God's reputation, based on His Kingdom, power and glory . The theme of the prayer is God's reputation i.e. His name, what He essentially is, His identity. Christ teaches the disciples to approach God as Father . This invokes the fundamental relationship and unity of the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament God is our Father, Christ is our Brother and we are united in one Spirit. This is a new name but the fundamental relationship is an old one since Israel was God's firstborn (Exodus 4:22). The other names tell us what kind of Father He is and what kind of Brother Christ is since they are the same and in perfect union.  In the Old Testament the names of God are given as:

  • El Olam (The Everlasting God)
  • Elohim (God's species)
  • El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)
  • El Elyon (The Most High God)
  • Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)
  • Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)
  • Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts = The Lord of Armies, armies of lawyers, armies of soldiers etc.)
  • Adonai (Lord, Master= teaches, directs and commands us)
  • Qanna (Jealous)
  • Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)
  • Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner= tells us where we belong)
  • Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)
  • Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
  • Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
  • Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)
  • Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)

God also says this about Himself:

Exodus 34:5-7 [KJV] And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering , and abundant in goodness and truth , 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin , and that will by no means clear the guilty ; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, Unto the third and to the fourth generation .

Keeping His commands

The surest way of acting in God's name is by submitting to Him as Adonai and carrying out His commands. Based on the arrangement to keep the commandments in Exodus 20 God says,

Exodus 20:5-6 [KJV] Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments .

And if we demonstrate love for Him by acting in His name and keeping His commandments He says in John's gospel,

John 14:13-15 [KJV] And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 if ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it . 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:21 [KJV] He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 14:21 is straightforward. If we obey His commands (which include the Ten Commandments) then we love God and Christ and the Father automatically loves us. But it goes further. If They love us then They will be manifested to us, which means that the evidence of all that Their name is, will be manifested to us. What does manifested to us mean. All that God is will be living in or with us.

John 14:22-24 [KJV] Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him . 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

What could this abode that They have with us be like?

(I Kings 17:17-23 [KJV]) And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.  18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?  19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.  20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?  21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.  22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.  23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

We have instant access! Do not doubt it. Keep insisting on your success because the only thing that can separate us from success is time. When Elijah was standing up for God against the false god on Mount Carmel this transpired:

I Kings 18:25-29 [NETfree] Elijah told the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls for yourselves and go first, for you are the majority. Invoke the name of your god, but do not light a fire." 26 So they took a bull, as he had suggested, and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "Baal, answer us." But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped around on the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah mocked them, "Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened." 28 So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood. 29 Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, but there was no sound, no answer, and no response.

Is that how the God that we serve allows Himself to be ridiculed? Can our God ever allow that to be honestly said by heathen or have that kind of empty worship apply to those devoted to Him?

I started this article by claiming that His name is to be hallowed and therefore treated as holy. God alone can make things holy. Holy does not mean pure, although holy things are typically purified by Him. Holy means that it is fully approved of and chosen by Him and therefore is His specific choice, in this case choice of behaviour. He set it holy but we keep it holy. His name remaining holy means that it is always His choice to be, and His standards and reputation are always maintained. We have things that we must do to preserve His name. If something is sanctioned by one's name then it has their full support because as functionary you are acting as a surrogate or proxy. If God commands something then it certainly is done in His name. If we seek out and do the things that He commands then we are always in compliance with John 14:14 and so we can always expect that He will follow through. For example one command given through Peter says Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38 [KJV]). Another is Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30 [KJV]). Seeking out God's commands and using them in prayer boosts our success . One more essential command to know is But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. [36] Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. [37] Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: [38] Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again (Luke 6:35-38 [KJV]). You will find that God has given quite a few commands. I came across a website that presented a list from the New Testament. It is Life QuestionsBiblical answers to life’s biggest questions and the webpage What are the commands of Christ? , https://iblp.org/what-are-commands-christ/ presents the list. I have made a similar list of commands below and I have a catalog of God's names above where I have broken them up into two groups. The first group describes God in a detached or independent sense and the second group describes His dealings with us . Christ adds another name in the New Testament, the name comforter . The Holy Spirit is another comforter but Christ is the original.

Commands of Jesus
CommandReference
Live life Being Sustained by God i.e. His Name (abide in the vine)
John 15:4–5
RepentMatthew 4:17
Follow GodMatthew 4:19
Rejoice When Unjustly AbusedMatthew 5:11–12
Let The World See That You Live by the Power of God (Acts 26:18)Matthew 5:13-20
First Be Reconciled to Your Brother, and Then Try to Reconcile With GodMatthew 5:23–24
Sever All That Would Entrap You to SinMatthew 5:28–30
Do Not Make OathsMatthew 5:37
Fight Evil With Kindness and LoveMatthew 5:38–42
Love Your EnemiesMatthew 5:44–46
Strive to be PerfectMatthew 5:46–48
Keep the Details of Your Worship Between You and GodMatthew 6:1–18
Lay up Treasures in HeavenMatthew 6:19–21
Seek First the kingdom of God, and His RighteousnessMatthew 6:33
Do not JudgeMatthew 7:1–2
Deal With Your Own Shortcomings Before Attempting to Fix Others'Matthew 7:3-5
Do Not Force God's Word Where it is Not WantedMatthew 7:6
Ask, Seek and KnockMatthew 7:7–8
Treat Others as You Would Like to be TreatedMatthew 7:12
Choose the Narrow WayMatthew 7:13–14
Beware of False ProphetsMatthew 7:15–16
Pray for Labourers (I Corinthians 3:7-15)
Matthew 9:37–38
Be Wise as Serpents (spawn of Satan [Genesis 3:1]) and Harmless as Doves
Matthew 10:16
Fear NotMatthew 10:28
Pay Attention to God's WordMatthew 11:15
Submit to GodMatthew 11:28–30
Honour Your ParentsMatthew 15:4
Beware of HypocrisyMatthew 16:6
Take Hold of Christianity Knowing That it is your Death SentenceLuke 9:23–25
Take Care not to Disrespect ChildrenMatthew 18:10
Instructions on Escalating Grievances
Matthew 18:15–17
Beware of CovetousnessLuke 12:15
Godly Marriage is for LifeMatthew 19:4–6
Forgive Until Seventy Times SevenMatthew 18:21–22
The Greatest Must Serve the OthersMatthew 20:26–28
Celebrate by Sharing With the PoorLuke 14:12–14
Pay Your TaxesMatthew 22:19–21
Love the Lord With EverythingMatthew 22:37–38
Love Your Neighbour as YourselfMatthew 22:39–40
Always be Prepared to Encounter God Matthew 24:42–44
Keep God's PassoverMatthew 26:26–28
Keep God's CommandmentsJohn 14:15
Baptise God's DisciplesMatthew 28:19
Make Disciples (be labourers with Christ)
Matthew 28:19–20

At the start of the article I mentioned the primary name for God that we are introduced to in the New Testament which is Father . That is actually implied since ancient times because Israel was God's firstborn, meaning that He was their father. God the Father is all of those previously mentioned things, and note that by calling Him Father we are saying that we are to be the same, because that is how reproduction works. The disciples would have known all this and understood that Christ was telling them of the power of their new relationship. They had the potential to be like Him so that Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also ; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12 [KJV]) .

I have claimed that as a first step we look at keeping His commands. That is our most practical means of supporting His kingdom and implementing His will. That is not to say that we can expect perfection but we make that commitment to that Kingdom and that will.

I John 1:7-10 [KJV] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Christ sets out the theme of the prayer as God's reputation or name.

  1. His Name
    1. His Kingdom
    2. His will or intentions
    3. Having our needs met
    4. Forgiveness
    5. No unnecessary trials
    6. Deliverance from evil

Bearing all of this in mind Christ breaks the prayer down similarly to how He breaks the commandments down, into two. The first division in introduced by the word thy while the second is introduced by the word us .

The first division we can look at as general or pertaining to God i.e

  1. His Kingdom
  2. His will or intentions.

Personally, in the general case I compare my nation or the global situation to what I know of His Kingdom. I proposed that the kingdom is the king, the territory and the subjects. For the king I look at the leader of the government and his cabinet and then assess whether it is appropriate to yearn for His kingdom and His will, bearing in mind that God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). That part is hard to accept sometimes considering the sick people that are the elites . The second is the specific or pertaining to the indivual and is subject to the first division:

  1. Having our needs met
  2. Forgiveness
  3. No unnecessary trials - no abuse [necessary trials are so that God can say now I know , Genesis 22:12]
  4. Deliverance from evil

Side #2 of prayer is our frame of mind

Some of this is from ancient times, but Christ also gave some in several parables and the apostles also added some based on their experience.

Ancient times

There are not too many places where we find a prayer answered in the same paragraph.

Acts 1:24-26 [KJV] And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men , shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

They claimed that God knows the hearts of all men. This is from ancient times.

I Samuel 16:6-13 [KJV] And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

A similar sentiment is found in Psalms Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts : [24] And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalms 139:23-24 [KJV]). This understanding is put to use in the New Testament as well.

Luke 16:15 [KJV] And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts : for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God
Romans 8:27-29 [KJV] And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit , because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

In prayer we cannot fool God because He already knows our hearts because he [actually IT, the Holy Spirit] maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God . Nevertheless we are required to make our petitions ourselves and in so doing gain the assistance of the Spirit.

Philippians 4:6-7 [KJV] Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:26 [KJV] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered

From here on the scriptures are given largely without comment because they are for discussion.

THE PARABLES

According to the technical definitions there are no parables in the Gospel of John, but there are stories considered to be allegories, not parables. I am not sure that I appreciate the difference so I will not attempt to elaborate. One thing is however made clear by scripture; the parables were given with the intention that most hearers would not understand (Matthew 13:13-16, Luke 8:10, Mark 4:12).

Parables of Jesus
ParableMatthewMarkLuke
the Sower13:1–234:1–208:4–15
the Weeds (Tares)13:24–30, 36-43

the Mustard Seed13:31–324:30–3213:18–19
the Leaven13:33
13:20–21
the Hidden Treasure13:44

the Pearl Of Great Price13:45-46

the Net13:47–52

the Lost Sheep18:12–14
15:3–7
the Unforgiving Servant18:21–35

the Two Sons21:28–32

the Wicked Husbandmen21:33–4612:1–1220:9–19
the Great Banquet22:1–14
14:15–24
the Ten Virgins25:1–13

the Talents25:14–30
11–27
the Good Samaritan

10:25-37
the Friend at Night - Importunate Neighbour

11:5-13
the Rich Fool

12:13-31
the Barren Fig Tree (Galatians 5:22-26)


13:6–9
the Wedding Feast

14:7–14
the Lost Coin

15:8–10
the Prodigal Son

15:11–32
the Unjust Steward (Dishonest Manager)

16:1-13
the Rich Man and Lazarus

16:19–31
the Unjust Judge (the Importunate Widow)

18:1–8
the Pharisee and the Publican/Tax Collector

18:9–14

Importunate means persistent, especially to the point of annoyance. Each parable informs us of the state of mind necessary to have effective prayers, or in other words, to secure access to God. I have singled out a few below.

the Friend at Night - Importunate Neighbour (Luke 11:5-13)
Luke 11:5-13 [KJV] 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; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 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. 8 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. 9 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. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 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?

Importunate Widow (Luke 18:1-8)
Luke 18:1-8 [KJV] And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)

Bear in mind that Pharisees were extremely meticulous in keeping the Law.

Luke 18:9-14 [KJV] And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Apostles' Experience

This is another source of understanding for prayer.

James
James 1:5-8 [KJV] If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

In order to fully appreciate this scripture it should be coupled with Proverbs 1.

Proverbs 1:20-33 [NETfree] Wisdom calls out in the street, she shouts loudly in the plazas; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words: 22 "How long will you simpletons love naiveté? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If only you will respond to my rebuke, then I will pour out my thoughts to you and I will make my words known to you. 24 However, because I called but you refused to listen, because I stretched out my hand but no one paid attention, 25 because you neglected all my advice, and did not comply with my rebuke, 26 so I myself will laugh when disaster strikes you, I will mock when what you dread comes, 27 when what you dread comes like a whirlwind, and disaster strikes you like a devastating storm, when distressing trouble comes on you. 28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will diligently seek me, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated moral knowledge, and did not choose to fear the * Lord, * 30 they did not comply with my advice, they spurned all my rebuke. 31 Therefore they will eat from the fruit of their way, and they will be stuffed full of their own counsel. 32 For the waywardness of the simpletons will kill them, and the careless ease of fools will destroy them. 33 But the one who listens to me will live in security, and will be at ease from the dread of harm.

People who have obvious learning disabilities should pay attention to that. Recognise that you have abnormal limitations and seek to have them removed through prayer. Here are some others that I find interesting quoted from the King James version:

Apostles' Experience
ReferenceText
Acts 10:4
And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
Acts 10:31
And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
Acts 12:5
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Romans 1:9
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers ;
Romans 12:12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Romans 15:30
Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
I Corinthians 7:5
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
Ephesians 1:16. . . cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Philippians 1:19
For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
I Timothy 2:1-4
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men [2]For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  [3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;  [4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
James 5:15
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
I Peter 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
I Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Notice that by James 5:15 we know that we do not have to be sinless in order to be healed.

Miracles

The miracles in the scriptures are a result of God's will at the time and examining them could reveal more of how we approach God successfully. One vital thing that John 14 also tells us (John 14:23) it that if we adhere to God's commands and hence love Them, is that they will make our abode with him which is to say that they are always present. The bond is so close that Christ says of the Holy Spirit which is that presence . . . but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17)  For the miracles to take place Christ had to be present so that somebody could interact with them. With those who keep His commands He is always present.

The centurion and the Syrophoenician woman tell us how to approach prayer in the worst case scenario. Neither were of the commonwealth of Israel and could therefore be easily ignored by God. The generosity to the poor from the centurion and the persistent humility of the Syrophoenician woman made up for the lack of a formal relationship. This is aside from the basic story of faith which is always essential.

Centurion
Matthew 8:5-13 [KJV] And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

The Syrophoenician woman
Mark 7:24-30 [KJV] And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
Matthew 15:21-28 [KJV] Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Leper
Matthew 8:2-4 [KJV] And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him , saying, Lord, if thou wilt , thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Ten lepers
Luke 17:12-19 [KJV] And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Capernaum - Jesus' adopted hometown - Matthew 9:1

Christ did a lot because He was appreciated: Matthew 8:16, Mark 1:32, Luke 4:40–41.

Galilee (Where He was actually raised, Nazareth in Galilee Mark 1:9, Luke 4:16)

He was unable to do anything extraordinary there, only some healing (Mark 6:5–6, Matthew 13:58), even though the demons knew Him and cried out His name (Mark 3:7–11, Matthew 12:15) and in spite of His going everywhere making Himself available (Matthew 4:23, Matthew 9:35).

You would think that every sick person there would have been healed but apparently not. They only had to make the effort to come and ask but they did not. They took Him for granted.

It is interesting that Jesus sent the 11 back there to be instructed/commissioned for the ministry,

Matthew 28:16-20 [KJV] Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.  18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Judea

Christ was not limited to healing only a few. He healed crowds but individually (Matthew 19:1–2). Demons were found among the people at Church (the Synagogue) Luke 4:33–35.

If you go through Jesus' miracles you will see recovery from the spectrum of ailments, from resurrections to surgery (reattaching an ear). As far as I can see however, He dealt with people on a case by case, one on one, basis.

Many more to learn from

I started to compile a list of miracles but discovered that many people had beaten me to it. I have adapted one from https://sunnyhillschurch.com/3301/the-37-miracles-of-jesus-in-chronological-order/. The table claims that there are 37 individual miracles. The reader must be aware that in some cases scriptures may be lumped together because one person finds sufficient similarities but you may not agree. For my purposes it is irrelevant because my objective is to provide an opportunity to examine each of the scriptures for their impact on personal prayer. For example the miracle Heals a Paralytic Who Was Let Down through the Roof contains And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. [19] And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. [20] And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee (Luke 5:18-20 [KJV]). This section shows us that sometimes people are unable to bring themselves to Jesus and need support from friends.

Recorded Miracles of Jesus
#MiracleMatthewMarkLukeJohn
1Turns Water into Wine at the Wedding in Cana 2:1-11
2Heals a Nobleman’s Son at Capernaum in Galilee 4:43-54
3Drives Out an Evil Spirit From a Man in Capernaum 1:21-274:31-36
4Heals Peter’s Wife's Mother Sick With Fever8:14-151:29-314:38-39
5Heals Many Sick and Oppressed that Evening8:16-171:32-344:40-41
6Miraculous Catch of Fish on the Lake of Gennesaret 5:1-11
7Cleanses a Man With Leprosy8:1-41:40-455:12-14
8Heals a Centurion’s Paralyzed Servant in Capernaum8:5-13 7:1-10
9Heals a Paralytic Who Was Let Down through the Roof9:1-82:1-125:17-26
10Heals a Man’s Withered Hand on the Sabbath12:9-143:1-66:6-11
11Raises a Widow’s Son From the Dead in Nain 7:11-17
12Calms a Storm on the Sea8:23-274:35-418:22-25
13Casts out Demons into a Herd of Pigs8:28-335:1-208:26-39
14 Heals a Woman that Anonymously Touched His Clothes in Faith
9:20-225:25-348:42-48
15Raises Jairus’ Daughter Back to Life9:18, 23-265:21-24, 35-438:40-42, 49-56
16Heals Two Blind Men9:27-31
17 Heals a Man Who Could Not speak
9:32-34
18Heals an Invalid Who could Never Reach the Pool in Bethesda 5:1-15
19 Feeds 5,000 Men Plus Women and Children
14:13-216:30-449:10-176:1-15
20Walks on Water14:22-336:45-52 6:16-21 
21In Gennesaret Heals Many Sick that Merely Touched His Garment14:34-366:53-56
22The Syrophoenician woman15:21-287:24-30
23Heals a Deaf and Dumb Man 7:31-37
24Feeds 4,000 Men Plus Women and Children15:32-398:1-13
25Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida 8:22-26
26 Heals a Man Born Blind by Putting Mud Made with Spit on His Eyes and Sending Him to Wash
9:1-12
27Heals a Boy With an Unclean Spirit17:14-209:14-299:37-43
28Obtains Temple Tax From a Fish’s Mouth17:24-27
29Heals a Blind, Mute Demoniac12:22-30 11:14-23
30Heals a Woman Who Had Been Crippled for 18 Years 13:10-17
31Heals a Man With Dropsy on the Sabbath 14:1-6
32Cleanses Ten Lepers on the Way to Jerusalem 17:11-19
33Raises Lazarus from the Dead in Bethany 11:1-45
34Restores Sight to Bartimaeus in Jericho20:29-3410:46-5218:35-43
35Withers the Fig Tree on the Road From Bethany21:18-2211:12-14
36 Heals the High Priest's Servant’s Severed Ear While Being Placed Under Arrest
22:50-51
37Miraculous Catch of Fish at the Sea of Tiberias 21:4-11

You might notice more like seeing Nathaniel under the fig tree (John 1:47-50) or telling Peter that he will deny Him three times (Matthew 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:55–62), but you get the point. This is a place to start. There are also miracles by the Apostles in the book of Acts. Christ had said that His followers would also do mighty deeds. That is the basis of miracles connected with His disciples until now. Examining these could show where we fall short and God already said, e.g through James, that it would be a problem of faith, sometimes we don't even try.

    Miracles in Acts
  • Speaking in Tongues/Languages (2:4).
  • Lame man healed (3:1-10).
  • Sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11).
  • Imprisoned apostles freed by angel (5:17-21).
  • Philip transported from desert to Azotus (8:40).
  • Light and voice at Saul’s conversion (9:1-9).
  • Saul blinded and healed (9:8-19).
  • Aeneas healed of paralysis (9:32-35).
  • Dorcas restored to life (9:36-41).
  • Herod’s violent death (12:20-23).
  • Elymas the sorcerer blinded (13:6-11).
  • Cripple at Lystra healed (14:8-10).
  • Demons cast out of a slave girl (16:16-18).
  • Paul freed from prison by earthquake (16:25-27).
  • Eutychus raised from death (20:7-12).
  • Paul unaffected by viper’s bite (28:3-5).
  • Father of Publius healed (28:8).

Examining Successful Prayers For This Approach

Coming on to the end of preparing this message I discovered a website that claimed to identify 222 prayers using  the Dake Annotated Reference Bible, King James Version. I have not gone through them but I think that the reader could use it as a means of identifying prayers worthy of further analysis.

222 Prayers of the Bible
The following list of Bible prayers is from the Dake Annotated Reference Bible, King James Version (Used by Permission). Dake found 176 prayers in the Old Testament and 46 in the New Testament.  They include only actual worded prayers, not references to prayer.  All statements as “he prayed, he entreated the Lord, he called upon the name of the Lord,” etc., are not prayers; they merely mention that certain people prayed. the editors of hopefaithprayer.com222 Prayers of the Biblehopefaithprayer.comhttps://www.hopefaithprayer.com/prayernew/222-prayers-of-the-bible/April 22, 2024

In all these prayers the one making the petition acknowledges an identifiable covenant relationship. Ancient Israelites knew that they were Israel's seed even though they may not have understood that it meant being sons of God's firstborn. Christians acknowledge God as Father and look to an identifiable covenant as well.

Moses pleads for Israel

Israel had refused to occupy Canaan after the spies came back.

Numbers 14:13-21 [KJV] And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, 16 because the lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness . 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. 20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

Moses argued that killing the Israelites was an admission of weakness. This is contrary to El Shaddai. Furthermore it is contrary to the LORD's claims of being longsuffering, of great mercy and forgiving iniquity and transgression. God conceded that, but says that His name must still be respected so they will suffer the wilderness for 40 years. Praying is not just about repeating words. Moses shows that it should be about presenting a sound argument.

Jehoshaphat pleads for Judah

The children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, confederate with others, came against Judah when Jehoshaphat was king, to battle

II Chronicles 20:3-13 [KJV] And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. 5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 13 And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Jehoshaphat starts by way of God's reputation, His name. He points out that God ultimately rules all and that He stated that His will and intention is to defend them if they cry out to Him.

Hezekiah pleads for His life
II Kings 20:2-6 [KJV] Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, 3 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 is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, 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. 6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

Hezekiah appeals to God's reputation indirectly. It is taken for granted that God is a God of justice and looks after those who serve Him sincerely. It takes advantage of:

  • Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
  • Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
  • Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)

The name Jehovah Tsidkenu comes from Jeremiah who lived after the time of Hezekiah. Jeremiah wrote Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. [6] In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:5-6 [KJV]).

Naaman and Elisha

Sometimes what stands between us and success with prayers may be humility.

II Kings 5:8-14 [KJV] And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him , saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

God had actually answered two prayers in one. The King of Israel had rent his clothes (v8). That was an appeal to God. God heard that prayer first and because of it was willing to entertain Naaman. The king of Syria was of little consequence to God but God had a reputation to defend when it came to Israel.

Hannah
I Samuel 2: 1- 10 [KJV] And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. 6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Hannah's prayer is one of thanksgiving. She had pleaded to God for a child and that prayer was granted. Now she returns with the child and with thanksgiving. If God grants our petition we don't go off without showing gratitude.

Solomon prays for wisdom
I Kings 3:3-13 [KJV] And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. 5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

Solomon focussed his prayer on the first part of Christ's sample prayer: God's kingdom (Israel) and God's purpose (His will) for them. This example applies to all of us because all of us must at some time rule in God's kingdom and all of us must seek to make disciples (1 Peter 3:15). In my opinion it is not presumptuous to remind God of this fact.

Peter

Jesus had commanded,

Matthew 10:7-8 [KJV] And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Peter heals the lame man.

Acts 3:6-7 [KJV] Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Peter and John defend God's name.
Acts 4:24-30 [KJV] And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

By the way, child here does not mean itsy-bitsy baby. It means offspring. Christ is the firstborn and the only one that is holy (i.e. fully approved of and chosen) by nature. What the apostles have actually done is invoke Psalm 2 as a basis for instructing them and preaching the Gospel. God is being quoted by David in Psalm 2 and it describes more of who God is.

Psalms Chapter 2 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. 10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Conclusion

In conclusion I want to deal with this scripture that is often used to kill people's prayers.

II Corinthians 12:8-9 [KJV] For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Christ tells us how to pray. He gives us how to organise prayer and He provides details of our attitude. This little article can assist us because if the prayer does not succeed the first time, we can use it to improve and come back again and again and again until we get a response. Go through the miracles, parables etc. and come back with fresh inspiration. Do not let anybody discourage you with nonsense that Paul gave up after three times. Paul never gave up. He was repeatedly answered and told why. Unless you hear a voice too keep at it.

Acknowledgements

https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm