Prayer Through the Son

The following message from Min. David Pawson is about how we are to pray to the Father through His Son Jesus Christ:

• Christians are the only ones who can call God Father.
• Christian prayer cannot mix with any other type of prayer because it is not like any other type of prayer.
• The main difference between religion and Christianity is Jesus Christ. Because of this, Christians have five things in prayer that no one else has:
• The teachings of Christ for our prayer
• The example of Christ to follow in our prayer
• The blood of Christ to plead in our prayer
• The intercession of Christ to rely upon with our prayer
• The name of Christ to use during our prayer
• Jesus taught the disciples how to pray as well as what to pray.
• In terms of how to pray, Jesus taught:
• Pray with sincerity.
• Pray with simplicity.
• Pray with humility.
• Pray with tenacity.
• Pray with intensity.
• Pray with charity.
• Pray with unanimity.
• In terms of what to pray, Jesus taught that we should pray for others:
• Pray for the sick.
• Pray for those who are possessed with devils.
• Pray for missionaries, laborers in the field.
• Pray for your enemies.
• Pray for yourself; for forgiveness and for guidance.
• Pray when you are tempted.
• Pray for Holy Spirit power.
• Pray for God's will to be done.
• Jesus also gave us an example of how to pray
• Jesus prayed when He was in a big conflict or had to make a big decision.
• Jesus prayed before choosing His Apostles.
• Jesus prayed at all the crisis and big moments in His life.
• Jesus prayed when his was full of emotion.  He learned to control His emotions through prayer and to hand His feelings over to God in prayer.
• Jesus prayed when He was being pressed in, either in a crowd or very busy.
• Jesus prayed when He was about to perform a miracle.  He knew that power was about to go out of Him and He would need a supply of Heavenly resources.
• Jesus' life was truly one of prayer; not of a regular alarm clock pattern, but a way of life.
• When He could, Jesus would get away from people to pray.
• Jesus prayed for other people's sakes.
• Jesus prayed for the Father's sake.
• Jesus also prayed for His own sake.
• John Chapter 17 is the one whole prayer recorded of Jesus.  He is concerned with only two things: 1) the glory of His Father, and 2) the growth of His followers.
• Man is simply not fit on his own to go before God and ask Him anything because of sin.  It is the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all sin and makes us acceptable to God.
• Christian prayer also brings you into the realm of Heavenly places where also evil dwells.  The blood of Jesus also has power to keep evil at bay while you pray and battle through.
• We also have the intercession of Jesus on our behalf who prays for us continually & always; even when no one else is. 
• Jesus prays with tremendous sympathy towards us.
• The night before Jesus died, the whole course of prayer was changed as He said the same thing five times:
  
  "And 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 in my name, I will do it...If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you....Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you...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." John 14:13-14; 15:7, 16:23-24
  
• When Jesus said that we should pray in His name He meant that we have the ability to seek His approval or signature upon our petitions, which assures that our petition will be accepted by the Father.
• When we pray through Jesus, we are not just praying through a sympathetic man; we are praying directly to the Godhead, for He is the Son of God and God Himself.