The Real Truth

Q4. (20:3) What is the basis on which Hezekiah asks for healing? Why is personal righteousness and holiness important in getting your prayers answered? How can unrighteousness prevent answered prayer if all gifts from God are by grace anyway? He want's his nation to survive and have a son. It shows obedence. It's all up to God.

Q3. Why is Hezekiah's healing important for his nation? How did it relate to God's promises to David? So the nation would not be without a King in a time of War. It relates to God promise to David because of the off spring.

Q2. (19:15) How do the first two sentences of Hezekiah's prayer (verse 15) correspond to the first sentence of the Lord's Prayer? How are they important to faith? How are they important to God answering the prayer? By setting the stage God is to be put on. Higher than anything in Heaven or in Earth. They both give God all the glory, honor, and power. They are impotant to faith because is labels God as the creater of Heaven and Earth. Without faith one cannot believe that. They are important to God because it lets him know who he really is. And to see if you give enough respect and ackowledgement that his is Lord of all.

Q1. (19:14) What is the significance of Hezekiah spreading out the enemy's message before the Lord? What is the underlying principle illustrated here? How can we apply this principle to our own lives? What happens when we don't apply this principle? The significance is that it is an insult to God himself and it needs God's response. After preparing all we can we need to take are problems to the Lord; because the battle is His. Almost in the same way. I have read a many things that defile and disgrace the Lord name. I should just print it out and present it to the Lord. If we don't apply this prinicple we can easily go weary as mere humans, and hope be able to do the Lord's will.

Q4. Why is a person's attitude with regard to giving related to that person's attitude towards praise? Why does an attitude of possessiveness with regards to giving get in the way of worship? In what sense do all your possessions belong to God? What then should be your relationship to your possessions? How will these truths re-energize your giving? Your praise? God loves a cheeful giver. It not hard to assume that God loves a cheeful praiser. Where you money is therein lies one's heart. Giving is a sgin of worship. God made everything. I own my possessions; my possessions do not own me. I will contiune to be humbe and have faith that my giving and praise will be noticed.

Q3. Verses 11 and 12 both attribute various characteristics to God, such as glory, honor, and might. How might you begin to mention God's greatness in your own prayers? Where is this kind of praise found by example in the Lord's Prayer? What are your favorite songs that point to God's greatness? I can mention all the wonderful things God has done and will do in my life. My favorite song just says Holy, Holy, Holy.

Q2. In what way does praise exalt God? Why should we exalt God? What does this exaltation do in us? What does it say about us? Our praise exalts God because it let's him know that he is great, powerful, glory, majesty, and splendor. Praise is also the language of faith. Because God almighty deserves that we exalt he. It strengthens the faith in us. That God exalts us which is by his grace, but he is always exalted above all.

Q1. In what way do our prayers of praise "bless" God? What do we mere humans have that God desires in a blessing? What are prayers like, that don't include blessing God? It gives God all the glory. It says that "our generosity can touch others" so our generosity to praise God without the sense of duty can touch God. Praise and worship. Selfish and disrecpectful to God.

Q4. What does it mean to have a broken heart and spirit? Why is this essential in the prayer for pardon? In what sense is this a "sacrifice"? Why do we tend to resist a "broken and contrite heart" in ourselves? To know that you have sinned against the Lord and the fact that He may take his Holy Spirit away from us. By have a broken heart and spirit it keeps us humble to the grace of God. It is a sacrifice becuase we are giving up our inermost being. We don't want to feel guilty so we pretend or resist the fact.

Q3. Is it possible to have a pure heart? How does God bring about a pure heart? What is our part in this? Yes it is possible to have a pure heart. God's can cleanse me if all of my sins; not only actions but the sins if my heart. Our part is to simply ask and believe in God's Lovingkindess.

Q2. In his prayer does David seek to minimize his sins? No, David does the exact oppsite. Even more so to acknowledge he sinned against GOD and not just to Uriah and Bathsheba. To maximize them? I'd say he does maximize them. On the other hand can you even do than? I say that because David doesn't just use one word to desribe how he feel but mulitple words to describe his sins and transgressions, etc. Why does an authentic prayer for pardon require clear, unvarnished acknowledgement of sin to be effective? So that one can truly understand what they've done and and to truly repent from it. It's almost like the story in Acts. The couple secertly kept money from the selling of the land. And they died becuase of it. Well if sin was that money you better give it ALL up and not try to "trick" God that you're not really ready to repent.

In what way does a prayer for pardon require faith? Faith to believe that God will restore your place in His presence. What is that faith based on? Faith is simply the belief in the characteristics of God. How does a person gain the faith to pray this prayer in confidence? By staying humble and grateful. By confessing one's sins to God.

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence? Why is persistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like? Abraham bargains with God to save people from fifty all the way to ten. And Abraham didn't jump from fifty to ten he went by intervals. Persistence is necessary because "praying until assurance of an answer comes." Yes I have prayed through and peace came over me, it was exactly what I needed.

Q3. Do you think Abraham's boldness pleased God? Why or why not? Yes, because it shows Abraham has great faith that God will allow him to "bargain." What might cause God to take delight in your prayers to him? To show faith and God loves you when you pray to him.

Q2. How did Abraham demonstrate his humility before God? By constantly giving God the glory, and by stating that he is mere dust that shouldn't even be speaking to God. Why must boldness be tempered with humility? To be bold and have no humility would be disrespect to God. We need to know our place.

Q1. What is the basis of Abraham's argument that God should spare Sodom? To not destroy the righteous with the wicked. That since God is "The Judge of All the Earth" he would have to judge fairly. How does it relate to God's character? I think it relates to God's character because He is just by sparing the few.

How can prayer change God's mind without conflicting with the doctrine of the Immutability of God? As long as the prayer doesn't conflict with WHO God is but if it's a decision of God's than maybe we can chage that without conflict. Can God answer a prayer for something outside of the scope of his will? No, I don't think so.

How can a wrong understanding of determinism and predestination keep us from the kind of gutsy prayer that Moses prayed? Basically, we won't pray at all. We would think, "Pray? What's the point? God has already predestined whatever it is to come to pass. What do you call a belief that our prayers make no difference to God's response? No-faith-based belief.

What aspects of Moses' prayer of intercession should we emulate in our own prayers? To pray scriptures back to God. Upon what logical grounds does Moses offer this bold appeal to God? Based on trust and by saying that "to whom you swore by your own self." What do you think it means to "pray the promises of God"? To recite to God what He said He was going to do for His people. How does knowing the Bible help you get your prayers answered? Because you can recite the promises of God back to Him. How does this help our prayers be within God's will? Because they are based on scripture.

What had the people done that was so bad? Simply put the people if Israel broke the first commandment. How can a loving God be angry? God does NOT love disobedience. Where does this idea come from that you can't be loving if you get angry? God is love regardless if we upset him or not. Is God's sentence to destroy Israel and raise up a new nation through Moses justified? It was with Noah. God isn't a respecter of persons, so...

I ask for forgiveness because sometimes I might sin without know it. It might have been a thought or word. I think it keeps me humble to know that I need to be forgiven and I'm not perfect. Unforgiveness is a sin, and sin separates us from God, ergo, blocking our blessings. If we don't forgive; God can't forgive. It's a law. The Law of Forgiveness.

All my life I have asked for help. We were born dependent on our parents as a child. So all that dependency as a child I don't want to see any more. So, now as an adult, I rather be more independent. Even if it means not asking for help. I don't know if I have ever been consciously independent of God. But the times that I think I have it was because I wanted to do something I wanted to do and I taught it was best for me. So that we make it a practice to praise the Lord all the days of our lives and not just when we "need" something. People sometimes say "You only call when you want something." This is probably how God feels. Call Him when you don't need something; when everything is going well.

In what sense are we asking that the Father's kingdom should come? I think we are asking for the Lord to return as soon as possible. But in the mean time to be Christ-like showing the fruits of the Spirit and having the power and glory, so that, we people see us they want what we have. Why are we asking for the Father's will to be done here on earth? I think God wants to know if we are in agreement with His will. That we are committed to whatever plans God has for us on earth. Now that I think about it, where else would the Father's will be done, if not on earth? How should this prayer affect our lives? This prayer should affect out lives because we are putting God's plans above our own; and once we come to that realization great blessings shall follow.

Our lives hallow our Father's name if we decrease so that He may increase. For us to be holy for our Father is holy. Our words hallow our Father's name when we begin to praise and lift Him up. That anything and everything that we say brings glory to His name. By confessing with our lips what He is to us: Our Rock, our Bright Morning Star, our Firm foundation. Anything that desecrates or besmirches is contradictory to who the Father is. For example, I have heard people say that "God spelled backwards is dog and He's a selfish *******." I actually heard someone say this and it grieves my spirit. Other people who view God as a child with an ant farm also besmirches His name. He hallow are Father's name by loving on Him. Giving Him extravagant respect. Tell the Father all the things you are grateful for and all the things He's done for you. Showing thanksgiving.

Have you been told your love today? I love you. Hello everyone I'm from L.A. but currently live in Idyllwild. I'm new to the whole on-line Bible study thing, but I'm very excited to learn with my fellow sisters and brothers. No longer I live, but He in me. Lawrence