Jose B. Cruz

R4. To have a broken heart and spirit is to realize how great our transgression is and feel so sorry and repentant for it that we feel our hearts about to explode and our spirit unwilling to go on with questions as "Can God still forgive me?" "Am I worthy to be forgiven?" What must I do to be forgiven? We feel lost. This is essential in the prayer for pardon because this is the only way we will truly be sorry for our sin/s and truly repent which are required by God for us to be pardoned. In a sense this is giving up our old selves as a sacrifice for a renewed life. We tend to resist a broken and contrite heart because many times we wish we can do the old things again.

R3. By ourselves, impossible! By God's grace and mercy it is very possible. First we are forgiven when we acknowledge our sin/s and repent, God then cleanses us "whiter than snow" as David. From all these comes apure heart. We must pray as David did for a a pure heart.

R2. Being the "man after God's own heart" it never occured to David to minimize or maximize his sins. He knew that Yahweh knew what sin he sinned EXACTLY - there is no benefit for him to understate or to overstate. To have done so will be another sin. A clear and unvarnished acknowledgement of sin is the only way by which we will obtain pardon from a just and loving God. Any other way will result in disaster.

R1. The most important requirement of any prayer is faith - faith in the One you are praying to. Faith also dictates thet we humbly admit our wrongdoing, recognizing our nothingness in front of a Holy, Almighty God. This faith is based on a true and holy relationship with our God. We do not only know ABOUT Him, we know him thru the words of the scriptures and thru the many life experiences of joy and sorrow, of shortage and abundance, weakness and strenght, pain and relief. This faith is based in the belief thet ours is a just, loving, and forgiving God. The faith to pray confidently for pardon comes to us after we surrender ourselves and our wills the will of of our God. We are sure that whatever His reply to our appeal will be for our own good.

R3. God was pleased with Abraham's boldness the proof of which is God's reply - five times Abraham appealed, five times God said yes. A displeased God will just say NO one time. God also wants us to be bold in our prayers, for us to tell Him exactly what we ask for. Scripture tells us that our God delights in prayers offered in faith, unselfish and which glorifies Him.

R4. He did not leave God's side and what more, he asked and asked and asked concessions untill God said that for 10 good people He will not destroy Sodom after which Abraham feell silent knowing there was not that number. Abraham wanted to save his nephew who wasi in Sodom. Before we ask anything in prayer we are told by scriptures that our loving God already knows our needs and is ready to grant them to us. Persistence is necessary when one believes that God will not grant what he is praying for. God has always provided for my needs when I ask Him for them in prayer, that is like "praying through".

R2. Abraham contuoslly reminded himself by telling God that he was only dust and ashes while the One he is bargaining with is the Judge of all the Earth. He also apologized again and again for his boldness for which he was afraid God might be angered. In God's presence and in prayer we are told to be bold and unafraid at the same time be humble. Humulity reminds us that everything good that comes to us is by His grace alone and not because we are worthy to receive. Boldness without humulity can lead to disrespect and irreverence.

R1. Abraham's argument appeals to God's righteousness and justice. Abraham believed that a righteous and just God will not punish the good people no matter how few they were in Sodom because of the sins of most of the population. As shown by the bargaining between an all powerful, almighty God and his humble servant, Yahweh was willing to spare Sodom for a handful of God fearing men. God's immutable character is love and this will always play a very, very big part in His decisions to punish wrongdoers.

R4. God's nature is divine; His character is love; and His purpose our salvation. These are unchanging, immutable. I believe that God has predestined all of us to go to heaven - the reason for our creation; the reason for His plan of salvation thru His Son Jesus. Prayer is talking to God and listening too. remember the bad judge and the persistent widow? If that judge who did not know God and respected no one changed His mind about the widow's appeal, how much more will a God of love listen to and answer our prayers. In the end God will decide if He will be mutable. The answer to all our prayers are always within the scope of his will. this is why we end our prayers, THY WILL BE DONE.

R3. A wrong understanding of determinism and predestination will even keep us away from prayer for if the God we will pray to has already determined what His answer will be no matter what or how we pray, what's the benefit? Christians must believe that with the love of the Father which His Son Jesus told us about, by persevering in prayer God will hear and answer our prayers. God knows what is in store for us but we do not and by our choices we decide our destiny. That our prayers make no difference to God's response belies the gospel, the good news that our God, our Father, loves us.

R2. In our own prayers we must appeal to God's character which is love - that love of a Father who is always ready to give what we need when we ask for them in prayer. We mus also bear in mind God's everlasting mercy, His compassion for His children. Moses's bold appeal to God is hinged on the logic that it was Yahweh who by His mighty hand brought Israel out of bondage from Egypt. All the people in the known world, especially unbelievers, will have heard about this. If before the Hebrews reached the promised land they will be wiped out by the same hands who freed them the news will spread that Yahweh could not bring His children to the land He promised their ancestors so He killed them all at the same time. Before we claim God's promises in our prayers God must have a claim on us. We must be willing to submit our own wills to God's will. Only then will His promises be available to us. Knowing the Bible enlightens us on the conditions God has set so that our prayers will be heard and answered just like the characters in the Bible as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua. Even Jesus prayed to His Father and taught His disciples how to. The Bible also tells us God's will for His children and if we are versed on His Words in the scripture then we will be well aware of what is "within His will:.

R1. The people of Israel disobeyed God's commandment not to have other gods except Him and not to kneel and worship idols or images. To God the essence of faith at that time was perfect obedience. God first loved Israel and longs for the Hebrews to love back, instead they disobeyed, worshipped and praised a man made idol. He was angry at what they did. He still loved the Israelites, His chosen people. Moses must have misinterpreted Yahweh's remarks. Our Almighty, Just, Righteous, Loving, and All-knowing God never have to justify His Words and actions. He is our Lord and King, what He says, goes.

R4. Everytime we sin against our fellowmen we sin against God; as humans we sin knowingly or unknowingly continually. To keep our relationship with our God unbroken we must continually ask for forgiveness. Sins unforgiven pile up like a wall that ultimately blocks our vision of God. Unforgiveness causes more harm to us than to the person we are supposed to forgive. When our hearts are full of anger, hate, and pain due to the hurt caused by our loved ones or by our enemies we become insensitive to the blessings of God. He never stops sending us blessings but unless our hearts are pure and cleansed of all negative feelings the blessings appear to be blocked. Actually it is the other way around. We know that we are forgiven by God when we are able to forgive others. Unless we have experienced God's forginess, forgiving is most difficult and most of the time, impossible. God's control of our lives, our will, gives us the ability and the capacity to forgive.

Q3. We seek to be independent of asking anyone for help because as much as possible we do not want to appear inferior in the eyes of our fellowmen. Most of us because we do not want to feel indebted and compelled to return the favor. A few do not know how to say "Thank You." We must ask God to give us daily bread even if we can earn a living for ourselves because this is His will. Our daily prayer for provision keeps our relationship with our God unbroken and reminds us that everything is from Him. Humility makes us wonder in awe of our Father's Might and everlasting love.

R2. In God's (our Father's) Kingdom, His will is followed perfectly, i.e., 100%. God reigns suppreme in an individual, a group or society when His will is done perfectly in one or in all. We are asking our Father to be our King, everyone's King; we will submit our own wills to His will. We are asking our Father's will tobe done here on earth so that our earth will be like Heaven! O what glorious moment! When we pray the Disciples' Prayer we are commiting our whole humanity to the whole divinity of our God, the Father Almighty.