I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
Email: Pastor True Gospel
Most Christians do not know how to pray and what to pray for. In India, religion is a society. Most Christians have their life attached to a denominational church. Church is the big family. Pastors know every family member and pray for them one by one. Frequent prayer request to them is, to pray for salvation to family members. To them salvation is to go to heaven. Does God take sinning people to heaven, just because someone pray for them? No. If we obey God, we will be saved; and go to heaven. Praying for others, to take them to heaven, is an innocent hoax. By such prayers, we deceive ourselves. Rather, we must tell them to repent, preach the gospel to them to obey, than praying for their salvation. If they obey, they will be saved.
"1 Timothy 2:1&2 says, Pray for the kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." The purpose of prayer is that we may live a peaceful godly life in honesty. Then, the bible says that we must be under a government. "Romans 13:1-4 say this. 1. every soul be subject unto the higher powers, since they are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and shall receive to themselves damnation. 4 ... he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." So, every government is ordained of God, people must be under the government, those who resist the government will be damned. The police must bear arms, bible calls it sword, they must protect the innocent and destroy the evil. God's wrath will be upon all them that do riots, lootings, rebellion, destruction, and promote anarchy. God condemns all politicians who support them. We must pray for all in authority, so that we may lead a peaceful, godly life, in honesty.
Bible talks about two different scenarios about persecutors. One kind wants to kill us, another kind needs our favor. We must pray for them accordingly. "Matthew 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another:" Pray for them as David prayed, when he was on the run from King Saul for his life. God gave king Saul in his hands, but David did not kill Saul, and so God killed him later. Next scenario is, if our persecutors have become weak, need help, and come to us, do not hate them, but help them. "Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" However, "Romans 12:19&20 say, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Here we see that God is the avenger. Our help is actually fire on the head of our persecutors. So, our prayers of compassion will work as judgment on them. This is the complete picture. Either way, persecutors will lose.
We all know John 3:16 that God so loved the world, and so on. But nobody knows verse 36, which is about the wrath of God. Jesus died for the whole world. Some are grateful and love him back by their obedience. Most people are ungrateful and showed it by rebellion and disobedience. And God hates the disobedient and loves the obedient. In John 17:9 Jesus says, "I pray not for the world. 1 John 2:15 says, Love not the world, ... If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Jesus neither prayed for the world, and he does not want us to pray for the world either.
Most Christians pray for healing, prosperity, and such things. What do godly people pray for? Jesus taught us in "Matthew 6:10 to say, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Every prayer of a godly person must have this prayer as the base, which is God's kingdom on earth. Then, "2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, (that is, pray for us so that we may preach the word of God freely.) 2 that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men:" It is to escape from wicked people like; political rulers, protestors, rioters, killers, and mobsters. "Hebrews 13:18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. (that is, pray for us because we have good conscience and honest lives.). 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will," that is, we pray for fellow believers to become perfect. ("1 Thessalonians 5:25 Brethren, pray for us." 2 Corinthians 1:11; Ephesians 6:18-20; Philippians 1:19; Romans 15:30; Colossians 4:3; Philemon 1:22.) We must pray prayers like these; it is for us to become perfect, and to have kingdom of God here on earth. Then we will be in heaven with God.
Note:
If any
point needs explanation, OR, if you find an error according to
scripture,
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Matthew 28:20, & Mark 16:15. Jesus Christ preached his commandments to obey, as his
Gospel; it is the true Gospel to inherit Eternal life. Genesis 3:1-4 & 2 Corinth 11:2-4. But Preachers, who are Serpents of Satan, preach the life of man Jesus just to believe, but not to live as a chaste virgin, as the gospel; it is another gospel, which cannot and will not give Eternal life.The true gospel will convert evil people to do good and thereby they will inherit the kingdom in heaven.
John 3:19-21 say that people are two kinds, evil and true. Evil doers will not come to the Light, who is God; but people of truth come to God for their deeds to be made manifest. We have good and evil people by our standard of our society or culture. These evil people may be converted to be doers of truth by the power of God, and they may inherit the kingdom of God in heaven.
Email: Pastor True Gospel