TREASURES OF THE BIBLE, Week of September 16-22, 2024, Prayer helps us endure, Prepared Speech.

TREASURES FROM THE BIBLE, September 16-22, 2024, Prayer Helps Us Endure. Prepared Speech.

Prayer helps us endure (10 mins.)

Imagine a little child running into his father's arms for comfort and protection, knowing that his father cares for him, listens to him, and is always ready to help. Should our trust in Jehovah, our loving heavenly Father, be like this child's?

Of course, because when we face challenges or feel our strength fading, prayer becomes that powerful bridge that connects us to Him, helping us endure and remain firm in our faith. 

Psalm 86 reflects the deep feelings of King David who, like us, faced many difficulties. He knew that Jehovah was the source of his strength and joy, which is why in verse 4 David says the following.

LET'S READ PSALM 86:4.

Make your servant glad, for to you, O Lord, I come.

What a beautiful prayer! David is not only asking for comfort, he is lifting up his soul to Jehovah, giving his whole being to his Creator. How many times have we felt tired or discouraged? In those moments, prayer is more than a request; it is an act of surrender, like when we raise our hands in a sign of trust.

Jehovah, as a loving father, is ready to give us back that joy and renew our strength, but how can we make our prayers more effective and help us maintain that spiritual strength that we so need? 

Well, what we can do is ask Jehovah to help us be loyal, although it is true that it is not easy, especially when we are under pressure or facing trials that seem endless. However, David shows us in Psalm 86:11,12 how we can ask Jehovah to guide us on the right path. Please read this verse.

LET'S READ PSALM 86:11,12.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name. 12 I will give You thanks with my whole heart, O Lord my God, and I will give Your name glory forever,

Here David is not only asking for, but also yearning to have a unified heart, one that is not divided by different desires or influences. Rather, it is focused on serving Jehovah with devotion, and that is the same attitude that we should have. In prayer, we can ask Jehovah to help us remain loyal, to strengthen us to make decisions that honor him, and to give us a firm heart that loves him.

And above all, dear brothers, we must persevere in prayer. Perseverance is key in the Christian life, and prayer plays a vital role. For this reason, in Romans 12:1, we are given the advice to persevere in prayer. Why is it so important to continue praying constantly? Because by doing so we keep our relationship with Jehovah alive. It is not just about asking for things when we need them, but about maintaining constant communication with Him. It is in those moments of prayer that we receive the comfort, guidance, and strength necessary to continue on our Christian path.

Have you ever felt like you don't know what else to say in your prayers? Don't worry, sometimes just being in Jehovah's presence and opening our hearts is enough. We can ask for Holy Spirit to give us wisdom, solid faith, and the ability to handle situations with discernment. 

We can also ask Him to help us use His Word correctly, to apply biblical principles in our daily lives, just as a child trusts his father. We too must trust that Jehovah will always be willing to listen to us no matter how many times we pray or what we ask Him for. He never tires of listening to our prayers. On the contrary, He wants us to praise Him, thank Him, and seek His guidance.

So, dear brothers and sisters, in these moments of prayer, we can also ask Him to help us reflect His glory in everything we do, and we do this by making sure that our prayers and words honor Him. Let us trust that Jehovah will answer our prayers. Sometimes when we face very difficult trials, it is easy to feel that our prayers are not heard, but in truth, Psalm 86:6 gives us the answer. Please read this Bible passage, it says the following. 

LET'S READ PSALM 86:6.

O Jehovah, hear my prayer; give ear to my supplications for help.a 7 I call to you in the day of my trouble, for you will answer me.

David had complete confidence that Jehovah would answer his prayers, and we can have that same confidence. Although we may not always receive the answer, he always gives us what we really need. Maybe he is using a difficult situation to strengthen us or to teach us something important, or perhaps he is waiting for the right moment to give us what is best for us.

Jehovah can also use our spiritual family to give us the support we need. Sometimes a word of encouragement from a brother or sister is the answer to our prayers. He can even use people who do not worship him to help us in crucial moments.

So let us never underestimate the way Jehovah can answer our prayers, but instead let us pray with confidence and faith. The apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6 that we should not be anxious about anything, but that we should make our requests known to God through prayer, and when we do so, the text mentions that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds.

This promise is real and we have seen it fulfilled in the lives of many royal servants. So what can we do when we face difficulties? Let us follow the example of David, he mentioned in Psalm 86:3 the following.

LET'S READ PSALM 86:3.

Grant me your favor, O Jehovah, for I call out to you all day long. 

When we go through trials, our prayers should not be reduced, but on the contrary, they should be increased. We can lengthen our prayers by expressing our feelings with sincerity and allowing Jehovah to comfort us with his love and peace.

In our corresponding activity guide this week we have an image in which we can see David praying intensely. He had many problems and difficulties in his life. However, prayer helped him to endure and remain firm in his faith with a joyful heart. This experience teaches us that we should always trust in Jehovah no matter what our problem is and we should not have any doubt that Jehovah will always be near us helping us to remain firm in our faith with a joyful heart just as he did with David.

In conclusion, prayer is a wonderful gift that helps us endure, remain loyal, and stay connected to Jehovah. Yes, brothers, if we feel that our strength is failing or that the challenges are overwhelming, let us lift up our souls to Jehovah in prayer, trusting that he will listen to us and give us the joy, wisdom, and strength we need. Let us continue to persevere in prayer, confident that Jehovah will help us endure to the end.