--- Note ---
How could a suggestion to pray ever be bad advice?
In the midst of the tribulation of this world, political, ethnic and religious leaders will continue to offer empty platitudes like "continue to pray" (or "attend the church of your choice" [Luke 13:24-27]). But, pray for what and to whom? The suggestion to pray has no value if the person offering prayer is not helped to understand their need to actually listen to Christ as he explains how to pray and what to pray for. (God does, of course, hear every prayer by every single person who is sincerely praying to know the true God. [2 Chron 16:9a] He then directs each of us to his son. [John 6:44; Mat 17:5]) No person can understand what to pray for, or even know the God they pray to, if they are not listening to Jesus... [John 6:28-29] Jesus plainly told us, if we have faith, we can move mountains. [Mat 17:20] God can obviously not give such power to people who would use it to harm those "they" have judged to be wicked. If our terrible world conditions are the start of the promised Armageddon to destroy the wicked and usher in peace, (Luke 21:28 of 25-28) you must be very careful what and who you pray for, lest you be found a fighter actually against God. [Acts 5:38-39] Please get the sense of this: Only Jesus can help you know what to pray for but it requires you be listening! For sure you can always pray for peace, understanding as you do so that bringing peace on earth requires the death of all the wicked. [Luke 10:5-6; Luke 2:14]
Some people in this world pray to frogs or dance around totems. Others have lucky underwear. Do you think either of those things can help those who choose to put faith in them? If you are sincere of heart, God is looking for you. [2 Chron 16:9a] For your faith or your prayers to have value, however, they must be based in knowledge of our Creator, which does mean understanding the provision He has made to help us; framed in the teachings of his son. [Mat 17:5] So... Don't believe in those who offer empty platitudes encouraging ignorant prayers going nowhere. Make no mistake, if you pray to a God that is not the One True God, that is very bad! [Deu 11:16-17 of 13-17] Read the Gospels so as to learn from God's son just what you need to know: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. [John 17:3; John 12:50 of 42-50]
What you can always pray for!
Our lord Christ Jesus left us a model prayer we can always know we have God's approval in praying. He introduced his example prayer in Mat 6:9-13 but preceded it with a warning about how we should not pray [or who we should not pray for (John 17:6-10)] in verses 5-8:
Matthew 6:5-8 GNB "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid (received their reward) in full. (6) But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. (7) "When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. (8) Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.
After cautioning our prayers should be contrite, respectful and sincere, Jesus went on to give us some examples of what we should pray for:
Matthew 6:9-13 GNB This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored; (10) may your Kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Note: You should realize as you offer this prayer; your requesting God's will on earth must include the destruction of every person who is defying God by refusing to listen to his son. [John 6:28-29; John 3:17-21; 2 Pet 3:7] Be carefuul you have personally escaped involvement with them all, including self righteous religious groups! [John 8:31-32] Jesus continues his model prayer:) (11) Give us today the food we need. (12) Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. (13) Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.'
