17. The Privilege of Prayer
1 JEHOVAH WANTS TO LISTEN TO OUR PRAYERS
“Jehovah is near to all those calling on him, to all who call on him in truth.”—Psalm 145:18
What should we do if we want Jehovah to listen to our prayers?
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We must have faith.
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We must be humble and respectful.
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Our conduct should be in harmony with our prayers.
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We must be sincere and honest when we pray. We should not repeat the same words in our prayers.
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We must live according to God’s will.
2 COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER
To whom should we pray?
Do we need to be in a special position to pray?
1 Chronicles 17:16; Nehemiah 8:5, 6; Daniel 6:10; Mark 11:25
Does Jehovah hear our silent prayers?
How long should prayers be?
How often should we pray?
Why do we say “amen” at the end of a prayer?
3 WHAT WE CAN PRAY ABOUT
“No matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us.”—1 John 5:14
What are some things that we can pray for?
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Pray for Jehovah’s will to be done.
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Pray to express gratitude.
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Pray for our personal needs and concerns.
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Pray for holy spirit.
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Pray for wisdom to make good decisions.
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Pray for strength to endure.
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Pray for forgiveness for our sins.
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Pray for others.
4 JEHOVAH ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS
“O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.”—Psalm 65:2
How does Jehovah answer our prayers?
Proverbs 12:25; Revelation 14:6
Jehovah can use angels or humans to help us.
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His holy spirit gives us the help we need.
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He gives us the peace and strength we need to endure.
Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17
He gives us wisdom through the Bible and the congregation.