Posted by
R.P. Woitowitz Sr. on Friday, November 21, 2008 6:49:47 AM
As I was growing up in the late sixties there was a band that I am certain many of you are familiar with named
The Doors. Now all in all I liked their music for the most part, and enjoyed one album in particular that was titled The Soft Parade
However there was one song, namely the title track that used to bother me a bit. Admittedly I was as any typical teen of my generation a bit of a rebel. Hard to believe no? But the opening lines to that song just never sat right with me. I may have been a naïve young man, and yes a rebel against religion, but I knew inside of me that what was being professed (see below) by Jim Morrison, was somehow inherently incorrect.
“When I was back there in seminary school
There was a person there
Who put forth the proposition
That you can petition the Lord with prayer…
Petition the Lord with prayer…
Petition the Lord with prayer…
You cannot petition the Lord with prayer!”
While I certainly cannot demean Mr. Morrison’s contribution to the music world I can honestly say that I believe he had had little if any knowledge of God’s word. As we find in the writings of the Epistles of Paul, in particular
Ephesians 6:18 it is through all prayer and supplication that we communicate with our Heavenly Father.
18 And pray always with all manner prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints,
Additionally we find in
Philippians 4:6that we should let our requests be made known to God. If I might be allowed to digress here for but a moment please note that on the link provided for the word requests, in the first definition we find the word petition. The very word that Mr. Morrison said that one cannot do with God.
6 Be nothing careful, but in all things let your requests be shewed unto God in prayer and supplication with giving of thanks.
It is in
James 5:16 that we find that fervent prayer gets things done.
16 Acknowledge your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. For the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, if it be fervent.
17 Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
So I will, as Mr. Morrison stated, put forth the proposition that you can indeed petition the Lord with prayer. In fact it is our very lifeline to Him. Without prayer we have no communication to our Lord. I would add here at the end that one should remember that sometimes the answers to our prayers is no.
Related Study Scriptures
Psalm 65:2
Because thou hearest the prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
Psalm 66:19 - 20
But God hath heard me, and considered the voice of my prayer
.
Praised be God, which hath not put back my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Psalm 86:6
Give ear, Lord, unto my prayer, and hearken to the voice of my supplication.
Psalm 88:2
Let my prayer enter into thy presence: incline thine ear unto my cry.
Psalm 102:1,17
A prayer of the afflicted, when he shall be in distress, and pour forth his meditation before the Lord. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.
And shall turn unto the prayer of the desolate, and not despise their prayer.
Psalm 141:2
Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense, and the lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice.
Matthew 21:22
And whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, if ye believe, ye shall receive it.
Luke 1:13
But the Angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Luke 6:12
And it came to pass in those days, that he went into a mountain to pray, and spent the night in prayer to God.
Acts 1:14
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Acts 6:4
And we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministration of the word.
Romans 12:12
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing in prayer,
Word Studies
While writing this piece I provided links to the definition of certain words, however I believe it is useful to understand the Hebrew and/or Greek translations of those words as well.
Prayer
Greek
1162.
deesis deh'-ay-sis from 1189; a petition:--prayer, request, supplication
1189
deomai deh'-om-ahee middle voice of 1210; to beg (as binding oneself), i.e. petition:--beseech, pray (to), make request.
1210.
deo deh'-o a primary verb; to bind (in various applications, literally or figuratively):--bind, be in bonds, knit, tie, wind.
Hebrew
994
biy bee perhaps from
1158 (in the sense of asking); properly, a request; used only adverbially (always with "my Lord"); Oh that!; with leave, or if it please:--alas, O, oh
1158
ba`ah baw-aw' a primitive root; to gush over, i.e. to swell; (figuratively) to desire earnestly; by implication to ask:--cause, inquire, seek up, swell out
1245
baqash baw-kash' a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:--ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).
Supplication
1162.
deesis deh'-ay-sis from 1189; a petition:--prayer, request, supplication
1783.
enteuxis ent'-yook-sis from 1793; an interview, i.e. (specially) supplication:--intercession, prayer.
2427.
hikanoo hik-an-o'-o from 2425; to enable, i.e. qualify:--make able (meet).
2428.
hiketeria hik-et-ay-ree'-ah (through the idea of approaching for a favor); intreaty:--supplication.
Request
155.
aitema ah'-ee-tay-mah from 154; a thing asked or (abstractly) an asking:--petition, request, required
2045.
ereunao er-yoo-nah'-o apparently from 2046 (through the idea of inquiry); to seek, i.e. (figuratively) to investigate:--search
2046.
ereo er-eh'-o to utter, i.e. speak or say:--call, say, speak (of), tell.
2065.
erotao er-o-tah'-o to interrogate; by implication, to request:--ask, beseech, desire, intreat, pray.
.
Petition
155.
aitema ah'-ee-tay-mah from 154; a thing asked or (abstractly) an asking:--petition, request, required.
2171.
euche yoo-khay' from 2172; properly, a wish, expressed as a petition to God, or in votive obligation:--prayer, vow
2172.
euchomai yoo'-khom-ahee middle voice of a primary verb; to wish; by implication, to pray to God:--pray, will, wish
Fervent
1618.
ektenes ek-ten-ace' from 1614; intent:--without ceasing, fervent
1754.
energeo en-erg-eh'-o from 1756; to be active, efficient:--do, (be) effectual (fervent), be mighty in, shew forth self, work (effectually in).
2740.
kausis kow'-sis from 2545; burning (the act):--be burned
2741.
kausoo kow-so'-o from 2740; to set on fire:--fervent heat
Author’s Note
In writing the this article I have used several different links and it is important to me to acknowledge those links.
All Bible links came from
Bible Crosswalks
All Bible quotes were taken from the 1560 or 1599 editions of the
Geneva Bible
Word translations were taken from the 1828 and 1913 editions of the
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Word study translations were taken from
Strong’s Concordancewith Hebrew and Greek Lexicon