Prayer, Pt 1

 

 

A few years ago, I started reading all the books I could get my hands on at the time on the topic of prayer. I felt very dissatisfied with my prayer life. I felt that I was stuck in a rut and going nowhere.

This led me to totally change the way I pray.

Over the past year, we have studied about the latter rain, unity, about being partakers of Divine Nature, and the Mind of Christ. ALL of these are based on the foundation of prayer.

Today, we will be starting a new series on the topic of prayer. Due to lack of time, I was not able to prepare handouts or a ppt. However, the next session, whenever that may be, I will be better prepared with handouts, etc. I even had some prayer cards I used when I first started this journey. I will share those with you next time. I gave the originals away, but I do have pictures of them.

  1. What is prayer? Share thoughts.
    1. Prayer Is the Secret of Spiritual Power—Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God. The spiritual faculties lose their vitality, the religious experience lacks health and vigor.—(Messages to Young People, 249, 250.)
    2. From Living the Lord’s Prayer by David Timms
      1. Prayer is spiritual formation – the process of being WITH Christ in order to become LIKE Christ and consequently live FOR Christ.

 

  1. Matt 6: 9-13
    1. Jesus gave us an example. Later, we will unpack each phrase of this prayer for its deeper meaning. Outside of the bedtime prayer, ‘Now I lay me down to sleep,’ this was the first prayer I learned by rote. Unfortunately, most people say it without even thinking of what each part means.
  2. 1 John 2:6
    1. So we are to walk as Jesus walked. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is John 14:12-14. (someone read)
    2. Now, if we are to walk as Jesus walked, if we wish to have the power that Jesus had to live a sinless life, then we need to pray as Jesus prayed.
  3. 1 Thess 5:17 ‘Pray without ceasing’
    1. While we could not live life if we spent all our time praying, I believe this leads us to maintain an attitude of prayer, not necessarily on our knees in our prayer closet. *War Room
  4. Jesus prayed:
    1. While alone  Matt 14:23; Mar 1:35; Luk 9:18; Luk 22:39-41
    2. In public John 11: 41-42; John 12: 27-39
    3. Before meals Matt 26:26; Mar 8:6; Luk 24:30; John 6:11
    4. Before important decisions Luk 6: 12-13
    5. Before healing Mar 7:34-35
    6. After healing Luk 5:16
    7. To do the Father’s will Matt 26: 36-44
    8. He taught about the importance of prayer also. Matt 21:22; Mar 11:24-26; Matt 7:7-11; Luk 11:9-13; John 14:13-14; John 15:7, 16; John 16:23-24; Matt 5:44; Luk 6:27-28; Matt 6: 5-15; Luk 11: 2-4; Matt 18: 19-20
    9. John 17 – we could dissect this verse by verse to see how a perfect prayer would be.
  5. Types of prayers:
    1. Praise
    2. Intercession
    3. Petition
    4. Repentance/Forgiveness
    5. Corporate prayer

Quote from True Revival:

A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it.

Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing.

A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer. While the people are so destitute of God’s Holy Spirit, they cannot appreciate the preaching of the Word; but when the Spirit’s power touches their hearts, then the discourses given will not be without effect.

Guided by the teachings of God’s Word, with the manifestation of His Spirit, in the exercise of sound discretion, those who attend our meetings will gain a precious experience, and returning home, will be prepared to exert a healthful influence.

The old standard bearers knew what it was to wrestle with God in prayer, and to enjoy the outpouring of His Spirit. But these are passing off from the stage of action; and who are coming up to fill their places?

How is it with the rising generation? Are they converted to God? Are we awake to the work that is going on in the heavenly sanctuary, or are we waiting for some compelling power to come upon the church before we shall arouse? Are we hoping to see the whole church revived?

That time will never come. There are persons in the church who are not converted, and who will not unite in earnest, prevailing prayer. We must enter upon the work individually.

We must pray more, and talk less. Iniquity abounds, and the people must be taught not to be satisfied with a form of godliness without the spirit and power. If we are intent upon searching our own hearts, putting away our sins, and correcting our evil tendencies, our souls will not be lifted up unto vanity; we shall be distrustful of ourselves, having an abiding sense that our sufficiency is of God.

We have far more to fear from within than from without. The hindrances to strength and success are far greater from the church itself than from the world. Unbelievers have a right to expect that those who profess to be keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, will do more than any other class to promote and honor, by their consistent lives, by their godly example and their active influence, the cause which they represent.

But how often have the professed advocates of the truth proved the greatest obstacle to its advancement! The unbelief indulged, the doubts expressed, the darkness cherished, encourage the presence of evil angels, and open the way for the accomplishment of Satan’s devices.