Lessons on Prayer

This past Sunday night, we wrapped up our three week lesson on prayer. For those of you who were unable to make it, over the past three weeks, we covered.

What is prayer?
Prayer is simply talking with God, and responding and saying the things that are on your heart.

Prayer is not repetition or fancy words, it’s a conversation. The Pharisees were known for their repetition.

When we read the Bible, God talks to us. When we pray, we talk to Him You have to have both sides or you don't have conversation.


Why pray?
Jesus told us to. Luke 18:1 – “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,”

Prayer brings glory to God in that, you pray, God answers, you praise Him. God always gets the credit! - John 14:13 – “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

How do we pray?
We looked at the the Lord's prayer as the model for our prayer life in coming to God with reverence and praise and adoration, making our requests, confessing our sins, thanking God for His mercy and asking for His protection.


How often should we pray?
A lot. We need to pray all of the time. We looked at it from this way...

Think of a best friend and imagine your best friend was with you today all day by your side for the whole day. Think of if you talked to that person today just as many times as you talked to Christ today. How would your friend feel if he spent the whole day with you and you never said a word and he was there the whole time? You would at least acknowledge that they were there and you would begin to see things in the light of the presence of your friend. You'd say, "Hey, isn't that terrific? Did you see that? Isn't that too bad, you know, we ought to do something about that." You're relating everything to the presence of your friend. That's how it is in prayer. All you're doing is relating everything to the presence of God and that's a God-conscious attitude and that's praying without ceasing.


Who should we pray for?
Yourself
The other Youth at GCBC
Brother Terry and the church
Leaders of the city, state and country
Missionaries around the world.
That people would be bold and faithful to the calling of sharing Jesus (laborers in the fields)


Conditions and in closing

Asking in Jesus' name is not a magic formula. God is not a cosmic bellhop.

We ask according to God's will trusting that we would've make the same decision that God made if we knew what He knows.

God's will is perfect. This is true if God says "Yes", "No" or "not right now"




Here are some of the verses that we looked at this past Sunday, in review...

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'” - Jeremiah 33:3

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”
- Ephesians 3:20

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” - John 14:13

“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
- Matthew 21:22

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” - Thessalonians 5:16-18

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” - Ephesians 6:18

“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
- James 5:16b

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,” - Luke 18:1

This coming week we will celebrate January's birthdays and have some creative fun.