Prayer

Prayer

2 Peter 1:1-4. “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that
have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the
knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given
unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him
that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Purpose

How to maintain a lasting relationship with God.
No relationship, whether human or divine, can continue to exist without communication. Where there is no communication, there is no connection! Christianity is not a religion, but rather a relationship with God. To continue the
relationship, you must spend time with Him each day in prayer and the study of His
Word.

Prayer

Read Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:5-13.

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

The disciples did not know how to pray.
They asked Jesus to show them how.
● Spirit of the prayer is important than words.
● Not to just repeat the same words over and over.
● Most people were never taught how to pray.
● Jesus gave The Lord’s Prayer as a pattern for prayer.

The pattern reveals five main parts to this prayer:
• Thanksgiving and Praise
• Surrendering of your Will
• Asking for His Provision
• Repenting and Forgiving Others
• God’s Protection and Leading

Thanksgiving & Praise

• Not just carelessly or casually entering into His presence.
• Prepare our hearts and minds.
• Humble ourselves to bow before His throne of grace.
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be
thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4.
God does not need our worship and praise to inflate His ego. We were created to worship and when we give Him the praise He is worthy of then the windows of heaven are opened and we also receive back from Almighty God strength, power
and wisdom for daily ministry. It isn’t about us; it is all about Him.

Surrender our Will to Him and to His Will

• Completely trust Him.
• Die to self in prayer.

 

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

Ask for His Provision

• Read Matthew 6:25-33.
• We don’t worry about things.
• We pray, trusting Him.
• He will take care of us.

 

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Repentance and Forgiving Others

 

“…Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
• Two way street: to be forgiven we must forgive!

God’s Protection and His Leading

• Does He follow me or do I follow Him?
• Should He do things my way or should I do things His way?
• Praise again, so we remember who we are and who He is.
Caution: Don’t get hung up on the pattern itself and lose your focus.
● Prayer is most important; not the mechanics of it.
● Use this pattern as an example. That’s all it is.
● It is a principle; not a law – the letter of the law kills but the Spirit gives life!
PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
Praying in the Power of the Spirit
When you received the Holy Spirit, you began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave you the ability.
This is the initial sign of the Gift of the Spirit that we see according to the scriptures (Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:6).
It is important to continue to pray daily in the Spirit.
Ephesians 6:18. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit”
2 Corinthians 4:16. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man
perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
Romans 8:26. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what
we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered.”
Jude 20. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in
the Holy Ghost)”

 

We are also here for you and the church has a vibrate prayer team… feel free to add your prayer request here.
Prayer requests