Nurture
[Session 6]
Prayer
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy find grace to help us in our and time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
[Session 6] Introduction Ronald Dunn (writer) said that ‘Prayer doesn’t get man’s will done in Heaven; it gets God’s will done on earth.’ Real prayer is not a dry, formal religious exercise, but an exciting two-way conversation that comes out of a real and loving relationship with God. Prayer is a human necessity!
Why do we need to pray? -
God commands us to pray (Matthew 6:9) (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Jesus gave us examples to follow (Matthew 6:9-13) (Mark 1:35) (John 17). Prayer pleases God (1 Tim 2:1-3) (Proverbs 15:8). God hears and responds to our prayers (Proverbs 15:29) (John 16:24) (1John 5:14-15). To give God the honour that He is due (Luke 11:2). To establish God’s Kingdom (rule) on earth and in our lives (Mt 6:10-13). To bring our natural and spiritual needs to God (Matthew 6:7-8). To bring the needs of others to him (Luke 11:5-8) (Ephesians 6:18). To get to know God (Luke 11:9-10). To receive God’s power (Luke 11:13) and see awesome miracles take place (Mark 9:14-29).
should we pray? How -
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With confidence, because God hears us and loves us unconditionally (Hebrews 4:16). With faith (Mt 21:21-22) passion (Hebrews 5:7) persistence (Luke 11:5-10) and sincerity (Hebrews 10:22). We should pray in Jesus’ Name (Jn 14:13-14). This is not a magical formula, but the prayers of believers, as Christ’s representatives doing his work, will be answered. We should pray according to God’s will (1 John 5:14).
lifechurch
Nurture
Prayer -
[Session 6] [Session 10]
Prayer
We should pray on our own (Mt 6:5-6) and with others (Acts 3:42) (Mt 18:19). We should pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17) (Ephesians 6:18).
So, what next? (A suggested outline for prayer) -
If you’re not sure how to pray, you could follow these simple guidelines: o o o o
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‘Adoration’: words of praise and worship to God for who he is. You could use some verses from a Psalm or other passage of scripture which expresses how great God is (Psalm 145). ‘Confession’: say sorry to God and ask him to forgive you (1 John 1:9). Keep a short account! ‘Thanksgiving’: give thanks to God for what he has done (Psalm 136) ‘Supplication’: bring your prayer requests to God (Philippians 4:6). You can remember this with the acronym ‘ACTS’.
Don’t feel you have to copy other people or that you’re not good enough to pray (Luke 18:9-14) (Matthew 7:11). If you don’t know how to pray or what to pray for, especially in difficult situations, ask the Holy Spirit to help you (Romans 8:26-27) (Ephesians 6:18).
Conclusion All relationships need time to grow and mature, and prayer is no exception. The first followers of Christ learned to pray by observing how Jesus prayed (Luke 22:39-46) (Mark 1:35) (John 17) and then following the pattern that He taught them (Luke 11:1-4) (Matthew 6:9-13). This is an excellent place to start.
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