Prayer
Pastor John Wilcox 12/11/02
Introduction: What exactly is prayer? Prayer is simply conversing with GOD-talking to Him, listening to Him, being in His presence. Prayer includes sharing your thoughts, feelings, doubts, problems, complaints, hopes and joys. It involves confessing sins, worshiping God, committing yourself to obey Him, giving thanks, making requests for yourself as well as others, and just being available to God.
Why should we pray? When you love someone, you want to be with him or her very much. You want to share your thoughts and enjoy one another’s company. Prayer is the way we spend time with our Beloved and become intimate with Him.
Types:
When to Pray:
Ps 95:6 (NIV) Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Rom 14:11 (NIV) . "Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God."
Acts 21:5 (NIV) and there on the beach we knelt to pray.
Ps 123:1 (NIV) I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
John 11:41 (NAS) .Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me."
John 17:1 (NRS) After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father..."
Ps 134:2 (NIV) Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.
Ps 63:4 (NIV) I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
1 Tim 2:1,8 (NIV) I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone... I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer...
Pray from your heart.
The Lords prayer: An outline of how God wants us to pray.
Matthew 6: 5-6 5 "Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They've got their reward! 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret.
Luke 18:10 – 14 10 "Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this: 'God, I thank You that I'm not like other people --greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.' 13 "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his chest and saying, 'O God, turn Your wrath from me --a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Scriptural prayer:
Personal
Personal: Planed topical study or personal prayer.
Forgiveness
Love
Humility
Service
Personal: Free reading the scriptures.
Humbleness
Giving
Others:
Forgiveness
Love
Humility
Salvation
Marriages
Job situations
Circumstances
Spiritual growth
Health
Congregational / /public
Guidance / direction
Blessings
Wisdom
That God’s power may be manifest
What to pray for:
That the Lord’s will, will be done.
Hindrances to Prayer:
Eph 4: 26 Be angry and do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don't give the Devil an opportunity.
1 Peter 3: 7 7Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
God will honor prayers that are against His nature and his word. The Holy Scriptures
It would be like the Prostitute praying that the Lord would bless her business. It isn’t going to happen.
Effectiveness: The prayer of a righteous man availith much.
Personal examples:
Mat 21:13
And He said to them, "It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer
C.S. Lewis put it this way: "I don't pray to change God's mind, I pray to change my mind!" This puts "beginner" prayer well, although as we mature in being conformed to the mind of Christ we do pray in accordance to His purposes more often.
The Coolest prayer in the Bible:
The Five Finger Prayer
Luke 11:5-12 and Luke 18:1-5
Our responsibility is to ask. Be assured, God listens.
As you love to hear from your loved ones, God loves to hear from us.
Prayer - an ongoing dialogue with God.
Thumb - Pray for those nearest you such as your spouse, children, siblings, family, friends and co-workers.
Pointing Finger - Pray for those who instruct, heal and minister such as teachers, health care professionals, pastors and church workers.
Middle/Highest Finger - Pray for leaders in business, police and fire departments, military personnel, and local, state and federal government including the judiciary.
Fourth/Weakest Finger - Pray for those sick and in need, locally, nationally and internationally including the persecuted church and those who have suffered natural and man-made disasters.
Fifth/Smallest Finger - Pray for your needs.
