Bible foundations, Subject: Prayer - Lesson 15
Bible foundations, Subject: Prayer - Lesson 15
The instruction in the Bible is that “Men ought always to pray and not to faint,” Yet the prayer life of most Christians is sadly lacking. Their general prayer is for things they want or need. Prayer is more than just requests for provision. Earnest prayer includes repentance, thanksgiving, praise and worship with a seeking heart for God to bring us into a closer relationship with Jesus, and then casting our cares on the Lord and learning to trust Him for the answers.
The intention of this lesson is not only to teach about prayer, but also to inspire you to pray.
Knowing how to pray is important. Jesus instructed His disciples how to pray when they asked Him.
We will never become so perfect or mature that we no longer feel the need to pray. We should take our example from Jesus, a man of prayer. Jesus knew it was necessary for Him to communicate with His Father through prayer and He daily made time for prayer.
The following are some of the various themes we will study on this subject of Prayer:
How to pray
Who and what to pray for.
Posture in prayer.
Praying in the Holy Spirit (using your prayer language)
How not to pray.
Causes for unanswered prayer
Boldness in prayer.
Prayer with praise
Let us consider how Jesus prayed. He is our perfect example.
a. He sought to be alone. Matthew 14:23 Jesus went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
b. He spent all night in prayer. Luke 6:12 All night he continued in prayer to God.
c. He rose up from sleep in the very early morning. Mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and prayed.
d. In the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:36-44 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
It is important that we know how NOT to pray, for a faulty prayer life disrupts our communication with God.
e. Jesus prayed for the church (the body of believers) John 17:“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
a. We must not pray so that others can hear how good we are at praying. Matthew 6:5-6
And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.
b. Lip service is not prayer. (nor is memorized prayers) Prayer must be from the heart.
Matthew 15:8-9 “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Long prayers for long prayers sake; may not get the job done. Mark 12:38-40 “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the market places, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
God will not hear a person who is praying to brag on themselves: Luke 18:10-14 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men - - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’
And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
e. To ask with the wrong purpose.
The motive is wrong.
James 4:3 You
ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may
spend it on
your pleasures.
f. Don't ask Jesus (or the Saints) to do your praying for you. Go boldly direct to the Father in Jesus Name.
g. Don't pray the problem, instead pray the answer. Romans 4:17 tells us that God “quickens (makes alive) the dead and calls those things which be not as though they are.”
In other words, God speaks the end result.
The principle of calling things that are not as though they were - - is the spiritual principle through which everything in the physical becomes manifest and into being. When there was only darkness in the beginning - God created light by calling for "light" to come. Jesus used this same method, calling the lepers clean, and called the dead to life, and He spoke peace to the storm.
It is a good habit to thank God in prayer, that He has honored your request and that the answer is on its way.
Our next lesson we will continue considering more about Prayer.
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