The ABCD of Christian Prayer

Scope: Birds-eye view of the Spiritual Life and Spiritual Disciplines Summary Paragraph: The purpose of this seminar is to present the participants with an introduction to prayer and the protestant spiritual disciplines for Christians who want a more vibrant and deeper relationship with God as recorded in Scriptures and especially as revealed by Christ's life and death therein. My goals are to help individuals to understand the five basic steps to discern God's will for themselves as individuals and as part of the corporate body of Christ and the impediments to discernments. See and read the 3-part sermon series entitled "Open Our Eyes" and the Resources Listed below to fill in and create your own Bible Study for your congregations or Bible Study Groups. Outline: I. Overviews and Introductions (20-30 minutes) A. Part 1--The Who or What of Our Prayers Determines the What and How of Our Prayers. (The object of our prayer determines the content and form of our prayers.) B. Part 2--Purpose and Scope of Prayer with An Infinite God: Prayers from a Biblical and Protestant Perspective C. Part 3--Individualizing One's Prayer Life: Methods and Disciplines and Personality II. Discerning God's Will--Praying One's A, B, C, D's A. Five Steps to Discerning God's Will B. The Four Options & One Choice for Christian Living I. Overview: Introduction A. Part 1: The Who or What of Our Prayers Determines the What and How of Our Prayers 1. Is the Who or What an Object or a Subject; Is it (a) a thing or power to be taken and used as a tool or (b) a person or individual entity with a Will, Mind, and Personal Freedom? a. Matter or Thing (Energy or Force) We are subjects who have the ability to use and manipulate and channel it. b. Person or Subject i. Finite and Limited Subjects (God and Humans Both) (a) If God and humans are both finite and limited, then Individuals can influence, control, or manipulate God as they do with one another. (b) Finite, But More Powerful than Others. If God is more powerful than all other finite beings but is Himself still finite and limited instead of being all powerful and infinite, then God may be in need of our help and our support [and our prayers] and our power or volition to transact goodness and to limit evil. This Is the Message of the Non-Orthodox and Non-Evangelical Resources below. They are not recommended: Martin Buber, I and Thou Harold Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People ii. Infinite and All-Powerful (a) If God is Infinite and All Powerful and All Knowing, then we can only ask and inquiry never control, manipulate, or inform God. Evangelical and Orthodox Resources: C. S. Lewis, the Problem of Pain and Grief Observed James Bell and Tracy Sumner, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Christian Prayers and Devotions B. Part 2: Purpose and Scope of Prayer with An Infinite God: Prayers from a Biblical Perspective 1. Pre and post Gospel/Salvation a. Pre-Gospel and Pre-Resurrection Understanding b. Post-Gospel and Post-Resurrection Understanding Read Sermon: Pre-Resurrection Christians 2. The Purpose of Prayer a. Heart to Heart Communication with God i. Our Father (Matthew 6:5-14: The Lord's Prayer) ii. Luke 11:11-13 b. Resources: i. Blackaby, Henry, Richard Blackaby and Claude King, 2008. Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group. ii. DeMoss, Nancy Leigh and Tim Grissom, 2004. Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival. Chicago: Moody Publishers. 3. The Goal of Prayer-Becoming One with God in Heart, Mind, Body, and Experience a. Texts i. Gen. 1; John 17; Rom. 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:14-16 Resource: * Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper * The Prayer of Jesus by Hank Hanegraaff b. Christian versus Eastern Religions i. Matthew 12:43-45 * Seeking Fullness versus Emptiness --We must acknowledge and accept fully and completely God's or Christ's Presence in our lives versus Emptying One's Mind of All Things and Everything as some Eastern gurus teach. * Making a Conscious Choice to Yield Oneself to and Focus Oneself on God versus Willing Oneself to Emptiness or Willing Oneself to become God or a god. --Fullness versus Emptiness Texts: (Mt. 12:22-29 & 43-45) --Attachment to God versus an Attachment to Nothing Text: (Eph. 1:13-14) ii.. Growing Into the Likeness of God versus Knowing or Finding Self Texts: Romans 8:26-29; 12:1-2; Galatians 5:22-26 Resources: * See and use my printout listing the "Character Traits and Habits of Mature Christians" * See my printout listing the "7 Areas of and 14 Steps for Christian Growth." 4. Types of Prayers & Their Medical Benefits (From God the Evidence) a. Types or Genres (Individual and Corporate) i. A Adoration and Praise (for who God is) Texts: TBA ii. C Confession (For Forgiveness and restoration) Texts: TBA iii. T Thanksgiving (for What God has done) Texts: TBA iv. S Supplication (Entreaties, Petitions, Intercession) Texts: TBA b. Forms of Prayers and Praying and Their Medical Benefits (From God the Evidence) i. Colloquial (How often do you ask God to provide guidance when making decisions?)-Positive Physical Benefits ii. Meditative (How often do you spend time just 'feeling' or being in the presence of God?)-Positive Physical Benefits iii. Petition (How often do you ask God for material things that you need?)-Negative Physical Benefits iv. Ritual (How often do you read from a book of prayer?)- Negative Physical Benefits 5. Conditions for Success of One's Prayers and for Praying a. Matthew 18:19 b. 2 Chronicles 7:14 c. Jeremiah 29:13 d. James 1:5-8; 4:2c-3; 5:15-16 e. 1 John 3:22 and Matthew 6:10 f. Proverbs 28:9 g. Psalm 66:18 h. Colossians 4:2 C. Part 3: Individualizing One's Prayer Life: Methods and Disciplines and Personality 1. Impediments to One's Prayer Life a. Idols and False Beliefs b. Not Dealing With Emotional and Spiritual Dysfunctions c. Not Having Emotional Maturity and Not Accepting Reality as It Is i. Boundaries and Relationship Problems in Marriage and Relationships ii. Boundaries and Relationship Problems in Careers and Hobbies d. Resources: i. 12 Christian Beliefs That Drive You Crazy by Henry Cloud and John Townsend ii. How People Grow: What the Bible Reveals about Personal Growth by Henry Cloud and John Townsend iii. More Jesus Less Religion by Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton iv. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero v. Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend 2. Protestant Spiritual Disciplines Resources: First Level a Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God by Dallas Willard b Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God by Blackaby and King c 7 Steps to Knowing, Doing and Experiencing the Will of God: For Teens by Tom Blackaby, Daniel Blackaby, Mike Blackaby, and Lifeway Students d Seeking Him: Experience the Joy of Personal Revival by Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth and Tim Grissom e The Life You Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by John Ortberg f Complete Idiot's Guide to Prayer by Mark Galli and James Bell Jr. g Protestant Spiritual Exercises by Joseph Driskill h A Spiritual Formation Workbook by James Bryan Smith Second Level a. Option One: i. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster, ii. A Spiritual Formation Workbook by James Bryan Smith and Richard J. Foster and iii. Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith by Richard Foster. b. Option Two: i. Complete Idiot's Guide to Prayer by Mark Galli and James Bell Jr. c. Option Three: i. The Spirit of the Disciplines and Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard, ii. Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice: Experiments in Spiritual Transformation by Jan Johnson, and iii. Revolution of Character: Discovering Christ's Pattern for Spiritual Transformation by Dallas Willard and Don Simpson. d. Option Four: Prayer and Listening by Jan Johnson 3. Matching Personality Type to Spiritual Disciplines Resource: a. Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation by M. Robert Mulholland Jr. b. Your Spiritual Personality: Using the Strengths of Your Personality to Deepen Your Relationship with God by Marita Littauer. 4. Other Consideration a. Kinetics (Sense of Movement) i. The Use of Dance, Movement, or Motion ii. Physical Activities Walking after Bible Study Exercising Before or After Bible Study Marital Arts (Bushido) iii. Painting, Sculpturing, Doing Calligraphy or Crafting b. Aural (Sense of Hearing) i. Music ii. Spoken (Read aloud) Poetry or Lyrics and/or Listening to Scriptures or Inspiration Texts on Electronic Recording --lyrical --prosaic c. Visual i. Use of Religious or Devotional Arts ii. Use of Nature or Nature Scenes iii. Devotional Readings that Promote Visualizations and One's Imagination iv. The Seeing and Viewing of Religious and Inspirational Dramas, Plays, Dances, and Movies v. Use of Imagination (Visualization) Techniques d. Olfactory (Sense of Smell) i. Use of Incense ii. Use of Spices e. Taste i Foods ii. Liquids iii. Flavors II. Discerning God's Will--Praying One's A, B, C, D's (See the sermon series "Open Our Eyes" for details and textual support.) A. Five Steps to Discerning God's Will 1. Prayer 2. Advise and Counsel 3. Bible Study 4. Circumstances (Discerning the correct circumstance, situation or time to act and move in faith-Wisdom or the Appropriate Application of One's Knowledge.) 5. Don't act hastily B. The Four Options & One Choice for Christian Living 1. The Four Options a. God Can Eliminate or Remove the Problem or Obstacle Texts: Ex 14; Matthew 5:23-34 b. God Can Transform or Reform the Problem or Obstacle Texts: Daniel 6; the Book of Esther c. God Can Transform or Reform You Texts: 1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 2 d. God Can Remove You Texts: Romans 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 12:6-10; 2 Kings 6:15-17; Psalms 23 2. The One Choice or Response: Letting God Choose the Options Texts: The Lord's Prayer and Jesus' Prayer in the Garden: "God's Will Be Done!" The A, B, C, and D of Christian Prayer: How to Have a Vibrant and Deep Relationship with God (c) 1992 and 2013 by Floyd Knight. All Rights Reserved. The A, B, C, and D of Christian Prayer: How to Have a Vibrant and Deep Relationship with God (c) 1992 and 2013 by Floyd Knight. All Rights Reserved. 1 1 The A, B, C, and D of Christian Prayer: How to Have a Vibrant and Deep Relationship with God (c) 1992 and 2013 by Floyd Knight. All Rights Reserved. 1