Prayer (Part 8) - Christian Principles of Prayer

We're Continuing Our Study on Prayer

We’re Breaking this Series Up into 3 Sub-Series:

“Lord, Teach Us to Pray”

Learning about Prayer from Jesus

“Christian Principles of Prayer”

What Do the Scriptures Teach Us about Prayer

The Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How’s of Prayer?

“Unconventional Methods of Prayer”

Discussing Unconventional…

Methods/Topics/Thoughts/Questions Concerning Prayer

“Christian Principles of Prayer”

We’re Taking a General Overlook…

At Prayer in the Scriptures (Primarily NT)

We’re Doing this by Asking These 6 Basic Questions:

Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How

We Almost Finished with “What” Prayer is Last Time

Prayer is Communication with God

But We Ended Class Before Asking this Question:

If Prayer is Communication with God…

Why Does God Not Speak Back?

We Know He has Spoken to People in the Past

Some Claim that He Speaks to Them Today

I Mentioned Last Time that I’m Doubtful of that…

Simply Because He’s Never Spoken Audibly to Me

Why Might it Be that God Doesn’t Speak to Us…

The Way He Spoke to People Like:

Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, and Jesus?

God hasn’t Spoken Audibly to Most People in History

99.99999999% of People have Never Heard the Voice of God

If God hasn’t Spoken Audibly to You…

Then Join the Very Large Club

Only on Very Special Occasions has God Spoken to Certain People

And it was All to Fulfill a Very Special Purpose

What More Revelation would God Need to Speak to Us Directly?

He’s Given Us the Written OT & NT Scriptures to Guide Us

He’s Given Us Jesus to Believe, Follow, and Learn from

We have Everything We Need…

On How to Be Justified & Sanctified By Him

2 Peter 1:1–3 (NASB95)

1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

God has Fully Equipped Us to Faithfully Bear His Image

Through the Scriptures & Through Jesus…

We See & Know Who God is & What He Expects of Us

There’s No Need for Further Revelation

His Eternal Kingdom has Been Established

Now All We have to Do is Follow His Written Will Until He Returns

Let’s Look at the “When?” of Prayer

When Should We Pray?

There’s Really No Correct Answer to this, Except:

Whenever

Religious Jews would Pray 3 Times a Day

9 a.m., Noon, & 3 p.m.

Some People have Their Own Scheduled Prayers

As Soon as They Wake Up & Lay Down

Before Every Meal

Maybe at Certain Times of the Day

God has Given Us No Rules as to When We should Pray

Prayer, it Seems, should Be as Natural & Frequent as Breathing to a Christian

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NASB95)

16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

My Favorite Way of Praying is…

By Keeping a Running Conversation with God Going

There are No Set Times

There are No Beginning Phrases or Ending Phrases

It’s Like the Guy I Used to Work with…

Who was Always on the Phone with His Wife

He’d Be Quite for a Long Time…

And Then Out of Nowhere would Begin a Conversation…

About Something He’d Experienced or Remembered or Whatever

Praise, Petitions, & Thanksgivings can/should Happen…

Anytime & All the Time

Pray Without Ceasing = Constantly

Prayer Helps to Build Our Relationship with God

It Demonstrates & Builds Our Trust in/Dependence on Him

The More We Pray:

The Closer to God We will Become

The More We will Trust Him

The More Our Heart/Mind/Will will Align with His Heart/Mind/Will

Let’s Look at the “Where?” of Prayer

Where Should We Pray?

When Solomon Built the Temple…

He Considered it a House of Prayer

It was a Place Where People would Go to Pray & have Their Prayers Heard

For Those Who were Not in Jerusalem…

They would Pray Toward the Temple

It was the Place Where Communication with God Took Place

But What about Today?

The Only Instruction We have that is Remotely Close…

To Telling Us Where to Pray…

Is Jesus Teaching Us to Go to a Private Place to Pray

Jesus would Often Go Up on Mountains or in Gardens to Pray Alone

Ultimately, Location Doesn’t Matter

We are Not Expected to Pray Toward Jerusalem or the Temple…

Because We are the Temple

God Dwells in Us Through His Holy Spirit

We can/should Pray Anywhere/Everywhere

Let’s Look at the “Why?” of Prayer

Why Should We Pray?

I Believe this Question would Eventually Lead Us Back…

To the A.C.T.S. of Prayer

We Pray Because God Deserves to Be Worshiped, Praised, Glorified, Exalted

Prayer is a Major Way in Which We Do that

We Pray Because We Sin & Need Forgiveness

We Receive Forgiveness When We Confess Our Sins

We Pray Because God Deserves Our Gratitude

We Thank God Through Prayer

We Pray Because We Need/Want Many Things

Prayer Allows Us to Ask for Anything We Need/Want for Ourselves & Others

And if Our Needs/Desires Align with God’s Will…

And We Believe that He will Answer…

He’ll Give Us What We Ask for

Let’s Look at the “How?” of Prayer

How Should We Pray?

In Humility

In Reverence

In Confidence

In Perseverance

In Faith

In Submission

Unconventional Methods of Prayer

This will Be Focused on Discussing Things…

We Might Not Normally Talk about Concerning Prayer

Is There a Correct Posture to Prayer?

Standing, Sitting, Kneeling, Lying Down, Walking

Is There a Correct Posture in the Church Gathering?

Do You have to Bow Your Head & Close Your Eyes When You Pray?

Jesus Often Looked Up to the Sky When He Prayed

The Tax Collector wouldn’t Dare Look Up

But He was Praying for God’s Mercy Upon His Sin

Is it Okay to Raise Your Hands During Prayer?

This was a Very Common Prayer Posture:

Exodus 9:29 (NASB95)

29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s.

1 Kings 8:22 (NASB95)

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

Psalm 28:2 (NASB95)

2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Psalm 63:4 (NASB95)

4 So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Isaiah 1:15 (NASB95)

15 “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Luke 24:50 (NASB95)

50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

1 Timothy 2:8 (NASB95)

8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

Is it Okay to Write Down Your Prayers?

Is it Okay to Read Scripture as a Prayer?

That’s What We’re Doing When We Sing Psalms to God

Why Do We Say “Amen” at the End of Prayers?

What Does “Amen” Mean?

When You Say “Amen” You’re Speaking Hebrew

“True, Trustworthy, Let it Be So”

It’s an Agreement that What has Just Been Spoken is True

At the End of a Reading of Scripture…

To Say “Amen” is to Voice Your Agreement to its Truthfulness

At the End of a Public Prayer…

To Say “Amen” is to Agree with What was Said in the Prayer…

And to Voice that that Prayer was Your Own as Well

Justin Martyr (100-165): “And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to γένοιτο [so be it].”

At the End of Our Private Prayers…

Whenever We Say “Amen”…

We’re Asking God to Answer Our Prayer - “Let it Be So”

What About Intercessory Prayer

Quite simply, intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of others. The role of mediator in prayer was prevalent in the Old Testament, in the cases of Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, Hezekiah, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

The following is only a partial list of those for whom we are to offer intercessory prayers: all in authority (1 Timothy 2:2); ministers (Philippians 1:19); Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6); friends (Job 42:8); fellow countrymen (Romans 10:1); the sick (James 5:14); enemies (Jeremiah 29:7); those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44); those who forsake us (2 Timothy 4:16); and all men (1 Timothy 2:1).

Invitation

Why is Prayer Important?

Because, How Could We Make it Through this Broken World Without it?

Why God do people have to die? A daughter or a son, sudden and so young Long before their time?

Why God do people fall apart? A promise and a ring becomes a broken thing A road that got too hard?

Why God do we feel so alone? Every single day fighting through the pain Hoping there is hope?

I don't understand, but I understand

Why God, I need You It's why God I run to Your arms Over and over again It's why God I cling to Your love And hold on for dear life And I find You are right by my side

Give me a faith stronger than I have I need to know when it hurts this bad That You hold my heart when it breaks And I'm not alone in this place

That's why God I need You Why God, I run to Your arms Over and over again It's why God I cling to Your love And hold on for dear life And I find You are right by my side

Always right by my side Even here in the why God