Prayer and the Believer
Notes
Transcript
Praying
Praying
Simple Definitions of Prayer: Prayer is communion with God.
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Prayer
Communication with God
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Prayer in Ancient Contexts
The prayers of the ancient Hebrews reflect the prayers of other ancient Near Eastern cultures in that they praise God as creator, make petitions and requests of Him, and show willingness to acknowledge sinfulness and wrongdoing.
Old Testament Prayer Models
Adam and Eve is aprayer model of the first people in the bible in communication with God.
Genesis 4:26 “To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.”
English Standard Version (Chapter 4)
26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.
NT Prayer Models and Jesus Instructions on Prayer
Jesus is portrayed as a model and instructor in prayer, especially in Luke’s Gospel, where he prays at decisive moments:
English Standard Version Chapter 3
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke 6:12 “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”
Luke 6:13 “And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:”
We find Jesus prayed to choose those that would walk with him. The 12 chosen that would be his apostles. His sent ones.
Here we deal with decision making that make eternal contribution to the church and God’s kingdom on earth.
Jesus also gives us instructions on how to pray.
But here rises two thinkings between the Greeks and the minds of the Jews in these passages. The Hebrew thinking was considered more accurate because Jesus came from that cultural background. He gives us understanding
Matthew 6:5 ““And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
Jesus teahes his disciples how they
Matthew 6:7 ““And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.”
The Greek mindset was to pile up alot of prayers as to make their deity attentive. Pagan prayers was what they reminding God of sacrifices they have made almost like in a contractual agreement. I do you and you do me.
Matthew 6:8 “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Hebrew thought was that God as a Father delighted in the meeting His people’s needs. They also saw God as one that knew man’s thoughts.
Jesus is emphasizing effective prayer on the premises of a intimate relationship and not a contractual agreement.
Our relationship and intimacy deals with coming to our Father in confidence.
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 10:19–21 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,”
We can confidently approach the Father and have open access to his throne.
Jesus also brought us as a son to His position of authority in prayer. When he ascended he made us as His church be seated in heavenly places in the throne of God.
Our prayers don’t travel to him our prayers is conversational and intimate as a child speaks to a Father.
Prayer should not operate from a place of getting God’s attention but confidently approaching our father God knowing that he cares and want to answer us.
Matthew 6:9 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
Greek people also called the supreme deity Father. The Jewish people did that since the Old Testament calling God Father. BUt they never knew him as Abba Father.
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
Ephesians 2:18 “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”
The revelation the Jewish people had about God has father was very limited in their perception. Their was only some who tap into that revelation of Father. It was Jesus who fully revealed the Father God to us.
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume παρρησία, παρρησιάζομαι
openness, candor], parrhēsiázomai [to speak openly]
Access - agōgḗ [manner of life], parágō [to pass by], proágō [to precede], proságō [to approach], prosagōgé [access]
Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey William Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1985), 20.
Meanings of the word Confidence
This word has such senses as “to trust,” “to be convinced,” “to believe,” “to follow,” and even “to obey.”
This term carries the sense of “trust,” “reliance,” or “confidence.”
2 Corinthians 3:4 “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.”
English Standard Version Chapter 6
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
We deal with prayer here as God’s will to be done on earth.
Take aways
God is your Father