Spiritual Gains (Part 2 - Prayer) [prompts]

Introduction

Attention:

Physical fitness is worth persistently pursuing

Prayer is worth persistently pursuing

Need:

Christians don’t pray

1 Timothy 4:7b (ESV)

... train yourself for godliness;

Body

The Big Idea: Persistently pursue prayer

The Big Question: Why should we persistently pursue prayer?

Prayer is expected

Luke 11:1–2a (ESV)

Explanation:

Q. What was Jesus doing when His disciples asked Him to pray?

Praying

Q. What can we learn about prayer from this?

Role model

Q. What does Jesus say before starting the model prayer?

“When you pray…”

Q. What do we learn about prayer from this?

Not “if you pray”

Why does God expect us to pray?

He wants to hear from us

God is worth talking to

Illustration:

Workout coach

Application:

Will you pray because prayer is expected?

Expectancy = urgency

Transition: Since prayer is expected, there is a pressure we may feel to pray in the best way possible, but the good news is that prayer is learnable!

Prayer is learned

Luke 11:1–4 (ESV)

Explanation:

Q. How is it that the disciples ask Jesus to pray?

“Teach us to pray.”

Q. What does this mean about the disciples?

Didn’t know how to pray

What does this phrase teach us about prayer?

Prayer is not learned automatically

How do we learn to pray?

Persistent pursuit

Learning from Jesus’ pattern

God > man

A.C.T.S.

Adoration

What do you adore about God?

Confession

What sin do you need to confess & repent of?

Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for?

Supplication

How do you need God to work in your life and in the lives of others?

Learning from praying

Like learning a foreign language; you just have to do it!

Meditation

Psalm 19:14 (ESV)

Bible Reading --> Meditation --> Prayer

Meditation = the missing link

Mediation = a conversation with a real person

Thomas Manton:

“To hear and not meditate is unfruitful.”

“It is rashness to pray and not meditate.”

Peter Toon:

“… better to read one chapter and meditate afterward than to read several chapters and not to meditate.”

Praying with others

Q. Who does the disciple ask Jesus to teach how to pray?

“Teach ‘us’ how to pray”

Q. Who does Jesus pray is not let into temptation?

“Lead ‘us’ not into temptation”

No shame/a learning opportunity

Illustration:

Learning a new exercise

Application:

Will you learn to pray?

A joyful student of prayer

Transition: It is good that prayer is expected and learnable, because we pray to a God who answers prayer!

Prayer is answered

Luke 11:9–10 (ESV)

Explanation:

Q. What are the three verbs used to describe prayer here?

“Ask… Seek.... Knock...”

Continuous verbs

Start and don’t stop! (persistence)

Why? He answers prayer!

But what if… ?

“...if you ask and receive not, it must be because there is something amiss or wanting in the prayer.”

-Andrew Murray

CSB Study Bible: “if we persist in prayer, our prayers will eventually be answered according to God’s best for us.”

The Father’s open arms

Illustration:

Workout results over time

Application:

Since prayer is answered, won’t you persistently pray?

Be someone who desires to pray bc you know He answers

Conclusion:

Visualization:

Imagine your spiritual “muscles” if you were to persistently pray

Reiteration:

Be someone who persistently pursues prayer