An Invitation to a Conversation

I. What is Prayer?

One of the most common ways of defining prayer is to say that prayer is simply “talking to God.”

This definition isn’t bad, but it only accounts for about half of what is happening during prayer.

To say that prayer is simply talking to God is to make it sound like a monologue—that is, a long speech given by one individual to another.

Unfortunately, many times, that is what a lot of our prayers are.

We pray to God telling Him what we want, asking for what we need, or sometimes repenting of sin. This is a good start, but prayer is much more than this!

a. Prayer is a conversation with God. (Exodus 33:11a)

Here’s a better, but formal, definition of “prayer.” “Prayer” is “having a conversation with God.”

To have a conversation, you need at least two people, both of whom speak and also listen. So, we will say it this way in this lesson.

Prayer is an invitation to a conversation with the God of the Universe, Who is both our Lord and our Friend—which is to say that prayer is yet another opportunity to deepen our relationship with God.

The first thing we need to get right about prayer is that God has taken the initiative in speaking to us.

Consider Moses, before he became a great leader, Moses was a shepherd who was minding his own business out in the wilderness.

Then, God came and spoke to him out of a burning bush (Exodus 3:1–4:17). God spoke first. Moses answered.

Over time, God and Moses developed a close relationship.

Here is what Exodus 33:11 a says about their relationship.

Exodus 33:11 CSB

11 The Lord would speak with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend, then Moses would return to the camp. His assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent.

God spoke to Moses face-to-face, just like He was speaking to a friend.

That is the kind of relationship that God wants to have with you as well. He wants to have a conversation. He speaks, you respond, He responds to you, and so on.

God speaks to us today primarily through His Word, though He may speak through other means as well (other people, emotions, etc.).

So, in prayer, we are often responding to what God has revealed in His Word.

So, prayer is about more than just how we respond to God with our words; it is about how we respond to Him with our actions.

But prayer is more than just a conversation; it is also communion.

b. Prayer is communion with God.

Prayer is an opportunity to have communion with God.

To commune with someone is to share your life with that person.

So, prayer involves simply being with God.

When we have true communion with another person, we are totally open.

So too in prayer, we are totally honest. We don’t flinch from telling God how we really feel. Sometimes this may feel uncomfortable or even wrong.

If you look in the Book of Psalms, you will see numerous examples of the psalmists crying out to God in anger, frustration, or disappointment, as well as bursting out in joy, praise, and thanksgiving.

It might sound hard to believe, but this kind of honesty is what God wants. We don’t have to hide our real thoughts from Him.

Like a friend, God wants to hear the truth about us, even if it’s ugly.

He already knows what we are thinking and how we are feeling, and He can handle it.

If prayer is an invitation to a conversation and communion with God, how do we get started? In other words, how do we pray?

II. How Do I Pray?

Let’s consider three different kinds of prayers you can use as you have your quiet time with God.

The first kind of prayer we will call grounding prayer.

a. Grounding Prayer (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This is about talking to God about who He is and who we are.

This is a good prayer to use at the beginning of your quiet time.

Simply naming and meditating on some of God’s qualities and then thanking Him for Who He is.

God is love; He is faithful, just, kind, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-wise, and so much more.

By reminding ourselves of Who God is, we strengthen our trust in Him.

The second part of the grounding prayer is to remember who we are.

We are, first and foremost, loved by God. God brought us into existence, and He cares for us more than we can possibly understand.

But, we also know that we are broken by sin; we are messed up.

We have all done what is evil and fallen short of God’s standard (Romans 3:23). We have thought, said, and done things that disobey God.

But the Bible reminds us that if we have put our trust in Jesus, we are redeemed; we are set free from the penalty of sin.

We are God’s beloved sons and daughters (1 John 3:1).

In Christ, we are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And now we are called to live out that new identity, to put off the old sinful nature, and put on the new Christ-like nature (Ephesians 4:22–24).

We constantly need to be reminded of who we are. If not, our sinful nature, our mistakes, or our feelings of inadequacy will try to define us.

Grounding Prayer: Psalm 46

Leader: "We’re going to start with a Grounding Prayer. Before we ask God for anything, we need to ground our hearts in who He is and who we are in Him. Sit comfortably, and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in... and exhale."

(Pause for 5 seconds)

Leader: "Listen to Psalm 46:1: 'God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.' In silence, pray this sentence in your heart: 'God, You are my refuge, and right now I choose to rest in You.'"

(Allow 15 seconds of silence)

Leader: "Now listen to verse 10: 'Be still, and know that I am God.' We are going to do a breath prayer together.

· Inhale slowly and pray in your mind: 'Be still...'

· Exhale slowly and pray: '...and know that You are God.'"

Leader: "Now take a moment to thank God for one specific attribute of His—that He is faithful, loving, strong, or present with you right now."

Leader: “Now listen to Ps 103:11-14.”

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."

No matter what we have done, no matter how we have failed, in Christ, we are sons and daughters of God. A grounding prayer helps remind us of this truth. But there is a second type of prayer we can pray, the submission prayer.

b. Submission Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13)

A prayer of submission is simply submitting ourselves to God’s will.

Jesus taught this type of prayer to His disciples.

Many people call it “The Lord’s Prayer.” It can be found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.

In this model prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, He used the following wording:

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

We acknowledge that what’s most important is not what we want, but what God wants and so, we want to align ourselves with God’s will for us and the world.

Sometimes that means repenting of a particular sin, or it might mean committing to some kind of life change.

Whatever it is, the prayer of submission invites us to a conversation with God.

If it is about sin, we confess our sin and receive His gracious forgiveness.

If it is about a change that we need to make, we ask the Holy Spirit to help us make that change.

This prayer is simply about humbling yourself before God and saying “yes” to His will.

Leader: "To submit means to stop forcing our own way and surrender our plans, worries, and choices to God. Start by holding out your hands in front of you, palms facing down on your lap."

(Pause for students to adjust)

Leader: "Palms down represents letting go. Think of one thing you are trying to control right now—a decision coming up, a relationship, a worry or fear, or a habit you need to confess. Silently tell God: 'Lord, I drop my need to control [Name the situation], and I confess where I have tried to do it on my own.'"

(Allow 20 seconds of silence)

Leader: "Now, turn your hands so your palms are facing upward. This represents receiving God's direction."

Leader: "Listen to Psalm 25:4–5: 'Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me.' Pray this in your heart: 'God, my hands are open. Teach me Your path for my life, and help me say 'Yes' to Your will today, even when it's hard.'"

(Allow 15 seconds of silence)

So, in our quiet time, we can begin with a grounding prayer acknowledging Who God is and who we are; we can pray a submissive prayer aligning ourselves with God’s will; and we can pray intercessory prayers as well. [Show the PowerPoint slide with the next subpoint of the outline.]

b. Intercessory Prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

 “Intercessory” refers to “a plea or prayer on behalf of another.”

A prayer of intercession is simply praying for others; it is asking God to intervene on your behalf or another’s behalf in some particular situation.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-3, the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to pray for all people in this way.

1 Timothy 2:1–3 CSB

1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,

We should pray this way, too.

Just take a look around you. Who in your life needs God’s intervention? How can you have a conversation with God about them?

Leader: "An intercession is simply asking God to step into someone else's life and situation. Think of one person in your life who needs God’s intervention right now—a friend going through a tough time, a family member, or a classmate."

Allow 10 seconds

Leader: "We are going to use Psalm 20 as a script to pray over them. Read or pray these words silently, inserting their name into the verse:"

Psalm 20:1–2 CSB

1 May the Lord answer you in a day of trouble; may the name of Jacob’s God protect you. 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.

"May the Lord answer [Name] when they are in trouble.

May God protect [Name] and keep them safe.

May He send [Name] real help and strength from Heaven today."

(Allow 45–60 seconds for student prayer time)

Leader: "Close by thanking God that He hears every single prayer offered on behalf of others, and that He is already at work in their lives. Amen."

Putting it into Action

The last two weeks we have encouraged you make a plan of how you will put this into action.

So I want to encourage you all to put into action making conversing with God a regular part of your spiritual rhythm.

You can take a Psalm, or a few verses in a Psalm, and use them as a guide for your time in prayer.

Letting the Word guide you give you an opportunity to hear what God is saying through His Word as you also speak to Him.