Devotions For Prayer
Devotions For Prayer John 15:7 EBC 11/18/07
John Butler- Prayer promises are often the most misunderstood promises of the Bible. The reason prayer promises are often misunderstood is that people frequently ignore the requirements that come with the prayer promises. Christ gives some wonderful prayer promises that really encourage us to pray. But those promises comes with requirements which must be followed if we would obtain the promises regarding prayer.—Studies of the Savior.
I. Areas of Devotion (John 15:7)
A. Abiding in the Savior
1. If you want to have a fruitful prayer life you must have a good relationship with the Savior.
a. Psa. 66:18-
2. Everything is conditioned upon our relationship with Him. Leave Christ out of the picture and you have no picture.
3. Abiding “in Christ” involves three things:
a. Closeness- in order to abide in Him we must be living close to Him. What we are talking about here is not salvation but fellowship. Devotion inspires closeness. (Example – young people sitting close in car – one body two heads).
1. Rev. 2:4- church at Ephesus – left first love. They were not close to the Lord anymore.
b. Communion- not only does abiding require closeness but it also requires communion. We can be setting close to someone and still not have any communion with them. Those who abide in Christ will make much of prayer and reading of the word.
c. Continuance- abiding in Christ isn’t a temporary condition but a continuous situation
1. John 15:9-
2. John 8:31-
B. Abiding of the scriptures- two things are inseparable – our love for Christ and our love for the scriptures.
1. Affection for the Word- how much do you love the word of God.
a. Psa. 119:97- Oh, how I loved they law, it is my meditation all the day
b. Psa. 119:27- I love they commandments above gold. Some people just love His promises, the Psalmist loved His demands.
2. Attentiveness to the Word-
a. Col. 3:16- the word of God should be abundant in our lives. Let the word of Christ be the umpire in your life.
II. Aftermath of Devotion (John 15:7)
A. Fervency in prayer - Ask
1. James 5:16-
a. Abiding in Christ and His word abiding in you will inspire you to pray.
B. Freedom in prayer- what ye will
1. Your freedom in prayer is not a license to evil but is limited to the will of God. Our abiding in Christ and His word abiding in us will change us where we only want His will for our lives.
a. Psa. 37:4- when I delight in the Lord I’ll only want what Hew wants.
C. Fruitfulness in prayer-
1. What a grand promise. Our assurances are based on the word of Christ.
2. What’s wrong with many prayers today – not abiding in Christ.
3. James 4:3-
a. John MacArthur- you ask with the wrong motives that you may have it for your own pleasure.
b. 1 John 5:14-