Types of Prayer2
Review:
Phil 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJ)
· In everything… I have seen the overly spiritual christian that prays about common things, or uses praying as an excuse not to do something, but I think over all we pray too little! James 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss,(NKJ).
Luke 11:9-10
9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.10 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (NKJ)
Let’s continue to talk about the three main types of Prayer
Asking = Petitioning Seeking = Devotional Knocking = Intercession
Petitioning Prayer is important to get what we need from God, but there is more to prayer than asking. Jesus said “seek and ye shall find” God is not just a resource center, or a grocery store where we can get all we need. He is a living being who seeks our fellowship.
In time though we begin to mature and to desire more. The newness of our experience is no longer as strong, so we may think we are slipping away from God. What is actually happening is that we are being weaned or taken off the baby bottle and are being prepared for adult food. This is where we must enter into a deeper walk with the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
· Marriage is not a contract, it is a covenant! But our covenant is not directly between us and God, it is between The Father and the Son and we enter into this Covenant by faith in Jesus! Your not able to keep it!
· The Covenant is not the relationship! The covenant protects and defines the relationship! The danger here is to get contract minded instead of Love minded!
· The sacrifice of self is to get the other for yourself. Like Marriage you had to sacrifice your single self to get married! One new creature!
John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Matt 11:25-30
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.
26 "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
· #1 Goal: Seeking God daily to have a deep fellowship and communion
Phil 3:7-8
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
· #2 Goal: Discovering the treasures hidden in Christ
· 1 Cor 2:7-16 There are hidden things in the spirit that can only be found by spirirtual seeking in the deep things of God. But the natural man (natural minded) will not receive them. It is called gettting the mind of Christ. You can only get someones mind by spending time with them and learning of them!
Col 2:2-3
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (NKJ)
Prov 8:32-36
32 "Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death." (NKJ)
· Dangers and traps that we can fall into
Lev 10:1-3
1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
q Their goal was not to know God, but his Power! I will be Sanctified, in
them that come near me
Their goal was Position! Who is being glorified? I will be Glorified, before all the people
Matt 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
q Is the Lord the center of our Fire or are we ourselves the reason that we serve the Lord? Is it a status thing? A position thing? Korah, Dathan, and Abiram(Num. 16,) These men and 250 princes thought it was this way.
Matt 25:1-12
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.(this is a lie they could not have ever been lit, because they had no oil!)
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
q They had the vessels, they said they were in love with the bridegroom, but they had no flame, no oil, no light. I believe that they came to know the bridegroom through buying the oil. I think that the oil represents a true love for God!
q We are in true danger of being satisfied with having God around of being around the presence of God, but not having the presence in us!