Meeting with God Session 5

Core Seminars—Meeting with God

Class 5: Prayer: Purposes, Pitfalls, &

Practicalities

A quiet time is the part of the day that we set aside for the worship of God, for the reading of the Word of God and for fellowship with God so that we would know Him more, know ourselves in light of Him, and know the world according to His perspective.

Prayer is the Spirit-given, Word-saturated response, through communication, to meeting with God.

Praise / Confession / Thanksgiving / Supplication

Purposes of Prayer

1) To glorify God - God gives us prayer to make much of Himself.

John 14:13–14 CSB

13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Three ideas at work here:

· Pray in Jesus’ name

· Our prayers will be answered

· God will be glorified

John 15:7–8 CSB

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.

What does it mean for God to be glorified?

Revelation 21:23 CSB

23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

2) To make God known in the world by our bearing the fruit of the gospel

fruit of the gospel

John 15:16 CSB

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

· “…so that…”

· Bearing fruit

Galatians 5:22–23 CSB

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.

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3) To have access to our great Commander in a time of war

war

2 Timothy 4:7 CSB

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

·

2 Timothy 2:3–4 CSB

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer.

·

We have an enemy: Satan

1 Peter 5:8 CSB

8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

·

2 Corinthians 11:14 CSB

14 And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

·

Selfishness and war: what or whom do you pray for most?

· Concern for others = a mark of a Christian

From Jesus, we learn that Christians are to...

John 13:34–35 CSB

34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

love other believers

Matthew 22:37–39 CSB

37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

love for neighbor

Prayer for other believers

Ephesians 6:17–18 CSB

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

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· Prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie, not a domestic intercom

Ephesians 6:10–20 CSB

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. 20 For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.

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Pitfalls in meeting with God

(1) Dependence on our emotions

· Hitting a dry patch

· Wandering minds

· Seemingly unanswered prayers

· No desire to read the Bible or pray

Incline

Psalm 119:36 CSB

36 Turn my heart to your decrees and not to dishonest profit.

Open

Psalm 119:18 CSB

18 Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.

)

Unite

Psalm 86:11 CSB

11 Teach me your way, Lord, and I will live by your truth. Give me an undivided mind to fear your name.

)

Satisfy

Psalm 90:14 CSB

14 Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.

· Unrepentant sin/feelings of unworthiness

(2) Legalism

“Seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience.”

Justification – Being declared righteous by God: position before God

Sanctification – Being made righteous by God: process

(3) Laziness

The Roots of our Pitfalls: lack of desire for God

Practical Questions to Consider

1) What is one thing you can do to grow in your intake of God’s Word?

2) What time of the day can you commit to spending time in God’s Word?

3) What kind of plan will you make to structure your time in God’s word? (e.g., daily Bible reading plan; Bible in a year; book of the Bible; Psalm/Proverb a day)

4) How will you seek to apply God’s word each day?

5) How will you structure your prayer time?

Week 1: Introduction: The What, Why and How of Meeting with God

Week 2: Meeting with God in His Word: Hearing and Reading

Week 3: Meeting with God in His Word: Studying, Meditating and Memorizing

Week 4: Meeting with God through Prayer

Week 5: Prayer: Hindrances and Practicalities

Week 6: Panel

Questions? Contact us:

Joshua Coover at [e-mail]

Jonathan Malone at [e-mail]