Back to the Basics: Prayer

Introduction

Thank you all for coming out tonight. Last week we looked at our salvation and how it is freely attained by grace and through faith in Christ. We saw how our salvation is secure in Christ and we saw that Baptism is an outward sign of an inward decision and does not save us.

Tonight, we will be exploring prayer. Prayer is one of the earliest spiritual disciplines we learn. It’s the way we communicate to God that we want to be saved.

Billy Graham said “Prayer is a conversation between you and God.”

Prayer is one of the most underutilized tools in a Christians life. Tonight we are going to look at how to pray, what to pray for, and how to keep your prayer life strong.

Jeremiah 33:3 KJV 1900

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

I. Prayer is an invitation

Hebrews 4:15–16 KJV 1900

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We are invited into the throne room of Heaven. We are to come boldly to the throne of grace. Not in a braggadocios way. The boldness spoke of here doesn’t mean to be prideful or arrogant going to God. It’s walking into the throne room knowing you can be there. Not by your own merit, but by Jesus’.

Just like Billy Graham said, prayer is talking with God.

Prayer is talking to God

Sometimes we can get worried about the words we should say when praying. Talking to God should be just like talking to a friend. Pour your heart out He will listen and not judge.

Not only does he just want to hear from us and have a conversation, He also wants to meet our needs.

Prayer is asking for our needs

God cares about all of our needs

Matthew 6:26 KJV 1900

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

It’s amazing to know that we have a God that loves us and wants to interact with us in a positive light. He doesn’t want to torture us He doesn’t want to use us as pawns for his sick pleasure. He loves us and desires good for us.

The Bible tells us how He hears us in

tells us how he cares about our troubles

1 Peter 5:7 KJV 1900

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Matthew 7:7 KJV 1900

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

teaches about the him wanting to grant our requests

Our needs may be physical, they may be financial, emotional, or spiritual. In any and every case, God wants us to bring our needs to Him in prayer.

Prayer is not only an invitation and privelage that we have it is also a command.

II. Prayer is a command

Colossians 4:2 KJV 1900

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Turn over to

Luke 11:2 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Notice what Jesus said there. He said, when you pray. But how do we do that?

There are a few different things I want to bring to our attention tonight about prayer.

I believe God has

We should pray regularly

Pray Regularly

Psalm 5:3 KJV 1900

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Prayer shouldn’t be something we run to in times of an emergency. It should be a regular part of our lives.

Pray Continually

1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV 1900

Pray without ceasing.

Having an established time to pray, an established place to pray, like a prayer closet, is great. I’m all for it. However, I believe that prayer should not only be something we do at a certain time and place during the day. I believe prayer and communication with God should be done throughout the day as we go about our lives.

It’s a way to show that we put God first in what we do.

And when we pray we pray with faith

Pray with faith

We pray knowing that the heavenly father wants us to pray, hears our requests, and will do what is best for us.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

We should pray with right motives

Pray with right motives

God wants us to bring our personal and family needs to Him. But, asking for our needs is different than asking with selfish motives.

James spoke against this

James 4:2–3 KJV 1900

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Our motives should be pure and full of love. Theres a song called I’ll pray for you. It’s about a guy that breaks up with his girlfriend. He says he hadn’t ben to church, goes to church, pastor tells him to pray for his enemies. The reasy of the song is about the different ways he prays for her. A piano to fall on her, breaks to go out at 110, and so on. You know all the well wishes you have for your ex..yea he prayed for them

Which leads me to my next point, we should pray for God’s will.

Pray according to God’s will

God always answers our prayers, but sometimes the answer isn’t yes. I was speaking with a man the other night about prayer and he said he kept a journal of prayers and when he did he would keep a record of the answers. The yes’ and the no’s.

Sometimes praying for God’s will may go against our will.

As parents know what is best for the children, our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us.

Then, Pray in Jesus’ name.

Pray in Jesus’ name

Now this isn’t just a tag at the end of a prayer. Although that’s how many use it.

It means that we are praying by Jesus’ will and authority, not our own.

It’s walking into the throne room boldly because we belong there but not by our power or might, only by His.

Pray with other Christians

We find examples in scripture about Christians praying together which we should strive to model.

Acts 1:14 KJV 1900

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Acts 2:42 KJV 1900

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Pray Privately

In additions to corporate prayer we should have a private prayer life.

Jesus warned us not to be like the pharisees and hypocrites that prayed these lavish prayers in public for attention and glory to themselves.

Matthew 6:5–6 KJV 1900

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Pray Earnestly

The opportunity and privilege of prayer is not a religious exercise that should be taken lightly. When we engage God in conversation we are speaking with the creator of the universe about the lives of others, our lives, and things going on in a world that He gave His Son for.

Matthew 6:7–8 KJV 1900

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

This last point about how to pray I really like.

Pray with a plan

When Jesus’ disciples asked them how t pray, He gave them a model for what to pray about. It’s sometimes called the Lord’s prayer but I believe it is more appropriately titled, the model prayer. The Lord’s prayer can actually be found in .

The verses were not given so we would repeat them but so we would learn from them.

Let’s break this prayer in down.

Our Father which

Our Father which art in Heaven-This shows we can pray with confidence of your relationship with the Father.

Hallowed be thy name- Worship God in your prayer time. Acknowledge Him for Who He is and what He has done.

Thy kingdom come- Pray wanting God’s kingdom to be advanced. Pray for souls to be saved. Pray for lives to be change. Pray for the ministry of the church to be advanced for the purpose of glorifying Christ.

Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven- Pray with submission to God’s will. Remember, His will may not always be ours. Let’s pray for hearts that are willing to accept His will over ours.

Give us this day our daily bread- Ask God to meet your needs and the needs of others.

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors- Don’t harbor bitterness or unforgiveness in your heart.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:- Ask God to help you overcome temptation.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.- Pray with a heart for God’s glory to be advanced.

Prayer isn’t about bending God’s will to ours, its about bending our hearts to His.

There is an acrostic used to help remember the model prayer a little more easily.

ACTS. Ever heard of it

A- Adoration

C- Confession

T- Thanksgiving

S-Supplication

We should all have regular time of prayer as well as praying throughout the day. The more you pray, the more comfortable is to pray, the more you grow as a Christian.

Prayer is an invitation, it is a command, and it is fellowship with God.

Prayer is Fellowship with God

Think of your spouse, your children, or a close friend. How did that relationship develop? It was as you spent time together, shared life experiences, and communicated with one another.

Fellowshipping with God is vital to developing your relationship with Him.

Beware of hindrances to prayer though.

Beware of hindrances to prayer

There are specific things mentioned in scripture that hinder our prayers.

Unconfessed Sin hinders our prayers

Psalm 66:18 KJV 1900

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me:

Unforgiveness hinders our prayers

Mark 11:25 KJV 1900

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Disregard for God’s Word hinders our prayers

Proverbs 28:9 KJV 1900

He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer shall be abomination.

Then lastly we should Restore Fellowship through prayer

Restore Fellowship through prayer

When we realize we have a hinderance in prayer in our lives, how do we remove it? Through prayer!

We simply confess our sins to the Lord and ask Him to forgive us.

Conclusion

So what do we do with this?

We understand the privilege we have to pray and make time for it on a regular basis.

We should begin a prayer list if you don’t have one already and pray regularly for everyone.

Prayer journal

PRAY