3 Prayer Perspectives

Opening Prayer

John 1:1–5 HCSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

John 14:6 HCSB

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 17:17 HCSB

17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.

jn 1717

Being Different

Seeing Different

So we can

Represent God to the world

Relate to God

Resolve to Be focused on God’s work in the world.

Fasting as removing Obstacles between you and the mission

Matthew 6:5–8 HCSB

5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.

Matthew 6

Matthew 6:5–8 The Message

5 “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? 6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. 7 “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. 8 Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.

Prayer As Helplessness

Helplessness as accepted and given to God.

Air is all around you, to breathe is to just let it in. All around you is the evidence of your helplessness. It’s staring at you but we so hate it we are in denial about it and don’t allow ourselves to

Helplessness accepted and given to God

Air is all around you, to breathe is to just let it in. All around you is the evidence of your helplessness. It’s staring at you but we so hate it we are in denial about it and don’t allow ourselves to

The experience of helplessness

The beginning of relief and a whole new life.

“Prayer then is something deeper than words. It is present in the soul before it has been formulated in words and it abides in the soul after the last words have past from our lips. Listen my friend your helplessness is your best prayer. It calls to God from your heart to God’s heart with the greatest effect.” --- O. Housby

The one who was let down though the roof by the friends. Got forgiven by Jesus yet there is no record that he asked for anything. Luke 5

Helplessness itself when it is accepted and given to God is a pure form of prayer. That is what God is trying to get through to you all your life is a

If they are not helpless then they are not really prayers

Prayer As Work

Johnthan Edwards “extraordinary corporate prayer” Jacob

The way to obtain the blessing of God is to not let him go until he blesses us.

1. Pray so our hearts lose our self sufficiency.

• When good things happen to us without prayer we begin to believe the illusion of self sufficiency. One of outlines the

2. Our hearts n need to see the excessive nature of our desires and we need to pray that we can have clarity in that.

• Is prayer sustained worry?

• Don’t pray to God for the thing that you want until you realize that in God you have everything you want.

• By the time I get though the prayer I have been reduced to realize that I can be excessive in my wants and have

The more we pray the more we are ready to receive those blessings. Something I now recognize that prayer

The western missionary movement toward the eastern world. IN the 19th century. 200 years ago. In spite of all the wrong motives, imperialism and bad things. God still used that good intent

Africa, Latin America and Asia will become the first true catholic religion. 1806 revival Williams college students. It was put on his heart to pray for Asia. Haystack prayer meetings. They are largely Christian nations because of the heart of these and those that followed.

Credited as being the heart of Students

The Haystack Prayer Meeting, held in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in August 1806, is viewed by many scholars as the seminal event for the development of American Protestant missions in the subsequent decades and century.[1] Missions are still supported today by American churches.

Prayer As Love

Matthew 6:8 HCSB

8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.

Intimacy is in this verse. There is something about experiencing a Fathers Love that must happen to move to this relationship.

Thomas Aquinas:

My theology said all my theology looks like straw after what I have just experienced.

To experience God’s presence in the room.

Dwight Moody.

“One day in the city of New York. Oh what A day. I cannot describe it I seldom refer to it. It is almost to sacred an experience to name. Paul had an experience of which he never spoke for fourteen years. I can only say that God revealed himself to me an I had such an experience I had to ask him to stay his hand. I would not now be placed back to where I was before that blessed experience if you were to give me all the world. IT would be as the small dust of the balance.” - D L Moody

Liking Making Love. Its not something one dwells on talking about.

The danger in an experience oriented world is you will want that for it’s own sake.

Prayer is a way of getting God.

Love (III)

BY GEORGE HERBERT

Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back                               Guilty of dust and sin. But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack                              From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning, If I lacked any thing. A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:                              Love said, You shall be he. I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,                              I cannot look on thee. Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,                              Who made the eyes but I? Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame                              Go where it doth deserve. And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?                              My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat: So I did sit and eat.