Sermon 031096

Luk. 18:1; Eph. 6:18;                           Always Praying                                                    3/10/96

1Th. 5:17                                                                                                                            ABCC

# 515

I.   Who Should Pray?                                                                          

     A.  Those who want a real relationship with God (Lk. 18:9-14; Ac. 10:1-6, 22;

          Jn. 8:38-42)

 B.  Those who have a real relationship with God (Mt. 7:11) “your Father”

·        The Father/child relationship is dominant in NT regarding prayer

Are you in one of these two groups? Are you longing for this relationship? Or are you already enjoying this relationship with your heavenly Father?

II.  What is Prayer in the Spirit? (Eph. 6:18)

     A.  Prayer from a converted or save sinner (Eph. 2:1; Rom. 8:10, 26; 1Co. 14:15a)

·        Any unbeliever can pray w/his mind; only the believer can pray with mind & spirit

     B.  Prayer that engages the intellect & human spirit (1Co. 14:14-15) “my spirit prays”

This means being in communion with & dependent upon God; praying with a clear conscience (includes confession of sin); enabled by the Holy Spirit with His grace (desire & power); having your desires & emotions stirred by the Holy Spirit.  Are you satisfied to pray with your mind only?  Any unbeliever can do that!!

Always Praying, pg. 2

3/17/96

III. To Whom Should We Pray?

     A.  To the only true God (Jn. 17:3; 1Tim. 1:17)

     B.  God is our Father (Mt. 6:9; Rom. 8:15; Eph. 2:17-18 = access) - Relationship

     C.  The Father, Son & Holy Spirit are involved when we pray (Rom. 8:26-27)

God is active in this relationship = conscience, desires, thoughts, memory, ability, etc.

IV.  Why Should We Pray?

      A.  Because of Who our God Is (Ex. 3:14; Heb. 12:28-29; Rev. 4:8,11; Ps. 139; 1Jn. 4:8)

      B.  Because of What our God Says (Heb. 4:14-16; Mt. 6:8b; 7:7-8; Jn. 16:23-24;)

      C.  Because of What our God Does (Mt. 7:11; Lk. 18:7; Eph. 3:20; Ps. 103:19)

      D.  Because of who we are (Mt. 6:32b; 2Co. 12:10; Jas. 1:2-5; 1Jn. 1:9; Jn. 16:24;

            Jude 20) - dependent, weak, tempted, in constant danger, lacking wisdom

Our heavenly Father is the Creator of all that exists; He is in control of every detail of His creation - earth is 8K miles in diameter, weighs 6.6 sextillion tons (21 zeros); He controls your health, mental ability, spouse’s _____, parents, teachers, pimples on face, talents & gifts, ministry opportunities, effectiveness, financial circumstances, longevity of clothes, shoes, autos, furniture, appliances, etc.

Always Praying, pg. 3

4/14/96

V.   About What Should We Pray?

      A.  We should pray with regard to everything (Phil. 4:6-7; 1Th. 5:18a) “in everything”

·        What things in your life are causing stress, concern, anxiety = PRAY!

·        Nothing & no one in life is outside of God’s influence & control

      B.  We should be specific or precise in our prayers (Mt. 7:7-8; 6:11 = daily bread)

·         Clothing, recreation, entertainment, diet, education, career, furniture,

              appliances, remodeling, health, beautician, barber, friends, employment

              opportunities, ministry plans & opportunities (specific ways to serve God & His

              people).  Names & needs of other people, churches, etc.  Specifics regarding sin

              & confession = vagueness may imply that there’s been no true repentance!

      C.  We should strive to be concise (Mt. 6:7)

·        The motive for & in our prayers must never be to impress people or God

When you pray, do you use words outside your vocabulary?  Do you use phrases that you’ve simply heard others use before?  Are your prayers brief in quiet time, but long & wordy in public?  This may be a sign of wrong motives, wrong priorities; lack of love for God & your neighbor!

SPECIFIC & BRIEF PRAYERS CAN BE PRAYED REGULARLY (silently or orally)

Always Praying, pg. 4

VI.  How Often Should We Pray

      A.  Daily (Mt. 6:11)

      B.  Several times each day

            1.  Twice each day “when you rise up & lay down” (Ps. 139:2-3)

            2.  Three fix times each day (Ps. 55:17; Dan. 6:13)

            3.  Before each meal (1Tim. 4:4-5)

            4.  In times of trouble (Ps. 91:15-16; Phil. 4:6-7)

            5.  To express gratitude in daily situations (1Th. 5:18)

            6.  Take advantage of every opportunity to pray (1Th. 5:17; Eph. 6:18a)

When needs arise, when you think of you enemy, lost souls, suffering & affliction in families, temptations, prayer meetings, breaks at work, feeling discouraged, etc.

VII. How Long Should We Persevere in Prayer?

      A.  Be persistent & not easily discouraged (Lk. 18:1) - “kept coming” (v. 3),

           “continually coming” (v. 5) = remember God’s character; your relationship

      B.  Never stop praying, even when circumstances are difficult & opportunities are few

            (1Th. 5:17)

      C.  Pray as long as you want God’s joy & strength (1Th. 5:17-18) = we always want it!

Always Praying, pg. 5

·        Always pray because the Father is always ready to hear (Ps.65:2; Is. 40:28)

·        Always pray because Jesus Christ is always interceding (Heb 7:25)

·        Always pray because the Holy Spirit is always ready to help our weaknesses

(Rom 8:26)

·        Because we are always in need, in danger, inadequate, blessed, objects of God’s love; objects of Satan’s hatred & evil schemes, temptations

·        Because God is always the Father of mercies and God of all Comfort, His throne of grace is always available where we may receive mercy and find grace, He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think!