Battling Spiritual Staleness

Having consistent spiritual disciplines is a struggle

working against the schemes of the devil

The devil being a thief has robbed many of us of our most precious commodity - time

Through the means of tv, social media

George Barna research - born again spend 7 times as much watching tv than, bible reading prayer and worship

Prayer life tells gives the most accurate view of your walk with Christ

Important to know that almost 80% of Americans have prayed once in the last 3 months

Reasons we don’t pray - Too busy, Don’t see the importance, don’t really trust God’s can answer, too lazy, No relationship, ashamed, mad at God, God knows already, why pray

Correlation between Christian heroes and their time in prayer

Never hear of someone with high faith and low prayer life

Pray How God Expects You to Pray

Pray using Scriptures

Many don’t know how to pray

Not just ask, ask, ask when we need help or when we want something

ACTS - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (Requests)

Lord’s Prayer

Luke 11:2–4 (ESV)

2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. (Adoration)

3 Give us each day our daily bread , (Thanksgiving/Supplication)

4 and forgive us our sins (confession), for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

No confession, no answer

And lead us not into temptation.” (Supplication)

Pray for his will. To be more like Christ

Pray for God’s glory not yours

James 4:3 (ESV)

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Pray for God to use you, not work miracles, and you do nothing

When the answer is no to your prayer

Have an Explainable Daily Prayer Life

Plan & Organize your prayers

Echo or prayer mate

Proactive prayers not just reactive

Avoiding mental drift

Tracking answered prayers

Understand God’s Prerequisite for Prayer: Salvation and Confession

God answers the prayers of believers, not obligated to hear prayers of unbelievers (need relationship)

We are told that when we ask for anything according to God’s will, He hears and gives us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). There are many other promises for Christians concerning prayer (Matthew 21:22; John 14:13, 15:7). So, yes, there are instances in which God does not answer the prayers of an unbeliever. At the same time, in His grace and mercy, God can intervene in the lives of unbelievers in response to their prayers.

John 9:31 (ESV)

31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

Psalm 66:18

Psalm 66:16–19 (ESV)

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. 17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Proverbs 28:9 (ESV)

9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

Isaiah 59:2 (ESV)

2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Sin prevents prayers from being answered

God doesn’t change - Same when we want to run to him in thanks and same when we want to run away

Pray yourself into a healthy prayer

https://www.ligonier.org/blog/simple-acrostic-prayer/