Spiritual Disciplines (2)

Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 views
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →

Prayer

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing the topic of prayer.
W have prayed. We have discussed prayer. We have talked about praying in the will of God using the Word of God.
We have talked about being specific in our prayers as well as persistent in our prayers.
Tonight, I’d like for us to look at the acrostic

ACTS

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication
Philippians 4:6–7 NIV
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Adoration
Psalm 100
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said,
“Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed by Thy name.
In the Psalms, there is much adoration
Psalm 100 NIV
A psalm. For giving grateful praise. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 103:1-5
Psalm 103:1–5 NIV
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 150
Psalm 150 NIV
Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Why should we praise the Lord?
1 Peter 2:9
1 Peter 2:9 NIV
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Something happens when we exalt and lift up the name of Jesus. Something happens when we declare Who God is and what He has done.
When we praise the Lord, it gives us proper perspective of Who God is. He is our creator and we are His creation. It takes away a self-centeredness and points us to God.
Confession
1 John 1:9
1 John 1:9 NIV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 139:23-24
Psalm 139:23–24 NIV
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
isaiah 55:6-8
Isaiah 55:6–8 NIV
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
Sin prevents us from having our prayers heard, unless it is a prayer of confession.
Psalm 66:18-20
Psalm 66:18–20 NIV
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!
Thanksgiving
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6 NIV
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
What can we give thanks for today?
Take a moment and discuss the difference between when we have been offended as compared to somebody sinning against us. Matthew 18
1 Corinthians 6:1–11 NIV
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Supplication
Luke 11:9-13
Luke 11:9–13 NIV
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
You have not because you ask not.
It’s so important that we persist and prevail in prayer.
The persistent widow
The friend that came for bread at midnight
The woman with the issue of blood
Smith Wigglesworth and the man with tuberculosis.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more