Spiritual Disciplines (3)

Prayer

Last week we looked at:

A-doration

C-onfession

We spent a fair bit of time looking at forgiveness.

We looked at if someone sins against us.

Matthew 18 - First go yourself

Bring one or two witnesses

Come before the church

We need to be very careful not to overlook sin, and yet we also need to be careful not to allow offense to take place.

Sin is on the person who sins against us, we personally have the choice not to be offended, and we have the obligation to forgive.

Matthew 6:14–15 NIV

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

T-hanksgiving

What can we give thanks for today?

S-upplication

Philippians 4:6-7

Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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

Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1–8 NIV

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

The friend that came for bread at midnight

Luke 11:5-13

Luke 11:5–13 NIV

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. “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!”

The woman with the issue of blood

Luke 8:43-48

Luke 8:43–48 NIV

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

There are so many examples of Jesus healing the sick, setting captives free, and answering prayer.

As we bring our petitions, we have assurance that God hears us. When we pray prayers according to God’s word, we know that we are praying according to God’s will.

Let’s persevere in our prayers. Let’s pray in faith.

John 14:12-14

John 14:12–14 NIV

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

I heard a story of Smith Wigglesworth. He came to Wales and was told about a man named Lazarus. Lazarus was a man of God , but had been stricken with tuberculosis.

He was asked to go and pray for him. Smith asked others to come and pray but many thought that this was impossible. Lazarus had been in bed for 4 years and he wasn’t healed when he was prayed for.

Finally, Smith and a few others went to pray and a real presence of God came in and it lifted several times, still there was nothing. Lazarus was bitter because of his position. Once he repented, God healed him and he got up out of bed.

It was 7 times. If Smith had not persevered and sought God for the answer, what might have happened?