Your Relationship with God

2 Peter 1:1–4 KJV 1900

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Purpose: How to maintain a lasting relationship with God.

Single answer to the statement is prayer.

Luke 11:1–4 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:5–13 KJV 1900

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The disciples did not know how to pray.

They asked Jesus to show them how.

You can read this in Matthew 6:9.

Matthew 6:9 KJV 1900

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Even in Luke 11:2 the word “say” means to “lay forth.” - here is the outline

Luke 11:2 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Relate with words.

Jesus just told them not to use vain repetition, so this was not something given to just repeat over and over again. Most people were never taught how to pray.

Vain repetition is indicative of no relationship!

There is a pattern.

The Lord’s Prayer is not to be recited mindlessly. Jesus gave it as a pattern for prayer. This is how it is to be done.

Let’s look at the pattern:

There are five main parts to this prayer:

Thanksgiving and Praise

Surrender your Will

Ask for His Provision

Repentance and Forgiving Others

God’s Protection and Leading

This is the pattern given by the Lord in answer to the question the disciples asked about how to pray.

Let’s look at each section as a progression.

Verse 9 - Thanksgiving and Praise - hallowed be thy name...

We don’t just carelessly or casually enter into His presence:

We prepare our hearts and minds.

We humble ourselves to bow before His throne of grace.

God does not have a huge ego which commands people to praise Him.

We thank Him and praise Him for OUR benefit which gets me out of the “ME mode” so we can receive from Him!

God resists the proud.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

Verse 10 - Surrender Your Will to Him and to His Will - They kingdom and will come and be done...

Completely trust Him for His way.

Die to self in prayer.

Read Galatians 2:20.

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Verse 11 - Ask for His Provision - Give us our daily bread…

Read Matt 6:25-33

Matthew 6:25–33 KJV 1900

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We don’t worry about these things. We pray and trust Him.

He will take care of us.

Worry is proof of lack of trust in God!

Don’t worry be PRAYERFUL!

Verse 12 - Repentance and Forgiving Others -

Look at what this verse says, “...Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Verse 13 - God’s Protection and Leading

Does He follow me or do I follow Him?

Should He do things my way or should I do things His way?

Praise again, so we remember who we are and who He is.

Word of Caution: Don’t get hung up on the pattern and lose your focus.

Prayer is most important; not the mechanics of it.

Use this pattern as a pattern. That’s all it is.

It is a principle; not a law—the letter of the law kills but the Spirit gives life!

Praying in the Power of the Spirit

When you received the Holy Spirit, you began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave you the ability.

This is the initial sign of the Gift of the Spirit that we see according to the scriptures (Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:6).

It is important to continue to pray daily in the Spirit. Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...”

2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Jude 20 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit...”

Practicum  Memorize 2 Peter 1:1-4 by the end of Level 1.

Give God thanks daily for His grace and peace.

Be prepared to be at the next home group.

Be at the next assembly of the Church on Sunday. 

Schedule a time every day for prayer.

Pray in the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, daily.

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