7 Commandments of Jesus - Pt. 4

Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 views
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Matthew 28:18–20 NKJV
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The Commands of Jesus are vitally important for us to follow
Following Jesus’ Commands will change our life & they are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3 NKJV
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Today, we are going to talk about Jesus’ Command to us to pray.
Prayer in its simplest application is having a conversation with God.
If you are not yet in relationship with Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord - you may have tried praying in the past and felt like there was no connection or response from Heaven.
John 9:31 NKJV
31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
There is 1 prayer that God always hears from anyone anywhere - the prayer asking for salvation through Jesus Christ.
I’m going to give you the opportunity to pray that prayer with me at the end of this sermon & God will hear you.

Jesus commands us to pray all the time!

Luke 21:36 NKJV
36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
This is one reason why almost every Christian feels the need to pray more than they currently do - The Spirit is drawing us to do the will of God & to be more like Jesus.
When we pray, we are operating in the ministry of Jesus Himself!
Hebrews 7:25 NKJV
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
There is a strange tension that exists, because our heart tells us we should pray more, but -
It is much more difficult to do something out of obligation than it is to do it out of love.
How many of us can honestly say, “I love to pray!”
I can’t wait to pray.
I can’t stop - won’t stop praying!
Let me show you how to start to love praying.
Luke 12:34 NKJV
34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
When we start to prioritize prayer and start to pray consistently we will actually start to love to pray.
Put the treasure of our life into prayer and into others & that’s where our heart will be.
If you genuinely dislike/hate people, pray for them through the heart of God & that will change.
Genuinely hating people is not just a personality flaw, it is anti-Christ.
Praying for those we hate will change OUR heart!
What if Jesus wanted us to pray all the time not because He knows that prayer changes things, but because He knows that prayer changes US?!
Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Prayer has the power to exchange our anxiety for peace.

I Run Out of Things to Pray For:

No, I don’t think you get it - I literally run out of things to pray for after like 2 minutes of talking really slowly.

Pray in the Spirit

John 7:38–39 NKJV
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–19 NKJV
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 14:14–15 NKJV
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Romans 8:26–27 NKJV
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. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Make a prayer list

Join us on Wednesday Night's and you’ll see a prayer list in action
Praying from a prayer list is not ritualistic or formulaic, it’s being purposeful to pray for certain things without missing them
-especially when the Holy Spirit tells you what to put on your prayer list.
Make a new prayer list weekly

Watch the News

If I know one thing about the news, it’s rarely ever good news!
There is so much to pray about when we understand that prayer really does something.
James 5:16 NKJV
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Major Types of Prayer:

Adoration (Psalm 148:13)
Thanksgiving & Worship (1 Chronicles 16:34-35)
Confession (Psalm 32)
Supplication (Ephesians 6:18)
Deliverance from Affliction (James 5:13)
Personal Transformation (Psalm 139:23-24)
Intercession (Romans 8:27)

Just One Thing:

Give yourself to prayer & you’ll start to love it!
Ephesians 6:18 AMP
18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding on behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

Discussion Questions:

What was the worst shopping experience you’ve ever had?
What have been your thoughts and feelings about prayer? Positive? Negative? Share a little bit.
Please read Romans 8:26-27 and share with your group what this passage means to you, what stands out to you from it, what you apply in your life from it?
How can you respond to this command from Jesus in the coming days?
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more