Prayer

1. The Basics of Prayer
   1. What Prayer Is
      • Prayer is talking to God
      • The Bible is the Lord speaking back to us
   2. We have the ear of God through the Lord Jesus Christ
      1. Hebrews 4:14-16—we have been offered access to the throne room
         1. Isaiah 59:2—sins had separated us from God
         2. Jesus Christ makes the mediation—1 Timothy 2:5
         3. John 14:13—the authority to enter the throne room of God
      2. ii.      Salvation through Jesus Christ begins your relationship to God
         1. speak to God as a friend—John 15:15
         2. speak to God as a son—John 1:12
2. The Conditions of Prayer
   1. Right Relationship with God
      1. i.      Being a true child of God. Proverbs 15:29
      2. ii.      Not in rebellion to God—Psalm 66:18, 1 John 3:22
      3. iii.      Confessing sins to God is how you get right with Him—1 John 1:9
         1. relationship to God like any relationship
      4. iv.      Right Relationship with God
         1. not coming to Him just when you want something—John 15:7
         2. Thank Him for what He’s done
         3. Praise Him for who He is
   2. Right Relationship with Others
      1. i.      Forgiving others before asking God—Mark 11:25-26
      2. ii.      Proper marital relationship—1 Peter 3:7
   3. Right Attitude
      1. i.      Pray humbly, from the heart, not from the head. II Chronicles 7:14
      2. ii.      Pray honestly, repent of sin. Psalm 51:1-4
      3. iii.      Pray in faith, believing. Hebrews 11:6; Mark 11:24; James 1:6,7
         1. prayer is not talking to the air as wishful thinking
         2. know who you are talking to
   4. d. Right Time and Place
      1. i. Where do I pray?
         1. Everywhere and anywhere—1 Timothy 2:8. Don’t limit your prayer life to within the church buildings
         2. Luke 18:10-14, with other believers
      2. ii. When should a Christian pray?
         1. Always and without ceasing. Luke 18:1; I Thessalonians 5:17
         2. Daily, have a set time everyday to pray—Psalm 86:3
         3. In the morning, at noon and at night. Psalm 55:17
3. The Warnings about our Prayers
   1. Prayer is not a repeated phrase or creed—Matthew 6:7
      1. i.      Repetition of the Lord’s prayer—“our father…”
      2. ii.      Repetition of hail Mary’s
      3. iii.      Repetition of “Peace be upon him”
      4. iv.      the difference between a RELIGION and a RELATIONSHIP with God
         1. Religion says say this and go through these motions for God
         2. A Relationship with God means I speak to him as my Heavenly father and as my friend
            1. many folks at the judgment justifying themselves with their religion—Matthew 7:22-23
      5. v.      Its called vain repetition for a reason:
         1. if I spoke to my wife that way she’d think I was crazy
         2. God is a person—repetition of a phrase doesn’t please Him
   2. you are not to pray as a public show. Matthew 6:6.
4. The Content of our Prayers
   1. Ask according to God’s will, and not yours. Matthew 26:39
      1. i.      Don’t ask for selfish things. James 4:3
      2. ii.      Be specific—James 4:2
   2. For others
      1. i.      1 Samuel 12:23—for others
      2. ii.      Those in authority—1 Timothy 2:1-2
      3. iii.      For the spread of the gospel—2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
   3. Romans 8:26—not knowing what to pray sometimes
   4. A-C-T-S
      1. i.      A- Adoration—praising God for who He is
      2. ii.      C-Confession—admitting to God who we are and what we’ve done
      3. iii.      T-Thanksgiving—thanking God for what He’s done
      4. iv. S-supplication—lastly, asking God for things
5. V. The Power of Prayer
   1. Prayer is the Christian’s way out of trouble, and the cure for all worry and anxiety. Philippians 4:6,7; 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 34:6; 55:22
   2. Prayer is the only way to get the power of the Holy Spirit in your life for God’s work. Acts 4:31; 2 Chronicles 7:14
   3. Prayer accomplishes things:
      1. i.      Through it, we fight the spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:11-18
      2. ii.      It’s a guard against temptation. Matthew 14:38; 1 Corinthians 10:13
   4. It changes circumstances
      1. i.      Peter freed from prison. Acts 12:5
      2. ii.      Cornelius meets Peter. Acts 10:30
      3. iii.      Natural law suspended. 2 Kings 20:5-12; Joshua 10:12-14
   5. It changes us
      1. i.      Our understanding. Daniel 9:17-23
      2. ii. Our actions. Proverbs 16:3
6. Questions about Prayer
   1. Does God answer all my prayers? Yes, but not always the way we want Him to

Tags: Bible, bible study about prayer, God, How do I pray?, Jesus, Prayer