Prayer - Luke 11 V 1
Prayer - Luke 11 V 1
Prayer - Luke 11 V 1
(I). INTRODUCTION
A. There are about 650 different prayers in the Bible
6. Prayer is a spiritual sacrifice & the fruit of our lips: Heb 13:15
7. Drawing close to God in friendship, fellowship and trust: Jas 4:8
2. The oil of that kept the evangelistic engines of the first century Christians
running.
8. "We must live for God out of the closet if we would meet God in the closet.
We must listen to God in public if we would have God listen to us in private."
(Bounds)
2. Why pray when God already knows what we need before? God, as a
Father, wants us to ask.
E. We prove our love and faith in God by the time we spend in prayer
J. We don't get God's attention with flowery words, but with a humble &
contrite heart
1. You cannot enter the presence of God in prayer without confessing: Isaiah 6:1-5
a) Daniel
(3) v20-22 while in "extreme weariness", while praying Gabriel was sent
b) Nehemiah: 1:5-11
3. God won't answer our prayers when there is sin in our lives:
2. Passages:
3. Ingratitude is sin:
D. SUPPLICATION
1. Petitions for a personal request: Phil 4:6
a) Intercession: lit, "to soften the face by stroking" as a child does to parent
to change mind
b) Christ intercedes for us: Isa 53:12; Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 9:24; 1 Ti 2:5-6
c) The Holy Spirit intercedes for us as we pray: Rom 8:26-27; Jude 20; Eph 6:18
f) Those who turn away from their wicked ways: 2 Chro 7:14; Acts 8:22
B. When to pray?
1. Day and night: Lk 2:37; 1 Th 3:10
4. Unceasingly: 1 Th 5:17
5. All times: Lk 21:36; Eph 6:18; Col 1:3; 1 Th 1:3
The entire discussion was overheard by a young woman who had been serving the tea. She said,
"What? A whole month to tell the meaning of that text? Why it is one of easiest and best texts in
the Bible!"
"Well, well, Mary", said an old minister, "what can you say about it? Let us know how you
understand it. Can you pray all the time without ceasing?"
"Oh yes, sir!" "What?" the old minister coughed back, "when you have so many things to do?"
"Why, sir, the more I have to do, the more I can pray!" "Indeed", he replied, "Well Mary, let us
know how it is. Most of us think the answer is otherwise."
"Well, sir", she said, "when I first open my eyes in the morning, I pray 'Lord, open the eyes of my
understanding'; and while I am dressing, I pray that I may be clothed with the robes of
righteousness; when I wash, I ask for the washing of regeneration; as I work, I pray that I may
have the strength equal to my day; as I sweep out the house, I pray the my heart may be
cleansed from all impurities; while preparing and eating of breakfast, I pray to be fed with the
hidden manna and the sincere milk of the Word; as I am busy with the little children, I ask God to
make me become as a child; and so on, all day. Everything I do furnishes me with a thought for
prayer."
"Enough, enough", cried the old minister, "these things are revealed to babes and his from the
wise and prudent. Go on , Mary, pray without ceasing. May we all do the same!"
When day was done, I went to bed, to get the rest I needed.
But once again the Bible's call for prayer was left unheeded.
4. Our enemies: Mt 5:43-48 Lk 6:27-28; Rom 12:20-21 (You cannot harbor ill
feelings towards those you pray for every day.)
5. Christians: Eph 1:16; 6:18; 2 Ti 1:3; Col 1:3; 1 Cor 1:4; 1 Th 1:2
6. Proclaimers of the gospel: 2 Th 3:1-2; Col 4:2-4; Acts 4:29; 12:5; 13:3
D. How to Pray:
1. Pray fervently like the world depends upon it: Col 4:12; Acts 9:9-11; 1 Th
3:10; Jas 5:16-18
5. With humility: Lk 18:9-14; Jas 4:6,10; 1 Pe 5:6-7; 2 Chro 7:14; 34:27; Isa
57:15
7. In Jesus' name: Jn 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:24,26; Col 3:17 (an attitude that
we pray by the authority of Jesus, not merely saying the words, "In Jesus
name, Amen")
13. Be specific: When at restaurant we don't say "bring food" but "med-rare,
potato w/sour cream"
14. Pray expecting to receive: Mk 11:24; 2 Sam 22:7; Jas 1:5-8 Ps 5:1-3
a) Acts 12:5,12-16 tragic they rejected answer to what they had been praying
for
a) "holy hands" hands that have done no evil, but practice righteousness
F. Prayer Posture:
d) Standing: Mk 11:25
G. Why Pray?
It makes you fit to live with others, and fit to live alone.
B. NO
a) Our prayers can be hindered if we mistreat our wife (or husband): 1 Pe 3:7
b) "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear." Ps 66:18; Jn
9:31
a) Why was the Pharisee's prayer was not answered, but the Publican's was:
Lk 18:9-15
C. WAIT: Lam 3:25; Ps 37:7; Ps 10:1 (David had to wait for God's deliverance)
1. Sometimes we are not yet able to receive what we ask: John 16:12-13
3. Example: Pray for a marriage partner but may not be ready for marriage
5. A woman telephone the manager of a large opera house and told him she
had lost a valuable diamond pin the night before at the concert. The man told
her to hold the phone line while a search was made. Before long the brooch
was found, but when he got to the phone, the woman had hung up. He
waited for her to call again, and even put a notice in the paper, but he heard
nothing further. What a strange and foolish person, we might say, but isn't
that the very way some of us pray? We tell the Lord of our needs, but then
"fail to hold the line".
D. SOMETHING ELSE:
1. Like a baby, we cry to God for something, but don't know what it is: Rom
8:26-27
He asked for strength that he might do greater things, but he was given
infirmity to do better things.
He asked for riches that he might be happy; he was given poverty that he
might be wise.
He asked for power that he might have the praise of men; he was given
weakness that he might feel the need of God.
He asked for all things that he might enjoy life; he was given life that he
might enjoy all things.
He had received nothing that he asked for;But all that he hoped for.
2. Faith is based upon the testimony of God (Rom 10:17) not upon:
d) scientific conclusions
4. Poem on prayer:
DO I REALLY PRAY?
I often say my prayers, But do I ever pray; And do the wishes of my heart,Go
with the words I say?
I may as well kneel down, And worship gods of stone;As offer to the living
God,A prayer of words alone.
For words without the heart, The Lord will never hear;Nor will He those lips
attend,Whose prayers are not sincere.
b) Alone: Lk 9:18
1. Jesus was sometimes too busy to: Eat: Jn 4:31; Sleep: Lk 6:12
2. Jesus was never too busy to pray although many demanded his time: Lk
5:15
Our Father who is in heaven Address Jehovah God as the one you are talking to
Hallowed be Your name Adoration & praise with emphasis on honor
Spiritual requests: save the lost, wisdom, harmony in
Your kingdom come (Kingdom came in 33AD)
church
Your will be done Selflessly acknowledge God as supreme,
Give us this day our daily bread Physical requests: food, job, health
Forgive us of our debts as we forgive others Confession of sin and request for forgiveness
Lead not into temptation, deliver from evil Expectation of God's providential guidance
Yours is the kingdom, power and glory Adoration & praise with emphasis on being all in all
Amen Close of prayer: Literally, "so be it".
C. Set aside some time each day like Daniel did: Dan 6:10
E. Use cue cards as you pray for each A.C.T.S. category of prayer
1. Write out several verses on 3x5 cue cards from each category
2. Select a cue card from each category & place them in order you choose
3. Begin praying & read each of the four cue cards at the appropriate time.
F. Paul placed great emphasis on praying for people.
1. If it's not the phone ringing, the door knocking, the bird chirping, the cat
meowing, the kids crying, then it's your mind wandering over all the things
you have to do or didn't do.
J. Chose a posture that will keep you alert: (laying down/soft chair can make
you drowsy)
K. Pray using the "prayer chain method" with one or more Christians:
1. Every one gives their prayer requests which are divided up by those leading
the prayers
3. When each is finished they don't close prayer with amen, but name the
next one to pray.
4. In this way it is one continuous prayer rather than many separate prayers.
The crime of all crimes is to fail to love the God of love. (A.W. Pink)
If we love God we will want to talk to Him, spend time with and think
about Him.
Explanation Of God
"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the
ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on
earth. He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are
smaller and easier to make. That way He doesn't have to take up His
valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to
mothers and fathers."
"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps
Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your
Mom and Dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have."
"Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any
in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church."
"Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water
and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to
learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they
crucified Him. But He was good and kind, like His Father and He told His
Father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them
and God said O.K."
"His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard
work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road
anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad
out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God
to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having
to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important."
"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because
they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time."
"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very
lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp,
but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared in the
dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by
big kids."
"But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure
God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God."