Discipleship Series
Prayer
Someone once said that a Christian is only as strong as his prayer life. There is a great deal of truth in this because prayer is simply your direct communication to God. When you read the Bible, God speaks to you; when you pray, you speak to God.
The purpose of this lesson is to acquaint the believer with the basics of a proper prayer life so that the lines of communications between the Christian and God can be open and effective in his life,
I. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is simply talking with God, sometimes for brief moments, and sometimes for extended periods of time.
B. Prayer is the soul of man offering up our desires to God with humble confidence that we shall obtain them through the mediation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
C. Prayer is addressed to the Father, in the authority of the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
D. Prayer is God's answer to need.
II. Why should a Christian pray?
A. Prayer is God's appointed way for Christians to get things. God knows what you need, but often waits for you to come to Him for them, instead of just "expecting things." Matthew 6.8
B. God insistently commands prayer in the Bible. Luke 18:1; I Thess. 5:17; Phil. 4:6; I Tim. 2:1; Eph. 6:18,19
C. Prayer is part of the process that God uses to give Christians the fulness of joy. John 16:24
D. Prayer is the Christian's way out of trouble, and the cure for all worry and anxious care. Phil. 4:6,7; I Pet. 5:7 Psalm 34:6; 55:22
E. Prayer is the only way to get the power of the Holy Spirit in your life for God's work. A preacher named D.L. Moody said, "It is foolish and wicked to try to do God's work without God's power. But there is no way for Christians to have God's power except by prayer." Acts 4:31; II Chron 7:14
F. Prayer accomplishes things:
[1]. Through it, we fight the spiritual warfare. Eph. 6:11-18
[2]. It serves as a spiritual watchdog against temptation. Matt. 14:38; I Cor. 10:13
[3]. It pleases God. Heb. 11:6
G. Prayer maintains fellowship with God. J John 1:3
III. Where should a Christian pray?
A. Everywhere and anywhere! I Tim. 2:8. Don't limit your prayer life to within the church buildings! Wherever you are, if you have a need, or are thankful, pray!
B. Christians are not to pray as a public show. Matt. 6:6. The principle is, have a special place for prayer in your home the closet is as good as any, as well as everywhere you go, but not for show!
C. In church Luke 18:10-14, with other believers in the services.
IV. When should a Christian pray?
A. Always and without ceasing. Luke 18:1; I Thess. 5:17
B. Daily, have a set time everyday to pray! Psalm 86:3
C. In the morning, at noon and at night. Psalm 55:17
V. How should a Christian pray?
A. Pray as if you were speaking directly face to face with your
very best Friend. John 15:15
[1]. There are three facets to praying. Matt. 7:7,8
a) Asking - John 16:24; Matt. 21:22. Never be afraid to ask God for the thing that you believe you need. Not with vain repetitions. Matt. 6:7, or with prepared prayers - but from you heart!
b) Seeking - Heb. 11:6. Make sure that your request is not "flippant" - not being serious about it, but that you are filly persuaded in your mind that this is what you or someone else needs. James 1:5-8
c) Knocking — II Cor. 12:7-9. If at first God does not seem to answer your request, keep "knocking" until either He answers the need, or has said NO, or tells you to wait.
B. Pray by faith. Heb. 11:6, knowing that God hears you and believing that He will answer your requests - sometimes with a YES, sometimes with a NO, and sometimes with a WAIT.
C. Pray persistently. Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8
D. Pray humbly, from the heart, not from the head. II Chro. 7:14
E. Pray honestly, repent of sin. Psalm 51:1-4
F. Pray specifically. James 4:2
G. Pray with the following ingredients: ACTS
[1]. Adoration and Worship instead of selfishness. Psalm 95:6
[2]. Confession - Repentance from known sin. Psalm 32:5
[3]. Thanksgiving. Phil. 4:6
[4]. Supplication - which involves not just asking, but spending time moving God's heart toward your need. I Tim. 2:1
VI. The Conditions for Answered Prayers
A. Being a true child of God. Proverbs 15:29
B. Ask according to God's will, and not yours. Matthew 26:39
C. Make sure that you first forgive others their sins against you before you ask God for things. Mark 11:25,26
D. Pray in faith, believing. Heb. 11:6; Mark 11:24; James 1:6,7
E. Don't ask for selfish things. James 4:3
F. Make sure you are not in rebellion to God's commands and will for your life. 1 John 3:22; Psalm 66:18
G. Abide with Christ as opposed to only coming to God when you are in trouble or in desperate need. John 15:7
H. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ. You cannot approach God and make demands or requests without Authority - Jesus is our Authority!!! John 16:24
I. A proper marital relationship. I Peter 3:1,7
VII. Keep Track of Your Prayer Request.
A. Making a list will help you remember what to pray for. Otherwise your prayer life will not be consistent. Keeping a list of answered prayers is tremendously important to reinforce our faith in God's ability to answer prayer.
VIII. Basic Questions
A. Does God answer all my prayers? Yes, but not always the way you may want Him to, or at the time you want Him to. God is your heavenly Father, and all
His ways are perfect. There will be times when, in His
infinent wisdom, the best answer to prayer will be
"No" or "Not yet." In those times, simply trust Him.
B. How important is it to pray for others?
[1]. Paul prayed for others continually (Romans 1:9) and requested prayer on many occasions. Luke 22:32;
John 17:19-21; Hebrews 13:18; II Thess. 3:1
[2]. Samuel said it was a sin against God not to pray for
others. I Samuel 12:23
[3.] An example of effectual prayer for others is how a preacher from England named George Mueller prayed for
the salvation of several people for up to 60 years. When he died, some were still unsaved. However, there were some
saved at his funeral, and many others were saved within the next year.
[4]. Keep at it. The full results of your prayers will never be known completely in this life.
How does prayer work?
A. Glorifies God. Luke 11:2-4
[1]. Recognize the sovereignty of God.
[2]. Recognize the work of God.
[3]. Recognize your own position and needs.
B. It changes us.
[1]. Our desires. Mart 6:33
[2]. Our thoughts. II Cor. 10:5
[3]. Our understanding. Dan. 9:17-23
[4]. Our actions. Pro. 16:3
C. It changes circumstances. Gen 18:14
[1]. Peter freed from prison. Acts 12:5
[2]. Cornelius meets Peter. Acts 10:30
[3]. Natural law suspended. II Ki. 20:5-12; Jos. 10:12-14
[4]. Sick are healed.
[5]. Devils obey. Mat 17:19-21
************************************************************************************
Questions & Answers
(Please answer on a separate sheet)
Lesson 4 - Prayer
[1]. What is something prayer does not accomplish?
[2]. What is the result of a good prayer life?
[3]. Prayer keeps you close to God so He can prove His sufficiency for
your every need. What do the following verses teach us about
God and our needs?
A. Matthew 6:8 B. Psalm 50:15
[4]. Give the situation that is most dangerous for a Christian to be in.
[5]. According to I Thessalonians 5:18, we are to give thanks for everything. This includes the ___________ and _________ of our lives.
[6]. What should be your first reaction in a tough situation?
[7]. There are some primary principles concerning prayer. Briefly explain them from the following verses.
A. I Thessalonians 5:17 B. Matthew 6:7 C. Exodus 33:11
[8]. List the attitudes that will interfere with your prayer life.
[9]. What are two ways that help you keep your prayer requests in order?
[10]. God answers your prayers, but not always the way you expect. His answer will sometimes be _________ or ____________.
[11]. Man is instructed not to pray to idols or to other men. Explain I Timothy 2:5 in light of this truth
Key Memory Verses:
I Timothy 2:5; Psalm 66:18; I Thessalonians 5:18
NOTE: In many churches today, some incorrect teachings are:
[1]. Man should pray to idols, saints, or other men.
[2]. If you pray long enough or hard enough, God will change His mind and do what you want.
[3]. The best prayers are those which have been written by others and are just "said" by you.
[4]. Prayer must be at a set time in a set format.
From the Bible principles taught in this lesson, you should understand that these teachings are false, and why.
Write any questions you may have concerning the subjects in this lesson.
Some Scriptural Subjects to Pray About
List some of the things described in the following verses that we should pray for and about.
Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew 6:25-34
James 5:13-16
I Timothy 2:1-4
Isaiah 38:1-5
Daniel 6:18-23
I Kings 3:5-9
Romans 1:10
Colossians 1 :28
Matthew 5:38-48
I Timothy 5:17
Return To Index | Lesson 5
