FEW GENERAL THINGS AND THEN TALK PRAYER
WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES
1) know our God
2) know ourselves (affirmations of who we are in Jesus)
3) know our enemy (Ephesians 6:12)
4) keep perspective
WHAT IS OUR IDENTITY IN JESUS (Eric Boles story)
* who we are in Jesus sight vs what we think and what we feel about ourselves
WHAT IS OUR AIM – Jesus, eternity, evangelism and discipleship of the world
* “life as mission” (kingdom of God is forcefully advancing – Matt 11:12)
WHAT IS OUR INHERITANCE – FREEDOM (not for ourselves and for others)
God desires us to be FREE; absolutely and totally free.
God given us the “keys” to freedom (II Pt 1:3) – PROMISES OF GOD.
TWO CRITICAL QUESTIONS FRAME OUR LIVES
1) is God good?
2) is God enough?
PRAYER –
SCRIPTURES SAY – Ist John 5:14-15 – This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
WHAT IS GODS WILL – Saved – sanctified – spirit filled – submissive – suffering (key to transformation)
- PROBLEM – much of our praying focus on avoidance of pain
- brother Yun – no pray get out of jail; pray stronger back to handle the circumstances God has given in his perfection
In fact – suffering is God’s will –
Hebrews 2:10 –Jesus made perfect through suffering
Hebrews 5:7-9 – Jesus learned obedience by what he suffered
Romans 5:3-5 – suffering produces perseverance, character, hope
James 1:2-4 – suffering so can be mature and complete
- God came to make us holy not happy
- butterfly/cocoon (pray protect /provide, not pray no discomfort)
DO WE PRAY GOD’S WILL OR OUR WILL?
Said another way – do we pray for our comfort/preferences or his will?
SELFISH PRAYERS VS SELFLESS PRAYERS
JAMES 4:1-3 – You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
God thinking eternity – we think about this planet (the world is not our home).
CORE QUESTIONS
1) Do we want God’s will?
2) Does God know what is best for us?
3) Are we afraid of what God’s will might be?
* to know Jesus more is the antidote to fear
FEAR will kill the fruit and power of the holy spirit – WARNING (ladies, don’t give way fear – 1st Peter 3:6)
BACK TO BEGINNING:
1) is God good?
2) is God enough?
TWO BIGGEST PRAYERS –
1) “help me” 2) “not my will but yours be done”
WHAT HINDERS PRAYER?
Disobedience – I Peter 3:12
Mistreat your mate – I Peter 3:7 and Ephesians 5:22-24
Busy out of control – I Peter 4:7
Unconfessed sin – Psalms 66:18-19
Unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment – Matthew 6:14-15
OTHER HINDER – pride and rebellion, immorality, shame and guilt
BAD NEWS – sin blocks prayer
THE GOOD NEWS –
Jesus came to forgive sin and wipe it out (I John 1:9 and Acts 3:19).
Jesus came to cast it as far as the east is from the west.
Jesus remembers our sin no more (HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!).
Jesus came to set the captives free – Isaiah 61:1
Jesus came that we might be pure and blameless (Phil 1:10 and 2:15)
HOW PURE / BLAMELESS? CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE OF SIN
(I John 1:9, Acts 3:19)
KEY POINTS for FREEDOM
1) hate sin
2) love to forgive (others who have hurt us)
WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO PRAYER
1) Bible
2) Prayer
3) Perseverance
PRAY GOD’S WILL
Saved
Holy Spirit – filled
Submissive
Mature and complete
Pure
Free of sexual immorality
Men and women of God
Wise
Protected by the blood of Jesus
HOW DO WE LEARN TO PRAY
Prayer learned behavior – “Lord, teach us to pray” – Luke 11:1
Prayer as learned just like children learn anything and everything at home
1) by observation – they watch us
2) by implementation – they do it and we watch them
Same principle as discipleship / spiritual parenting – 1) we do it 2) we do it, they watch 3) they do it, we watch 4) they do it
We pray; we pray they watch; they pray we watch; they pray.
We learn how to pray by observing others and then praying ourselves.
Watch wise people pray and the pray with them (Provs 13:20 – walk w/ wise grows ).
PRAY GOD’S WILL (which equals pray God’s words in the Bible)
PRAY THE PROMISES OF GOD IN THE WORD OF GOD
PRAY “2 by 4” (pray according to the word of god, by power of God, for the glory of God).
Ist John 5:14-15 – This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
PROMISES TO HOLD ONTO AND SPEAK CONTINUOUSLY.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it – Psalms 81:10.
Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession – Psalms 2:8.
Every place where you set your feet will be yours – Joshua 1:3
Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory – Ist Chron 4:10
KNOW THE PROMISES OF GOD
SPEAK THE PROMISES OF GOD
SPEAK THE PROMISES OF GOD
KEEP ON SPEAKING THE PROMISES OF GOD
* ROLE PLAY PROMISES OF GOD FOR FAMILY/LOVED ONES/ENEMIES
TOOLS AND RESOURCES (that the SHE group leaders can give to their tables)
1) Affirmations Sheet (of “who we are in Jesus)
2) Binding and loosing prayers (two different prayers via email)
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
God guides, by Mary Geegh (listening prayer)
All books by EM Bounds
Stormie Omartian – praying parents
When praying, always factor in the sovereignty of God
1) We see through a glass dimly (Ist Corinthians 13:12)
2) Our ways are not God’s ways and thoughts are not gods thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9)
3) God is in authority and in charge, we not – God “does whatever pleases” (Ps 115:3, 135:6)
4) We do our job – he does his job – we must not don’t mix up the jobs
5) our job is to pray – his job is to BE GOD
DOCTRINE OF THE MYSTERY OF GOD
1) god is unchanging – god’s character does not change. however, he does “change his mind” about things (at some level, though incomprehensible to us at times)
2) definition of the word “Relent”, used in the NIV translation of the bible 10 times – definition (softens / bends) – god “does” soften and bend to the prayers of the saints
BOTTOM LINE – prayers move god at some significant, profound level –
1) david wondered, “who knows if god might change mind?” (considering that he might do so) – 2 sam12:22
2) Hezekiah – 2nd kings 20 – god said, “you’re going to die” – hezekiah wept – god then “softened/’bent” and added 15 years to his life
BOTTOM LINE – if you tie your prayers to the observable results to your prayers, you will stop praying (when things don’t “look” to the visible eye like things are changing/moving, people tend to give up praying)
DOCTRINE OF “MORE AND DIFFERENT” (my terminology)
1) praying has impact – Fasting while praying has “More and different” impact
2) praying has impact – praying while Laying on hands has “More and different” impact
3) praying has impact – crying out to god while praying has “More and different” impact
DOCTRINE OF PERSEVERENCE IN PRAYER
Concordance – how many times do you find a verse that says something like, “if you continue” (in prayer)
matthew 7:7 – Ask and keep on asking – seek and keep on seeking……. – knock and keep on knocking
Parable of the persistent widow – luke 18:1-8 (WOW, WOW!)
Daniel 10:12-13 – Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. –
KEEP AT IT, YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN GOD WILL BREAK IN AND BREAK THROUGH
If you seek me, will find me if seek with all your heart – Jeremiah 29:13
the concept of “Q over Q” = praying with a:
1) quantity of force
2) over a quantity of time
Scotty Kessler Resource Library 