Lesson 9: Growing in Christ: Prayer and Trust

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Lesson Overview

Daily Reading Schedule:

Thursday: 1 Chronicles 29:10-18

Friday: Matthew 6:5-15

Saturday: Matthew 21:18-22

Sunday: James 1:2-8

Monday: Matthew 6:25-34

Tuesday: Luke 18:9-14

Philippians 4:6-7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. One of the greatest blessings given to the child of God is prayer. We can talk with the Creator of all things, our great and merciful God, and He hears us. Many nonChristians believe themselves to be self-sufficient. Yet with this belief is the feeling that th e entire world is on their shoulders. To many, prayer becomes an “emergency only” mean s of last resort because they are trying to take everything on themselves. Christians realize the failure of th is pursuit. We realize that there are so many things out of our c ontrol and that self-sufficiency is only an illusion. We need other people and, especially, God. As we grow, we understand that God is in c ontrol of everything and that we depend upon Him for everything. He takes care of our physical need s—giving life, rain, sun, and all the things necessary for food, breath, and daily existence. Even though we work for our food, we need God’s help in our work. God is the source of all spiritual blessings. He gives us all things for our protection and growth. We have knowledge and understanding through His word. He forgives us when we repent. He hears us when we pray. Prayer is our acknowledgement of this dependence. Prayer must characteri ze the Christian life. We must pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. However, some Christians spend little time in prayer every day. Maybe they pray for food, in a time of need, or pray some standard prayer in the morning or evening. Jesus, our example, was very active in prayer. He often went to pray alone for great lengths of time. As the Son of God, He dem onstrated the prayer life that we should have with the Fath er. If the Son of God fe lt that so much time and attention should be given to prayer, we should feel that need so much more! Guidelines for Prayer Should we strut in boldly when we come into th e presence of Almighty God? We must think before we pray and soberly enter His presence. We must remove all distractions from our mind. We must not be idle in our words for we are sp eaking to God, Ecclesiastes 5:1-2. We must be humble when approaching God, Luke 18:10-14. We must be serious and watchful when we pray, 1 Peter 4:7. We must be living righteously when we approach God. Certainly, we will ask for forgiveness for sins we have committed, but we cannot be willfully disobedient and then pray to God expecting Him to hear us, 1 Peter 3:10-12. Husbands must dw ell with their wives in a godly manner if they want their prayers heard, 1 Peter 3: 7. We cannot be hypocritical when we pray, Matthew 6:5-6. God knows our hearts and will see through outward displays meant to impress others. We must pray without doubting, James 1:6 an d 1 Timothy 2:8. A double-minded and unstable man prays but does not expect God to hear him. We must be confident that God hears us and will answer us. He may not give us what we asked for but He will give us what we need. We have several New Testament admonitions to pray continually: Acts 6:4, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 5: 17. This is extremely important . Each prayer can be about a few things or many things, but much time should be spent in prayer every day. Not only should it be continual but also it should be the effectual fe rvent prayer as described in James 5:16. When we spend much time in prayer, we must not use vain repetition of meaningless words or phrases that we understand but do not really mean. Our prayers must come from the heart. The literal meaning of “effectual ferv ent” is active and efficient. We mu st be mindful of our words, that God is hearing us, and thus labor effectively in prayer. We must pray in Jesus’ name (by His authority), Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 3:17. By saying “in Jesus’ name,” we are not uttering some incanta tion that will validate th e prayer. Whether we close our prayer with these words or not, we must realize that it is by Jesus’s authority and with His intercession that we approach the Father. When we pray, we must ask for things that ar e according to His will, 1 John 5:14-16. We must not ask for things that are illicit or harmful to others. We must pray for things that are in harmony with His doctrine. Jesus urged believers to ask and He would gi ve, Matthew 7:7. Prayer is powerful and can accomplish much, Matthew 21:21. God wants to give us all things, and He knows what we need, but we need to ask Him. In James 4:1-4, Ja mes condemns them because they do not ask and when they do ask they intend to abuse their blessings. We must ask wi th a proper motive and thank Him when He answers us. Postures in Prayer There is no one “right” prayer posture in th e scriptures. Notice these postures in the New Testament: ♦ Standing, Mark 11:25. ♦ Bowed head, Luke 18:13. ♦ Kneeling, Luke 22:41, Acts 9:40, 20:36, 21:5. ♦ Face on the ground, Matthew 26:39. ♦ Lifting holy hands, 1 Timothy 2:8. The hands are he ld up as a child desiring to be picked up or someone begging for mercy. Posture in prayer must never be for show, nor must it be routine or meaningless. Our prayer posture must reflect our attitude within. We are going before our King and must be humble and not bring attention to ourselves. Our prayer must be for our God; He is the only one that we need to impress. He will be impressed with a humble and meek heart, not a showy act meant to impress men, Matthew 6:5-8. What Should We Pray For? Those who treat us spitefully Matthew 5:44 Harvesters for souls Matthew 9:38 Not to enter temptation Matthew 26:41; 6:13 Worthy to escape the vanities of life Luke 21:34-36 Religious decisions Acts 1:24-25

Forgiveness Acts 8:22, 24

Brethren in distress Acts 12:5, 12; Romans 15:30;

2 Corinthians 1:11; Philippians 1:19

Preachers Acts 13:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25;

Hebrews 13:18

Elders Acts 14:23

Journey Acts 21:5; Philippians 1:22

Sick Acts 28:8

Churches Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 9:14

Salvation for people Romans 10:1 For others not to sin 2 Corinthians 13:7 That love may abound Philippians 1:9 Opportunities to teach Colossi ans 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Health 3 John 1:2

Spiritually sick James 5:15-16

Suffering James 5:13

That God would count us worthy 2 Thessalonians 1:11 All men 1 Timoth y 2:1 Kings and authorities 1 Timoth y 2:2 Food 1 Timoth y 4:5 Friends 2 Timoth y 1:3; Philemon 1:4

Wisdom James 1:5

Praise God Hebrews 13:15

This list is just a sample of the many things that we can a nd for whom we should pray. Most prayers should have elements of: ♦ Praise and Adoration – Perhaps the most neglected part of prayer. Sometimes we need to pray with no demands for ourselves but only selfless praise to God. The Psalms are great examples for us. ♦ Thanksgiving – Giving thanks to God for what He has done for us in His love, mercy, and care. We must not be unthankful, Romans 1:21; Luke 17:11-17. ♦ Confession of Sin ♦ Petition/Request – We rely on God for everything. We must humbly ask. ♦ Intercession – We must pray on the behalf of others. We show our love and concern for them by talking to God about their needs. We should then try to help with their needs.

Questions for Discussion & Study

Why do you think Christians are sometimes lacking in their prayer life?
How can we make our prayer lives more meaningful and rich?
What are some things that we should not pray for?
How is Jesus an example for prayer?
What is the meaning of Matthew 21:21-
- 22. In what ways is it limited? In what ways have we limited it?