What The Bible Says About...

Transcription

1 What The Bible Says About... Six+ Weeks Thursday's 5:30 PM-7:00 PM Beginning 9/13/2018 Week of 9/13/2018 PRAYER NOTE: Please take a note-pad, read each scripture given, and make notes for yourself. I. Beginning of Prayer II. What is Prayer? A. Petitions or Supplications B. Thanksgiving and Praise III. Conditions for Effective Prayer. A. Pray with sincere hearts. B. We must hear and do God's will. C. Prey humbly in harmony with God's Will D. Pray fervently and with persistence. E. Prayers must be unselfish F. Prayers are addressed to the Father In the name of Christ. G. Pray in faith. H. Pray with a forgiving spirit. I. Without pretension or vain repetition. IV. The Holy Spirit's Assistance in Prayer. V. Does God Always Answer Prayer. A. Does God Answer Prayer of Non-believers? B. Three Prayers God Will NEVER Answer. C. God has Promised Answers to Prayer.

2 I. Beginning of Prayer PRAYER The first mention of prayer in the Bible is in Genesis 3:8-11 (NASB) 8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." 11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" This, I think, is the first prayer in the Bible. I say that because it points out the conversation between Adam and Eve when they were hiding from the Lord God, and they heard him walking in the garden in the cool of the day. You say, but this is just a dialogue between God and Adam. Yes, true, and this brings us to see that prayer is dialogue with God. Prayer is simply conversation with God. There are always only two people represented in true prayer, you and God -- and no one else. Others may be present, as in this account where there were two people and God, but dialogue is always between you and God. In the creation accounts, there is no mention of God commanding human beings to pray. Prayer seems to have begun spontaneously and freely when Seth has a son. Genesis 4:25-26 (NASB) 25 Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, "God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him." 26 To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD. From this, we see that praise of God is the spontaneous response to God's bountiful blessings. Man felt his need for God and began to call upon Him. Prayer to God should be as natural an action as a child talking to its Father and Mother. When we truly know and understands God, we will desire to talk to Him. In his hymn, "Prayer is the soul s

3 sincere desire," James Montgomery wrote these words, Prayer is the Christian s vital breath, The Christian s native air. Where there is authentic spiritual life, there will also be prayer. It is the vital breath of the believer. Prayer is one indication that a person is truly spiritually alive. II. What is Prayer? A. Supplication and Petition Prayer always springs out of a sense of need, either of one's own need (petition) or for others (intercession). This sense of need is joined with a belief that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrew 11:6 NASB) Supplication, earnestly seeking God's blessings, is at the very heart of prayer. Jesus urged his disciples to Matthew 7:7 (NASB) 7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Even though God knows our needs before we ask, He still desires we, His children, to come to Him with our requests. He finds a joy in providing those things which are essential to our life and wellbeing here on earth. B. Thanksgiving and Praise. A second important part of prayer is thanksgiving and praise. As petitions indicate one's needs, praise and thanksgiving reflect one's grateful attitude toward God. Paul instructed the Philippians to Philippians 4:6 (NASB) 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Paul writes to Timothy 1 Timothy 2:1 (NASB) 1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, Thanksgiving and praise to God demonstrate gratitude on the part of man for blessings received from God. This unquestionably is pleasing to God; it is due Him and will no doubt help assure the answer to our petitions. The Thessalonian brethren were told 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NASB) 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. We'll come

4 back to this scripture again for daily application ideas. III. Conditions for Effective Prayer God's promises are always conditional. This principle holds true with prayer. He has promised to answer our prayers. But He has also laid down certain conditions which man must meet, before God will answer his prayers. Here are a few of those conditions. A. Pray with Sincere Hearts. Psalm 66:18 (TLB) 18 He would not have listened if I had not confessed my sins. 1 Timothy 2:8 (CEV) 8 I want everyone everywhere to lift innocent hands toward heaven and pray, without being angry or arguing with each other. God is a holy God. There is no sin in Him and He will not tolerate sin in those who come into His presence through prayer. These Scriptures refer to sin in the lives of His children. When He says He will not hear He is speaking of hearing favorably their requests. This does not refer to prayer for forgiveness; prayer out of a heart of repentance. God has promised to answer that prayer. 1 John 1:9 (GW) 9 God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong. (cf. Acts 8:22). He is here speaking of a Christian asking for some blessing while refusing to repent of sin in his or her life. God does not hear and answer that prayer. See discussion below. God told Israel, Isaiah 59:1-2 (GW) 1 The LORD is not too weak to save or his ear too deaf to hear. 2 But your wrongs have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face so that he doesn't hear you. One of the best guarantees that God will hear our prayers is to begin them with a sincere request for forgiveness. This is always pleasing to Him. B. We Must Hear AND Do God's Will A second condition for effective prayer is to keep God's

5 commandments. John reminds us,1 John 3:21-22 (GW) 21 Dear friends, if our conscience doesn't condemn us, we can boldly look to God 22 and receive from him anything we ask. We receive it because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. Solomon states: PROVERBS 28:9 (GW) 9 surely the prayer of someone who refuses to listen to {god's} teachings is disgusting. God is not foolish. He will not continue to pour His blessings on a willful and disobedient child. Nothing pleases a parent more than to give to a child that is obedient. God feels the same way. One should make sure that he is honestly trying to do the will of the Father before asking for His blessings and benefits. The blind man stated this thought well when he said John 9:31 (GW) 31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners. Instead, he listens to people who are devout and who do what he wants. C. Pray humbly in harmony with God's will Jesus illustrated this principle when in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed earnestly, Matthew 26:39 (GW) 39 After walking a little farther, he quickly bowed with his face to the ground and prayed, Father, if it's possible, let this cup {of suffering} be taken away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine. The Father's will must always be first in our prayers. John says, 1 John 5:14 (GW) 14 We are confident that God listens to us if we ask for anything that has his approval. Our heavenly Father who is all wise knows what is best for His kingdom and what is best for us. The Apostle Paul admitted, Romans 8:26-27 (GW) 26 we don't know how to pray for what we need. We do not always know what is the Father's will Theref ore, we should ask with the thought that if this is in harmony with His will, and best for His kingdom, we would like to have these blessings. Another reason we should pray that His will be done is because man does not always know what is best for him. Like a child, we may ask for ice cream, thinking that is what we can't live without. Fortunately, like a wise parent, God does not always give

6 us what we request. In prayer, we should come to God humbly, realizing our lack of knowledge and understanding, and leave it to God to decide what blessings we need or do not need, D. Pray Fervently and with Persistence James reminds us that "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" (James 5:16b), The earnest supplication of a righteous man is very powerful. James illustrates this point in verse 17 by reminding us of Elijah's fervent prayer that it would not rain. God withheld rain for three years and six: months. Again Elijah prayed and God sent the rain. An earnest prayer, God hears. Undoubtedly, an apathetic, half-hearted prayer is detestable to God. It reflects the insincerity and lack of concern on the part of the one praying. A sincere prayert however, pleases God. Along with earnestness one must have persistence in prayer also, I Thessalonians 5:17 says "pray without ceasing," This means to pray constantly. Jesus said we, Luke 18:1 (GW) 1 need to pray all the time and never give up. Paul tells the Ephesians Ephesians 6:18 (TLB) 18 Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit s wishes. Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere. The Apostle Paul says 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB) 17 pray without ceasing; just three simple words. But have you considered how you might apply those to your daily life? A Bible Study group were meeting in a restaurant and discussing how to implement it, and were overheard by their waitress. She said to the group, "Why that is one of the easiest and best verses in the ible." The Bible Study leader asked her how she implemented it. This is her reply: "Well, the more I have to do the more I can pray. 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 robe of righteousness; while I am washing, I ask to have my sins washed away. As I begin work, I pray that I may have strength for all the work of the day; while I kindle the fire, I

7 pray that revival may be kindled in me. While preparing and eating breakfast, I ask to be fed with the Bread of Life and the pure milk of the Word. As I sweep the house, I pray that my heart may be swept clean of all its impurities. And as I am busy with the little children, I look up to God as my Father and pray that I may always have the trusting love of a little child. Everything I do gives me a thought for prayer." As for us, let us thank the Lord for this lesson! E. Prayers Must Be Unselfish. Another condition for effective prayer is that they must be unselfish. James reminded the Christians: JAMES 4:2-3 (NASB) 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. One should always put God's Kingdom and His will first. A request must first be viewed or weighed in the light of God's will. We must ask ourselves "Am I asking for this in order to be a better worker for Christ? Do I need this to forward His kingdom? Will I be a better Christian and will Christ's kingdom be blessed if I receive my petition?" It is so easy to think of God as a glorified Santa Claus to whom we can go for every desire we may have. This image of God is not true. He must keep our spiritual welfare and His kingdom first in mind. Often times we would be ruined if God answered every selfish request that we made. In His love and wisdom, however, He chooses the things that we need and will help us grow spiritually. This is another reason why we should always pray, Matthew 6:10 (NASB) 10 Your will be done. F. Prayers are addressed to the Father In the name of Christ To whom should our prayers be addressed? When requested by His disciples how to pray, our Lord gave them a model prayer:

8 Matthew 6:9 (GW) 9 This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy. Often Christians are urged to pray in the name of Christ, and are given as proof a couple of Scriptures. For example, Jesus told His Apostles, John 14:13-14 (GW) 13 I will do anything you ask {the Father} in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son. 14 If you ask me to do something, I will do it. And, He says, John 16:24 (GW) 24 So far you haven't asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive so that you can be completely happy. Some Pentecostals suggest that the Christian begin his prayer time by asking the Holy Spirit for his help, that you may be enabled to concentrate and to pray effectively in line with God s will. However, Dr. Jack Cottrell in his book "God The Redeemer," says: "The Trinity has an important place in our worship. In addition to the occasional references to Father, Son and Holy Ghost in our hymns, our prayers are distinctly trinitarian even if we are not specifically conscious of it. Typically, following Jesus example and teaching (Matt. 6:9), we pray TO our Father who art in heaven, and we pray THROUGH Jesus name (John 16:23-24). At the same time the Holy Spirit strengthens us and clarifies our thoughts when we are struggling in prayer (Rom. 8:26; Eph. 6:18). Although it has broader applications, Ephesians 2:18 sums up the roles of the Trinity in our prayers: For through Him [Jesus] we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. This helps to answer the question, "to whom should our prayers be addressed?" Dr. Cottrell also says, "But the Biblical examples regarding prayer to Christ are scant and specialized to say the least, and non-existent in reference to the Holy Spirit. In my opinion it is best to follow the almost universal Biblical practice of praying to the Father. This in no way demeans the full deity of the Son and the Spirit. It simply respects the reality of the

9 economic Trinity [i.e., the division of labor among the persons of the Trinity, so to speak] as discussed earlier, i.e., the fact that Father, Son and Spirit have different roles in their redemptive relationships with their creatures. When we pray to Jesus instead of through him, it obscures the uniqueness of his glorious role as high priest and mediator between us and the Father (I Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:14-16)." The suggestion that we pray directly to the Spirit for strength is contrary to Paul s command that we pray to the FATHER Ephesians 3:14-17 (GW) 14 This is the reason I kneel in the presence of the Father 15 from whom all the family in heaven and on earth receives its name. 16 I'm asking God to give you a gift from the wealth of his glory. I pray that he would give you inner strength and power through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will live in you through faith. I also pray that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have your foundation. Our Lord Jesus Christ has a unique role in our prayers: 1. Our access to the Father was made possible by the sacrifice of Christ. Hebrews 9:11-12 (NASB) 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 10:19-22 (NASB) 19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full

10 assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 2, Jesus is our mediator. Paul tells Timothy, 1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB) 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, A mediator is "a person who attempts to make people involved in a conflict come to an agreement; a gobetween." Through Jesus the Christ, we may reach heaven with our petitions and praise, and through Christ he may receive heaven's blessings from God. Christ is a two-way channel between earth and heaven. 3. Christ is our intercessor at the throne of God. Paul states that Christ Romans 8:34 (NASB) 34 is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. My name would mean nothing at the throne of God if I did not belong to Christ. Christ has been exalted to a position above every creature in the universe except God (Phillppians 2:9). Therefore, when I come to God in the name of Christ, I am coming in the greatest name in heaven and earth, except God, the Father. As one of Christ's redeemed ones, I can come boldly to the throne of God through Him (Hebrews 4:14-16). 4. Our sins have been washed away in the blood of Christ. Hebrews 9:14 (NASB) 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Ephesians 2:13 (NIV2011) 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Jesus Christ our High Priest, Mediator, Saviour, and Lord. By Him I have been cleansed and made worthy by Him to stand in the

11 presence of God. G. Pray in faith. Jesus told His Apostles MARK 11:24 (NIV2011) 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. James tells us James 1:6-8 (NIV2011) 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is doubleminded and unstable in all they do. Paul tells us Hebrews 11:6 (NIV2011) 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. A Christian can pray in faith because he is coming to God who ia all powerful and who can answer the prayers of His children. The Christian can pray in faith knowing he is coming to one who loves him and desires to answer his or her requests. The Christian has every reason then to pray believing that his prayers will be answered. One word of caution should be offered. The Christian must always keep in mind that God's will and wisdom will direct God's answer. This does not prevent, however, the Christian praying in faith, believing that God will answer his prayer. Even when God in His wisdom says no to our requests, He still has answered it. He has seen that the request was unwise, so He has said no. Yet He has answered it in the sense that He has heard and answered it in the best way for us. Another thought to keep in mind is that we may ask for one thing believing that to be the thing we desire. God in His wisdom, however, may give us something else which may, for the moment, seem to be a rejection of the request In the end, though, we may see that God has given us what we really needed and desired but not what we had requested. The following poem illustrates this point

12 A Christian Confederate Soldier's Prayer (Alleged to have been found on a Confederate Soldier killed at Gettysburg) I asked God for strength, that I might achieve. I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health, that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. I asked for riches, that I might be happy. I was given poverty, that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life. I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for but got everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all people, most richly blessed. H. Pray with a forgiving spirit. Here is a condition that cannot be overlooked. It is a must if our prayers are to be answered. One of the petitions in the Model Prayer was Matthew 6:12 (GW) 12 Forgive us as we forgive others. We are to ask God to forgive us in the same way and to the same extent that we forgive our fellow man. Jesus goes ahead to state Matthew 6:14-15 (GW) 14 If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures. To pray with an unforgiving heart is a sure way to close the doors of heaven to our prayers. It is a complete waste of time to pray that way. One must forgive if he is to be forgiven. I. Pray without pretension or vain repetition

13 There is perhaps no sin that is more detested by God than the sin of hypocrisy or pretension. On no class or group did Jesus pronounce such severe condemnation as on the hypocrites of His day. Who can forget Jesus' discourse in Matthew 23, when in His last appeal to the Pharisees, He scathingly denounced them with the seven-fold "woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites!" An insincere, pretentious prayer is always an abomination to God. Jesus illustrated this in the story of the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18:9-14. The humble Publican went away justified before God. The proud Pharisee remained in his hypocritical sins. God is not deceived by oratory or eloquence. He is impressed only by sincerity. Our prayers then must be simple, direct, and sincere. A sincere prayer uttered in faith eliminates unnecessary, repetitious prayers, Jesus told His Apostles Matthew 6:7 (GW) 7 When you pray, don't ramble like heathens who think they'll be heard if they talk a lot. That, however, does not mean that we should not persist in prayer nor that we may not at times pray at great length. Jesus often times would spend a night in prayer, or rise long before dawn to pray (cf. Luke 9:28; Mark 1:35), Jesus does, however, forbid needless repetition of the same thing as though God could not hear or had to be begged to hear His children's prayers, IV. The Holy Spirit's Assistance in Prayer One of the great blessings the Christian enjoys is the assistance of the Holy Spirit in prayer. Paul says Romans 8:26 (GW) 26 At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don't know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words. The Christian needs this help in prayer since he does not always know what is best for him or the kingdom. The Christian is limited in prayer because he does not know what tomorrow may bring. Also the Christian does not always know how to express in words exactly the longing and desires of his heart. For these and other reasons, our heavenly Father has given us

14 His Holy Spirit to assist us in prayer. He takes our petitions and praise and presents them correctly to the throne of God. He also intercedes for us with God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all involved in prayer. The Christian's prayer is addressed to God the Father, in the name of or by the authority of Christ and with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a wonderful privilege that the Christian enjoys and should always use. V. Does God Always Answer Prayer? A. Does God Answer Prayer of Non-believers? You often hear it said that God does not answer the prayer of nonbelievers. That simply is not true, especially if the non-believers are praying for their salvation. God will always answer that prayer. Romans 10:13 (GW) 13 So then, Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. When Saul was murdering believers, Jesus interrupted him, and told him to go into the city of Damascus, and he would be told what to do to be saved. Simultaneously, Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision and told him to go to Paul and inform him what he needed to do: Acts 22:16 (GW) 16 What are you waiting for now? Get up! Be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.' Another example of a non-believer's prayer being answered is Cornelius, a Roman Army officer in the Italian Regiment, who was stationed in Caesarea. He had been praying fervently for his salvation, and God sent Peter to tell him what do do. God demonstrated His approval by having the Holy Spirit cause the gathered assembly to speak in foreign tongues. Acts 10:48 (GW) 48 So Peter ordered that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. This calling on his name in Christian baptism is the only true and Biblical sinner s prayer. If you are not a Christian, you can pray RIGHT NOW, and you can SEE it answered with your own eyes, when you meet Jesus in Christian baptism! 1 Peter 3:21 (GW) 21 Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you.

15 Baptism doesn't save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life. If you are not yet saved, there are many people praying for you and for your salvation right now! But God cannot answer those prayers against your own free will. The only prayer for YOUR salvation that God can answer is YOURS. Pray it now! B. Three Prayers God Will NEVER Answer. 1. God will never answer a prayer that is contrary to Who He Is. God is logical, and will never answer a prayer that contradicts logic. For example He will not answer a prayer to make a square circle. For another example, it is God s nature to exist on a time line, with a past and a future. For God, the past is past and the future is future. Thus he will never answer prayers to change the past. Also, God is a holy being; he cannot do evil. Thus he will not answer prayers that make it easy for us to sin. 2. God will never answer Prayers contrary to His purposes. When God created us with free will, it was his purpose to make our relationship with him depend on our own free-will choices. Thus, God will NOT answer prayers that require him to violate our free will. Specifically, he will never answer our prayers for the lost that require him to force or cause a sinner to believe. 3. He will never answer a prayer that interferes with His plan to save us from sin and restore us to fellowship. When the prophet Balaam was hired to put a curse on Israel, God intervened. Numbers 22:12 (NASB) 12 God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." C. God has Promised Answers to Prayer. God does answer prayer! This is an attested fact in the

16 scriptures. Moses prayed and his prayer saved a nation from death and from the grave (Exodus 32:14), Joshua prayed, the sun stood still and his enemies were slain by hail stones sent from heaven (Joshua 10:10-14). Hannah prayed and God gave her a son, Samuel (I Samuel 1:9-20). God's word is filled with the promises of answered prayer: 1 Peter 3:12 (GW) 12 The Lord's eyes are on those who do what he approves. His ears hear their prayer. The Lord confronts those who do evil. James 1:5 (GW) 5 If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn't find fault with them. John 15:7 (NASB) 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (cf. Matt. 7:7; Luke 11:9-10). If we will meet the conditions that God has laid down for acceptable prayer, we can rest assured that our prayers will be heard and answered according to the will and wisdom of God.

17 Review True-False T F 1. Man began to pray when God commanded him to do so. T F 2. If we ask in faith God will grant our petition whatever it may be. T F 3. The Holy Spirit assists the Christian to pray correctly. T F 4. God does not refuse to hear anyone's prayer. T F 5. God may answer prayer and still not give what is requested. Fill in the blanks 1. Prayer is composed of two basic parts: and 2. List three conditions for effective prayer. a. b. c. 3. To Whom are our prayers addressed:

18 4. List two reasons why the Christian should pray in Christ's name. a. b. 5. Prayer always springs out of a sense of Along with this is a belief that God is a of them that diligently seek Him 6. Paul says "we know not how to pray as we ought" (Romans 8:26). List three things Christians do not always know. a. b. c.