WHY A MOVEMENT OF PRAYER?

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2 WHY A MOVEMENT OF PRAYER? Jesus prayed. And he prayed so much and so well that his disciples asked him for a lesson. They wanted to learn together how to pray. In his response, his words were simple, yet profound: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus wanted his followers to pray in such a way that they moved their eyes off of the earthly kingdoms to which their hearts were still drawn and onto the True King and his eternal kingdom. He wanted them to pray in such a way that they experienced his kingdom in the here and now, and he wanted to make sure their prayer got them ready for his kingdom when it came in all its fullness. This is why we want to MOVE deeper in the discipline of prayer. Consider the following about your prayer life: Posture - Are your prayers made from a posture of humility? Are they focused on advancing the Kingdom of God or advancing the kingdoms of this world (including your own)? Do you release your prayer to God, surrendering your will to his? Power - Do you pray in full awareness and belief in the power of God to work? Are your prayers big enough to carry the promises and purposes of God s word? Do you pray like your life depends on it? Persistence - Do you persist in prayer over a matter, or do you forget or give up when you don t see the immediate answer you were hoping? Do you pray regularly? Continually? Purposefully? As you consider these evaluation points, what does your prayer life indicate about how you relate to God? I think if we are honest, we all have room for growth... for MOVEMENT forward in our prayer life. Prayer is the gift God gave us so that we can relate to him. When Jesus walked this earth, taking on the fullness of our humanity, he prayed. Jesus prayed with a humble posture, seeking the purposes of heaven at the expense of fleshly desires. Jesus prayed powerfully, recognizing the provision of the Heavenly Father for his every need. Jesus prayed persistently, retreating often to solitary places for time with his Father, sometimes even praying through the night. What would it look like if all of us at Oak Hill were moving forward together in a more abiding prayer relationship with our Heavenly Father? Will you join us as we MOVE deeper into the joyful discipline of prayer that cries out, Your Kingdom Come!?

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONTH OF PRAYER In the cold dead of winter, sometimes your car battery gets drained, and if you have the right tools and knowledge, you can recharge it (if there is enough life left in it... otherwise you need to entirely REPLACE it). We want to take hold of the tools God has given us to recharge our prayer lives as we start out From a sermon series to discussion and accountability in Gospel Communities, to a few practical resources in this guide, we want to move together toward deeper and more abiding prayer. To do this, consider these three points of focus for yourself (see ideas for each the Prayer Helps section): Kingdom Come Growth Goals: Consider the questions about posture, power and persistence on the previous page. Ask God to reveal how he wants you to grow in prayer this month. Write 2-3 attainable (in the Spirit s power), specific and measurable goals to pursue over the next month: Kingdom Come Community Commitments: What commitments do you need to make to attain your growth goals, and how can you mutually participate with others to grow in the area of prayer (think especially about your GC and family)? Remember: we are in this together! Write down 2-3 commitments to this end: Kingdom Come Persistent Prayers: What specific, kingdom-minded, God-sized prayer requests do you need to bring before the Lord daily over the next month? Think about things God says in his word that he wants to do and that only he can do in each sphere of your life. Write down 5-6 prayer requests and don t give up in them, all the while allowing God to shape and change your own heart in them:

4 GOSPEL COMMUNITY STUDY For use during week 1 of the Month of Prayer, to help you set up Growth Goals, Community Commitments and Persistent Prayers. INTRODUCTION: We are praying that "Your Kingdom Come" will be more than a sermon series. We pray it becomes a movement in our church that overtakes us as we get on our knees before the Lord and refocus on his kingdom purposes in our lives. We don t just want to learn about prayer... we want to grow in actually praying. Movement forward always requires intentionality. We don t grow in Christ by accident or default. We grow when we take steps of faith toward what God has called us to do. This is why we are encouraging you to make growth goals and community commitments that will support those goals. We also want you to have some specific persistent prayers that you seek the Lord about this month. Before we start, let s consider the following question: Question #1 - What do you think are the biggest obstacles to a growing prayer life? Tonight s study is designed to give you a biblical foundation that helps you make specific, measurable goals to grow in prayer. We will focus on three specific aspects mentioned on page 1 of this guide: posture, power, and persistence. THE POSTURE OF PRAYER: The Bible calls us to take a humble posture in prayer, both in our heart and in our physical posture. In Col. 3:1, Paul instructs us to set your mind above, where Christ is... In Matt. 6:9, Jesus instructs us to pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. James 4:3 says, You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (ESV). Sometimes our prayers are tied to earthly desires and consumed with an earthly focus. We reveal a posture of pride when we grow discouraged or angry because God did not answer our prayer in the way or the time we wanted. But God calls us to use prayer to humble ourselves before his kingdom purposes, surrendering our desires to him. We will also see that this humble posture of our heart gives way to a posture of intense fervor in prayer as we become more aware of our desperate need for God. Question #2 - Read Matthew 6:5-14 and James 4:3-4? What are the marks of prayer focused on advancing the Kingdom of God? What are the marks of prayer focused on advancing the kingdoms of this world? The Bible regularly describes and even commands that our heart posture of humility be reflected by our physical posture and tone of voice. Notice the physical/verbal posture of the prayers in the following verses: Question #3 - Read Psalm 3:4, 28:1, 38:6, 59:16, 102:2, and Jeremiah 33:3. How would you describe the physical/verbal posture of prayer in the Bible? In what ways does lifting up our voice or changing our posture change our prayer? In what ways does it not change our prayer?

5 THE POWER OF PRAYER: James 5 recounts the testimony of Elijah in 1 Kings 17-18: The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5:16-18 ESV). The Bible is full of God working through big prayers made by normal people who had faith in a big God. The people praying these prayers understood the promises and purposes of God and sought him accordingly. Question #4 - Read James 5:13-20, Eph. 1:15-23 and Eph. 3: In what ways does our awareness of God s promises and purposes change the type and size of the prayers we pray? What can we learn from the prayers of the Bible to grow in our prayer lives? 5 THE PERSISTENCE OF PRAYER: Typically when we think of obstacles to prayer, time is at the top of the list. However, time usually becomes less of an obstacle when we realize that prayer is the means through which God wants to bring the Kingdom of heaven to bear on the earth. Time becomes less of an obstacle when we realize that our lives depend on prayer and we learn to pray with great fervor and intensity. Time becomes less of an obstacle when we realize that God wants to work powerfully through prayer. Once we learn those lessons, we can begin to more accurately look at the persistence of prayer and the time we spend in it. As Martin Luther said, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer. When we consider persistence, we can think about two parts: frequency and longevity. First, Frequency includes regular focused times of prayer as well as ongoing continual prayer throughout the day. Question #5 - Read Luke 5:16, 1 Thess 5:17 and Eph. 6:18. Why does the Bible instruct us to pray frequently? What might happen if you forsake either routine focused times of prayer or ongoing continual prayer throughout the day? In addition to frequency, there is longevity. Longevity includes praying over long periods of time about things that are on our heart. Sometimes we forget the prayers we have prayed. Often we give up on prayer when faced with an insurmountable obstacle, or what we perceive is unanswered prayer. This month is a good time to pick those requests back up and recommit them to prayer. Question #6 - Read Luke 6:12, Luke 18:1-6, Luke 11:5-9, Romans 12:12 and Col. 4:2. Why might God desire/require persistent prayer before working in a certain way? Prayer Time: Split into separate areas of the house in groups of men and women. Ask one another which of the 3 growth areas are needed most in your lives. Ask what commitments need to be made to arrive at those goals. Use the page 2 of this guide to write out your growth goals, community commitments and persistent prayers for the month of prayer. Note: there are ideas and examples of all three of these in the Prayer Helps section.

6 PRAYER RECORD Gospel Community Prayer Requests: Answered Prayer:

7 Prayer Helps 7

8 ORDERING YOUR PRAYER TIME Three helpful ingredients to keep your prayer time moving forward with the right posture, power and persistence can be clearly seen in the example of Jesus: And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV): Time - Select a time where you can keep an appointment with God. Jesus chose early in the morning, while it was still dark. Place - Find a place where you can pray undistracted and fervently (out loud, on your knees, etc.). Jesus found a desolate place away from the crowds. Pattern - Find a pattern to guide your prayer time such as the Lord s prayer (see below) or A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). Jesus revealed a pattern for us to follow... Throughout his ministry, Jesus prayed so intentionally that his disciples asked him for a lesson. He answered their request with a short sample prayer (Luke 11:1-4; Matt 6:9-15). We believe this was meant to be a pattern, NOT a series of recited phrases that lose their meaning (see Matt. 6:7). The elements of Jesus prayer should be elements of our prayer. He instructed his disciples to: Adore Your Holy Father: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name Align Your Heart With God s: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven Ask for Daily Provision: Give us this day our daily bread Acknowledge Your Sins and Need for Forgiveness: Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors Appeal for your Daily Walk in Christ: And lead us not into temptation. IDEAS FOR GROWTH GOALS Set 2-3 attainable (in the power of the Spirit), specific, and measurable goals in areas you see you need growth. Posture Goals: Journal my prayer requests over the month, going back to see where my heart is primarily focused when I pray (i.e. the Kingdom of Heaven or the kingdoms of earth). For each Kingdom Come persistent prayer, identify how that prayer request might be used by God for the advancement of his kingdom. Identify a location where I can pray out loud without people hearing and pray there. Pray on my knees and out loud to remind my heart of the proper posture before the Lord. Use an online Bible app to search and study the word cry in the Psalms and Prophets as it relates to prayer.

9 9 Power Goals: Study the prayers, promises and purposes of God using the verses for reflection in the back of this guide and pray in line with what God says he wants for the church. Consider the things I think are impossible, but that God might still want to do, and put them on my Kingdom Come prayer list, praying for them daily in faith. Persistence Goals: Increase daily focused prayer time from minutes to minutes per day. Have a focused prayer time days each week. Identify any requests for which I stopped praying that God did not yet clearly answer, and resume praying for them. Study the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) and reflect on how Jesus would have me pray. IDEAS FOR COMMUNITY COMMITMENTS Make 2-3 community commitments that will specifically help you reach your growth goals. I will remind myself and others daily that prayer is about the power of God at work in our lives, not our own checklist or righteousness. I will add an appointment for prayer to my calendar to make sure a focused time of prayer receives the proper place in my day. I will ask someone to hold me accountable to my Kingdom Come Growth Goals, checking in once a week. I will offer to hold someone else accountable to their Kingdom Come Growth Goals, checking in once a week. I will gather my family together for focused times of prayer times per week. I will journal my prayers to better reflect on how God is working in and through your prayer life. I will gather with the church family every Sunday morning in January (or I will at least catch up on missed sermons online). I will gather with my GC at all of our scheduled gatherings for the sake of encouraging one another in what we are learning. I will pray daily for my Persistent Prayers and those of the people in your GC.

10 IDEAS FOR PERSISTENT PRAYERS Prayers for your Personal Life Are there anxieties in your life that you need to take to God? Are there people you haven t forgiven in your heart? Are there persistent sin temptations you need to overcome? Are there physical trials for which you need healing or provision? What are the spiritual battles in which you currently need the protection of the Lord s armor? Prayers for your Family If single, how does God want you to use your singleness for him? If desiring marriage, ask God to prepare you and your future spouse for that commitment (even if you don t know who they are). If married, in what areas does your marriage need to grow toward experiencing oneness in the Lord? Pray for those things to become a reality in your marriage. In what ways do your children need to grow in following Jesus? Do they know and follow him at all? How are you showing Jesus to your extended family members who don t live in your immediate household? Prayers for Oak Hill What purposes and priorities for the church do you see in the scriptures? Pray that those purposes and priorities would be experienced at Oak Hill. What is going on in the lives of those in your GC? How is the health of your GC? Has your leader discussed the need to birth a new GC or merge with another GC? Who was recently baptized? How can you be praying for them? Some Specific Requests from the Elders: Unity - that we would vigorously pursue unity in our church, especially when differences of opinion arise. Affiliation - that we would have wisdom and clarity as we discern potential options for affiliation. Leadership Development - That God would raise up an new wave of GC leaders and elders for Oak Hill. Worship Leader - that the Lord would provide a qualified, pastoral, passionate, skilled person to help coordinate our weekly gatherings and music teams. Financial Provision - that we would exceed our provisional budget and even make our original budget. Building - That the Lord would provide us the right place to gather with adequate space and accommodating features.

11 Prayers for Solanco What needs (physical or spiritual) do you see in your neighborhood, workplace, or social networks? How does God want Oak Hill to reach the lost with the gospel? What opportunities might God want to open for you to display and declare the gospel to the people around you? What are the needs in your mission focus that your Gospel Community has identified? Specific community organizations with which we partner: Other Local Churches - Working to proclaim the gospel and reach the unbelieving, unchurched, and unconnected just like us. Solanco Neighborhood Ministries - A ministry of the Solanco Pastor s Fellowship: Working to start a transitional housing program in Solanco, as well as continuing to run the food bank, fuel fund, and serving as a hub to social services throughout Solanco. Go Beyond - a Church-led initiative to encourage, organize, and mobilize people to better our community through acts of service: planning for the 2017 week of service. Solid Rock Youth Ministries - A youth center for K-8th graders: Desiring to hire a part-time assistant program director. Oak Bottom Community - AROMA Women s Group and Thursday night GC seeking opportunities to serve and share Jesus with the people who live here. Safe Families - A network of volunteer host families who help parents who need temporary care for their children as they work through unmanageable or critical circumstances: seeking to bring this program to the Solanco area. Prayers for the World What is going on in our national, state and local governments, and what does God want to see? Does God want to send someone from Oak Hill to spread the gospel internationally, short or long term? How does God want us to interact with and support the global church? Who do you know who is spreading the Gospel in another part of the world? Global Partner Requests: Phyllis Oblander - Serving in B-Town, Philippines. Continually caring for her aging father, expecting furlough early 2017, team transitioning to new leadership Jonathan and Miriam Recaman - Leading a church in Pontevedra, Spain, needing more leadership in the church and spiritually healthy men in which to invest, third child expected Dec Jan2017. Parenting Emma, Dana, and new baby. Nate & Marie Newell - Leading Harvest Bible Chapel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Working on an initiative called Advance the Gospel to become a regional hub, partner, and foundation with Gospel partners to spread God s Word. 11

12 PRAYER VERSES FOR REFLECTION Eph.1:15-23 ESV For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Eph. 3:14-21 ESV For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Eph. 6:18-20 ESV Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm... praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Colossians 1:3-5 ESV We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, Romans 12:12 ESV Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

13 Col. 4:2-6 ESV Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 13 Phil. 1:3-11 ESV I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. James 5:13-20 ESV Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 2 Chron. 7:12-15 ESV Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. Jer. 33:3 ESV Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

14 PRAYER VERSES FOR REFLECTION (CONT D) Luke 18:1-8 ESV And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Give me justice against my adversary. For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Luke 11:5-13 ESV And he said to them, Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him ; and he will answer from within, Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! John 17 ESV When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which

15 you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. 15 Matt. 6:5-15 ESV And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 Although I have much to be grateful for as I look back over my life, I also have many regrets. I have failed many times, and I would do many things differently... I would spend more time in prayer, not just for myself but for others... - Billy Graham - (source: E. State St. Quarryville, PA Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.