PRAYER, A Passion for His Presence

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1 PART 1 WHY PRAY? 1. It s a command from Jesus. In Matthew 6:5-15 and Luke 11:1-13, Jesus said to pray and gave us a pattern to use. 2. We are in a spiritual war. There s a spiritual war going on around us and for souls around the world. A. Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy, period! (John 10) B. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. Daniel and the prince of Persia in Daniel 10:12. (However, Colossians 2:9-10 states that Jesus is THE Head of all Principality and powers!) The demoniac ( Legion ) begged Jesus not to send them out of that area because they had strongholds there. When the enemy comes against us (Isaiah 59:19), the Spirit of the Lord raises up a standard against him. That standard is an army of Spirit filled warriors who pray. 3. Personal peace. A. The peace of God (Philippians 4:7) and the God of peace (Hebrews 13:20) B. Philippians 4:6 admonishes us not to be anxious but pray. Anxiety is the opposite of prayer, it is a sign of genuine prayerlessness. C. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our care upon Him. But I have! If I bring it to God and walk away with the burden we really did not leave it there. 4. Some breakthrough simply do not happen BUT through genuine and intense prayer! (Mark 9:28-29) 1

2 PART 2 -- TEACH US TO PRAY LUKE 11: Jesus instructed us on a Divine pattern to follow as we pray. We see several important points here 1. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and He brought them back to the pattern He taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:9-13). 2. He taught them that the first step into effective and dynamic prayer is honoring God, our Father, no matter what the urgency or crisis. Psalm 100: Jesus taught that there is a POWERFUL pattern to prayer. It is not meant to be an aimless, momentary experience but a way of life in prayer that touches every area of human need: Honoring God Desiring His purposes in life Provision of our needs Learning to live with forgiveness... Cleansing from sin and closing the door to Satan s authority in our lives And back to praise, a full circle. 4. Jesus taught to have a genuine intensity about prayer. Lamentations 2:19 2 Kings 13: Last week: When we woke up we spoke to the Lord BEFORE we did anything else. This week continue to do that and now add Lamentations 2:19 to your prayer time. Pour out your heart before the Lord the first thing in the morning. 2

3 PART 3 OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN... Jesus begins His teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:9 with a focus on the PERSON of prayer, that He is OUR FATHER, and that, as His children, we can come into His Presence with confidence. 1. Satan s influence on mankind. In Genesis 3:1-4 the devil suggested a destructive doubt about God s character, motive and trustworthiness. Because we have had damaging relationships with parents or authorities, we tend to transfer some of that onto God, our LOVING Heavenly Father. A. Genesis 3:3-5 Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 2. God is a very real and personal Father. In Luke 15:11-32 Jesus uses a very dramatic story to recreate a correct perspective of what our Father God is really like. A. What was the father s attitude towards his prodigal son? What was his attitude towards his older son? Did that son have a correct or incorrect image of his father? Why? B. Further study: Matthew 6:26, 7:9-11, 18:12-14; Luke 12:32; Romans 8:15-16; 1 John 3:1, etc. 3. Because we have a loving Heavenly Father, we can come into His Presence with confidence. A. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come BOLDLY to the throne of grace,... B. 1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the CONFIDENCE that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us Is there anything in our lives that may be hindering us from developing a pure understanding of our Heavenly Father s Perfect Nature? 3

4 PART 4 HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME. 1. It is only fitting that we should enter the Presence of a Holy God and the Creator of Heaven and earth with thanksgiving and praise in our hearts and on our lips. A. Psalm 100:2 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. (Psalm 150; John 4:24) 2. Because God is our Heavenly Father and we are His children by redemption (1 Corinthians 6:20) and spiritual birth, we can come confidently into His Presence and worship. Definitions 1. To hallow means to set apart for holy use, to acknowledge as being set apart. We are praying to our Heavenly Father who is set apart from all evil in our life. He is never the cause of evil but always the answer to all our situations in life. A. Although God is Holy and set apart, we can enter His Presence on the basis of Christ s Holiness and redemption through worship and praise. (Leviticus 11:45) 2. In many places in the New Testament, the word name gives the meaning of authority or character. We are actually saying to our Heavenly Father, I love Your Character and who You are! Worship has two main objectives. 1. In praise and worship we declare God s Transcendent, Supreme and Unequalled Nature: He is Lord of all and over all. (Psalm 95:3; Colossians 1:15-18) A. The Bible gives many different definitions of praise and worship. Psalm 22:3 But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Through genuine praise, God sits down and dwells in our praises. The word for praise here is the Hebrew word for tehilla, to sing extemporaneously (impromptu, unrehearsed), under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Tehilla is that which births and blesses the Name of the Lord. It is the song that the Lord sings in the midst of His church. Leonard Gardner B. Notice the words for praise from Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving (Towdah: To extend the hands in adoration, lifting the arms with hands cupped inward, the sacrifice of praise and thanks) and His courts with praise (Tehilla: To sing and worship spontaneously under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit); give thanks (Yadah: To confess, 4

5 give thanks, a public a declaration of God s attributes and works including a confession of sin) to Him and praise (Barak: To kneel, praise, salute, bless, to endue with power for success, etc., to expect in hope) His Name. 2. In worship we are transformed. A. As we enter into His Presence through worship, He responds by entering into our presence! Worship opens our hearts and, as we come face to Face with God, we are transformed. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. B. In prayer our Heavenly Father can dwell in our praises and transform not only our nature but our circumstances as well. 3. In conclusion A. We can overcome the image of our earthly fathers, who may not have been righteous, by worshiping and praising our True, Loving Heavenly Father. B. Learn His Old Testament Names written in the Prayer Pattern Brochure. As we enter His Presence with confidence, begin to pray His Names in Spirit filled praise. 5

6 PART 5 YOUR KINGDOM COME. YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. In this part of the believer s prayer pattern we enter into an understanding that to receive the benefits of the Kingdom of God we must prioritize our lives according to His Will. As well, it is our responsibility to invite God s rule and power into our daily activities. 1. The Old Testament roots concerning the Kingdom of God stated that God would establish His Reign and rule here on the earth. A. Isaiah 42:1-9...I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house (Isaiah 2:2-4, 9:6-7, 11:1-6; Daniel 7:14; Micah 41-5:5; and many more Scriptures) B. As the Jewish people were looking for a physical Kingdom, Christ came to bring us the Kingdom within (Luke 17:21), in the form of a new heart (spiritual birth) and indwelling Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). 2. Christ s miracles were signs of the Kingdom here and now. A. Immediately after the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus returned in victory and began His ministry saying, Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17) B. Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. C. In Luke 11:20, Jesus said, But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Jesus miracles were a preview of what life in the Kingdom (God's dominion) was going to be like. 3. To receive all the benefits of God s Kingdom, our priorities in life must first line up with God s priorities and His will. A. It is His great pleasure to give us the Kingdom! (Luke 12:32) B. However, the truth is that to receive we must seek first His Kingdom and His priorities (His will) above our own. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 6

7 4. As God s people we have a responsibility to invite God s rule and power into all areas of our daily activities. A. Thank Him that we are members of His Kingdom with all the Spiritual rights and privileges. B. Bring everything in our own lives under His Kingdom authority. Be honest and sincere. C. Pray that His Will be done in: My own personal life. My family (Spouse, children, grandchildren, etc.). My church (Pastors, leaders and congregation). Nation (The church in America, national, state and city leaders, etc.). And in the world (For laborers in His Harvest, for nations to open it s doors to the Gospel of the Kingdom). 5. Reflection A. What did the Spirit show me? B. Is there anything He is urging me to do? 7

8 PART 6 GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. 1. God desires to provide for us! In Genesis 22:14 He revealed Himself with the compound Name, Jehovah-Jireh, the God Who Provides. A. Luke 12: Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. B. Jesus teaches us to pray that God would give us daily bread/fellowship. Bread was not only a daily staple but also symbolic of God s provision. 2. Our self-sufficient nature is at odds with God s desire to provide. A. From birth we have been learning the rules of self-reliance and self-sufficiency... To people in the fast lane determined to make it on their own, prayer is alien to our proud human nature. (Bill Hybels in his book: Too Busy Not to Pray) Deuteronomy 8:17 You may say to yourself, my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth and confirms His covenant. 3. Through the provision of manna God taught Israel to daily depend on Him. (Exodus 16:1-31) A. Soon after Israel s exodus from Egypt the people began to complain that it would be better to be back in Egypt. In response to these complaints, God still promised to rain bread from heaven. In this provision, God instructed them to gather enough each day. And each day God would provide a new supply. 4. God desires that we believe Him not only for physical provision but for the provision of our physical, emotional and spiritual needs as well. A. Deuteronomy 8:3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. (Matthew 4:4) B. In John 6:1-14; 22-40, Jesus fed thousands of people and then stated that the people who ate the manna in the desert continued in their hunger. He was the True Manna sent from Heaven, anyone living on this Bread would never again be (spiritually) hungry! 5. We are to go beyond a focus on personal provision to becoming a generous, cheerful giver, a reflection of the Father s Character. 8

9 A. When Israel held on to the manna from the previous day it rotted (Exodus 16:19-20). B. We are a river not a reservoir. God gives to us what He knows will flow through us. Proverbs 11:25 The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters (others) will also be watered himself. C. The principle of the tithe is a Genesis principle of trust. Genesis 2:15-17; Joshua 6:17-19; Malachi 3:10-12; Matthew 6:33 6. How to pray... A. Be in the will of God concerning personal finances (Tithing, generous attitude, etc.). B. Pray for God s provision, physical, emotional and spiritual. 3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. C. Then pray for a hunger for God s Word and His Presence in our own lives and in the life of the Church. GOD S MIRACULOUS PROVISION IN THE WILDERNESS When Israel was led by Moses out of Egypt, there was a tremendous demonstration of God s willingness to use His power in the actual day-today activities of the people. There they stood, 3 million people at the Red Sea. The Israeli camp in the wilderness was two-thirds the size of Rhode Island, or about 750 square miles. God sent food from heaven (Manna, which means, What is it!? ) each day to feed the people. That would have be 1,500 tons of food each day just to keep them from starvation. If they ate as much as we do today, it would have taken one freight train two miles long every day and would cost 6 million dollars a day! Moses struck the rock and water gushed out of the Rock. To sustain the people and animals, it took 11 million gallons of water per day. Hauling it would have taken one freight train with tank cars 1,800 miles long each day! God took care of them 14,600 days (40 years). The total amount would have been 58,400,000 tons of food and 160 billion gallons of water! Our God is a mighty God! (Ephesians 3:20-21) 9

10 PART 7 AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS. 1. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12 A. In the same way that we pray, Give us today our daily bread we are to ask for forgiveness and forgive others daily. B. This particular Greek word, for debts is used only in Matthew 6:12 and Matthew 18 and means a debt owed that we can never repay. C. In other places it means a loan we can repay. Jesus has taken our place and paid a sin debt we could NEVER repay and now commands us to release others of their sins against us in the same way. D. Notice right after the prayer, Jesus says a very penetrating statement, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15). E. The word for trespasses here means a side-slip, an unintentional error. If we do not forgive others their errors, God will not forgive us. Important principles to understand Unforgiveness is pride. A. Cain was offended that God accepted his brother Abel s sacrifice. This led to the first murder recorded in the Bible! (Genesis 4:1-8) B. Joseph s brothers were offended by Joseph s dreams. Joseph s coat given by Jacob only added fuel to the fire. Joseph, however, had learned forgiveness through the trials and understood God s purpose. (Genesis 37-50) C. Absalom s offense toward Amnon, his half-brother and against his father, King David, caused him to divide the Kingdom and bring tremendous destruction to Israel, ultimately costing his life. (2 Samuel 13-19) 2. Unforgiveness gives Satan an advantage over us. A. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 3. Unforgiveness opens us up to tormentors. Satan has authority to torment us. 10

11 A. Matthew 18:32-35 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses. 4. Unforgiveness defiles us and others. A. Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 5. Unforgiveness prevents God from forgiving us. (The most important reason to forgive!) A. Mark 11:24-26 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses 6. Forgiveness is a sign that we have passed from death into life! A. 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Forgotten grace breeds unforgiving living. Dr. Jack Hayford 1. The idea of God s forgiveness and our releasing others who are indebted to us is very clearly illustrated in the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18. Here is an overview: A. Jesus warning that offenses WILL come. (Vs. 6-9) B. Christ s answer to Peter to forgive not just seven times but seventy times seven! (21-22) This was a saying in Israel that dealt with fierce revenge (Genesis 4:23-24). Jesus, however, used it as a means to show God s open ended grace. C. The man who was forgiven of a debt he could not pay sought out the one who owed him a much smaller, payable debt. But because he could not repay it, he showed him no mercy and had him thrown in jail. Unforgiveness grieves the Holy Spirit and affects the Body of Christ. (Vs ) The debt he owed was over $7 billion in today s standards while the other debt was approximately 4 months normal wages. D. The unmerciful man was then also thrown in jail and tormented. That is the way our Heavenly Father will treat us if we do not in turn forgive others. (Vs ) E. Jesus would never tell us to do something we were unable to do. It is in our power to release and forgive others who have offended us. 11

12 2. To read more about victory over offenses and unforgiveness go to our blog at DiscipleshipDevelopment.org and click How to stay free from someone else s offense. 3. When we believe and receive Christ, He reconciles us to Himself and does not impute (count) our sins against us and frees us from the devastating penalty! 2 Corinthians 5:19 A. Our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:8-14). B. Forgiveness will be given us in the same degree that we forgive others (Luke 6:37-38). C. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:13). D. By agreeing with God about our sins, He not only forgives us but cleanses us at the same time (John 1:9). 4. To forgive means to wipe the slate clean, to pardon and to cancel a debt. It is important to remember that forgiveness is not granted because a person deserves to be forgiven. Instead, it is an act of love, mercy, and grace that mirrors what Christ did for us. He paid a debt I could NEVER repay so that I can freely forgive others. STEPS 1. Ask God s forgiveness for my personal life. A. 1 John 1:7-9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 2. Ask God to free me from the destructive power of unforgiveness. 3. Set my will (determine) to forgive those who may offend me today. I deal with unforgiveness as soon as I sense it. To use the white board/eraser illutratio, I wipe it clean immediately. A. Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 4. I overcome evil with good. I pray for those who mistreat me. A. Matthew 5:43-48 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; NEXT: And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 12