Dr. Bill Miller. How to REALLY Pray

Transcription

1 Dr. Bill Miller How to REALLY Pray

2 Main Idea: Prayer is a reflection of our relationship with God, so effort in one area will strengthen the other. WHAT IS PRAYER? Worship Conversation Relationship WHY PRAY? The Example of Jesus The Teaching of Jesus Prayer Changes those who Pray Prayer Changes God s Actions WHY WOULD GOD CARE TO LISTEN? Prayer is a relationship God loves You The Purpose of Prayer in Your Life HighPowerResources.com p. 1

3 HOW CAN I PRAY BETTER? Avoid the Top 5 Hindrances to Answered Prayer Use the Lord s Prayer Listen to God in Prayer HOW CAN I EXTEND MY PRAYER LIFE? How to spend an hour in prayer Great Prayer Tools HighPowerResources.com p. 2

4 A practical seminar that will help you connect with God better than you ever have before. INTRODUCTION The topic of prayer seems to induce The topic of prayer seems to cause a focus on *** The Proper Way for Man to Pray *** Main Idea: Prayer is a reflection of your relationship with God, so effort in one area will strengthen the other. HighPowerResources.com p. 1

5 I. WHAT IS PRAYER? Prayer is a reflection of your relationship with God Almighty. A. 1. Our Father (Mt. 6:9) (1) Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name B. Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2 Don t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Romans 12:3 As God s messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. Romans 12:6 God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. 7 If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:9 Don t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Romans 12:12 Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. 13 When God s children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night. Romans 12:14 If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don t try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don t think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. From this Scripture, I believe that God is leading me to make the following changes: HighPowerResources.com p. 2

6 Spiritual Heart Exam Some questions to think about Matthew 22:35 37; Hebrews 10: One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses? 37 Jesus replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. (Mt. 22:35-37) And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God s people, 22 let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23 Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:19-23) Thought Questions 1. Meeting with God is my first focus each day. T F 2. I rarely miss reading the Bible each day. T F 3. I have a prayer partner with whom I pray regularly. T F 4. I quickly confess known sin to God. T F 5. I can honestly say that I love God. T F 6. My heart is trusting truly in God, first and foremost. T F 7. no matter how hard my life is, I know that I can trust God. T F C. PRAYER IS A RELATIONSHIP HighPowerResources.com p. 3

7 II. PRAY? 1. The of Jesus Mark 1:35 The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray. Luke 6:12 One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 9:18 One day as Jesus was alone, praying, he came over to his disciples and asked them, Who do people say I am? Luke 9:28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain to pray. Luke 11:1 Once when Jesus had been out praying, one of his disciples came to him as he finished and said, Lord, teach us to pray, Matthew 11:25 Then Jesus prayed this prayer 2. The of Jesus (Luke 18:1) Luke 18:1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. 3. Prayer Changes Those Who Pray "A satisfying prayer life elevates and purifies every act of body and mind and integrates the entire personality into a single spiritual unit. In the long pull we pray only as well as we live." --A. W. Tozer The man who kneels to God, can stand up to anything. HighPowerResources.com p. 4

8 The real victory in all service is won in secret beforehand by prayer. Service is gathering up the results. (S.D. Gordon) 4. Prayer Changes 17 Should I hide my plan from Abraham? the LORD asked. 18 For Abraham will become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD and do what is right and just. Then I will do for him all that I have promised. 20 So the LORD told Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are extremely evil, and that everything they do is wicked. 21 I am going down to see whether or not these reports are true. Then I will know. 22 The two other men went on toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham for a while. 23 Abraham approached him and said, Will you destroy both innocent and guilty alike? 24 Suppose you find fifty innocent people there within the city will you still destroy it, and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn t do such a thing, destroying the innocent with the guilty. Why, you would be treating the innocent and the guilty exactly the same! Surely you wouldn t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right? 26 And the LORD replied, If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake. 27 Then Abraham spoke again. Since I have begun, let me go on and speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five? Will you destroy the city for lack of five? And the LORD said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five. 29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. Suppose there are only forty? And the LORD replied, I will not destroy it if there are forty. 30 Please don t be angry, my Lord, Abraham pleaded. Let me speak suppose only thirty are found? And the LORD replied, I will not destroy it if there are thirty. 31 Then Abraham said, Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue suppose there are only twenty? And the LORD said, Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty. 32 Finally, Abraham said, Lord, please do not get angry; I will speak but once more! Suppose only ten are found there? And the LORD said, Then, for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy it. 33 The LORD went on his way when he had finished his conversation with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his tent. (GENESIS 18: 17-33) HighPowerResources.com p. 5

9 III. WHY WOULD GOD CARE TO LISTEN? A. B. God C. The of Prayer in Your Life to like IV. HOW CAN I PRAY BETTER? A. Top Five Hindrances to Answered Prayer 1. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened. (Psalms 66:18) 2. in key relationships w/ Spouse In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God s gift of new life. If you don t treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard. (1Peter 3:7) 3. Not Praying Towards And even when you do ask, you don t get it because your whole motive is wrong you want only what will give you pleasure. (James 4:3) While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death. And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for God. (Hebrews 5:7) 1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For HighPowerResources.com p. 6

10 you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. 5 And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. (John 17:1-5) God is focused on glorifying Himself before all creatures in heaven & earth & under the earth. Prayers must be in harmony w/ giving honor to God. Anything which detracts from Who God Is, or What He Does, is a prayer that will not be answered. Satan is in the business of stealing Godʼs glory. The church must be about glorifying God. 4. Requests And yet the reason you don t have what you want is that you don t ask God for it. (James 4:2) 5. Lack of Lack of faith is exhibited by not asking God for the things: You didn t have enough faith, Jesus told them. I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. (Matthew 17:20) Lack of faith is exhibited by HighPowerResources.com p. 7

11 IV. HOW CAN I PRAY BETTER (continued) B. USE THE LORD S PRAYER (MATTHEW 6:9-13) 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. 11 Give us our food for today, 12 and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. 13 And don t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 1. God s hallowed be Thy name 2. God s May your Kingdom come soon. 3. God s May your will be done here on earth 4. Personal Give us our daily bread 5. Key Forgive us just as we have forgiven those who 6. Spiritual temptation, but deliver us from evil HighPowerResources.com p. 8

12 C. HOW TO LISTEN TO GOD IN PRAYER: FIVE KEY POINTS 1. God tends to speak. Remember how God spoke to Elijah? God was not in the whirlwind, earthquake, or the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper, and God spoke in the whisper. Whenever the voice within me drives and demands like a pushy, used-car salesman, God is not speaking. God is never pushy; he seldom urges sudden action without giving us time to reason through the issues. 2. God s voice produces. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Satan loves to put people into bondage; God loves to set us free. 3. God speaks with I often say in moments of despair, Iʼm no good or Nobody loves me or I canʼt do anything right. These are half-truths that come from either self or Satan, but not God. God will never (and cannot) contradict his Word. 4. God convicts of sins. John 16:8 teaches that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. When God convicts us of sin, the sin is usually specific: Yesterday at 4:00 p.m. you did such and such. Self or Satan, on the other hand, brings a haunting guilt not tied to specific sins. I ve often felt accused or had a nagging feeling of guilt. These feelings are not from God s Spirit. Often they are from the Accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). 5. God does not. When the trumpet of God sounds, it does not play confusing melodies. Satan, not God, is the author of confusion. ROGER BARRIER HighPowerResources.com p. 9

13 V. HOW CAN I EXTEND MY PRAYER LIFE? A. How to Spend an Hour in Prayer: 1. & Pray the 5. Self & Spouse 6. Children & Family & Friends 7. Church & Government Leaders 10. Needs 11. Personal 12. & B. Great Prayer Tools 1. ACTS a) A b) C c) T d) S 2. Praying the Scriptures HighPowerResources.com p. 10

14 3. Operation World, Patrick Johnstone 4. Your Own Prayer List My Relationship with God To Know God better To Obey God more fully To Trust God more totally My Family Spouse Children Parents Brothers & Sisters Extended Family My Friends For those who are unsaved, to meet Jesus For Christian friends, to grow spiritually My Church My Pastor Our Churches evangelistic outreach; decisions for Christ Growing Disciples Key Ministries Finances My Job That my work will honor God. That I will learn & grow & serve well in my job For promotions and greater responsibility; raises My Finances More income Faithful stewardship of my income God s blessing on home, cars, etc. My Future Wisdom to Know Faith to Believe Power to Choose CONCLUSION HighPowerResources.com p. 11

15 1. Will it work for me? 2. Can I do it? 3. What difference will it make to me? Many people know of William Carey, the father of modern missions. But few people have heard of his sister. She was a quadriplegic and had to be carried from bed to couch. For 50 years she lay in bed and prayed for William Carey. She wrote him encouraging letters -- with a pencil between her teeth. Her ministry was perhaps more important because she was a silent partner. Certainly William Carey realized God s blessing was as much a result of his sister s commitment to pray for his ministry as was his dedication to serve God. (Dan Harrison, A Living Legacy) 4. What will it cost me? When we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do; when we depend upon education, we get what education can do; when we depend upon man, we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do. --A.C. Dixon, quoted in ʻBrothers We are Not Professionalsʼ, by John Piper HighPowerResources.com p. 12

16 PRAYER Bibliography Great Books on Prayer GENERAL Prayer: Does it Make any Difference? Phillip Yancey Prayer: Finding the Heart s True Home, Richard J. Foster With Christ in the School of Prayer, Andrew Murray. Too Busy Not to Pray, Bill Hybels. Conversational Prayer, Rosalind Rinker. Daring to Draw Near, John White. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER PRAYER SUMMITS, Joseph Aldrich PREACHER & PRAYER, E.M. Bounds CONCERTS OF PRAYER, David Bryant DEVOTIONALS My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers. Operation World, Patrick Johnstone HighPowerResources.com p. 13