Rainbow Forest 2018 Theme Displaying God s Goodness Romans 12:1-2 & 21 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 1
Rainbow Forest Mission Statement Connecting the Disconnected to Christ, Community and the Call Our Purpose To glorify God in everything we say and do 2
Teach Me to Pray 1/15/2018 TODAY TEACH US (ME) to PRAY LUKE 11:1 TEACH US (ME) TO PRAY SUNDAY Luke 11:1 by: Dr. Norm Pratt Chaplain Lt Col USAF Retired The Friend at Midnight - Luke 11 1 And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 3
5 And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a Friend, and shall go to Him at midnight, and say unto Him, Friend Lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me and I have nothing to set before him. 7 And He from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed: I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, though He will not rise and give him, because he is a friend, yet because of his persistence He will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened 4
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him The Importance of Prayer: (All) of our Failures are Prayer Failures (Falwell 1/11/89) 1) All of our needs are prayer needs 2) I cannot go a single day without prayer miracles. (Falwell 1/11/89) Teach Me to Pray 5
You can do more than Pray after you pray but you can t do more than pray until you have prayed CHRIST S FULL TIME MINISTRY HEB 7:25 HE EVER LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR US WE NEED PRAYER HELP! ROM 8:26 THE HOLY SPIRIT We desperately need prayer help Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps our infirmities (ἀσθένεια), astheneia, fem noun. Infirmity = want of strength 6
Nothing of eternal significance happens apart from Prayer (Jerry Falwell) ************************************* Prayer is the most Important thing in my life. If I should neglect it for a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith (Martin Luther) (1 day - Me/wife, 2 - dog, 3 - all ) Verses 1-4 The Disciples Request Lord Teach us to Pray V 1 The Lord s response is Twofold Response: 1 An Elementary Lesson on Prayer - The Model Prayer Luke 11:2-4 7
Response 2 A Graduate Lesson in Prayer The Parable of the Friend At Midnight (Luke 11:5-13) Note: A Parable is an earthly story with a Heavenly meaning LUKE 18:1 MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY AND NOT TO FAINT FAINT? (a spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain) IN NEED OF REVIVING OUR GREATEST NEED: A REVIVAL OF PRAYER? Teach Me to Pray 8
Are you fainting in your prayer life TODAY? Is your prayer life in need of revival of Prayer TODAY? ********************************* Proposition: God can Revive our prayer lives as we learn and apply the lessons taught in the Parable of the Friend at midnight as found in Luke 11:5-13. I. Jesus Teaches us Through THREE CIRCUMSTANCES that Prepare. (VV 5-6) II. Jesus Teaches Us Through TWO CONDITIONS that Prevail. (VV 7-8) III. Jesus Teaches Us Through THREE CHALLENGES that Persuade. (VV 9-13) 9
II. Jesus Teaches us through THREE Circumstances that Prepare us for a Personal Revival of Prayer Luke 11:5-6 1. Personal Crisis "..V5 Midnight V 5 (Illustration) 2. People in Crisis "...a friend is come to me..." V 6 3. Provisional Crisis I have nothing..." V 6 Circumstance 2 and 3 2. People in Crisis Vs 6... a friend is come to me... 3. Provisional Crisis Vs 6 "... I have nothing..." 10
1.( MIDNIGHT V5) PERSONAL CRISES PREPARATION: A TRUE PERSONAL PRAYER REVIVAL BEGINS AT A PLACE OF ANGUISH. (ILLUST.) Teach Me to Pray Teach Me to Pray II. Two Conditions that Prevail a Personal Revival of Prayer vv 7-8 1)The Principle of Purity Revealed- Luke 11:8a "... he WILL NOT rise and give him, because he is his friend... No answers simply because you are a Christian--purity a requisite! Summary of Areas to Purify! 11
A. Unfulfilled Marriage Vows - I Peter 3:1-7 "that your prayers be not hindered" B. Unreconciled Wrongs - Matt. 5:23-24 "first be reconciled to thy brother C. Unforgiving Bitterness - Matt 6:14-15 Teach Me to Pray (Donahue, 2002) " neither will your Father forgive your trespasses D. Unpaid Tithes - Mal. 3:7-10 "Will a man rob God? Where have we robbed you? Tithes and offerings! E. Unconfessed Sin - Psa. 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" F. Unread Bible - Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the (Donahue, 2002) law, his prayer shall be abomination Fellowship with the Word John 15:7 if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 12
TREASURE PATH - MOTHER SAVED F. UNREAD BIBLE -- PROVERBS 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, his prayer shall be abomination PRAYER & FELLOWSHIP WITH THE WORD - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7). SUCCESS - This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8). God sent JO GROOMS TREASURE PATH MOTHER S SALVATION 13
UNSELFISH - JO GROOMS II. Two Conditions (Continued) 2) The Principle of Persistence is Required Luke 11:8b " because of his importunity Importunity "Persistence" Webster to press or beg for, TO ANNOY Teach Me to Pray (Personal Ill. To the glory of God finish at Mom s Casket) 14
I. THREE CHALLENGES THAT PERSUADE US TO A PERSONAL REVIVAL OF PRAYER LUKE 11:9-13 Three Majestic Persuasions intended to challenge us to Prayer God commits to answer our prayers: We are persuaded by three challenges that are intended to convince us to pursue God in an renewed and informed manner a revival of prayer. The three one word conditional challenges (Ask, Seek and Knock) call us to respond to three reciprocal persuading commitments (you shall receive, you shall find, it shall be opened) Teach Me to Pray ASK, SEEK, KNOCK 15
1. Focused or Detailed Prayer Ask I Will Answer. The first challenge is a present tense verb (Ask) in this (simple asking to complex knocking) cycle of prayer commitments: "Ask" is a verb in the present tense. It means to keep on asking. This is specific asking Teach Me to Pray 2. Fellowship or Devoted Prayer Seek Ye Shall Find. Teach Me to Pray The second challenge is also in verb form. "Seek" in the present tense means to keep on seeking. The idea is spiritual alignment with God. This is focused searching for God! Here, we are seeking the face of God! Seeking presents a spiritual gold mine of insight about prayer. This is searching for communion with God and searching for clarity of His will above all else. Jeremiah 29:13 And you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with your hole heart. (KJV) 16
3. Fasting or Disciplined Prayer Knock, It Will Be Opened Caution: Consult physician before fasting! The third challenge is to "knock and to keep on knocking. This is sustained action prayer, as represented by our unyielding persistence. Our determined passion and commitment to prayer can be seen in the examples of Elijah and. Therefore, our perspective must be serious. God does business with those who are serious enough to humble themselves through fasting under the mighty hand of God (ie those who show that they mean business with God.) Teach Me to Pray CONCLUSION/INVITATION: A TRUE PERSONAL PRAYER REVIVAL BEGINS AT A PLACE OF ANGUISH. (MIDNIGHT) (PREPARED BY GOD FOR US!) IT CONTINUES THROUGH THE CONFRONTATIONS OF PURITY AND PERSISTENCE (AS WE GET IN FELLOWSHIP WITH THE WORD)! FINALLY, WE ARE CHALLENGED TO ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK BECAUSE GOD PROMISES TO BE FOUND OF THE ONE WHO SEEKS A REVIVAL OF PERSONAL PRAYER GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU SEEK HIM TODAY! 17
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