Ice Breaker Have group member s share a time where their prayer has been answered. Revision from Last lesson Where in your week did you have to persevere or be patient for something? Outcome of Lesson That you will value prayer more because you understand that it is prayer that is the key to hearing from God- who gives you wisdom and understanding for every situation in your life. Introduction The best place for you to attain godly wisdom in all circumstances is from the source of all wisdom, God. He is omniscient (all knowing) and therefore, all wise. Prayer is how you hear and talk to God. The more you talk and listen to God, the more He will reveal Himself to you and the more you will become like Him. Read James 1:5; Matthew 7:7-11 James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Q. What does the Bible say we should do if we need or lack wisdom? A. We are to ask God for it. Q. And how do you that? A. Through talking and listening to God- Prayer. Read Philippians 4:5-6; Proverbs 16:1;3;9 Philippians 4:5-6 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Proverbs 16:1The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. Proverbs 16:9 A man s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Page 1 of 6
Q. According to these scriptures, under what circumstances should we pray? A. We should pray in ALL circumstances and commit ALL that we do to Him and listen for His response to us. It is wise for you to pray to get God s guidance, always. Wisdom is to experientially know God. It is through being continually in a state of prayer that we hear God s voice and His Word to lead and guide us in our journey of life. Just like Jesus life reflected. Read Psalm 91:1-2; Isaiah 40:28-31 Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust. Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. When you look at many people in the Bible, they constantly lived in the presence of God and in communion/prayer with Him. David always had a song on His heart and continually poured his heart out to the Lord. It wasn t just a Sunday occurrence or even just limited to his devotions time at the beginning of the day. During His ministry, Jesus would go out to a deserted place to pray. To receive wisdom and refreshing for the next day s ministry and circumstances of life; especially for major decisions like choosing the 12 disciples,handling the death of his cousin John the Baptist, feeding the 5000 or walking on water. We see Jesus would pray all night, before these crucial ministry events. Q. So Jesus being the Son of God prayed to His Father, how much should we, His children be praying for wisdom and guidance? A. Discuss answers with the group. Jesus gives us His prayer for us to know our heavenly Father and so attain Godly wisdom. Read Matthew 6:9-13 Matthew 6: 9-13. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen Q. What are the five keys of prayer in these verses? Page 2 of 6
A. Praise, Yieldedness, Provision (physical needs, wisdom, spiritual needs), Forgiveness, Protection. Let s look at these five key aspects of Jesus prayer and how you can commune with God and attain godly wisdom for living in His kingdom. Praise in verse 9 Our Father in Heaven hallowed (holy, blessed, revered) be Your name. Yieldedness in verse 10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Provision in verse 11 Give us this day our daily bread. Forgiveness in verse 12 And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Protection in verse 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Praise again in verse 13 For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. Read John 16:13; Romans 8:26-27 John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for u with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Q. How does the Holy Spirit help us in prayer? A. Even if we don t know what to pray, the Spirit knows and prays through us. He will guide and speak truth to and through you as you speak in tongues. The fruits of the Spirit will be more evident in your life and you will be continually transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control will overflow out of your life when you continually spend time with the Lord in prayer and in His presence. Our Prayers not only strengthen and give us wisdom but as we pray for others; God uses us to give wisdom, protection, provision and strength to others. Object lesson or Anecdote or Role Play In Glorious Intruder, Joni Eareckson Tada writes about Diane, who suffers from multiple sclerosis: In her quiet sanctuary Diane turns her head slightly on the pillow towards the cork board on the wall. Her eyes scan each thumb-tacked card, each photo, each torn piece of paper, carefully pinned in a row. The stillness is broken as Diane begins to murmur. She s praying. Some would look at her, stiff and motionless, and shake their heads; what a shame, her life has no meaning. But Diane is confident, convinced that her life is significant and that her labor of prayer counts. She moves Page 3 of 6
mountains that block the paths of missionaries. She helps open the eyes of the spiritually blind in South East Asia. She pushes back the kingdom of darkness that blackens the alleys and streets of the gangs in East Los Angeles. She aids homeless mothers, abused children, despondent teenagers and dying forgotten old people in the nursing home down the street from where she lives. Dianne is an intercessor! Trust Discussion What is your prayer life like? What are you doing to ensure that prayer becomes or remains an integral part of your Christian walk? Note: Remember this is a time for people to share confidently and openly with others that they trust. Conclusion Prayer is a vital part of every Christian s walk to get wisdom and guidance from God. Satan will try to distract you, busy you, condemn you and stop you from prayer, because he knows the power, strength and breakthrough that it creates in your life and in the lives of those whom you pray for. God is the source of all wisdom for you, so it is wise to be communicating with the One Who can give you wisdom to live in His prosperous and abundant blessing. Feedback on the Lesson What have you learnt from this lesson that prayer is the key to receiving godly wisdom? Application of the Lesson in Your Life This week take Philippians 4:5-6 and meditate and memorise it so you can recite it back to a friend. Write down in your journal how God has given you some wisdom or encouraged you from this scripture. Prayer Dear Heavenly Father, You are amazing and deserve all our praise. We know that all we are is because of You and Your amazing love and faithfulness. We pray Lord that You give us the wisdom we need each and every day and give us the strength to seek You in prayer daily. Be with us all this coming week. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Page 4 of 6
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