1 THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER CHRISTIANITY 101 - LESSON 3 Prayer is perhaps the area of our lives in which Satan attacks us the hardest. Many believers find it difficult to spend more then 10 minutes a day praying in English, or their prayer time is on the run while doing other things. It is quite natural and inevitable that if we spend sixteen hours daily of our waking life in thinking about the affairs of the world, and five minutes in thinking about God this world will seem 200 times more real to us than God. Dean Inge I. GET MOTIVATED TO PRAY BY SEEING THE BENEFITS OF PRAYER A. It enables us to know God and in a loving relationship with Him - Luke 10:38-42 B. It is how we learn a to and desire for God s presence C. It will give you spiritual so you won t give up - Luke 18:1 D. It brings you into the realm and makes God and His Word real to you; it is the birthing ground for revelation - 2 Kings 6:17 E. It is the key to effectively to others - Acts 13:2 F. Through prayer you receive God s and provisions for your life. - James 4:2 G. It enables you to find for your life - James 1:5 H. Prayer is vital to the devil and his forces - Matthew 26:41 II. LEARN TO PRAY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PRAYER One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. (Luke 1:1) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18) A. Use the Lord s Prayer as a prayer guide Matthew 6:9-13 B. Talking to God is a ; it is not a monologue Prayer is not a one way conversation! C. Prayer is just not talking to God; it is also learning to to God. D. Use the A.C.T.S. method of personal prayer (Bill Hybels) Adoration Focuses on God s character and worships Him for who He is. Confession Focuses on dealing with sin specifically and cleansing your conscience from guilt or condemnation. Thanks Thanking the Lord for all He has done; answered prayers, spiritual blessings, relational blessings and material blessings. Supplication Presents your requests to God; prayer for people, family, personal needs, your pastors, etc.
2 III. ESTABLISH AN EFFECTIVE PRAYER LIFE A. Schedule a regular to pray - Luke 5:16 B. Pray early in the - Psalm 5:3, Mark 1:35 C. Find a where it is quiet and has no distractions - Matthew 14:23 D. If possible, pray out so your mind does not wander - Psalm 3:4 E. to God. Learn to distinguish His voice from all others - John 10:4-5 F. Pray over the as you read it, and pray over what God speaks to your heart through the Word - Psalm 119:18 G. Pray to the Father in the name of - John 16:23 H. Pray in - Mark 11:24 I. Pray from a heart and a pure conscience - Psalm 66:18 J. Pray the of God as it is revealed in His Word - 1 John 5:14-15 K. Be in your approach before God, as He wants to give you mercy, grace and help - Hebrews 4:16 L. Use a prayer - Having a prayer list helps to build faith by being able to chart answered prayer! M. Keep a prayer A prayer journal involves keeping a daily spiritual journal, writing down your experiences, observations and reflections on what God has done and what God is saying to you! IV. PRAYERS THAT CAN BE HINDERED A. When there is in your life - Isaiah 59:1-2, Psalm 66:18 B. When there are problems - 1 Peter 3:7 C. When there is disobedience to God s word - Proverbs 28:9 D. When there is in your life - Matthew 5:23-24; Mark 11:25 E. When we pray with motivation - James 4:3 F. When there are in your heart - Ezekiel 14:3 G. When there is - James 1:5-7 V. IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER AND FASTING A. Definition of Fasting Hebrew = TSUM = to cover the mouth 1. It speaks of a special silence, a holy silence. 2. Also means to bring into discipline; to humble the soul. 3. Our mouth is the greatest tool of our destruction that we possess. 4. Fasting is a sign of an inward hunger for God. B. Three Types of Fasting 1. The Fast: abstaining from all food, solid or liquid; but not from water 2. The Fast: abstaining from all food & water Note: Normally never done for more than 3 days 3. The Fast: restriction of diet rather than complete abstention. Usually just fruits/vegetables, or water and juices - Daniel 10:2-3
3 Note: Length of Fasts ONE NIGHT - Daniel 6:18 ONE DAY - Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 14:24 3 DAYS - Esther 4:16 7 DAYS - 1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 2:12 21 DAYS - Daniel 10 40 DAYS - Moses and Jesus **There are no set principles concerning the nature or the length of fasting - be led by God** C. Why Should Christians Fast? One of the most effective ways to increase your spiritual alertness is to combine prayer and fasting. Fasting and prayer is the most powerful weapon the Lord has given to the Christian. (Frank Damazio) 1. Gives in making major decisions -Acts 13:1-3 2. To humble the ; the soul being the rebellious part of man Ezra 8:21-23 3. In dealing with the of the devil 2 Chron. 20:1-3; 20:14-17 4. To loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy bands of the yoke of sin and to let the oppressed go free. (Isaiah 58:6-8) 5. When you or someone else needs. 6. When seeking God s protection and intervention Ezra 8:21-23 7. It increases our to the Lord and changes ordinary prayer into powerful prayer 8. To your spirit and life before God 9. For and understanding of God and His Word Daniel 9:3-4; 9:20-23 10. Jesus set the example for us by fasting - Matthew 4:1-9 11. Helps gain and maintain lives 12. Power and revelation for -Acts 13:2 13. When you understand that fasting is not - Matthew 6:16-18 14. The New Testament church fasted - Acts 13:1-3; 14:21-23; 2 Cor.11:23-28 CHALLENGE: This week commit to pray 30 minutes at the start of each day using the A.C.T.S. model as a guide.
4 THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER CHRISTIANITY 101 - LESSON 3 (TEACHER S NOTES) Prayer is perhaps the area of our lives in which Satan attacks us the hardest. Many believers find it difficult to spend more then 10 minutes a day praying in English, or their prayer time is on the run while doing other things. It is quite natural and inevitable that if we spend sixteen hours daily of our waking life in thinking about the affairs of the world, and five minutes in thinking about God this world will seem 200 times more real to us than God. Dean Inge I. GET MOTIVATED TO PRAY BY SEEING THE BENEFITS OF PRAYER A. It enables us to know God and grow in a loving relationship with Him - Luke 10:38-42 B. It is how we learn a sensitivity to and desire for God s presence C. It will give you spiritual endurance so you won t give up - Luke 18:1 D. It brings you into the spiritual realm and makes God and His Word real to you; it is the birthing ground for revelation - 2 Kings 6:17 E. It is the key to effectively minister to others - Acts 13:2 F. Through prayer you receive God s blessings and provisions for your life. - James 4:2 G. It enables you to find direction for your life - James 1:5 H. Prayer is vital to overcome the devil and his forces - Matthew 26:41 II. LEARN TO PRAY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PRAYER One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. (Luke 1:1) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18) A. Use the Lord s Prayer as a model prayer guide Matthew 6:9-13 B. Talking to God is a dialogue; it is not a monologue Prayer is not a one way conversation! C. Prayer is just not talking to God; it is also learning to listen to God. D. Use the A.C.T.S. method of personal prayer (Bill Hybels) Adoration Focuses on God s character and worships Him for who He is. Confession Focuses on dealing with sin specifically and cleansing your conscience from guilt or condemnation. Thanks Thanking the Lord for all He has done; answered prayers, spiritual blessings, relational blessings and material blessings. Supplication Presents your requests to God; prayer for people, family, personal needs, your pastors, etc.
5 III. ESTABLISH AN EFFECTIVE PRAYER LIFE A. Schedule a regular time to pray - Luke 5:16 B. Pray early in the morning - Psalm 5:3 C. Find a place where it is quiet and has no distractions - Matthew 14:23 D. If possible, pray out loud so your mind does not wander - Psalm 3:4 E. Listen to God. Learn to distinguish His voice from all others - John 10:4-5 F. Pray over the Word of God as you read it, and pray over what God speaks to your heart through the Word - Psalm 119:18 G. Pray to the Father in the name of Jesus - John 16:23 H. Pray in faith - Mark 11:24 I. Pray from a clean heart and a pure conscience - Psalm 66:18 J. Pray the will of God as it is revealed in His Word - 1 John 5:14 K. Be bold in your approach before God, as He wants to give you mercy, grace and help - Hebrews 4:16 L. Use a prayer list - Having a prayer list helps to build faith by being able to chart answered prayer! M. Keep a prayer journal A prayer journal involves keeping a daily spiritual journal, writing down your experiences, observations and reflections on what God has done and what God is saying to you! IV. PRAYERS THAT CAN BE HINDERED A. When there is sin in your life - Isaiah 59:1-2, Psalm 66:18 B. When there are marital problems - 1 Peter 3:7 C. When there is willful disobedience to God s word - Proverbs 28:9 D. When there is unforgiveness in your life - Matthew 5:23-24, 6:9-13, Mark 11:25 E. When we pray with selfish motivation - James 4:3 F. When there are idols in your heart - Ezekiel 14:3 G. When there is unbelief - James 1:5-7 V. IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER AND FASTING A. Definition of Fasting Hebrew = TSUM = to cover the mouth 1. It speaks of a special silence, a holy silence. 2. Also means to bring into discipline; to humble the soul. 3. Our mouth is the greatest tool of our destruction that we possess. 4. Fasting is a sign of an inward hunger for God. B. Three Types of Fasting 1. The Normal Fast: abstaining from all food, solid or liquid; but not from water 2. The Absolute Fast: abstaining from all food & water Note: Normally never done for more than 3 days 3. The Daniel Fast: restriction of diet rather than complete abstention. Usually just fruits/vegetables, or water and juices - Daniel 10:2-3
6 Note: Length of Fasts ONE NIGHT - Daniel 6:18 ONE DAY - Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 14:24 3 DAYS - Esther 4:16 7 DAYS - 1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 2:12 21 DAYS - Daniel 10 40 DAYS - Moses and Jesus **There are no set principles concerning the nature or the length of fasting - be led by God** C. Why Should Christians Fast? One of the most effective ways to increase your spiritual alertness is to combine prayer and fasting. Fasting and prayer is the most powerful weapon the Lord has given to the Christian. (Frank Damazio) 1. Gives wisdom in making major decisions - Luke 6:12-16 2. To humble the soul; the soul being the rebellious part of man 3. In dealing with the schemes of the devil 4. To loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy bands of the yoke of sin and to let the oppressed go free. (Isaiah 58:6-8) 5. When you or someone else needs physical healing. 6. When seeking God s protection and intervention 7. It increases our sensitivity to the Lord and changes ordinary prayer into powerful prayer 8. To purify your spirit and life before God 9. For revelation and understanding of God and His Word 10. Jesus set the example for us by fasting - Matthew 4:1-9 11. Helps gain and maintain disciplined lives 12. Power and revelation for ministry 13. When you understand that fasting is not optional - Matthew 6:16-18 14. The New Testament church fasted - Acts 13:1-3; 14:21-23; 2 Cor.11:23-28 CHALLENGE: This week commit to pray 30 minutes at the start of each day, using the A.C.T.S. model as a guide.