How can our prayers be simple, successful and effective? How to pray? When do prayers not reach God? How can we listen to God and make prayer a two-way process? What were the pointers Jesus gives to be effective in prayer?
Successful Prayers
Overview
Passages: Matt 6:5-15, Mark 11:25 Luke 5:16, 11:1-13
Objectives
Prerequisites of prayer
Pre-eminence of God
Petitions to God
Praise to God
Recap
Discussion
OBJECTIVES
To:
- Prepare for prayer by aligning ourselves to God in a relationship
- Honour him alone
- Seek to acquire the big picture and burdens of His heart
- Demonstrate total dependence
Bible Passage
Matt 6:5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [d]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Bible Passage - Cont'd
Matt 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day [e]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [f]evil. [g][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
14 For if you forgive [h]others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive [i]others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Prerequisites of Prayer
Prayer represents:
- Private communion not for public consumption
- Meaningful relationship not Meaningless repetition
- Talking to a God who already knows
- Listening to Him as well
Pre-eminence of God
When we begin our prayer, we soak these aspects in. Four aspects are covered:
- Fatherhood
- Honour
- Kingdom
- Will
Fatherhood
We approach a loving father on a higher plane
Who has paid for us a high price
Who knows more than even we do
and loves us more than we ever know
Honour
“Hallowed be Thy Name”
Prayers should honour his Holy Name
Reflect His character
God's Kingdom
“Thy kingdom come”
We invoke his kingdom on earth,
Yeild to His control.
God’s - Will
“Thy kingdom come”
We invoke his kingdom on earth,
Yeild to His control.
Petitions to God -
Daily bread (or daily needs)
Forgiveness of sins
Prevention of temptation
Deliverance from evil
Daily Needs
“Give us this day our daily bread”
Only for today
Daily needs
Physical and spiritual
Forgiveness
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”
Releases from all known and unknown hindrances to relationship..
To the extent God has forgiven
Complete not partial
Prevention of temptation
“Lead us not into temptation”
Guide us away from Satan’s traps and God’s trials wherever possible.
God does not tempt but tests
Deliverence from evil
“but deliver us from evil”
From known and unknown attacks of the evil one
Praise to God
His is the:
- Kingdom – FOREVER
- Power – FOREVER
- Glory – FOREVER
Recap
Prerequisites of prayer
- Private communion not for public consumption
- Meaningful relationship not Meaningless repetition
Recap (Cont'd)
- Fatherhood
- Honour
- Kingdom
- Will
Petitions to God
- Bread
- Forgiveness of sins
- Prevention of temptation
- Deliverance from evil
Praise to God
- Kingdom
- Power
- Glory
Discussion
1.How do we ensure a meaningful relationship and private communion during prayer?
2.How can we evolve the right attitude to God acknowledging His pre-eminence in prayer?
3.What are our typical petitions like? How can we change that to make it what it should be?
4.How can we transfer the glory we desire to the God who deserves it during prayer?