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Summary: The Fundamentals of Prayer

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A. Various Aspects of Prayer

1. Adoration (Ps.104:1, 145:1-3). Not found in Bible. It is however, the demonstration of great love, devotion, and respect: it is worshipping or paying homage to God. It sets the tone for our prayer life

2. Communication (Gen. 3:8-10, Dan 9:3-6, Acts 9:10-16.) Described as 1) people speaking to God, 2) people and God in dialogue, and 3) God speaking to people in a circumstance in which they are inclined to hear His voice.

3. Communion (Gen. 18:17,23-33, Ex. 25:22, 2 Cor. 13:14, Phil. 2:1, 1 Jn 1:3). Indicates fellowship and social communication at its most intimate. It carries the idea of a close partnership or a merging of spirits into a blessed oneness, like the intertwining of cords into a single rope.

4. Confession (Lev. 16:21-22, Ezra 10:10-11, Psalm 51:3-4, Dan. 9:4-5, Rom 10:9, 1 John 1:9). Confession is simply the acknowledgment of a fact about oneself or another. That acknowledgment can be either a disclosure of one's sins as a act of penance or an affirmation of god's greatness and goodness.

5. Contrition (Ps. 34:18, Isa. 57:15). Contrition is the act of grieving and being truly sorry for one's sins and shortcomings. It is an attitude of the heart involving humility, brokenness of spirit, admission of sin, and grief for short coming; at the same time it implores God for His mercy.

6. Entreaty (Ex. 8:8-9, James 3:7). Means to plead or ask urgently, especially in order to persuade.

7. Intercession (Isa. 53:12, Rom. 8:26-27). Means the "act of one or more persons, human or divine, making entreaty to God in behalf of another person or persons"

8. Meditation (Ps. 1:1-2, 63:5-6, 1 Tim 4:15). Means to "rehearse and ponder in the mind for the purpose of a more complete understanding, assimilation, and application of truth."

9. Petition (Ezra 8:23, 1 Sam. 1:17, Acts 23:15, Heb. 5:7, Phil. 4:6). Means "an earnest request', "something asked for or requested."

10. Praying in the Spirit (Acts 2:4, Rom 8:26-27, 1 Cor. 14:14-15, Eph. 6:18, Jude 20). Defined as that praying which springs from the merging of human spirit with the Holy Spirit, issuing in a prayerful utterance in an unknown tongue.

11. Submission (Heb. 13:17). This is a condition of effective prayer.

12. Supplication (1 Kings 8:33-34, Ps. 30:8). It is the act of making humble and earnest entreaty for favor, especially to God.

13. Thanksgiving (Ps. 69:30, Ps. 118:1, Phil. 4:6, 1 Thess. 5:17). An expression of gratitude. The acknowledgment of divine goodness, the prayerful expression of gratitude to God, whether spoken or unspoken, in song, music, or an unknown tongue.

14. Travail (Gal. 4:19). The intense application by prayer to the point of inward agony and pain in behalf of spiritual pursuits, including the birthing and development of souls and ministries in the kingdom of God.

15. Worship (Ps. 29:2, John 4:23-24). Worship is reverence extended to God; it is the act of expressing that reverence ,admiration, or devotion.

B. Learning to live your life in prayer and intercession as Jesus commanded:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:44)

The healing and freedom that God’s forgiveness brings will flow freely to a cold world only from a heart that is warmed by God’s love. When you pray for others, you become a conduit of God’s love. His love flows through you to those for whom you are praying.

1. Prayer is the dynamic that gives you the ability to do those things you know you cannot do on your own.

2. It is a spiritual umbilical cord to your heavenly Father!

3. It is an act of worship, the communion of your soul with God.

4. It is your spirit working with the Holy Spirit to make changes and fine-tune those changes so that you might "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)

5. Prayer is a personal experience, not a philosophy or a theology.

6. It is to be your transcendent venture of faith and your steadfast response to the hand of God in your life—the only way to adjust to God’s plans for you.

7. Prayer is the application of the heart to GOD, and the eternal exercise of love

We are to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. v 17). Jesus said " I say unto you all, watch and pray" (Mark 8:33, 37): all therefore may, and all ought to practice prayer.

We should live by prayer, as we should live by love "I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that ye may be rich " (Rev 3:8), this is much more easily obtained than we can conceive" Come, all ye that are athirst, to these living waters"; nor lose your precious moments in "hewing out cisterns, broken cisterns that will hold no water" (John 7:37; Jer ii. 13)

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