A Life Of Prayer

Matthew 7:7-11

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Jesus is teaching about the privilege we have to converse with our heavenly Father.

Prayer is how communicate with God as we humbly and sincerely seek His face.

Jesus admonishes us to be faithful and persistent in making our requests known to God.

If we neglect to pray, we deprive ourselves of a divine blessings God wants to give us.

We can go to God in faith knowing He hears us our prayers.

In His model prayer, Jesus gives us the ACTS of prayer.

The ACTS of Prayer:

Adoration & Praise – Prayer allows us to worship and praise the Lord.

Confession – Prayer allows us to confess our sins, which leads into genuine repentance.

Thankfulness – Prayer can be a simple time of expressing humble gratitude to the giver of Life.

Supplication & Intercession – Prayer grants the opportunity to present our requests to God.

When we have faith, prayer opens the door to God – We must choose disbelief over belief.

No human power including governments can stop it, nor can any enemies in the spiritual realm.

Here's what the great Charles Spurgeon had to say the power of prayer, “Prayer is an open door which none can shut. Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy’s hand.”

God is always ready to listen and He leaves the line of communication constantly open.

Jesus taught us about prayer was the ultimate example of living a faithful life of prayer

Jesus prayed regularly – The Gospels are full of references of times spent in prayer by Jesus.

He knew the importance of staying in constant communication with His Heavenly Father.

-Jesus prayed alone – It’s very important for us to understand the need to pray in solitude.

Mark 1:35 -“Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.”

Luke 5:16 “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”

We need to always find time in our day to spend alone with God in one on one conversation.

This point is illustrated so well in the lyrics of the old hymn, In the Garden:

I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses;

And the voice I hear coming on my hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.

-Jesus prayed with others – Corporate prayer is an important part of the life of the church.

When we are together as a body in prayer, it edifies and unifies as one sharing a common faith.

It was as a body that Jesus taught us to pray in His Sermon on the Mount. “Our Father”

When we prayer the Lord’s Prayer, do we not pray it together as a body of Christ?

In Acts 1:12-14 demonstrates the importance of Christians praying together.

"Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus."

It's demonstrated again in Acts 2:42, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer."

Prayer shouldn't just be something we do...It should be a way of life.

Today let’s commit to a life of faithful and intentional prayer, individually & corporately.

With strong faith and joyful excitement, let’s begin the journey with lifting prayers to God.

1. Let us pray for proper motivation as we unite in praying for more love for Christ& others.