Assurance Of Prayer Series

Assurance of Prayer

Blessed Assurance part 5

11/22/09 PM

Text: Hebrews 10:19 (various)

INTRODUCTION

In past lessons we have examined the assurances we have from God. We have seen blessed assurance of Salvation we have from God the Father through His Son:

1 John 5:11 ( NASB ) And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

We have seen that with our assurance of salvation we also have the assurance of hope, having been born again to a living hope:

1 Peter 1:3

And by the sacrifice of Jesus we have the assurance of forgiveness, all our sins nailed to His cross.

Colossians 2:13-14

By our assurance of salvation we have all these and the assurance of prayer.

I. Our Access To The Father

A. Through the Son of God

1. Hebrews 10:19 ( NASB ) Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

B. Through the Spirit of God

1. Romans 8:26 ( NASB ) In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

C. Praying According To His Will

1. 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

a. John 15:1-7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

2. With the right motives “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…” James 4:3a

II. Pray This Way (Matthew 6:5-12)

A. It is between you and the Father v5-6.

Not with meaningless repetition v7-8

Pray then in this way

1. We know from verse 7 that this is a model, it teaches us the elements expected in our prayers.

a. The first is Godward: Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

1) This begins with our Faith: Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

2)

3) And our Adoration: Hallowed be Your Name… For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. (v9, 13)

4) Praying with adoration (worship) reminds us of whom we are addressing, whose presence we have entered, whose attention we have gained.

God is worthy of our adoration, it should be hard to get past “Our Father” without registering how awesome is our God!

5) How Do We Adore Him? What better way than to dwell on the being of God.

6) We can praise God for Righteousness, Faithfulness, Justice, Mercy, Grace, Love, His Attentiveness, His Providence, His Unchanging Nature.

When we go through His attributes in an attitude of adoration and worship our heart soon says “I am praying to an Awesome God!”

b. The second element in this model of prayer is inward.

1) Give us this day our daily bread...Forgive us our debts…Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. (v11, 12, 13)

Trusting in God to meet our needs as He has promised Matthew 6:31 ( NASB ) “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Matthew 7:7-11 God gives what is best for us.

1 John 1:7 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We pray for His protection and deliverance from sin 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one”

c. The third element is Outward

1) Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors (v12)