Praying Together With Others Series

THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER #2: TOGETHER WITH OTHERS

CHILDREN’S PRAYERS:

Dear God: Please help me is school. I need help in spelling, adding, history, geography and writing. I don’t need help in anything else. Lois, 9

Dear God: Please send a new baby for Mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much. Debbie, 7

Dear God: Who did you make smarter? Boys or girls? My sister and I want to know. Jimmy, 6

Dear God; I am saying my prayers for me and my brother, Billy, because Billy is six months old and he can’t do anything but sleep and wet his diapers. Diane, 8

Dear God: This is my prayer. Could you please give my brother some brains. So far he doesn’t have any. Angela, 8

THE SUMMER OF SEEKING:

Every Sunday from 6-7 pm this summer. Come and join us.

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13).

OPENING TEXT:

“Now it came to pass, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1).

• If you wanted to learn how to fish, who would you go to? Mark or Morgan.

• If you wanted to learn how to make a marvelous mocha, who would you go to? Larry.

• If you wanted to learn how to rock out on the guitar, who would you go to? Ken.

• Who would you go to if you wanted to learn how to pray? A master prayer warrior:

• This summer, we are going to Jesus and saying, “Lord, teach us to pray!”

KEY TEXT:

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19-20).

• In this Scripture, Jesus teaches us the power of the prayer of agreement.

• What does it mean to agree? Greek word, sumphoneo, means ‘to sound together, be in accord, be in harmony, to agree together in prayer.” (Spirit-filled Life Bible).

• This is more than just agreeing about your prayer request, it means your lives are in agreement – in peace and unity in Christ!

THE BIG IDEA: One of the most important lessons we can learn in prayer is the power of agreeing together with other believers. When we pray together, miraculous things happen.

DRAMATIZE THE BIBLE STORY: (Daniel 2:1-23).

The Cast: The King, three wise men, Captain Arioch, two soldiers, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah.

Background: In chapter one, many young Hebrews were carried away captive to Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel and his three friends were among them.

“1 One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that disturbed him so much that he couldn’t sleep. The king said, “I’m so disturbed, I can’t sleep!”

2 He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. 3 The king said, "I have had a dream that troubles me. Tell me what I dreamed, for I must know what it means." 4 Then the wise men said, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means."

5 But the king said, "I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be demolished into heaps of rubble! The wise men said, “Ouch!”

6 But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!”

• Basically the king was giving them an ultimatum – tell me what my dream means, or die!

10 The wise men replied in a really whiny voice, "There isn’t a man alive who can tell Your Majesty his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any wise man! You’re not fair!”

12 The king was furious when he heard this (give them your angriest face and growl!), and he sent out orders to execute all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends.

14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. 15 He asked Arioch, "Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?" So Arioch told him all that had happened.