Review - The Purpose of this Series:
The Bible says that developing and maintaining spiritual disciplines is God’s will for you.
"...that you may become mature Christians and may fulfill God's will for you."
So far in this series we have looked at the topics of “How to Get a Grasp On Your Bible” and “The Habit of a Daily Time with God.” In the messages on the “habit of spending a daily time with God” we looked at how we might begin and maintain a daily quiet time. This is where we spend time with God by reading and reflecting on Scripture and praying.
Today we will look more in-depth on the topic of prayer in our lesson called, “The Habit of Prayer - Talking with God”.
The Habit of Prayer - Talking with God
In Romans 12 Paul exhorts Christians to offer themselves to God as a result of the blessings of God given them in Christ Jesus. One of the offerings listed in this chapter is the habit of prayer.
"Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come, endure them patiently; steadfastly maintain THE HABIT OF PRAYER." Rom. 12:12 (Ph)
A June 29, 2000 article entitled, For Seniors, Prayer is Good for Body and Soul by Kathleen Fackelmann, of USA TODAY cited a study that reported that relatively healthy seniors who pray or meditate may add years to their lives.
"This is one of the first studies showing that people who pray live longer," says Harold Koenig, one of the researchers at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Koenig and colleagues describe the study in the Journal of Gerontology.
Koenig and his colleagues studied nearly 4,000 mostly Christian men and women 65 and older from 1986 to 1992. The team asked the seniors about health problems and whether the seniors prayed, meditated or read the Bible. Researchers discovered that relatively healthy seniors who said they rarely or never prayed ran about a 50% greater risk of dying during the six-year study compared with seniors who prayed at least once a month. People who prayed once a month got the same protection as those who prayed more often, the researchers say.
In another article called, Praying Aids Mental Health, we find that people who pray frequently have better mental health.
The British study reports that “People who pray frequently are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.”
A study by psychologists from Sheffield Hallam University looks into what aspects of religious observance are particularly likely to influence mental well-being. They studied 251 men and 223 women aged between 18 and 29, and measured their reasons for having a religious belief, the frequency with which they attended church and their tendency to depression.
Women were more likely to be religious than men, but for both the frequency with which they prayed was strongly associated with fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. The researchers, led by Dr John Maltby, say their findings suggest that the relationship between mental health and religion is linked to the way people use prayer to deal with stress.
Today we will look briefly at a spiritual habit that can add years to your life—the habit of prayer.
(Mat 6:5 NKJV) "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
(Mat 6:6 NKJV) "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
(Mat 6:7 NKJV) "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
(Mat 6:8 NKJV) "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
In Matthew 6, Jesus gives His disciples a lesson on prayer. In verses 5-8, Jesus teaches His disciples how to approach prayer with the correct attitude. In verses 9-13 He teaches His disciples how to approach prayer using the correct structure or model.
I. Approach Prayer With the Right Attitude
Be real.
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men." (vs. 5)
Don't try to impress others. “KJV prayers”
Don't try to impress God.
When my 3 year old daughter Rosie calls upstairs to me asking for candy, she doesn’t beat around the bush with flowery words like, “Daddy, would you do me the favor of gathering for me some corn syrup and sugar combined with artificial and natural flavors, and hydrogenated oil and carnauba wax?”
No, she says, “Daddy can I have some candy?”
When my daughter Sophia was born 19 years almost three months early. She weighed in at 2 lbs., 2 ½ ounces and was having difficulty breathing at the time of her delivery. Deb and I didn’t pray, “Lord, heal Sophia’s capillaries and the villi of the lining of her lungs…”
No, we prayed, “Lord, please help our baby to breathe!”
Some of us need to stop trying to impress God and impress each other. Be real! Secondly, be relaxed.
Be relaxed - Get alone with God, be yourself.
"But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (vs. 6)
Be revealing.
A deacon at a church I used to attend would pray practically the same prayer each time he got up—“Father I stretch my hand to Thee...” This deacon sounded good and made people feel good but it was what I call a “performance.”
Jesus would prefer that we be real, relaxed and revealing. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God knows the very “thoughts and intents of our hearts” so we don’t need to be pretentious. Jesus says:
"Don't recite the same prayer over and over as the heathens do, who think prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again. Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask Him!" (vs. 7-8 LB)
We can develop a habit of prayer by (1) Approaching prayer with the right attitude and (2) Using the model that Jesus gave us.
II. Use the Model That Jesus Gave Us
(Mat 6:9 NKJV) "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
(Mat 6:10 NKJV) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
(Mat 6:11 NKJV) Give us this day our daily bread.
(Mat 6:12 NKJV) And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
(Mat 6:13 NKJV) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13 "This, then, is HOW you should pray ..."
The Six Parts of Prayer
1. Praise: I Begin By expressing my love to God.
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.." (Matthew 6:9)
Notice you aren’t asking God for anything at this time. Most of our prayers start out with “Gimme…” or “Do this…” and “Do that…”
(Prov 30:15a NKJV) The leech has two daughters; Give and Give!…
The word "leech," is derived from an Arabic root meaning "to adhere" and is translated in later Hebrew literature as "bloodsucker." The leech, then, is a figure for the greedy and insatiable appetite of human desires and some of our prayers sound like they are coming from a leech.
I imagine that when some of us pray, the angelic host announces to the Godhead, “Oh no, here comes another of those bloodsucking prayers—someone’s trying to “leech” their way into the throne room of God.”
Jesus teaches His disciples to begin their prayers not by asking but first by expressing their love to God—this is “praise.”
Two Kinds of Praise:
"ADORATION" - Praising God for who He is.
"THANKSGIVING" - Praising God for what He has done.
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Ps. 100:4
Not only do we begin prayer with praise but we begin corporate worship with the same. We come to church and meet together to adore the Lord and give thanks to His Name—this is praise!
Look with me at 3 ways we can praise God in our prayers.
How To Praise God: (Using the 5 Prayer Guides)
1st: As you read your Bible, make a list of God's character qualities that you discover and then review them when you pray.
Prayer Guide 1- Character Traits of God
Trait: Reference:
Faithful II Cor. 1:20 - For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him
Amen, to the glory of God through us.
Righteous II Timothy 4:8 – “…the Lord, the righteous Judge…”
The Light John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not
walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Examples:
God is patient Num. 14: l8
God is merciful Num. 14:18
God is forgiving Num. 14.18
God knows everything I Sam. 2:2
God is loving I John 4:8
KEY: God’s character is the basis for our boldness in making requests in prayer. God answers the prayers that acknowledge who He is!
We can pray something like, “Oh God, bless our church with the provisions needed to complete our renovation. You have demonstrated your faithfulness to your promises in the past and we know that you will continue because even when we are faithful, you remain faithful because you cannot go against your own character.” (2 Timothy 2:13)
Or: “Lord be merciful to those who have come against our church. You have said in your Word that you are longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Lord, help us to reach our community with the Gospel—even those who do not want us here.” (2 Peter 3:9)
2nd: Remind yourself and affirm the promises God has made that are contained in the meaning of His names.
Prayer Guide 2 - The Names of God
8 Hebrew Names of God - Declare Who God Is
In the Bible God communicates to His children His character; He does so through His Names. You and I can praise the Lord by acknowledging in our prayers what God had said about Himself.
Jehovah-Shammah - "God is Present with me" (Ezekial 48:35)
You are here! I am never alone!
Jehovah-Rohi - "God is my Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1)
You lead me and feed me and protect me!
Jehovah-Jireh - "God is my Provider" (Gen. 22: 14)
You see what I need before I even ask!
Jehovah-Rophe - " God is my Healer" (Exodus 15:26)
You can heal my body, emotions, and relationships!
Jehovah-Tsidkenu - " God is my Righteousness" (Jer. 23:6)
You accept me and forgive me because of Jesus!
Jehovah-M'Kiddish - " God is my Sanctification" (Lev. 20:8)
You make me holy and like Jesus!
Jehovah-Shalom - "God is my Peace" (Judges 6:24)
You give me peace in spite of circumstances!
Jehovah-Nissi - "God is my Banner" (Exodus 17:15)
You are my victory in conflict and confrontation!
When you and I think of what these names mean and their implication on our lives we will have plenty to praise God for!
Review: We begin our prayer with praise. We can praise God by 1st: making a list of God's character qualities that you discover and then review them when you pray. 2nd: Reminding yourself and affirming the promises God has made relating to His Names.
3rd: Make a list of all that you are thankful for and review them when you pray.
Prayer Guide 3 - My Thanksgiving List
My salvation, my wife, my children, my extended family,
my calling into the ministry, my church family,
Our mission and vision, my job
The first part of prayer that Jesus modeled was “praise.” The second part of the model prayer is purpose.
2. Purpose: I Commit Myself to God’s purpose for my life
"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven ..." (Matthew 6:10)
Pray for God's will to be done ... in my family ... my church ... my ministry ... my job ... my future ... my city ... the nation ... the world.
Notice you aren’t asking God to bless your agenda. God’s purpose for your life may be something that you do not want, initially—(Leslie Dorsey prayed God’s blessings for George Bush even when she had reservations about His legitimacy.)
Over the past year we have been asking God to help us become a “purpose-driven church” This is only realized as each one of us becomes “purpose-driven Christians.”
Paul in Roman 12:2 teaches us how to pray for God’s purpose for our lives:
"Offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his Service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer." Rom. 12:2 (GN)
The third part of the model prayer is provision.
3. Provision: I Ask God To provide my needs
"Give us today our daily bread..." (Matthew 6:11)
What needs can I pray about? All my needs
"God will supply all your needs from his riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us."
Phil. 4:19 (LB)
"Since God did not spare even his own Son for us but gave him up for us, won't he also surely give us everything else?" Rom. 8:32
"You do not have... because you do not ask God!" James 4:2
The Key: Be specific
Write down your requests, with a promise you are claiming from the Bible, and expect an answer!
Prayer Guide 4 - My Personal Requests
Date - January – April 2000
Request -“Be glorified in giving us the Land”
Promise - Psalm 37: 3-5, 9, 11, 29, 34
Date Answered - April 5, 2000
"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God." Phil. 4:6
4. Pardon: I Ask God To forgive my sins.
"Forgive us our debts ..." (Matthew 6:12)
4 Steps to Forgiveness
a. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal every sin.
"Examine me, 0 God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me ". Ps. 139:23-24
b. Confess each sin specifically. Avoid “blanket confessions”
"You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you." Prov. 28:13 (GN)
c. Make necessary restitution to others when necessary.
"When you remember your brother has something against you... go at once to make peace with him, then come back and offer your gift to God." Matt. 5:23-24 (GN)
d. By faith, accept God's forgiveness. Avoid the heresy of trying to “forgive yourself.”
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
(Psa 103:11 NKJV) For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
(Psa 103:12 NKJV) As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
(Micah 7:19 NKJV) He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.
5. People: I Pray For God’s mercy. Avoid harboring bitterness, resentment and a spirit of vengeance.
"... as we have also forgive our debtors."
"Pray much for others; plead for God's mercy upon them; give thanks for all he is going to do for them."
1 Tim. 2:1 (LB)
If you want to know how to pray for others ...
Check out the prayers of Paul:
Eph. 1:15-19, Col. 1:3-12, I Th. 1:2-3, 2 Th. 1:l1-12
Make a prayer list of people you want to pray for. You might pray for different people on different days of the week.
Prayer Guide 5 - People I'm Praying For
Family
Christian Friends
Friends I'd like see become Christians
Spiritual Leaders
Government Leaders
Others
6. Protection: I Ask For God’s deliverance.
"And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13)
Believers face a spiritual battle everyday. Satan wants to defeat you through temptation and fear. By praying for protection, you will have the confidence to face every situation during the day.
"the Spirit who is in you is more powerful than the spirit who is in those who belong to the world"
I John 4:4 (GN)
Conclusion:
The Bible says that developing and maintaining spiritual disciplines is God’s will for you and for me.
Today we looked at how we might cultivate the habit of prayer. Let's review how we are to do this:
First, we begin by approaching prayer with the right attitude
1. Be real.
2. Be relaxed
3. Be revealing
Secondly, we use the model that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6:5-13.
The Six Parts of Prayer
1. Praise: I Begin By __expressing my love to God__
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.." (Matthew 6:9)
Praise God by using the 5 Prayer Guides:
Prayer Guide 1- Character Traits of God
Prayer Guide 2 - The Names of God
Prayer Guide 3 - My Thanksgiving List
Prayer Guide 4 - My Personal Requests
Prayer Guide 5 - People I'm Praying For
2. Purpose: I commit myself to God’s purpose for my life.
"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven ..." (Matthew 6:10)
3. Provision: I ask God to provide my needs.
"Give us today our daily bread..." (Matthew 6:11)
4. Pardon: I ask God to forgive my sins
"Forgive us our debts ..." (Matthew 6:12a)
5. People: I pray for God’s mercy.
"... as we have also forgive our debtors."
(Matthew 6:12b)
6. Protection: I Ask For God’s deliverance.
"And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13)
The Bible teaches that if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, the prayer you ought to pray is for salvation. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
According to the Bible, you must agree with God that you have been trying to life by your own terms
--this is called sin. You must turn away from your sin and come by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness.
You can be born again today and on your way to cultivating the habit of prayer that we talked about today. And it all begins with a prayer of repentance.
Pray with me: “Lord Jesus, I have sinned against you. I have been trying to run my own life according to my own rules. I believe that you died to take my sin away. I trust you now as my Savior from sin and the Boss of my life.
Amen”
