The Christian And Prayer Series

Prayer is the breath and heartbeat of Christianity. Thus, a prayerless Christian is a dead Christian. Every religious system has a place in it for prayer, but only Christianity offers the privilege of speaking to a living, acting God. For the Christian, God is only a prayer away. Sometimes this is quite a distance. God is willing to listen, why are you unwilling to speak.

I. The Need for Prayer

A. It is expected by God. “when thou prayest.”

1. When you read the Bible, God speaks to you.

2. When you pray, you speak to God.

Note: What if you held the same amount of conversation with your children. As you, a child of God, hold with your heavenly Father.

B. It is necessary for power.

James 5:16; “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

John 14:14; “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”

C. It is needful in times of distress and trouble.

Psalm 138:3; “In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”

D. It is necessary if we are to obtain the blessing of God on our endeavors.

1 Corinthians 10:31; “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

II. The Time and Place for Prayer

A. The time to pray is at every opportunity

1 Thessalonians 5:17; “Pray without ceasing.

1. This means to always be in an attitude of prayer.

2. You can pray without making a production.

B. Private prayer has three essential elements.

• A quiet place

• A quiet hour

• A quiet heart

1. A quiet place

a. At first glance, this would appear to be the hardest to find while it is probably the easiest of the three.

b. If you desire earnest prayer, God will give you your “prayer closet”

2. A quiet hour

a. Late at night

b. Early in the morning

c. In the middle of a busy day

3. A quiet heart

a. This is the key and the stumbling block to most prayer. “Desire”

b. You can close the door on people, but it is hard to shut the door on yourself.

c. True prayer is probably the hardest single job the Christian ever undertakes.

C. What are you willing to pay, for a moment alone with God?

1. Will you take time from family?

2. Will you take time from entertainment and hobbies?

3. Will you take time from self to be with God?

Conclusion: Prayer is your power and your responsibility. The excuse that you do not know how to pray is not acceptable. You have a teacher come from God that will make intercession for you if you desire it. You learn to pray by praying, just as you learn to swim by swimming. You learn to walk by walking. You learn to talk by talking. There are simple helps in God’s word that describe how to pray, but these are only instructions. Without practice you will never learn the true delight of prayer.