lesson 5

Prayer

What is prayer?

What does the BIBLE

Say about prayer?

Psalm 18:6In my distress I called to the Lord;I cried to my God for help.From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

What do we do with our bodies when we pray?

1 Kings 8:54When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.

Exodus 4:31and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Matthew 26:3939 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

1 Kings 8:22Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven

THE POINT:

You need to pray in whatever way you can best concentrate!

Praying is talking to God. We need to be focused on Him when we talk to Him.

In the Bible there are examples of people praying on their knees, standing, with their

faces touching the ground, or with their heads bowed.

Are there things we

NEED to do when we pray?

YES!

What do we do with our minds while we pray?

Be Humble2 Chronicles 7:14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Whole Heartedness

Jeremiah 29:13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

FaithMark 11:24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

RighteousnessJames 5:16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Obedience1 John 3:22and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

Does God hear our prayers?

Yes!

Does He always listen?

Yes.But, These

things can get in the way!

Disobedience

Deuteronomy 1:45You came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you.

Secret Sin

Psalm 66:18If I had cherished sin in my heart,the Lord would not have listened

Not Caring

Proverbs 1:28“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;they will look for me but will not find me

Stubbornness

Zechariah 7:13“‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Doubt

James 1:6-7

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Selfishness

James 4:3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Don’t let these things get in

the way!

And if they do…Ask for

Forgiveness!!!

When do you pray?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-1816 Rejoice always, 17 pray

continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s

will for you in Christ Jesus.

We should learn to be connected to God through

prayer “Continually”

What can we pray for?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNSOeEeqoS0

Anything!!!!

1 John 5:14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his

will, He hears us.

What if we don’t know

what to pray for?

Romans 8:26-2726 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our

weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us

through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the

Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

The Holy Spirit will

“plead” to God for us!

Prayer is our weapon against evil;

use it!