Foundations:Foundations:Prayer, Pt. 3Prayer, Pt. 3

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What is prayer?What is prayer?

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Review:Review:

Understanding God’s Understanding God’s dwelling place changes how dwelling place changes how I prayI pray

My forgiveness by Christ is My forgiveness by Christ is contingent upon my contingent upon my willingness to forgive those willingness to forgive those who’ve sinned against mewho’ve sinned against me

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Review:Review:

I approach God I approach God persistently, humbly, persistently, humbly, trusting and surrenderingtrusting and surrendering

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Foundational Truth:Foundational Truth:

◦Prayer is a powerful tool Prayer is a powerful tool of communication that of communication that yields great results when yields great results when handled correctlyhandled correctly

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Warm SpitWarm Spit

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Then the LORD said to Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, Moses, "Go down, because your people, because your people, whom you brought up out whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become of Egypt, have become corrupt. corrupt.

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They have been quick to They have been quick to turn away from what I turn away from what I commanded them and commanded them and have made themselves an have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a idol cast in the shape of a calf. calf.

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They have bowed down to They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of brought you up out of Egypt.'Egypt.'

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"I have seen these people," the "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them anger may burn against them and that I may and that I may destroy themdestroy them. . Then Then I will make you I will make you into a into a great nation."great nation."

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But Moses But Moses sought the favor sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your anger burn against your people, whom you your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty great power and a mighty hand? hand?

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Why should the Egyptians say, Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the wipe them off the face of the earth'? earth'? TurnTurn from your fierce from your fierce anger; relent and do not anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. bring disaster on your people.

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Remember your servants Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance will be their inheritance forever.’ ”forever.’ ”

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Then Then the LORD relentedthe LORD relented and did not bring on his and did not bring on his people the disaster he people the disaster he had threatened- Exodus had threatened- Exodus 32:7-1432:7-14

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Cow-soup, anyone?Cow-soup, anyone?

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Freebie: A god you can Freebie: A god you can drink isn’t much of a drink isn’t much of a god…god…

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Did Moses’ prayer change Did Moses’ prayer change God’s mind?God’s mind?

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Problem: Using an Problem: Using an understanding of God to understanding of God to interpret scripture rather interpret scripture rather than interpreting than interpreting scripture to better scripture to better understand Godunderstand God

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Note: Moses’ prayer is Note: Moses’ prayer is based on God’s cbased on God’s characterharacter and God’s Wand God’s Wordord

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Prayer moves the hand of GodPrayer moves the hand of God

““Until now you have not asked Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and and you will receive, and your joy will be complete”- your joy will be complete”- John 16:24John 16:24

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““In my name”???In my name”???

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Prayer according to Christ’s Prayer according to Christ’s name is in keeping with his name is in keeping with his nnatureature and his L and his Lordshipordship

Therefore, biblical prayer Therefore, biblical prayer never demands of God, nor never demands of God, nor asks for that which God asks for that which God would never givewould never give

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Prayer moves the hand of GodPrayer moves the hand of God

““You do not have, You do not have, because because you do not ask Godyou do not ask God. When . When you ask, you do not receive, you ask, you do not receive, because because you ask with wrong you ask with wrong motivesmotives, that you may spend , that you may spend what you get on your what you get on your pleasures”- Jas. 4:2-3pleasures”- Jas. 4:2-3

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Arguing and fighting come Arguing and fighting come from coveting rather than from coveting rather than seeking Godseeking God

Biblical prayer is motivated Biblical prayer is motivated by something other than a by something other than a desire to serve myselfdesire to serve myself

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If I can’t aIf I can’t asksk God for it and God for it and ttrustrust his answer, it’s his answer, it’s probably not his will for probably not his will for meme

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Prayer moves the hand of GodPrayer moves the hand of God

Which of you, if his son asks for Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? him a snake?

If you, then, though you are evil, If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give will your Father in heaven give good gifts good gifts to those who ask to those who ask him!him!- Matt. 7:9-11- Matt. 7:9-11

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Who God is guarantees Who God is guarantees that he:that he:

◦Is generousIs generous

◦Wants to bless us with Wants to bless us with good giftsgood gifts

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Am I asking in prayer? Am I asking in prayer? What am I asking for? What am I asking for?

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Powerful PrayerPowerful Prayer::

George Muller= having fGeorge Muller= having faithaith

But when he asks, he must believe But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord- Jas. receive anything from the Lord- Jas. 1:6-71:6-7

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Should I believe that God Should I believe that God cancan? ?

Or that God Or that God willwill??

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Powerful PrayerPowerful Prayer::

Billy Graham= LBilly Graham= Livingiving the faith the faith

The prayer of a righteous man is The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective- Jas.5:16powerful and effective- Jas.5:16

ContextContext: Mutual confession of : Mutual confession of sinsin

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Powerful PrayerPowerful Prayer::

A rA relationshipelationship centered on faith centered on faith

Husbands, in the same way be Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, gift of life, so that nothing will so that nothing will hinder your prayershinder your prayers- 1 Peter 3:7- 1 Peter 3:7

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If my wife and I are If my wife and I are fighting and I’m unwilling fighting and I’m unwilling to humble myself and to humble myself and make peace, I wasting my make peace, I wasting my breath in prayerbreath in prayer

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Powerful PrayerPowerful Prayer::

Faithful sFaithful submissionubmission to God’s will to God’s will and Wordand Word

This is the This is the confidenceconfidence we have in we have in approaching God: that if we ask approaching God: that if we ask anything anything according to his willaccording to his will, , he hears us. And if we know he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we that he hears us--whatever we ask--ask--we know that we havewe know that we have what what we asked of him- 1 John 5:14-15we asked of him- 1 John 5:14-15

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Why should I submit my Why should I submit my prayers to God’s will?prayers to God’s will?

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A God who doesn’t know A God who doesn’t know best isn’t worth fbest isn’t worth followingollowing

A God who aA God who answersnswers every every prayer just the way I pray prayer just the way I pray is no longer Godis no longer God

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Powerful PrayerPowerful Prayer::

UUnrelentingnrelenting faith faith

"Ask and it will be given to "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be knock and the door will be opened to you”- Matt. 7:7opened to you”- Matt. 7:7

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God didn’t come through…God didn’t come through…Now what do I do?Now what do I do?

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““My grace is sufficient for My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”- 2 perfect in weakness”- 2 Cor. 12:9Cor. 12:9

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If any man lacks wisdom…- JamesIf any man lacks wisdom…- James

To keep me from becoming To keep me from becoming conceited conceited because of these because of these surpassingly great revelations, surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me- 2 Cor. 12:7to torment me- 2 Cor. 12:7

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When we spend our time When we spend our time focusing on what we’ve focusing on what we’ve had and lost, we miss the had and lost, we miss the gift God has for us todaygift God has for us today

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What if:What if:

I prayed every day?I prayed every day?

I believed God can and will if I believed God can and will if it’s his best for me?it’s his best for me?

I lived the faith and refused I lived the faith and refused to be discouraged as I to be discouraged as I prayed?prayed?

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““Since the first day that you Since the first day that you set your mind to gain set your mind to gain understanding and to understanding and to humble yourself before your humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, God, your words were heard, and I have come in response and I have come in response to them.”to them.”

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““But the prince of the But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days”- me twenty-one days”- Daniel 10:12-13Daniel 10:12-13

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Layman is here and is who Layman is here and is who we are because faithful we are because faithful people prayedpeople prayed

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Many of us have come to Many of us have come to faith here because people faith here because people prayed for us, believed prayed for us, believed God, invited us, lived out God, invited us, lived out the faith in front of usthe faith in front of us

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How many more might be How many more might be able to tell the same story able to tell the same story in the coming days?in the coming days?