PRAYER AND THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

INTRODUCTION TO PRAYER

What is prayer? Communication with God

How many ways can you communicate with God? Words Deeds Emotions Thoughts Holy Spirit

IS ONE FORM OF PRAYER BETTER THAN ANOTHER?

Yes You will have a form of prayer this is good,

better and best for you. No

God in not really into favoritism and is looking at your heart

Whole hearted prayer is the best prayer.

5 PIECES OF THE PUZZLE

Communication Ask, Seek, Knock

Heart Condition Forgiveness

Conflict and Anger Reconciliation

Pretending Motivation

Words Our of the mouth, the heart

Mat 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Mat 7:8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Mat 7:9 "Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Mat 7:10 "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? Mat 7:11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK

Ask Communicate, talk, request, crave, desire

Seek Look for, search, inquire, discover, worship, plot,

endeavor

Knock Investigate, request entranced, enter into

PIECES OF THE PRAYER PUZZLE

Spend time talking with God in simple prayer

Let God know about your desires and needs

Ask for, listen, request and grow Be passionate about what your heart

desires and passionate to change your heart desires to His will.

ASK

Go beyond conversations and make a plan

Scheme about how to spend time with God

Be driven by love for Him to push away the things of this world and spend time with Him

Worship, show God affection, give Him priority

Work at seeking, put energy into it

SEEK

Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Luk 11:5-10 NASB

KNOCKING

When you lack, have need, short on provision Go to where God dwells and bang on the

door Keep knocking persistently

Not bashful Not downcast Not modest

KNOCK

HEART CONDITION

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Mat 6:14-15 NASB

LIVING IT OUT

When a person comes to the Lord to “get saved” they …? Heart condition Words to express the heart Lifestyle to support the words Changed heart

Forgiveness follows this pattern.

CONFLICT AND ANGER

"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering Mat 5:22-26 NASB

HOW TO DESTROY YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE Anger

Cain and Able Go to them when you have something

against them, go to fix others Seek toleration and not reconciliation Live under the weight of broken

relationships Justify your anger by calling it justice,

righteousness

PRETENDING

"When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Mat 6:5-6 NASB

PRETENDING

Acting a part to fix it. Playing a role to be a part, to get

included Faking it Lying to avoid discomfort or the truth Dealing with the fear of man Dealing with our need to be valued

WORDS

"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Mat 6:7-8 NASB

WORDS

God already knows, so what are your “words” really doing?

What motivates God to answer prayer A lot of words Intensity Putting in a lot of hours Repeating back to God what He has said Knowing secret prayers and phrases God

likes

CONTACT INFO

PeoriaPrayerCenter.org Peoria Prayer Center http://rodneydrury.blogspot.com Rodney Drury Rodney_Drury RodneyDrury@gmail.com

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