“The Spirit Helps Us To Pray”

A Biblical Theology of Prayer

Lesson 6

Prayer of the Later Leaders

And the Prophets

Lessons from Solomon1 Kings 3:4-10 • God desires our dependence

“Ask! What shall I give you?”

• God has made His work contingent on our faith

“You have shown great mercy…because he walk before you…”

• God’s attention is gained by humility

“I do not know how to go out or come in.”

• God requires a certain kind of asking

“Therefore give to your servant an understanding heart.”

• God’s blessing is gained by right attitude

“Because…you have not asked for long life.”

• God is able to do immeasurably more than we ask

“and I have also give you what you have not asked”

Lessons from Elijah What were the characteristics of most of Elijah’s prayers?

1 Kings 17:1-8; 17:17-24; 18:36-40; 18:41-46 • A personal relationship of regular communication

1 Kings 17:1 “Whom I serve” implies relationship

• An expression of humanness

1 Kings 17:20 “Why have you brought tragedy?”

• An intensity of total involvement

1 Kings 17:21 “Then he stretched himself out on the boy”

• A single-mindedness of purpose

1 Kings 17:22 "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"

• A recognition of who God is

1 Kings 18:36 “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel

• An understanding of God’s Mission

1 Kings 18:37 “and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

• A persistence and perseverance

1 kings 18:42 Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."

Lessons for Hezekiah2 Kings 18:19 – 25; 2 Kings 19:15-19

Sennacherib = "Sîn has replaced (lost) brothers for me"

Assignment: Make a list of our nation’s sins.

Answer: Godlessness & Prayerlessness

“Now, therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from His hand that all the Kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, you alone.”

Lessons from EzraRead Ezra 9:5-15

Proper Repentance

- Approach with humility and sorrow

“I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees…” (v5)

- Display total subservience and surrender

“I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you… our guilt has been great.” (v6)

- Confession that sin is against God and there is no other excuse

“And, now, O our God, what shall we say…we have forsaken Your commandments” (v10)

- Recognize no human means is adequate

1. It was sin that was the cause

2. Though there is a remnant of faithful, most fail

3. God’s patience has it’s limits

4. Repeated failure requires God’s response

5. We are unworthy – God alone is worthy

Lessons from NehemiahRead Nehemiah 1:4-11

• Nehemiah was burdened for his people

“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.” (v 4)

• Nehemiah knew his God

“O Lord, God of Heaven, great and awesome God” (v 5)

• Nehemiah pleads to be heard

“Please let your ear be attentive and Your eyes open” (v 6)

• Nehemiah offer’s “identificational” repentance

“I confess the sins we Israelites… (v 6b -7)

• Nehemiah knew what God had done in the past

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses…I will scatter…I will gather…I have chose (v 8-9)

• Nehemiah pleads with God to hear

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant (v 11)

• Nehemiah petitions for the Lord’s favor

Give your servant success today by granting him favor (mercy) (v 11b)

Levites Prayer for RenewalRead Nehemiah 10:30-39

• V 30 – Keep pure “Not give…or take…” from the world.

Philippians 1:9-11• V31 – Keep the Sabbath “…not buy from them on the Sabbath”

Hebrews 4:1• V32 - Equipped for the work of ministry “all the duties of the house

of God.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17• V34 – Support the corporate work of prayer “a contribution of wood

for the altar”

Colossians 4:2-3• V35-36 – Support the ‘Church’ with best effort “firstfruits…firstborn”

Romans 12:6-8• V37-39 – Support work of God with financial offering “tithe”

2 Corinthians 8:7

Lessons from the Prophets• Isaiah – increased awareness of God is attained through prayer, prayer

commands a proper understanding of God

• Isaiah – prayers of praise should be offered even in adversity. Prayer is the product of the God’s discipline that brings repentance

• Jeremiah – Not every kinds of prayer and worship honors God. Prayer from an impure heart that presumes to know better than God is sin. Without a sincere and God honoring life, prayer is a mockery.

• Jeremiah – Even with a good understanding of prayer, God’s ways will always be perplexing. But prayer is the key to infinite wisdom

• Jeremiah – The chief end of prayer is not getting of desired objects but, the gradual development of a relationship with God for God’s purposes. Prayer produces revival and revival produces prayer.

• Jeremiah – The best prayer is the one prayed from the word itself. Those who pray should remind themselves in prayer of the greatness of God. God’s word helps us to do that.

Lessons from the Prophets• Daniel - Prayer has impact beyond our limited vision for the

moment. It fulfills a divine purpose that is beyond finding out or temporal.

• Daniel – Communion with God should be the divine habit of every child of God and such habit should not be subject to the momentary challenges. Communion with God must be an uncompromising habit.

• Daniel – Prayers of revival and restoration must be based on genuine repentance. Prayer is a potent force, more powerful than any king but One. Through prayer we can access to that One.

• Daniel – knowing God’s will should lead to more prayer, not less. Knowing God’s will increase our own faith in prayer.

• Joel – Teaching prayer is necessary. There are times to pray with great intensity and earnestness, for such a time as this.

• Amos – Prayer recognizes our limitation and the limitlessness of the who to whom we pray.

• Habakkuk – God’s delays are not God’s denials for God has a plan for the ages.

Old Testament Prayer

“Although there are no commands about prayer in the Old Testament, as there are in the New

Testament, the thread of prayer is prominently interwoven in the super-natural dealings of God with His people. The examples of the Patriarchs, prophets and leaders are sufficient evidence that

prayer is not a later invention of imaginative individuals, but a basic means of a person’s

establishing a relationship with God.” Brandt & Bickel

7 X 7 Prayer

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Next Week

Part III - New TestamentChapter 7

Prayer in the Life and Ministry of Jesus

Pages 183- 205