BIBLE STUDY: PRAYERS AND THE ESSENCE OF PRAYING (1 THESS. 5:17; LUKE 18:1)

In my deepest, darkest moments, what really got me through was a prayer. Sometimes my prayer was ‘Help me.’ Sometimes a prayer was ‘Thank you.’ What I’ve discovered is that intimate connection and communication with my creator will always get me through because I know my support, my help, is just a prayer away- Iyanla Vanzant; Prayer doesn’t just change things – it changes us. If we are diligent in seeking God, slowly and surely we become better people. – Joyce Meyer; One of the greatest attacks of the enemy is to make you busy, to make you hurried, to make you noisy, to make you distracted, to fill the people of God and the Church of God with so much noise and activity that there is no room for prayer. There is no room for being alone with God. There is no room for silence. There is no room for meditation. – Paul Washer; The world calls for, and expects from us, simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, charity towards all, especially towards the lowly and the poor, obedience and humility, detachment, and self-sacrifice. Without this mark of holiness, our word will have difficulty in touching the heart of modern man. – Pope Paul VI.

 What is prayer: Christian Prayer is an act of worship, in the name of Jesus, where we offer praise; adoration and thanksgiving to God and in the process present our needs before Him. Prayer is talking with God. Prayer is our connection to heaven and heaven’s connection to us. The line must be kept open and it is a dual (two-way) system. Prayer is a communication process that allows us to talk to God and God responds to us. God wants us to communicate with Him, like a person-to-person phone call.  It’s an intimate communion with God. Prayer is a conversation with God, the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation but in direct address with him. It is also an expression of the most intimate thoughts of our heart to God. It’s a great privilege to be able to speak directly with God, the Father through His son, Jesus Christ. If we love Him, we will want to spend time with Him and respond to the love He has shown to us. In our society today, we have devices to communicate – cell phone, blue tooth devices, blackberries and talking computer, etc. Prayer is a way of undefeatable victory!!! No man/woman can live above his/her prayer life!!!!Our prayer life depends on our closeness to God!!!!

Forms of prayers:  Prayer could be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal….Two main form: a) Private (secret) or Private devotion (Matt 6:6);  b)  Corporate (social –family & Public (Church) worship) Matt 18:20; Acts 12:5; ! Tim 2:1f. Descriptions: 1) Beseeching the Lord (exodus 32:11);        ii). Pouring out the soul before God (1 Sam.1:15);     iii) Praying and crying to heaven (2 Chron. 32:20);  iv). Seeking unto God and supplication (Job 8:5);   v) Drawing near (closer) to God (Ps 73:28);     vi). Bowing the knees (Eph.3:14)

Ingredients of prayers:  i) Sincere (Heb 10:22);  ii) Reference and Godly fear (Ps 99:5; John 9:38; Phil 1:9);   iii). Humble (sense of insignificant creature (unworthy sinner – publican); iv) Unhesitant submission (John 16:23; 1 Jon 5:13-15);  v). In faith (Heb. 11:6; John 15:7);   vi) Love in action (you call or talk to your friend, not enemy);  vii) Our will must be aligned with the will of God and we pray according to His will (Thy will be done) 1 John 5:14-15; 2 Cor. 12:8-9; James 4:3. viii) Be concise and specific/definite: Matt 6:7; Luke 18:13; 23:34, 42; Acts 7:60   ix) According to promises given  x) be persistent Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8. “True prayer is measured by weight, not by length.  A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length” – C. H. Spurgeon.

Posture for Prayers: No rules are anywhere in scriptures prescribing particular way, particular time or particular place because any posture, any place and any time is okay. Whichever way and time and place, be vigilant and awake and focus; avoid distraction!!!!…..keep the line open. People in the bible prayed…..i) Standing: 1 Sam 1:26; 1kings 8: 14, 55; 2 Chron. 26:9; Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11, 13. ii) Kneeling down: Psalm 95:6; Isaiah 45:23; 1Kings 8:54; 2 Chron. 6:13.  iii) Lifting/spreading up hands: 1 Kings 8:22, 38, 54; Psalm 28:2; 63:4; 88:9; 1Tim 2:8.  iv) Bowing and falling , prostrate: Gen 24:26, 52; Exodus 4:31; 12:27; Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:35.  V) Sitting   vi) pounding chests (Luke 18:13)……etc.

 Who should pray: “God Wants To Hear from You” While most Christians recognize the value of prayer, consistently devoting time to it can be a challenge. Every child of God is called to a lifestyle of prayer. So how do we bridge the gap between knowing the good that we ought to do and actually putting it into practice? God spoke to the entire house of Israel, “I will yet for this be enquired of” (Ezek. 36:37). “Seek ye the LORD.” You are too sinful not to pray; sinners are the very people who need i) A repented sinner (Eg. Publican and the thief on the cross) ISAIAH 55:6–7; Psalm 51:17, 66:18-19; Proverbs 28:9; Acts 10:1-48. ii) God’s children (Born again and spirit-filled): Acts 9:11; 1 John 5:13-15; 1 Peter 3:12; Psalm 34:15; 1 Cor.12:13b.  iii) Those who fulfills the condition holiness and obedience: John 15:7; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 1:9, 3:21-22. iv) The needy and destitute can pray and God will hear and answer: Psalms 69:33, 102:17; Luke 1:53. V)The oppressed and suffering: Isaiah 19:20; Matthew 11:28; James 5:4,13. Vi) The widow and fatherless: Exodus 22:22-23

Who should we pray to: The Bible teaches us that we should pray to God, the Father, using the name of Jesus. Jesus himself taught us to pray to God the Father: John 16:23-24, 26-27. Therefore God the Father is the ultimate one to whom we are praying..   a) to God, the Father:  Matthew 6:9; John 17: 1, 25; Luke 11:13;  Acts 4:24,12:5; Ephesians 1:17, 3:14; Col. 1:3 ; 1 Thess 3:11.    b)  * *Sometimes to Jesus Christ, our Lord: (Jesus says, “ I and my father are one” John 10:30 and “the form of God” (Phil. 2:6); Acts 7:59;  Romans 10:9,12-13;1 Corinthians 1:2. We are dependent upon the Holy Spirit for everything, and so we must look to Him, which implies prayer. Yet it is the Father and the Son who give the Holy Spirit. If you want your prayers answered, you should pray to God, the Father, using the name of Jesus (His good standing). It’s also reassuring to know that God loves us and wants to meet our needs. * *We have seen “examples, some early Christians, including Paul,  invoke Jesus as Lord and pray to him that he will come again (see 1 Corinthians 1:1–3; 2 Corinthians 12:8; Thessalonians 3:11–14). Likewise, Revelation 22:17: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’”, is a prayer to Jesus that he will return. Often, simply calling upon Jesus as Lord is a form of prayer, such as when Peter is sinking in the water and he says: “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30)” – NT Wright. Sometimes, like Stephen, we can thank Jesus directly for dying for our sins granting us salvation. We pray it is to God the Father, through God the Son, by means of God the Holy Spirit.  Christian prayer is most often Trinitarian. Practically, this means we pray by the Spirit, through Jesus Christ our mediator, to God the Father. No doubt praying by the Spirit is clearly taught in the Bible Ephesians 6:18; Jude 1:20. Praying through Jesus Christ is what He meant teaching us to pray, “in my name” (John 14:13-14).

Why pray: If God knows whatever we need even before we ask, so why bother asking? (Matt. 6:8b) Why can’t God just provide everything we need and save us the problem of troubling Him? a) An example by Jesus, the apostles and early church: Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; Acts 6:2-4, 42. Jesus urges Luke 18:1;  b)Taught to be efficacious: God appointed way of obtaining things James 4:2; 1 Peter 5:7; eg: Receive daily food Mt 6:11; c) It’s a privilege and solemn responsibility 2 Chron. 7:14; Eph 6:18-19;  d)God’s way to keep us from anxiety, depression and worries Phil 4:6-7; 2 Chron. 20:21;   e) Keep us from falling into temptation  and evils : Matthew 26:41-42; James 1:14-15; 4:1-3; Gal 5:16–17 f) Make us ready for the return of Christ  Luke 21:34-36; Mark 13:32-33; 1 Peter 5:7.  g) Escape the wrath to come Luke 21:36 h)Secure God’s favor and intervention: Abraham over lot; Moses for Israel; The Church for Peter and Hannah for Samuel, Esther before the king;  i)Sick and Unsaved persons;  j)Bless a nation and for her leaders (1 Tim 2:1-3);  k)For those that have spiritual oversight on us (2 Thess. 3:1). l) can change God’s plan: Hezekiah -God added 15 more years, 2 Kgs 20:1-6; Ninevites Jonah 3:1-10 – God spared them and their city.

Principles and Level of Prayer:  (Matt 7:7-11; John 14:13-14; James 1:17): based on: Ask and receive…  Ask:  (A); Seek (S);  Knock (K) = ASK

i)Asking  and   receiving -John15:4,  7:  ii) Seeking  and finding Jeremiah29:13   iii) Knocking and opening – eg. Warfare prayers Acts12: 5; Mark 5:21-42, Luke 5:17-25 “A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.”

“Prayer is the spiritual gymnasium in which we exercise and practice godliness” V. L. Crawford

The gospel calls poor, lame, and blind sinners, those who are full of sin and putrefying spiritual sores, to come to Christ for healing—to Him who delights in showing mercy and love to miserable creatures.

Are you playing or praying?

A day without prayer is a day without God!!

Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power, fire, rain, life, change and God.

Don’t allow body weakness, activities, procrastination, job, business or distractions to stop you from prayers – daily communication with God.

Therefore PUSH  – Pray until something happens