Learning to Pray

June 7

Think About It

• Consider Corrie ten Boom’s statement, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”

• What kind of prayers fit in each category?

Steering Wheel Prayers

Spare Tire Prayers

Today we look at Jesus’

teaching about prayer … the

importance of prayer … a

pattern for prayer

Listen for ways Jesus said we should not pray

Matthew 6:5-9 (NIV) "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. [6] But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father,

Listen for ways Jesus said we should not pray

sees what is done in secret, will reward you. [7] And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. [9] "This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Prayer Shows Relationship

• According to this passage how did hypocrites pray?

• What will be the result or reward of their religious showmanship?

• And how do the pagans pray?

Prayer Shows Relationship

• Examples of pagan prayers– Tibetan prayer wheels– Each revolution sends the prayer to the deity

Prayer Shows Relationship

• What common or overused phrases do you hear frequently repeated in people’s prayers?

• How can we keep prayer from being “babble.”• What relationship to God does Jesus stress? • Implicit in this model prayer is the Father’s

expectation that His children communicate with Him in prayer. Why do you like to talk to your children?

Prayer Shows Relationship

• Jesus specifies that the name of Jesus should be “hallowed.” To hallow God’s name means – to recognize God’s holiness and – spread His reputation throughout the world.

• How is it possible to approach God as Father while respecting His holiness?

Prayer Shows Relationship

• How do our relationships with our earthly fathers influence our relationship with God, our heavenly Father?

• Two implications of this:– be a godly father … it influences how your children

see God– if you had an ungodly father, you must learn to see

past that experience and know that God is loving, wise, kind

Listen for ways to glorify God, according to this prayer.

• Matthew 6:10 (NIV) your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer Glorifies God

• The Kingdom of God is the realm where God rules. What do you think the priorities of God’s authority and rule might be?

• When God rules in our lives and in our situations, God is glorified!

Prayer Glorifies God

• Evaluate what kinds of concerns occupy most of your prayer time …– praise– confession– petition– “organ recital” (list of physical needs – heart, gall

bladder, bad knees …)– spiritual needs (personal, family, church)

You might ask yourself …

“How do my prayers

glorify God?”

Prayer Glorifies God

• Jesus prays for God’s will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven. How should God’s will influence the way we live our day to day lives?

Listen for basic requests that are to be included in our prayers.

Matthew 6:11 - 13 (NIV) Give us today our daily bread. [12] Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

Prayer Expresses Needs

• What are the three types of requests mentioned here?

• What other kinds of daily needs besides food do you think might be included in “daily bread?”

• Why do you think specific requests for forgiveness are so often neglected?

Prayer Expresses Needs

• What sins or offenses by others do we find especially difficult to forgive?

• Jesus talks about deliverance from evil. Inability to forgive might be one kind of deliverance we need. From what other kinds of evil do we need deliverance.

• Note : temptations are a fact of life– the temptation is not a sin– the yielding to temptation is the sin

Application

• 4.1 Analyze your prayer requests in the light of our study– What percentage of your prayer requests focuses

on physical needs?– What percentage focuses on the Kingdom/Rule of

God?– What percentage focuses on spiritual needs?

Application

• 4.2 When praying for others, apply principles of the Lord’s Prayer– Pray that God’s forgiveness will be realized in their

lives– Pray that they will allow God to rule in their lives– Pray that God will meet their physical and spiritual

needs

Application

• Ask God to help you repair any strained relationships by forgiving specific offenses– Even though the person may have offended

unintentionally– Even though they offended with malice– Even though they might not be willing to seek

forgiveness

Learning to Pray

June 7