Name: ___________________________ Date : ________ © 2011 Ronald Williams, 8306 James A Reed Rd, Raytown, MO; jrandms@sbcglobal.net

Through th e Bibl e

G O S P E L S

Induction

Jesus: preparation through prayer

STUDY Through th e Bibl e Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) 3

ondayonday:: Introduction In today’s fast-paced society people don’t want to do the ‘little’ things (preparation) that lead to success in the ‘big’ things (performance). That’s why it’s often been

said, “The urgent [emergency] takes precedence over the important [essential].”

Circle the correct picture from each pair below to show which one is preparation.

Eat Sports Educate Move Entertain

This is especially true in the spiritual realm. Many Christians who are eager to serve God (performance) neglect the ‘little’ things that prepare them for service.

List five things you do as preparation for performance (serving God).

Preparation1 Performance

_____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

_____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

_____________________________________ _____________________________________

Preview This week you will see Jesus ‘bookend’ his service (performance) with one of the most essential preparations for Christians—prayer. In between he will:

• preach, • call four disciples (again), • heal a leper.

Meditation Verse: Col 4:2 Write the meditation verse on a 3X5 card.

MM

4 Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) STUDY Through th e Bibl e

uesdayuesday:: Priority of prayer Mark 1:35-39 and Luke 4:42-44 show the priority of prayer in Jesus’ life. Notice the pattern of his ministry:

Write the verses from each chap-ter in the correct place for what pattern they showed.

Preparation Jesus made sure he was prepared to minister by spending time in prayer first. Several character-istics of prayer are evident from Jesus’ example:

• Time: _____________,8 ___________________________9 (Mark 1:35)

• Place: ____________________,10 (Mark 1:35) _________________11 (Luke 4:42)

Matt 17:14-21 is an excellent example of the need for prayer as preparation for ministry.

Fill in the blanks below to show the details of Matt 17:14-21.

• Cast: _____________, _______, ________, _______________, __________, __________12

• Son’s problem: ____________13 • People’s problem: __________ and ___________14 • Disciple’s problem: ________15 • Jesus’ preparation: __________ and __________16

Application When do you pray? When it’s easy? convenient? comfortable? emergencies? when needs arise? Where do you pray? where others can see you? where you’re not distracted? How often do you pray? at meals? bed time? church meetings? What do you pray for? selfish needs? others?

Petition Even though the people petitioned Jesus to stay, he didn’t allow fame to sidetrack him from his ministry.

• Followers: ______________________________________17 (Mark 1:36) • Fame: ________________________18 (Mark 1:37, Luke 4:42b)

• Forecast (“I must”): ___________ to other __________19 (Mark 1:38, Luke 4:43)

• Time: _____________20 (Mark 1:35)

Application Do you know what you ‘must’ do? Do you allow fame, fun, pleasure, comfort, convenience to interfere with serving God?

List ten things that interfere with serving God (performance).

TT Mark 1 Luke 4

Preparation: prayer 2 3

Petition: stay 4 5

Performance: preach 6 7

STUDY Through th e Bibl e Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) 5

_____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

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Write ‘Jesus: ‘prays’ for Mark 1:35-38 and Luke 4:42-43 on the Harmony of the Gospels outline.

Performance Mark 1:39 and Luke 4:44 show Jesus’ performance: ___________, _____________________21

• Place: ____________ of ____________22

Write ‘Jesus: ‘preaches’ for Mark 1:39 and Luke 4:44 on the Harmony of the Gospels outline.

Bible Reading: Luke 5:1-11

Meditation Verse: Mark 1:35

Write the meditation verse on a 3 X 5 card.

Review the previous meditation verses.

6 Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) STUDY Through th e Bibl e

ednesday: ednesday: Simon, Andrew, James, John Luke 5:1-11 records the second call of Simon, James, John, (and probably Andrew). Appar-

ently, they followed Jesus for a while after their meeting but went back to their ships and business. This time Simon Peter will be changed from the inside out and truly become a ‘fisher of men’. Chapter 5 opens with Jesus preaching in Galilee. He was so popular now that the people ________23 upon him to hear the word of God. So Jesus used that opportunity to include others in his work.

Historical background • place: ______________________24

• men: ________, _________, ________, (_________)25

• work: _____________________26 • Jesus’ request: ________________________27 • response: __________________28

• Jesus’ command: _______________________________________________________29

• Peter’s objection: ___________________________________30

• Peter’s response: ___________________________________31 • miracle: ________________________________________________________________32

Spiritual transformation The glorious part of this story is not the miraculous catch of fish (although that is awesome) but the spiritual transformation that took place in Simon Peter. Jesus was wise enough to know that some people need ‘proof’ before committing themselves (anybody reading this from the ‘Show Me’ state of Missouri?), similar to Thomas after the resurrection. So Jesus gives Simon exactly what he needs to make an all-out commitment.

Fill in the table following with the correct words to show the before and after state of Simon Peter.

• The first thing to notice is the change of title. In vs. 5 Simon called Jesus 1. ___________33 which showed he respected him as a teacher sent from God (remember Nicodemus). But in vs. 8 he calls Jesus 2. ________,34 showing not only his submission (like a servant) but also his belief that Jesus was like God (the second level of belief).

• The transformation was also evident by his actions. In vs. 5 Simon objected to Jesus’ request (I am a fisherman, you are not) but in vs. 8 he 3. _____________________________35 showing his humility (I am a sinful man). He was 4. _________________36 (vs. 2) when Jesus found him but 5. ________________________________37 (vs. 11).

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STUDY Through th e Bibl e Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) 7

• The transformation was also shown by his vocation. He started out as a 6. ______________38 (vs. 2) but became a 7. _______________39 (vs. 10).

Before: 6. ____________40

After: 7. _________________41

1. ___________42 2. ________43

Objected: (I am a fisherman, you are not) 3. _______________________:44 I am a sinful man

4. _______________45 5. ____________________________46

Write ‘Simon, Andrew, James, John: 2nd call’ for Luke 5:1-11 on the Harmony of the Gospels outline.

Bible Reading: ???

Meditation Verse: Luke 5:8

Write the meditation verse on a 3 X 5 card.

Review the previous meditation verses.

8 Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) STUDY Through th e Bibl e

hursdayhursday:: Jesus heals a leper The middle section of this week’s lesson (Matt 8:2-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-14) shows Jesus healing a leper. You’ve already seen Jesus heal many times before (and

will see it many times again) but it’s important to see what characteristics the leper demonstrated that seem to be essential for a good relationship with God.

Spiritual relationship Physical relationship • Matt 8:2-4: __________________47 • Matt 8:2-4: _________48

• Mark 1:40-45: ________________49 • Mark 1:40-45: ____________________50 • Luke 5:12-14: _________________51 • Luke 5:12-14: _________52

Legal relationship

All three passages describe the leper’s legal relationship to Jesus (what he was commanded):

• Negative: ___________________53

• Positive: ______________________________, and _______________________________

___________________________54

One further note of interest is Jesus’ attitude toward the leper: moved with ______________ (Mark 1:40-45). Since touching a leper (or any unclean person) was forbidden by the law (and undesirable to the clean person), Jesus’ willingness to make physical contact must have been a shocking act.

Application What kinds of “unclean” people are in your life? How can you give physical “contact” as well as spiritual wholeness? Did the leper completely obey Jesus’ command (Mark 1:40-45)?55 How did that effect Jesus’ ministry?56

Write ‘Jesus: heals a leper’ for Matt 8:2-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-14 on the Harmony of the Gospels outline.

Bible Reading: ???

Meditation Verse: Mark 1:40 Write the meditation verse on a 3 X 5 card.

Review the previous meditation verses.

TT

STUDY Through th e Bibl e Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) 9

ridayriday:: Power of Prayer As you might expect, the more people Jesus healed the more his fame spread.

• Mark 1:45b: … and they came to him from __________________.57

• Luke 5:15: But so much the more went there a ________58 abroad of him: and _________ ________________59 came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

List two other famous people for each category below. Circle the ones that are remem-bered for their special relationship with God (glorified God). Put an ‘X’ on the ones remembered for THEIR ‘work’ (glorified self).

Healer Preacher Teacher Activist

Oral Roberts John Wesley James Dobson Martin Luther King _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

Application Which kind do you want to be: remembered for what God has done through you or for what you did for God (if that’s possible)?

Write ‘Jesus: ‘heals the multitudes’ for Mark 1:45b and Luke 5:15 on the Harmony of the Gospels outline.

But Jesus bookends this passage by ending up where he started: “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and _____________.”60 (Luke 5:16)

Write ‘Jesus: ‘withdraws to pray’ for Luke 5:16 on the Harmony of the Gospels outline.

Bible Reading: John 17

Meditation Verse: John 17:4 Write the meditation verse on a 3 X 5 card.

Review the previous meditation verses.

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STUDY Through th e Bibl e Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) 11

undayunday:: Prayer Fellowship with God depends on two-way communication. When you read the Bible God speaks to you; and when you pray you speak to God. Your personal relationship

with God cannot grow without proper communication.

Quiz True or false.

1. Prayer must be at a set time and in a set way.61 2. If you pray long enough or hard enough, God will change his mind and do what you want.62 3. The best prayers are those which have been written by others and are just “said” by you.63 4. Men should pray to idols, saints, or other men.64

Types of prayer According to 1Tim 2:1 there are four basic types of prayer:

Write the following verses in the blanks below (#1-4) to show what type of prayer they describe: 1Sam 13:5-12, Eph 6:18, Jms 5:16, Phil 1:4, 4:6.

1. Supplication: specific requests. ______________________________65 2. Prayers: general communication with God. 3. Intercessions: praying for others. __________66 There are three parts of intercession:

Fill in the blanks below with the correct words from each passage that shows who is interceding in prayer. • Grace: by __________67 on earth (Rev 5:8). • Groaning: by the __________68 in your heart (Rom 8:26-27). • Glory: by __________69 in heaven (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25).

4. Giving of thanks. ______________70

Interference with prayers There are also several things that interferes with prayer:

Use the given references to fill in the blanks below showing what interferes with prayer.

• ______________71 (Psalm 66:18, Isa 59:1-2)

• _____________72 (Prov 28:9) • ________73 (John 9:31)

• _______________74 (Jms 4:2) • _______________75 (Jms 4:3)

SS

12 Jesus: preparation through prayer (13.27) STUDY Through th e Bibl e

Improper prayers

Unfortunately, most Christians don’t know how to pray today.

Which of the following improper prayers are not God’s will/taken care of by natural processes/your responsibility/selfish requests/already done by God (but not used by us).

• God, please heal all the sick people. • God, please protect all our soldiers.

• God, please help my brother get over his cold. • God, please heal my ingrown toenail.

• God, please meet with us in worship today. • God, please save everybody.

• God, please help me do well on my test. • God, please make it rain/sunny today.

• God, please give me a bike for Christmas. • God, please be with us today.

Conclusion What do you pray for? Why? Does it honor and glorify God?

Key 1 Prayer, Bible study, Meditation, Worship, Confession, repentance 2 35 3 42a 4 36 5 42b 6 38 7 43 8 morning 9 great while before day 10 solitary place 11 desert place 12 multitude, man, son, disciples, Jesus, devil 13 lunatick 14 faithless and perverse 15 unbelief 16 prayer and fasting 17 Simon and they that were with him 18 All men seek for thee 19 preach to other cities 20 morning 21 preached, and cast out devils 22 synagogues of Galilee 23 pressed 24 lake of Gennesaret 25 Simon (vs. 3), James, and John (vs. 7 partners), (probably Andrew) 26 washing their nets 27 thrust out a little from the land 28 taught the people 29 Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught 30 we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: 31 nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net 32 they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake, filled both the ships, so that they began to sink 33 Master 34 Lord 35 fell down at Jesus’ knees 36 washing nets 37 forsook all, and followed him 38 fisherman 39 catching men 40 fisherman 41 catching men 42 Master 43 Lord 44 fell down at Jesus’ knees 45 washing nets 46 forsook all, and followed him 47 worshipped him 48 Lord 49 kneeling down 50 beseeching him 51 fell on his face 52 Lord 53 tell no man 54 shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded 55 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter

56 Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places 57 every quarter 58 fame 59 great multitudes 60 prayed 61 false 62 false 63 false 64 false 65 Phil 1:4, 4:6, Eph 6:18, 1Sam 13:5-12 66 Jms 5:16 67 saints 68 Spirit 69 Christ 70 Phil 4:6 71 iniquity 72 Rebellion/won’t hear the law 73 sin 74 ask not 75 ask amiss (wrong motives)