Maturing Prayer
Kitten Prayer - The story is told of a young girl who was saying her bedtime prayers while her parents knelt beside her. “Dear God, bless Mommy and Daddy and my little brother, Tommy. God, I would really like a pony, but if You can’t get me a pony, a kitten would do. Amen.”
Get off of the milk and on to the meat
How do we mature in the faith?
Let’s look at the life and words of Christ to answer this question.
Matt: 6:1-16
God is instructing us to continue to practice the basics:
Giving, Prayer, Fasting,
In fact, on Wed. Nights, I have been teaching on seven disciplines:
daily prayer. daily Bible study. fasting. church attendance . serving. witnessing. giving.
Today, we are going to be talking about prayer.
Prayer provides the opportunity for us to have conversations with God that will transform our lives.
In 2008, we must increase our prayer lives: individually and corporately if we want to obtain the promises that God has made us.
In 2008, we will be intentional about everything that we do. Especially about prayer.
Scientist are studying prayer today for health related issues pouring millions of dollars into research. Keep in mind, that science is designed to study the natural not the supernatural.
During His earthly mission, Jesus prayed often and modeled a life of prayer that is an example and pattern for all believers to follow.
Jesus’ regular practice of prayer compelled His followers to plead, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
The principles Jesus shared with them are relevant to every generation.
Let’s look at some of these principles:
1. Why Jesus Prayed
Luke 5:15-16 (NIV)
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. [16] But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
1. Solitude and communion with God (Luke 5:16—getting away and getting alone)
a. People were flocking to hear Jesus preach and to have their diseases healed, but Jesus made sure he often withdrew to quiet, solitary places to pray. Many things clamor for our attention, and we often run ourselves ragged attending to them. Like Jesus, however, we should take time to withdraw to a quiet and deserted place to pray. Strength comes from God, and we can only be strengthened by spending time with him.
b. In contrast to his earlier freedom to minister in "the towns" (v. 12), Jesus must now make a practice of finding solitude in deserted areas.
c. we live in a “multitask¬ing” society, which is constantly seeking ways to get as many different things done as possible. Sadly, this type of mindset can creep into our prayer lives. If we’re not actually doing something else while we pray, we’re tempted to think about other things. Jesus’ example is key; we need to set aside special time devoted only to our Heavenly Father. In that quiet place, apart from all distrac¬tions, we can share the deepest thoughts of our hearts as we also listen for His voice.
d. Where can you go to find a private place of prayer?
Luke 6:12-13 (NIV)
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. [13] When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
2. Decision making (Luke 6:12,13—selecting His disciples)
a. The Gospel writers note that before every important event in Jesus’ life, he took time to go off by himself and pray. This time Jesus was preparing to choose his inner circle, the 12 disciples. Make sure that all your important decisions are grounded in prayer.
b. Don’t go through life flipping a coin to make decisions.
c. Discernment comes as you spend time with God!
Mark 1:35-42 (NIV)
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. [36] Simon and his companions went to look for him, [37] and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"
[38] Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." [39] So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
[40] A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."
[41] Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" [42] Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
3. Jesus needed refreshing & Power for ministry (Mark 1: 35–42—spiritual warfare, healing)
a. He was ready to go “somewhere else”
b. You need power for ministry, sometimes even when “Everyone is looking for you,” you don’t need to be found. You need the power more than companionship.
c. Power to preach (teach, witness)
d. Power to do spiritual warfare
i. Don’t attempt without prayer
e. Power to heal…immediately
Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
John 11:42 (NIV)
I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
4. For results
a. Christ prayed expecting results
b. He was intentional about His prayers.
c. We must be intentional and full of belief.
Prayer Journals – Distribute
A/G Week of Prayer
“Lord, teach us to pray,” (Luke 11:1)
Guiding principles for prayer
Matthew 6:1-8 (NIV)
"Be careful not to do your ’acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
[2] "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. [3] But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
[5] "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, who 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.
1. Show and hypocrisy disdained
a. Pomp and Circumstances take away from God’s glory and causes one to focus on the individual instead of God.
b. Prayers should be offered with discretion in order that God is glorified.
c. This is not saying not have corporate prayer rather He is warning us to watch our motivation.
2. Always “when,” not “if” you pray ( See Matthew 6:5,6,7)
a. Jesus assumes that we are going to give, pray, and fast
3. Pray in secret (Matthew 6:5,6)
a. If you don’t pray as much in private as you do in public, your relationship with Christ is in serious trouble.
4. Pray meaningfully, intentionally (Matthew 6:7,8)
a. No vain babbling.
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Selected Bibliography
Special thanks and acknowledgement to Sermon Central and their contributors. Points and or illustrations may have been drawn from materials found on their website: www.sermoncentral.com.
A Treasury of Great Preaching. Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2005. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Brown, Francis, S.R. Driver, Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1906. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Eims, LeRoy. Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be: Growing Into the Leader God Called You to Be. Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 1996. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Gaebelein, Frank E. Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976-1996.
Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, Bruce K. Waltke, ed. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Jamieson, Robert, A.R. Fausset, David Brown. A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments. Toledo, OH: Jerome B. Names & Co., 1884. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. Commentary contained as a single volume.
Life Application Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1988. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
McGee, J. Vernon. Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1983. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Meyer, F. B. Expository Preaching: Plans and Methods. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Peters, Ruth. Bible Illustrations – Illustrations of Bible Truths. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1998. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Dallas, TX: Bible Communications, 1998. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Thayer, J. H., trans. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament New York: Harper & Brothers, 1889. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Thompson, Frank Charles. Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., 1997. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
Vine, William E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1940. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
