Prayer

October 1, 2017

Back to Basics

Prayer

At it’s most basic, prayer is talking to God.

Conversations are not simple and easy things to be a part of. Conversations, at their core, are not simple: they are trying to express whats happening inside us to someone on the outside.  Even beyond the content of the conversation, how we have the conversation matters too.

In 1971, Albert Mehrabian published a book called Silent Messages. He concluded that when salespeople spoke, 55% of what was said came through their body language, 38% of what was said came through the tone of their voice, and only 7% of what was said came through actual words.

We need to approach prayer with the right attitude.

The problem is not God not connecting with us, it’s us needing to learn how to connect with Him.

1 John 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.

Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

All of those verses have one thing in common: God listens to us when we live in accordance with His will.

We also need to come with confidence and humilty.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Why does He want us to be humble and confident? He wants us, as we are: Confident in who He is, and Humble in who we are.

Expand into all the different METHODS of conversation with God, just like we do with other people.

Discourse
1 Way, Cooperative Conversation
- Spending time with him telling about your day
- Asking for help, asking for Him to move in your life, etc.

Diatribe
1 Way, Competitive Conversation
- When you’re down on life, and you’re straight out angry, 
this is when you voice all that frusteration.
- If you’re hurt, tell Him you’re hurt, if you’re angry, tell Him you’re angry,
 if you're sad, tell Him you’re sad.

 He can take it.


There’s a difference between choosing a good attitude and covering up a bad one.


Dialogue
2 Way, Cooperative Conversation
- A back and forth conversation with Him


- You speak from your heart and are willing to listen to Him

Debate
2 Way, Competitive Conversation
- Going back and forth on a topic
- This can be intercession or begging God to do something in your life and waiting for him to respond in the conversation

Practice the TYPES of prayer in the Bible.

Prayer of Faith
James 5:15
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

This is a prayer of giving your life to Jesus, or a prayer of asking him to work through you or in you.

Corporate Prayer
Acts 1:14
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

All over the Bible, we see people coming together as a group of followers of Jesus to exalt God and pray for Him to speak or pray for Him to work.

Prayer of Request
Philippians 4:6
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

God doesn't just give you whatever you want, but when things are according to His will, it’s right to ask Him for those things.

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Philippians 4:6 again says:
“with thanksgiving”

He also loves it when we pray just to tell Him that we’re thankful
 - a lot like we do with other people.

Prayer of Worship
Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2  Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3  who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
4  who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5  who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.


This is a lot like praying thanksgiving,
 but it focuses more on His character than what He’s done.

Prayer of Consecration
Matthew 26:39

Jesus prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

This is a prayer of setting ourselves apart to follow God’s will, or saying yes to God’s calling

Prayer of Intercession
John 17 is Jesus praying intercessory prayers over His people…

This is asking God to work in the life of someone else.

Prayer of Imprecation

Psalm 7:6
Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies.  Awake, my God; decree justice.

Today this would be used to ask God to come against policies or bureaucracies that come against God’s will.
(Because Jesus died for everyone, this would NOT be to pray for death and destruction for non-believers like it was used in the old testament. We should be praying for their salvation)

Praying in the Spirit
1 Corinthians 14:14-15
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.

When there just aren't words, the Holy Spirit makes a way to connect with God.

Communication Card
- I will change my mindset of prayer from talking to God to communicating with God.
- I will take time this week to let God speak to me.
- I want to work on a new type of prayer this week.