Walking With God in Prayer

Prayer is Surrender: if I throw a boathook from a boat and catch hold of the shore and pull ~            do I pull the shore to me or do I pull the boat            to the shore?  Prayer is NOT pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God

 

#1:  Pray Persistently

          “Devote yourselves to prayer…” 4:2a

ü 1 Thessalonians 5:17 _________________

ü Luke 11:9 __________________________

ü Luke 18:1 __________________________

ü NOTE: there is a difference between a

        “persistent prayer” and a “long prayer”

 

#2:  Pray Alertly

      “… with an alert mind…” 4:2b  

ü Matthew 6:7 ________________________

ü Luke 6:12 __________________________

ü Luke 22:44 _________________________

ü NOTE: “When people do not honor what God

      says to them in His Word ~ God will little

      honor what they say to Him in their prayer”                   

                                              (Puritan quote)

 

#3:  Pray Gratefully

      “…with a thankful heart.” 4:2c

ü Giving thanks recognizes who God is and

  recognizes our dependence on Him

ü Ephesians 5:20 _____________________

ü Philippians 4:6 ______________________

ü 1 Thessalonians 5:18 _________________

ü Children are taught 3 kinds of prayers:              (a) “please” prayers;                                        (b) “thank you” prayers; (c) “sorry” prayers

 

3 Things to Consider as you Pray

 

(1)  The LOVE of God wants what is best 

  for you

(2) The WISDOM of God knows what is

  best for you

(3) The POWER of God will accomplish 

  what is best for you

 

If your request is wrong, God says, “NO”

 

If your timing is wrong, God says, “SLOW”

 

If you are wrong, God says, “GROW”

 

If your request is right, the timing is right,

          and you are right, God says, “GO”

 

We seldom pray for a change of our character

but always for a change in our circumstances