Lesson 2, Week 3 Becoming Spiritually Whole Through Prayer
Today’s Scripture Focus: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
*Remember to pause and ask the Holy Spirit to teach
you as you study God’s word and seek His meaning.
During the summer of 1988, I
recall that many of the Mid-western states suffered a drought. The land lay cracked and parched. Seeds refused to sprout and those that did
soon dried up or gave little yield. The
situation was serious; without water there could be no growth.
Thus, it is with us; without
feeding and drinking in His Living Water through prayer and Bible study, we
will not become spiritually whole. We
will wither and die, or if we manage to survive as marginal Christians, we will
yield little fruit.
Think on
These Things
Jesus felt the need and desire to
pray. Many times, after He had healed
and taught, the Scriptures tell us Jesus went along to pray.
One such time was when Jesus
heard that His beloved cousin, John the Baptist, has been beheaded. When Jesus heard what had happened he
withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.
(Matthew 14:13
NIV) No doubt, during this time of
intense grief, he prayed alone to the Father of all comfort. His grief did not stop His ministry.
Shortly after the death of John
the Baptist, Jesus fed the 5,000 people who had gathered to receive His
teaching and healing. How exhausted and
emotionally spent He must have been. After
he had dismissed them, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. (Matthew 14:23 NIV)
Another time Luke relates: And
it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and
continued all night in prayer to God. (Luke
6:12 KJV) Jesus knew the value of refueling. We need to learn from His example.
Jesus not only demonstrated the
need for prayer, he encouraged and taught his disciples to pray:
Read Matthew 6:5-16
This is how you should pray. (Matthew
6:9:NIV)
Read Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples
a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1) NIV
When prayer is answered yes, what
does it do to our faith?
When the answer to prayer is no,
or perhaps wait, what do we have to choose to do in order that our faith is not
destroyed?
When we come to the Lord and
utter our first prayers, God hears and answers.
But as we continue our walk with Him, the Holy Spirit within us teaches
us more about conversing with God.
Consider your relationship with a close friend. Haven’t you grown closer through the
years? The more time you’ve spent
together, the more things you’ve shared.
No doubt, your relationship is much stronger then when it first began.
James 2: 23 refers to Abraham as
being God’s friend. Read Genesis
18:16-33 to get a better understanding of how Abraham and God walked and talked
together.
This passage assures us that God,
while our sovereign God, is also a friend that we can trust. The entire dialogue between Abraham and God
shows Abraham trusted God to do the right thing. Still, Abraham felt free to
plead his case. This is a perfect
picture of friendship—freedom to be one’s self without fear of condemnation. Spending time in prayer, speaking to God as
our loving Father, and as a friend, will strengthen us and make us spiritually
whole.
What Did I
Learn
After reading the passages that
show Jesus, God’s Son, often prayed, list three different needs he might have
brought before the Father.
1.
2.
3.
Jesus’ example of the widow
teaches us to be ___________ in prayer.
Why do you think Jesus cautioned
His disciples not to be showy during their prayer time?
Does that mean God doesn’t want
our children and grandchildren to know that we pray?
What harm could be done if our
children and grandchildren never
know that we are grandparents of prayer?
Fill in the following sentences
with wisdom you gleaned from Matthew 6:9-14, which has become known as The
Lord’s Prayer.
_________is God’s Name.
_______ _______be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day _____ _________ _________.
Forgive us our debts as we
_______ ________ __________
________ ___________ __________.
Do you consider God your
friend? Why or why not?
After reading the Genesis passage
about Abraham and God, have your thoughts regarding prayer changed in any
way?
How I Will
Apply What I Have Learned
Steps in Establishing A Prayer
Time
- Commit to setting a daily prayer time.
- Choose a time and place.
- Consider it an appointment
- Ask the Holy Spirit to guard the time you have
selected from all interruptions.
- Forgive yourself when you slip up and a day escapes
you.
- Kneel, confess your sin, and start again.
Steps That Will Transform Your
Heart
- Praise—begin your prayer time with praise for who He
is.
- Thanksgiving—continue by thanking Him for all of His
blessings.
Enter into his gates with
thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless
his name. (Psalm 100:4 KJV)
- Confession—If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9 NIV)
- Petitions—Be specific about what you are wanting God
to do.
I encourage you to keep a prayer
journal. As we found in our first week
of study, a prayer journal is really a testimonial of God’s faithfulness.
Loving
Father,
Grow me up, by filling me with Your Living Water as we get to know each
other more intimidately. May I be honest
in my conversations with You, trusting Your decisions. Increase my faith as I watch You work within
my life, my family, friends, and the world. Expand my understanding, insight, and
discernment as we walk together in Holy conversation. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen
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