How Do You Describe Prayer?

How Do You Describe Prayer?

July 15, 2007

Introduction

Last Sunday, I preached on prayer. I asked, ‘What if God asked you, “Why do you pray?” What would you say? We read Exo 14:15, “And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” we asked, ‘So what would you say if the Lord asked you, “Why do you pray?”

This morning, we want to continue our study of prayer as we ask three questions: What is prayer? What makes for effective prayer? and For what do we pray?

Body

I. What is prayer?

A. Prayer is asking.

(Mat 7:7-11 NKJV) "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. {8} "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. {9} "Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? {10} "Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? {11} "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

B. Prayer is seeking--it is seeking a common ground with God.

(2 Chr 7:14 NKJV) "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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.

C. Prayer may very well involve pleading.

(Mat 26:36-39 NKJV) Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." {37} And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. {38} Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." {39} He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

II. What makes for effective prayer?

A. Prayer must be PERSISTENT

1. The story of the persistent widow.

(Luke 18:1 NKJV) Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 "Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' 4 "And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 'yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'" 6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"--(Will men still pray?)

2. The story of the man who woke his neighbor in the night.

(Luke 11:5-8 NKJV) And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; {6} 'for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; {7} "and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? {8} "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

B. Prayers must be asked in faith.

(Mat 21:21-22 NKJV) So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. {22} "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

(James 1:6 NKJV) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

C. Prayers ought to be fervent.

(James 5:16 NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

(Jer 29:13 NKJV) And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

D. Prayers must be according to the will of God.

(John 14:13-15 NKJV) "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. {14} "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. {15} "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

in My name= according to His will.

III. For what do we pray?

A. Remembering others.

(1 Tim 2:1 NKJV) Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1. May we always remember our own families.

2. May we always remember our church family.

3. For those with special needs.

4. Our leaders in government.

B. Let's pray for guidance.

C. Let's pray for guidance.

(Jer 10:23 NKJV) O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

D.. Other prayers for ourselves.

1. Our daily bread--our physical needs.

2. Our forgiveness--a right relationship with God.

3. Our deliverance from evil

(Mat 6:13 NKJV) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

E. A time to thank God, and to praise Him for all He has done.

(Phil 4:6 NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Conclusion

Prayer is so important. We need to work to make sure that our lives do not interfere with our prayers.

(1 Pet 3:7 NKJV) Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Are you in a right relationship with God?

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