Saturday, April 21, 2018

Praying the Scriptures – prayer changes everything


This is the first of three lessons dealing with prayer. Hope you will read, practice, and be blessed!

John chapters 15 and 16 had much to say about how Jesus view our relationship with him and especially the authority we are permitted to exercise through prayer. Then John 17 details Jesus’ own prayer for us, his church. All through the gospels we see Jesus getting up early and slipping off to pray — one such example is Mark 1:35.
What is prayer? There are many definitions but I decided to ask myself what am I doing when I pray? Take a moment and think about that …
What are some of my challenges?
a.      Mind wanders
b.      Having to be careful I’m not just presenting a shopping list
c.       Entering in to the place of his presence
d.      Time – time no presence, no time and glory falls — why is that?
e.       Internal issues - emotional
Back to top: dealing with the issues by bringing every thought into prayer as they pop-up
Prayer changes things because God answers and intervenes by changing us or the situation. 

How then do we pray?
1.      Praying in the Spirit
Ephesians 6:18
1 Corinthians 14:15
Romans 8:26

2.      Perseverance in prayer
Luke 18:1
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Psalms 55:17

3.      Supplication for the saints
James 5:16
1 Timothy 2:8
The Persecuted church — Psalm 3

4.      Prayer for utterance and boldness for those who minister the Word
Ephesians 6:19
Colossians 4:3-4

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