Discipleship Lesson 5: Prayer

January 14, 2011 at 12:23 pm | Posted in Discipleship Lessons | 28 Comments
Tags: 1 Peter 3, 1 Thessalonians 5, 1 Timothy 2, discipleship, discipleship lessons, Ephesians 2, Ephesians 6, intercessory prayer, James 4, Luke 11, Matthew 6, Philippians 4, prayer, prayer lesson, Proverbs 28, Psalm 100, Psalm 50, Psalm 66, Revelation 3, Romans 8

I. Why should we pray?

We should pray in order to be conformed to God’s will, more than to attempt to change God’s mind. Prayer is also good for our peace of mind and heart.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

God allows needs to come into our lives so that we will draw close to Him and learn to depend on Him.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 6:8

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psalm 50:15

It is dangerous for us to believe that all our needs are met and that we are not dependent.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Revelation 3:16-17

We must give thanks for our needs and even for our times of difficulty.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I Thessalonians 5:18

Prayer should be our first reaction in times of trouble.

Pray without ceasing.

I Thessalonians 5:17

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

II. How should we pray?

A. We should pray in the Holy Spirit.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

B. We should pray constantly.

Pray without ceasing.

I Thessalonians 5:17

C. Public prayer is good, but most of our prayer time should be in private.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:5-7

D. We should pray in the Name of Jesus Christ.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

I Timothy 2:5

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Ephesians 2:18

E. We should pray with our sins confessed.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Psalm 66:18

F. We should pray with a forgiving heart.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15

G. Husbands should pray without bitterness toward our wives.

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

I Peter 3:7

H. We should ask God to fulfill specific requests when we pray.

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

James 4:2-3

I. We should pray consistently with what is revealed in God’s Word.

He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

Proverbs 28:9

III. What should we pray?

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Philippians 4:6

A. Be specific.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I Thessalonians 5:18

B. Give thanks.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Ephesians 6:18

C. Pray for others.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

D. Praise and worship the Lord.

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Matthew 9:38

E. Pray for the lost.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Luke 11:2

F. Pray for God’s will to be done – pray the way Jesus told us to pray.

IV. Questions

A. Should we pray to the saints in heaven or to angels? (No.)

B. Does praying for the same thing over and over show a lack of faith? (No.)

C. Should certain prayers be memorized and repeated word for word without feeling or as a substitute for personalized prayer? (No.)

V. Memory verses

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

I Timothy 2:5

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Psalm 66:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I Thessalonians 5:18

28 Comments »

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

[...] and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will be consistent if you do the same. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with [...]

Pingback by Constant « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] Bible says to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). I know many times when I ask the Holy Spirit to help me [...]

Pingback by What To Do for Your Kids « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] earlier visions and dreams, and were probably given in response to Daniel’s three weeks of prayer and [...]

Pingback by Looking Forward To what Has Already Been Sealed « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] Lord Jesus has given authority to His followers, but we do not pray to the wind and the rain. Authority is the right and the power to make things obey. God is the One [...]

Pingback by Explaining the Meaning of Biblical “Authority” To Children « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] prayer was interrupted by the angel Gabriel. And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin [...]

Pingback by Comparisons, Calculations, and Christophany « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] perhaps, in a moment of realization, we just cast an eye upward in prayer – maybe only for a quick, almost-heartless, almost-unfeeling prayer… and what [...]

Pingback by Careless Love – Part 2 (Divine Rapid Heart Rate) « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] proclamation of the Word of God and prayer – not exuberant confusion – should be given the most time, the most attention, and the most [...]

Pingback by Order in the Church « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] like me stepping on your toes. And what’s even worse is that I highly recommend Bible study, prayer, church attendance, and Sunday School to help in your refining. If you don’t like those [...]

Pingback by Turning Up the Heat – Part 3 « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] would do well to keep this in mind when we pray. There are two people in Scripture who had very little in common aside from the fact that they both [...]

Pingback by Oh, Do Remember Me… « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] is no Acts 12:5 in Acts Chapter 22. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for [...]

Pingback by Conscious of the Conscience « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] time “waiting tables,” and it was taking away from their time studying the Word, preaching, and praying. So, inspired by the Holy Ghost, they commanded that seven men be found. The Apostles were not [...]

Pingback by The Blessing and the Cost of an Honest Report « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] Discipleship Lesson 5: Prayer [...]

Pingback by From Power To Proclamation To Prayer « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] from the dead. (Acts 9:40) Mary the mother of John, surnamed Mark, graciously opened her home for a prayer meeting. (Acts 12:12) A girl named Rhoda was there, and answered the door when Peter knocked. (Acts [...]

Pingback by For the Ladies… « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] instances of them getting together in what the Bible calls “one accord.” In Acts 1:14 they prayed together. In Acts 2:1 they waited for the Holy Ghost together. In Acts 2:46 they ate together. In [...]

Pingback by In One Place in One Accord « The Deep End— January 14, 2011 #
[...] responsibilities include: the teaching of the Word of God; fellowship with other believers; prayer. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them [...]

Pingback by Discipleship Lesson 6: The Local Church « The Deep End— February 7, 2011 #
[...] By trusting God’s promises and praying. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but [...]

Pingback by Discipleship Lesson 6: Sin « The Deep End— March 11, 2011 #
[...] know call to the stand Christians who are serious about prayer. Sometimes we call them “prayer warriors.” These are people who pray often, who pray long, who [...]

Pingback by Calling Witnesses (Part 2) « The Deep End— March 30, 2011 #
[...] such a short, simple Verse really teach us much about the great Biblical principle of prayer? You might be surprised. In fact, let’s focus in for a moment on just one word in that Verse: [...]

Pingback by Thought about Ought « The Deep End— April 18, 2011 #
[...] In the spiritual battles we fight every day, we have our armor to protect us. We also have have prayer, the Bible, and love to help us fight. But don’t forget, your physical body is a part of the [...]

Pingback by Strange Weapons Lesson 3: The Pitcher (spiritual application) « The Deep End— April 29, 2011 #
[...] He intercedes for Christians in prayer. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we [...]

Pingback by Discipleship Lesson 9: The Holy Spirit « The Deep End— May 3, 2011 #
[...] the power of God manifested in special ways in the Book of Acts. We see it in the Word of God; in prayer; in love; in fellowship; in persecution; and in [...]

Pingback by Powerful Changes « The Deep End— May 16, 2011 #
[...] 1: Salvation Lesson 2: Everlasting Security Lesson 3: Baptism Lesson 4: The Bible Lesson 5: Prayer Lesson 6: The Local Church Lesson 7: Sin Lesson 8: The World Lesson 9: The Holy [...]

Pingback by A Major Milestone « The Deep End— May 25, 2011 #
[...] task. He did what we should all do when we we are worried about doing a good job on something: He prayed about it. And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, [...]

Pingback by A Match Made in Heaven Part 1 « The Deep End— July 26, 2011 #
[...] is a great gift from God. Through prayer we can communicate directly with the Sovereign Lord and Creator of this universe. The Bible is [...]

Pingback by The Unselfish Prayer « The Deep End— August 10, 2011 #
thanks for sharing the information

Comment by phishing— August 21, 2011 #
[...] basic discipleship lessons: salvation, baptism, everlasting security, church membership, sin, prayer, the world. These lessons on “big words” are not really more difficult. They just have [...]

Pingback by Big Words of the Christian Life: Justification (Part 1) « The Deep End— October 18, 2011 #
[...] most obvious way to do this is by reminding your spouse to pray and read the Bible, but if your spouse is uncooperative or unwillingly, there are more subtle [...]

Pingback by Whose Idea WAS this Marriage? « The Deep End— November 21, 2011 #
[...] opinion of people worshipping Him? It’s good. God’s opinion of prayer? It’s good. God’s opinion of people reading and studying the Bible? It’s good. God’s opinion [...]

Pingback by Touring the Temple « The Deep End— February 6, 2012 #

The Deep End