Lesson #15 - Praying

Terry Siverd
09/17/17 - Sun AM

Lesson #15 – Praying

1. How inclined is your tongue toward praying to God?

  Luke’s gospel is sometimes called “The Gospel of Prayer”.

cf. Lk. 3:21-22;  5:16;  6:12;  9:18;  9:28;  18:1f;  18:10f;  21:37f;  22:39ff;  23:34 & 46

  The book of Acts shows that the early church was a praying community.

cf. Acts 1:14 & 24;  2:42 & 46;  5:20-21 & 42;  6:4 & 6; 10:9;  12:5ff;  16:25;  20:7ff 

  Should prayer be a natural part of every Christian’s life?

~ Does praying come easy for you or do you find it to be difficult? 

In Col.4:12 Paul applauds Epaphras for - - laboring earnestly for you in his prayers

~ Do you have a favorite time and/or place for personal prayer each day?

2. How should we pray?

  Attitude

Js.1:6 / let him ask in faith without any doubting…

Col.4:2 / devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving

Mt.26:39, 42 & 44 / Not my will, but Thy will be done

Jude 20 / praying in the Holy Spirit  cf. Rom.8:26f

  Posture

standing (Lk.18:11) … head bowed (Lk.18:13) … kneeling (1Kgs.8:54) … lifting holy hands (1Tim.2:8) …

prostrate (Lk.22:44) … wide-eyed (Lk.21:36) … not showy (Mt.6:5) … with boldness (Heb.4:16) … 

  Verbiage

do not use meaningless repetition (Mt.6:7) … with supplication & thanksgiving (Philp.4:6) …

with humility (Lk.18:11:13) … seeking wisdom (Js.1:5) … intercessory (Gen.18:22-33) … sacrificially (Ex.32:31f & Js.5:16) …

pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you (Lk.6:28 & Mt.5:44) … not haughtily (Lk.18:11f) …

  Frequency

often (Lk.5:16) … at all times (Eph.6:18) … in everything (Philp.4:6) … always (Col.3:1) … without ceasing (1Thess.5:17)

  Persistence

Lk.11:5ff / because of his persistence

Lk.18:1f / He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.

1Thess.3:10 / night and day we keep praying most earnestly for you

2Cor.12:8 / concerning this I entreated the Lord three times…  cf. Mt.26:44 (Jesus prayed three times, let this cup pass)

3. What are some things that hinder (y)our prayer life?

  Un-belief

  Ignorance

  Indifference

  Busy-ness

  Strife with others – cf. Mt.5:23-24 and 1Pet.3:7