The Importance of Prayer in the Life of the Believer

Notes: The Importance of Prayer in the Life of the Believer

Ephesians 6

Luke 11

SPEAKER:

Greg Laurie

WORSHIP TEAM:

Harvest Worship Band

SERIES:

What Every Growing Christian Needs to Know

Thursday, September 24, 2015 — 7:00 p.m.

Every believer should acknowledge that there is a long way to go. We all need to keep growing spiritually.

Some start their Christian race with a burst of energy and succeed and some fail.

We make our choices and then our choices make us.

It all comes down to discipline.

Planned neglect.

2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV

[22] Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

If you want to be a growing Christian:

1. You must read, study and love the word of God.

Joshua 1:8 NKJV

[8] This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

2. To be a growing Christian, you must have a prayer life.

Ephesians 6:18 NKJV

[18] praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-

Pray always with all prayer.

We should pray all ways and always.

The Lord hears all prayers anywhere and everywhere.

You don't have a better chance of being heard in certain places.

The main thing is praying always.

Daniel 6:10 NKJV

[10] Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Nehemiah 2:5 NKJV

[5] And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."

Some times we have time for prayer, other times we only have time for a quick prayer.

1. Why should I pray?

Jesus told us too.

Luke 18:1 NKJV

[1] Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

John 11:41-43 NKJV

[41] Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. [42] And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." [43] Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

Jesus was a great role model for us about how to pray.

Do not give up in your prayer.

2. We should pray because prayer is Gods appointed means for obtaining things.

James 4:2 NKJV

[2] You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

3. Prayer is the way by which God helps to overcome our anxiety and worry.

Philippians 4:6 NKJV

[6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Turn your worries into prayers.

4. Prayer is one of the ways in which we can prepare ourselves for Jesus coming.

When you pray about something God may say no, grow or go.

If the request is wrong, God says no.

If the time is wrong God says slow.

If you are wrong God says grow.

The Lords Prayer is not just a prayer to pray, but it is also a template of how to pray.

Luke 11:1-4 NKJV

[1] Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." [2] So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. [3] Give us day by day our daily bread. [4] And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."

Contemplate the awesomeness of God.

A.C.T.S.

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication

The secret to answered prayers:

1. You must pray according to the will of God.

Never be afraid to ask God to overrule your prayer.

The objective of prayer is to get into alignment with God.

1 John 5:14 NKJV

[14] Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Nothing lies outside the reach of God, but there is a lot outside of the will of God.

With a big God we have small problems!

2 we must surrender to the will of God.

3. We must forgive others.

Luke 11:4 NKJV

[4] And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."

Forgiven people should be forgiving people.

Matthew 5:23-24 NKJV

[23] Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, [24] leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Right now, are you harboring a grudge towards someone?

The person getting hurt in holding a grudge is the person with the grudge.

Ephesians 4:32 NKJV

[32] And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

4. As much as you can, stay out of the place of temptation.

Luke 11:4 NKJV

[4] And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."

5. Don't give up!

Luke 11:5-10 NKJV

[5] 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. [9] "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Ask, Seek, Knock! Don't give up!

Luke 11:9 NKJV

[9] "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Ask- implies requesting

Seek - denotes asking but adds action.

Knock - adds persevering.

Maybe your prayer has no power in it because it has no heart in it.

Do you really know how to pray?