Lent – Week 4

Looking for New Growth in Our Lives; Let's Prayer!

Study Materials: 

 

A Clearing Season, Reflections for Lent, by Sarah Parsons

Wondrous Encounters, Scripture for Lent, by Richard Rohr

Give Up Something Bad for Lent, James W. Moore

Unpacking Forgiveness, Chris Brauns

­Sifted, Pursuing Growth Through Trials, Challenges and Disappointments, Wayne Cordeiro (with Francis Chan and Larry Osborne)

Hearing God, Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, Dallas Willard

Lord, Teach Us to Pray, Andrew Murray

How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Finds from a Leading Neuroscientist, Andrew Newberg MD, Mark Robert Waldman

http://christianity.about.com/od/prayersverses/a/basicstoprayer.htm

Important Admission: I have freely mixed NIV and KJV below, and the latter portion of this lesson was taken from 
http://christianity.about.com/od/prayersverses/a/basicstoprayer.htm .

God's gives birth to something new in us as we submit to God in spiritual rebirth.

 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

– Isaiah 43:18-19

We grow in the spirit as we submit to God through prayer.

Prayer draws us closer to God, and part of prayer is listening to God.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. - Revelation 3:22

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” - 1 Kings 19:11-13

For most of us, the "small voice" is a voice in our heart; inaudible, yet clear, and new beginnings come from God’s patient walk with us

Lora’s story …

Listening to God takes us on a walk. God slowly talks us down.  He knows we need baby steps. He takes us on slow walks so that he can eventually take us on a run. God is so gentle, and so good.

"I wish He'd just come down here and talk to us." – Lora
I believe he is ALWAYS talking to us. We just need to listen.

The Bible tells us God wants to have a relationship with us.

 …there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. 44 “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God. - Exodus 29:43-46

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. - Exodus 33:11

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. - Isaiah 41:8

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. - John 15:11-15

I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'These are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.' " - Zechariah 13:9

But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!  - John 15:7

And God's presence in our lives gives us strength.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. - Psalm 23

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. - Psalm 118:6-7

God's power is made perfect through our weakness and submission.

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. ⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Cor. 12:7-9

How do we pray?

The Bible has a lot to say about this. Much of what follows is taken from  

http://christianity.about.com/od/prayersverses/a/basicstoprayer.htm

Origins of Prayer

Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord. - Genesis 4:26

Is there a proper prayer posture?

When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. - 1 Kings 8:54

… And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. - Exodus 4:31

On your faces before God - 2 Chronicles 20:18; Also see Matthew 26:39.

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven - 1 Kings 8:22

Pray with your eyes open or closed, silently or out loud. – Just Pray

What if I don't have eloquent words?

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. - Matthew 6:7

Keep it simple!

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.  God is in heaven and you are on earth,  so let your words be few.- Ecclesiastes 5:2

God taught us to pray.

"Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!" - Matthew 26:41

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ ⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” - Luke 18:1-8

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. - Ephesians 6:18

The spirit will guide us in prayer.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. - Romans 8:26-27

Requirements for prayer.

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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:13

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. - Mark 11:24

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. - James 5:16

And we will receive whatever we request because we obey him and do the things that please him. - 1 John 3:22

Will my prayers always be answered?

No - There are many reasons, including disobedience, secret sin, indifference, neglect of mercy, despising the law, stubbornness, doubt, self-indulgence (name-it-claim-it).

Pray in accord with God’s divine will.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. - 1 John 5:14

God wants us to pray together with other believers.

Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  - Matthew 18:19

And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. - Luke 1:10

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.  - Acts 1:14

God also wants us to pray alone and in secret.\

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  - Matthew 6:6

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  - Mark 1:35

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.  - Luke 5:15-16

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. - Luke 6:12

Put on the full armor of God, and live in constant prayer!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. - Ephesians 6:10-18

“Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Jesus’ Instruction to Us – the Lord’s Prayer

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. - Matthew 6:5-15