More Prayer - a great resolution for 2007...
Matt 6:5-8And 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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
The best New Year’s resolution you could make this year is to pray more in 2007.
Why is it difficult to have a great consistent prayer life? Here are 3 possible reasons:
a. Business & hurry – many of us are just so busy and this is the enemy of true intimate prayer time… have you ever tried to pray and watch the clock at the same time?
b. Lack of discipline – sometimes we have the desire to but we don’t follow through and make the time a priority
c. Compromise – if you have done something wrong and your heart is not right with God or in a relationship with someone else, you may find it difficult to spend time in His presence. Don’t run from Him, run to Him.
Don’t let those three things keep you from spending quality time in prayer this year.
Three Things about Prayer we can learn from Jesus in
Matthew 6:5-8
1. The Priority we should place on prayer.
He says when you pray (not if you pray). Most of us want to pray more but we fail to plan time for it. We need to understand that prayer is the
…way to overcome Luke 22:32
… key to seeing the lost saved Luke 18:13
… the way to obtain wisdom James 1:5
… the way to healing James 5:14
… way to victory Matt 26:41
… Key to experiencing the impossible Mark 11:23
So we need to plan time to pray but we also need to plan the place to pray – a place with minimal distractions (no other people, not driving or watching tv). If you are a morning person, then morning is probably the best time for you to focus; if you are an evening person, that may be the best time for you to plan to pray. So we should have a planned time of prayer but then also throughout our day prayer should also be continuous and spontaneous as mentioned in Phil 4:6 and I Thes 5:17 . What kind of priority is prayer in your life?
2. The problems you’ll face when you pray…. Matt 6:5-8
When we pray we don’t want to pray rhetoric, ritualistic or category list prayers that require little thought or interaction – this loses the heart and purpose of prayer. In a conversation with another person you are concerned with what the other person is about. So also in prayer – conversation with God. Prayer is about getting your life on God’s page. He does care about the things that concern us, yet there should be a communion with God when we pray. His Word says that He’ll meet all of your needs; keep asking and trusting in Him. The main thing though, is how much I seek Him and grow in Him and trust Him… not just that my request be answered….
3. There is power when we pray v 6-8
“For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him”
As a Father, it brings Him joy for us to bring Him a need we need help with and ask Him about it. It honors Him to hear, ‘I can’t do this on my own’. Expressing the need helps to nuture our relationship. You do not need to be eloquent when you pray. Sometimes the simplest most straightforward prayer is saying to God ‘help’. Know that the answer is coming.
What could happen in our relationship with God... if we each committed to add 15 additional minutes of truly focused 2 - way prayer in our lives during each day this year? ....
----------------------------------------------------
(these are notes from a recent sermon at church)
blessings girlies :)
The best New Year’s resolution you could make this year is to pray more in 2007.
Why is it difficult to have a great consistent prayer life? Here are 3 possible reasons:
a. Business & hurry – many of us are just so busy and this is the enemy of true intimate prayer time… have you ever tried to pray and watch the clock at the same time?
b. Lack of discipline – sometimes we have the desire to but we don’t follow through and make the time a priority
c. Compromise – if you have done something wrong and your heart is not right with God or in a relationship with someone else, you may find it difficult to spend time in His presence. Don’t run from Him, run to Him.
Don’t let those three things keep you from spending quality time in prayer this year.
Three Things about Prayer we can learn from Jesus in
Matthew 6:5-8
1. The Priority we should place on prayer.
He says when you pray (not if you pray). Most of us want to pray more but we fail to plan time for it. We need to understand that prayer is the
…way to overcome Luke 22:32
… key to seeing the lost saved Luke 18:13
… the way to obtain wisdom James 1:5
… the way to healing James 5:14
… way to victory Matt 26:41
… Key to experiencing the impossible Mark 11:23
So we need to plan time to pray but we also need to plan the place to pray – a place with minimal distractions (no other people, not driving or watching tv). If you are a morning person, then morning is probably the best time for you to focus; if you are an evening person, that may be the best time for you to plan to pray. So we should have a planned time of prayer but then also throughout our day prayer should also be continuous and spontaneous as mentioned in Phil 4:6 and I Thes 5:17 . What kind of priority is prayer in your life?
2. The problems you’ll face when you pray…. Matt 6:5-8
When we pray we don’t want to pray rhetoric, ritualistic or category list prayers that require little thought or interaction – this loses the heart and purpose of prayer. In a conversation with another person you are concerned with what the other person is about. So also in prayer – conversation with God. Prayer is about getting your life on God’s page. He does care about the things that concern us, yet there should be a communion with God when we pray. His Word says that He’ll meet all of your needs; keep asking and trusting in Him. The main thing though, is how much I seek Him and grow in Him and trust Him… not just that my request be answered….
3. There is power when we pray v 6-8
“For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him”
As a Father, it brings Him joy for us to bring Him a need we need help with and ask Him about it. It honors Him to hear, ‘I can’t do this on my own’. Expressing the need helps to nuture our relationship. You do not need to be eloquent when you pray. Sometimes the simplest most straightforward prayer is saying to God ‘help’. Know that the answer is coming.
What could happen in our relationship with God... if we each committed to add 15 additional minutes of truly focused 2 - way prayer in our lives during each day this year? ....
----------------------------------------------------
(these are notes from a recent sermon at church)
blessings girlies :)
posted by Our God Reigns | 1/30/2007 09:50:00 AM
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