Prayer

What is Prayer?

Prayer is communicaiton and fellowship with God.

God's Word = Spiritual Food
Prayer = Spiritual breathing and exercise

Common Misconception of Prayer:

1. Prayer is an emergency hotline.
2. Pray only when you are in trouble or dire needs.

Purpose of Prayer

1. Expresses and demonstrates our trust and dependence on God.
2. Deepens our relationship with God.
3. Strengthens our faith in God.
4. Brings answers and solutons.
5. Increases our joy.
6. A means of intercession for others.
7. A weapon of spiritual warfare to defeat the devil.

3 Basis for Prayer

1. God created us, so He will take care of us.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

2. God lives up to His Word

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

3. God loves us, so He will not turn a deaf ear to our cries.

Psalm 116:1-2
1 I love the Lord for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.

Authority in Prayer - Jesus

Why do we pray in Jesus' name?

1. His name is above all names.

Philippians 2:10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth...

2. Jesus is the name the demons recognised.

Acts 19:15
One day, the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

3. Jesus is the name in which our prayers are answered.

John 14:14
You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.

Why Prayer when God already knows our needs?

1. Just like our earthly father, God loves to hear from us expressing our very desires and needs.

2. God wants to develop our dependence on Him.

10 Types of Prayer

1. Salvation
2. Confession
3. Promise
4. Intercessory
5. Warfare
6. Worship
7. Consecration
8. Mountain-moving
9. Scripture
10. Conversational

8 Hindrances to Prayer

1. Wrong kind of prayer
2. Out of God's will
3. Not specific
4. Harboring a sin

Psalm 66:18
If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

5. Lack of faith

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

6. Wrong motives

James 4:3
When you ask, you do not recieve, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

7. Unforgiveness

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

8. Lack of corresponding action

James 2:17
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Results of Prayer

1. Yes - your request is beneficial to your physical/spiritual growth
2. No - your request is not beneficial to your physical/spiritual growth
3. Wait - you are not ready to handle it yet

Praying in Tongues

1. It is allowing the Holy Spirit to pray in and through us in a language known only to God.

2. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, by interceding for us.

3. He intercedes for us according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27
26 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.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance to God's will.

Art of Prayer

1. Set a regular time for prayer.
2. Prayer unceasingly, adopt a prayer attitude throughout the day.
3. Cultivate and maintain a 2-way communication.
4. Be still, wait and listen.
5. Adopt an attitude of gratitude.