Prayer Evening 15/9/13

Sense and Nonsense about Prayer •Emmaus Course•Lots of Verses on prayer•3 Nonsense Prayers •3 Sensible Prayers

Nonsense Prayers1. Unforgiveness

Mark 11:25-26• 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you

have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:14-15• 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Unforgiveness•We have been forgiven

Ephesians 4:32• 32 And be kind to one another,

tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Story 1•A Forgiving prayer

Matthew 5:44• 44 But I say to you, love your enemies,

bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you

Good Bible Examples •Paul and the Church in Corinthians•Paul forgave the Corinthians

Ourselves – Forgiveness •Easy to read and say but perhaps the

hardest obstacle in prayer. •However we must look to Jesus as our

example.•Forgive Friends and enemies.

Nonsense Prayers1. Unforgiveness

Nonsense Prayers1. Unforgiveness2. Unconfessed Sins

Proverbs 28:13• 13 He who covers his sins will not prosper,

But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Isaiah 59:1-2•59 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not

shortened,That it cannot save;Nor His ear heavy,That it cannot hear.2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;And your sins have hidden His face from you,So that He will not hear.

Bad Example : The Old Testament•Israel had sinned and were not heard.

Good Bible Examples•Ezra •Daniel •Nehemiah

Ezra 9:6• 6 and prayed: “I am too ashamed and

disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.

Daniel 9:4-5• 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and

confessed:•“Lord, the great and awesome God, who

keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.

Ourselves – Confess Sin •We can criticise Israel but are we really

that much better? •We can look at Paul Letters to see our

faults•We must humble ourselves when we come

to pray.

Nonsense Prayers1. Unforgiveness2. Unconfessed Sins

Nonsense Prayers1. Unforgiveness2. Unconfessed Sins3. Selfishness

James 4:3• 3 You ask and do not receive, because you

ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Matthew 7:7• 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek,

and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7 & Matthew 6:33

• 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

• 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Bad Example – James & John Mother• 20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to

Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and the other on the left, in your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”

Ourselves – Don’t be Selfish •We must put God first in our prayers. •We should thank God that he hasn’t given

us everything we have asked for.

Sensible Prayers •3 Areas

Sensible Prayers •Thanksgiving

Psalm 100• 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2     Worship the LORD with gladness;    come before him with joyful songs.3 Know that the LORD is God.    It is he who made us, and we are his;    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

• 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving    and his courts with praise;    give thanks to him and praise his name.5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Philippians 4:6• 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in

every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Another Story…

Another Story•‘Be thankful for nothing and anxious for

everything.’

Good Examples •Jesus and Paul

John 11:41• 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.

Acts 16:25• 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were

praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

•Paul often started his letters with thanksgiving

Ourselves - Thanksgiving •Would we never thank a friend?

•Is it easier to thank God in good times or bad times?

Sensible Prayers •Thanksgiving

Sensible Prayers •Thanksgiving•Faith

1 John 5:14-15• 14 This is the confidence we have in

approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

James 1:5-7• 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should

ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

George Muller •Have Faith in God

Sensible Prayers •Thanksgiving•Faith

Sensible Prayers •Thanksgiving•Faith•In the name of Jesus

John 14:13-14• 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my

name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Colossians 3:17• 17 And whatever you do, whether in word

or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Ourselves •An illustration and a story•We pray to the father in the name of the

LORD Jesus

Sense and Nonsense Sense Nonsense1. Thanksgiving2. Faith3. Jesus

• Good Examples

1. Unforgiveness2. Unconfessed Sins3. Selfishness

• Bad Examples