RIVERS OF LIVING WATER:GREAT BIBLICAL THEMES AND

THE SHAPING OF LIVES OF FAITH

Week 4: Prayer

In Preparation for Class Consider the Following:

“Prayer stretches out the tentacles of our consciounsness not so much towards that Divine Life which is felt to be enshrined within the striving, changeful world of things; but rather to that ‘Eternal truth, true Love, and loved Eternity’ wherein the world is felt to be enshrined.”

-Evelyn Underhill, The Essentials of Mysticism

WHAT IS PRAYER? “Prayer is the rising of the soul out of the vanity of time into the riches of

eternity.” William Law

“Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.” Richard Foster

“Prayer involves far more than God’s listening to us; the greater part of prayer, as in so much else, is the active intercessory Presence of the Spirit of God in our lives.” Etty Hillesum

“Prayer is the serious business of the Church, the first and the best business it renders for the world.” St. Teresa of Avila

“Prayer is the superabundance of the heart. It is brim-full and running over with love and praise….” Andre Louf

Prayer is “trying to live all [your] waking moments in conscious listening to the inner voice, asking without ceasing, ‘What, Father, do you desire said? What, Father, do you desire done this minute?’” Frank Laubach

OPENING DISCUSSION

Which Christian writer’s definition of prayer best fits how you view what prayer is?

PRAYER BEGINS AT THE BEGINNING

Prayer: An act of communion with God- The American Heritage Dictionary

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27 Relationship Conversation

PRAYER AS NEGOTIATION GENESIS 18 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep

away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

PRAYER AS A PLEA FOR OTHERS 11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God.

“LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14 Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. Exodus 32:11-14

PRAYER AS TRANSFORMATION - JOB 40 The LORD said to Job: 2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?

    Let him who accuses God answer him!” 3 Then Job answered the LORD: 4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?

    I put my hand over my mouth.5 I spoke once, but I have no answer—    twice, but I will say no more.”

6 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: 7 “Brace yourself like a man;

    I will question you,    and you shall answer me.

8 “Would you discredit my justice?    Would you condemn me to justify yourself?9 Do you have an arm like God’s,    and can your voice thunder like his?10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,    and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,    look at all who are proud and bring them low,12 look at all who are proud and humble them,    crush the wicked where they stand.13 Bury them all in the dust together;    shroud their faces in the grave.14 Then I myself will admit to you    that your own right hand can save you.

JOB 42

Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that you can do all things;

    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,    things too wonderful for me to know.

4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;    I will question you,    and you shall answer me.’5 My ears had heard of you    but now my eyes have seen you.6 Therefore I despise myself    and repent in dust and ashes.”

PRAYERS OF REMEMBRANCE AND PROTECTION2 CHRONICLES: 5-12

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of theLORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:

“LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

GROUP DISCUSSION

What strikes you about these models of Old Testament prayer?

PRAYER CONTINUES WITH JESUS

Luke 5:16 Jesus Himself “communes” with God the

Father

Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus shows how we should commune or

pray

John 17:6-25 Jesus prays for us to God the Father

THE LORD’S PRAYER: WORSHIP AND MORE

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,10 your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us today our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts,    as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from the evil one.’”

PRAYING FOR LEADERS AND EVERYONE2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. . .8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.

2 Timothy 2:1-8

PRAYERS OF SUBMISSION

35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:35-36

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND GOD’S WORK

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6

THE PSALMIST’S PRAYER 1 You have searched me, LORD,

    and you know me.2 You know when I sit and when I rise;    you perceive my thoughts from afar.3 You discern my going out and my lying down;    you are familiar with all my ways.4 Before a word is on my tongue    you, LORD, know it completely.5 You hem me in behind and before,    and you lay your hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,    too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?    Where can I flee from your presence?8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,    if I settle on the far side of the sea,10 even there your hand will guide me,    your right hand will hold me fast.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!    How vast is the sum of them!18 Were I to count them,    they would outnumber the grains of sand —    when I awake, I am still with you.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;    test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me,    and lead me in the way everlasting.

PSALM 139 QUESTIONS What does God know? What does this imply about the intimacy which God has

with us? How does the psalmist feel about this? What do we learn about God’s presence? What does this imply about God’s relationship with us? Why do you think God’s thoughts are precious to the

psalmist? What does it reveal about God that He shares His

thoughts? What does the psalmist believe is an appropriate

response to God sharing His thoughts? What is the psalmist’s take on communing with God? What is our take-away on prayer?