Prayer is essential to a Spirit-controlled life and we are to be devoted to prayer, according to God’s will and bring everything before the Lord in prayer (Psalm 145:18-19, Eph 5:18-20, I John 3:22)
How should we come to God: Heb 11:6
How to seek God. (Prov 8:17, Mat 6:33, Luke 13:24, Son 3:1-4)
Faith demands an object…I have faith in _________. You cannot have faith in faith as the statement contradicts itself:
***. Faith – in its practice not essence (I only say that to be accurate because the essence of Faith is a spiritual gift of God given through the operation of regeneration.) So in “practice” observed to be:
Action – based upon Belief in God’s Word – sustained by Confidence that what God said He would do he will regardless of circumstances or time.
· Action (acting upon the premise or frame of reference that God’s word is final truth/reality) Mat 14:29-31 - For Example – Peter walked on water (action). Faith would not have been faith in the boat.
· Belief in God’s Word – belief in God’s word is not consent. Belief has in its etymology the essence of “hanging one’s self upon.” That is one reason why in some biblical portions is says to “believe in” while in others it says to “believe on.” Belief accepts God’s Word as the Final Reality. For Example – When Peter stepped outside the boat he was, in a sense, believing (literally) “on” Christ to hold him up above the water. Therein Christ became the ultimate reality and not what he knew about the his previous experiences with water.
· Confidence – much of what God requires is not just faith but faithfulness. It is Confidence in God’s ability and willingness to do what He said He would that sustains our “Action.” Here Peter fell short and most of us do likewise. Peter’s confidence in Christ was challenged by the environment surrounding him.
Our works MUST be done in faith
i. Rom 8:8 – Good but meaningless works, “humanism”
ii. Acts 5:1-2 – ½ measure of faith
iii. James 1:6-7 – the double minded man
The promise of God, trust and obey – John 14:23-24
Trust and Obey Hymn (John H. Sammis)
Illustration of feed cattle versus bull riding
Application
Prayer is looking out to God
If you mind wanders, confess it and persist
For me a little walk is where I do my best praying
Warning against rolling out of bed prayer
Get a verse in Psalms as a focal point to come back to and say to God in prayer
Psalm 73:25-26 – Whom do I have in heaven but you? And there is none upon the earth I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever
Psalm 19:14 – Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in your sight – O’ Lord – my strength and my redeemer
Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God - - - I will be exalted among the nations - - - I will be exalted in the earth
Psalm 119: 73-74 - Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word.
Entire Psalm 103
Some unprofitable practices in prayer (based on 1Peter 4:7)
You do not need to plead hopelessly for the Lord to be with you or with any other believer, because He is with you already and has promised never to leave nor forsake you (Mat 28:20b; Heb 13:5). Instead, thank the Lord for His continual presence with you (Heb 13:6)
You do not need to pray that God will grant you love for another person, because He has already poured out His love within you (Rom 5:5) and has commanded and enabled you to love (I John 4:7-12). Pray instead for His wisdom (James 1:5) and leading (Rom 8:4, Gal 5:16) to show you how to increase and abound in your love to others (1Thes 3:12)
As a true believer, you do not need to pray to be freed from the power of sin because you already have been freed (Rom 6:1-14). However, you are to pray to be delivered from evil/ the evil one (Mat 6:13) and are to thank the Lord that He has provided you freedom from the power of sin as you keep on presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to Him (Rom 6:6-7; 12:1-2)
You do not need to pray for help in either putting off your old self-nature or in putting on the new righteous self, because that was already accomplished at salvation (Rom 6:6-11; Gal 2:20; Eph 4:22-24). Pray instead for His wisdom, grace, and help in putting off the practices of the old self and in putting on the new righteous practices (Heb 4:15-16; James 1:5)
Pray like the model prayer (Matt 6:9)
F - Faith
A – Adoration
C – Confession
T – Thanksgiving
I – Intercession
S – Supplication
Pray through the full armor of God (Eph 6:13-18)
Belt of Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Shoes of the Gospel
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the SpiritPraying at all times in the Spirit
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