Text Box: An old man was dying of cancer and his daughter asked the local priest to come and pray with her father. When the priest arrived, he found the man lying on his bed, with an empty chair beside his bed. The man told the priest about the chair. “All of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer, until one day about 40 years ago my best friend said to me, ‘Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of talking with Jesus. Do this: sit down in a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky because He promised, ‘I’ll be with you always.’ Then just speak to Him the way you are with me.’ “So, I’ve done this everyday since for a couple hours a day. I try not to let my daughter see. It would look weird.” Two nights later the daughter called to tell the priest that her dad had died that afternoon. “Did he die in peace?” “Yes, but there was something strange. Apparently, just before daddy died, he leaned over an rested his head on a chair beside the bed.” What Is Prayer?  [Part 1]

A lot of people can relate to the old man.  Even those who have been Christians for a long time can wonder, “What in the world am I supposed to do when I pray?”  Truth is, we make it a lot harder than it really is.  If you can talk with a friend, then you can talk with Jesus.  Prayer is simply communication with God.  Some of the ways this is done is through:

·        Adoration—praising God for who he is (Psalm 67:3)

·        Appreciation—thanking God for the blessings he gives (Psalm 100:4)

·        Confession—admitting our sin to God, claiming His forgiveness, and turning away from those wrong attitudes and actions (Psalm 51 & 1 John 8:9)

·        Intercession—asking God to work in the lives of others (Ephesians 6:18)

·        Supplication—telling God about our own needs (Philippians 4:6)

·        Listening—after reading God’s word & spending time with Him in prayer, wait on Him and allow Him to speak to your heart (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2)

·        Yielding—submitting to God’s will and to His word (Luke 9:23-24; John 14:15, & Romans 12:1-2

THINK ABOUT IT:

What are your conversations like with God?  What is the prayer form (from above) that you use the most?  Why?  What about the least?  Why?

 

WORK THROUGH IT:

Go to a quiet place and talk with God.  Try to make this a place that you can go to everyday.  If you do this at the same time, it can help you develop a habit.

When you pray, don’t worry about using perfect phrases.  Just be honest.  Tell Him what is on your heart and mind.  Pour yourself out to Him.  If you need to talk out loud, then do it.  The most important thing is to remember that prayer is just talking to God.  Anytime, anywhere, the point is to do it.  TODAY.

 

READ THE BOOK:

Read Deuteronomy 4:7; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 5:44; 6:5-15

 

Text Box: Johnny was 5 when he told his dad he’d like to have a baby brother & offered to do anything he could to help. The father paused for a moment & then replied, “ I’ll tell you what, Johnny. If you pray every day for 2 months for a baby brother, I guarantee that God will five you one!” Johnny was thrilled and began praying that very night. Johnny prayed every night for a month, but then began to get skeptical. He checked around the neighborhood and found out that you can’t just pray for 2 months and then, wham a new baby brother. So, Johnny quit praying. After another month, Johnny’s mother went to the hospital. His parents called him into their room. He didn’t expect to find anything, but there by his father was a little bundle. His dad pulled back the blanket and there was-not one baby brother-but two! His mom had twins. Johnny’s dad looked down at him and said, “Now aren’t you glad you prayed?’ Johnny hesitated a little and then looked up and said, “yes but aren’t you glad I quit when I did?” What is Prayer? (Part 2)

     Johnny’s dad knew in advance that Johnny’s prayer would be answered (he knew his wife was having a baby boy).  And our Heavenly Father knows in advance whether our prayers will be answered.  He even knows our wants and needs before we ask.  So, why pray?

     We pray b/c we want to get to know God.  Prayer is as important to the Christian as breathing is to a human being.  Prayer is life creating and life changing.  You don’t have a conversation with the creator and come out un-changed.  ‘in prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God’s thoughts after him:  to desire the things he desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things he wills.”

     Looking at the life of Christ in just the book of Mark alone, we see Jesus’ priority and longing for prayer and solitude:

--Mark 1:35, 45; 3:7, 13; 4:35; 6:1, 31,46; 7:24; 9:2, 30; 11:19; 13:3

     Spending time with God has become an extinct thing in our churches.  We think that if we pray for our mean, pray at church and pray before we sleep, that we’ve spent time with God.

     We were created to glorify and enjoy God, not treat our relationship to Him as a duty.  We can’t THINK ABOUT IT:

     What are some prayer blockers that keep you from intimacy with God?

q   Lack of discipline

q   Not making prayer a priority

q   Falling asleep when praying

q   Don’t feel God’s presence

q   Lack of faith that He’s listening

q   Doubting His existence

q   Hectic schedule

q   Guilt

q   Daydreaming

q   Frustration in prayer

WORK THROUGH IT:

     How is prayer different than a face to face conversation?  How can prayer bring your closer to God?  Do you have tot have faith to really pray?

     What are some specific ways you can eliminate some of your prayer blockers from the above list?

     READ THE BOOK:  Psalm 42 & Ecclesiastes 3:10

 

 

Text Box: Rich, a laid-back kind of guy--Mr. Cool, calm and collected (or so he thinks he is)--is attempting to pray: “So, how is the Man with the plan? How’s the King-meister…Sorry, I’ve been a little busy lately. As a matter of fact, I’m gonna be booked up all this month too. So, um, lemme make this quick. Bless everybody (especially me)--that is, if you can hear me. Later.” How are We to Pray?

LOOK IT UP:

     That’s what not to do.  Now here is how we should pray.

     *In Jesus’ name--More than just a magical formula we tack on to the end of our prayers, this means our prayers should be consistent with all that Christ represents (John 14:13-16).

*In faith and in obedience (Matthew 21:22; 1Jn. 3:22).

     *With persistence (Luke 11:9; 18:1-6).

     *Remaining in him (Jn.  15:7).

     *In Conjunction with other believers (Mt. 18: 19).

     *With unselfish motives (James 4:2-3).

     *Boldly (Hebrew 4:16).

     *Continuously--Morning, noon, and bight (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

     *Reverently--Recognizing the holiness of God (2 Chronicles 20:18).

THINK ABOUT IT:

     How does your own prayer life stack up?  If your attitude about prayer is casual, and you feel that --since you’re obligated to touch base with God--you might as well get it over with, think some more.  You’re depriving yourself of the great relationship that God wants to have with you!

WORK THROUGH IT:

     Start a prayer notebook.  This is a great ways to develop a habit of prayer that is fun and adventuress…plus it gives you a permanent reminder of Dog’s faithfulness!  You can do this by:

     *Writing out prayers to God.

     *Dividing each page into two columns

     *Write specific prayer requests & the date you first start prying on the left hand side of the page.

     *When god answers a particular prayer, note the details in right hand column.

     *Pray for only a few items each day.

READ THE BOOK:

     Note that prayer must also be according you God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).

 

Text Box: When Jimmy was a little boy, he wanted to be a cowboy. He spent countless hours in front of the television, watching reruns of “Gunsmoke” and Bonanza.” He just knew that some day he would live on a ranch, wear a big cowboy hat, and ride the range just like all his cowboy heroes. When he was seven years old Jimmy said, “Dad, I want to be a cowboy when I grow up. Will you help me be a cowboy?” “Sure, son,” said his dad, smiling down on his little cowboy. As the years went by, Jimmy grew into a fine young man. As you might expect, he outgrew his childhood fantasy of becoming a cowboy and turned instead to girls, sports, studying and preparing himself for a career in the business world. One day Jimmy went to his father again and said, “Dad, I want to go to college and get an education. Will you help me?” “College!” his dad replied. “Son, you can’t go to college. When you were 7, you said you wanted to be a cowboy. So I bought you a ranch in Texas with 50 head of cattle! There’s no money for you to go to college. You need to take care of the ranch!” Why Aren’t some

prayers answered?

LOOK IT UP:

     Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t answer your prayers exactly like you want Him to?  Maybe it’s b/c we are like Jimmy sometimes.  The Bible list’s several reasons why or prayers may ho unanswered:

     *Secret sin (Psalm 66:18).

     *Selfish motives (James 4:3)

     *A lack of mercy for others (Proverbs 21:13).

     *Conflict in the home (1 Peter 3:7).

     *An unforgiving spirit (Mark 11:25).

     *Doubt (James 1:5-7).

THINK ABOUT IT:

     What would happen if you took the car without asking, didn’t come home by curfew, and then got into a wreck?  Would you expect to walk in and talk with your parents as though nothing had happened?  If you asked for an allowance at that moment, would they be likely to give it to you?

     Since our parents won’t accept an arrangement like that, why do we think we can expect our holy God to agree to such guidelines?

WORK THROUGH IT:

     Is there anything you can think of that could be hindering you communication with God.  Here’s a course of action to help you think:

     *On a piece of paper, list any situation or thing in you life that you feel God might not be pleased with.  (Sometimes writing it down makes it easier to tell.)

     *Share your findings with trusted friends or an adult youth leader that you trust.

     *Ask him or her to pray for you and hold you accountable to those convictions.

READ THE BOOK:

     Read James 5:13-16 & 1 John 3:21-22

 

 

 

Text Box: A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, “Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late!” As she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed, running again. As she ran she once again began to pray, “Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late…But don’t shove me either.” CAN PRAYER REALLY CHAGE THINGS?

 

LOOK IT UP:

     God probably didn’t shove the little girl, but do we really believe prayer changes things?  These promised of Jesus ought to get you excited about prayer:

     *”I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20-21).

     *”I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  For where tow or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:19-20).

 

THINK ABOUT IT:

     Prayer isn’t just desirable--it’s essential!  God has ordained prayer as the primary means by which His will is accomplished on earth.  This explains the old saying, “Satan tremble when he sees the weakest Christian o his knees.”  It also explains why influential Christians like Martin Luther, C.S. Lewis and Amy Carmichael spent hours each day talking to God.

 

WORK THROUGH IT: 

     If you’ve met all the requirements from the previous for pages, you are in a position to see some amazing things.  You now have the opportunity to see God move in a powerful way.

     Take out your prayer notebook and ask God to do these things:

          *Save a lost friend.

          *Heal a shattered relationship.

          *Draw a starving Christian back to Himself.

          *Use you in a powerful way.

     Then sit back and watch God work!

 

READ THE BOOK:

     Read James 5:16-18 & Psalm 5

 

 

 

Text Box: A man experiencing a crisis in his life called the toll free Psychiatric Phone Line listed in the phone directory. This is what he heard: “Welcome to the Psychiatric Hot Line. …If you are obsessive-compulsive, repeatedly press 1. …If you are co-dependant, ask someone to press 2. . …If you have multiple personalities, press 3, 4, and 5. …If you are suffering from paranoia, we know who you are and what you want. Stay on the line until we trace the call. …If you are a schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which # to press. …If your are depressed, push any button you wish, it won’t help anyway. How does god react to our prayers?

 

LOOK IT UP:

For those who think that their prayers are insignificant to God, the Bible says, “No way!”  Okay, it doesn’t exactly say that, but read what it does say:

     *God hears and delights in our prayers (Read Proverbs 15:8).

     *God loves to answer prayers (Read Matthew 7:11).

     *God even helps us pray (Read Romans 8:26).

 

THINK ABOUT IT:

     You could think of prayer as a toll-free # to Heaven.  Call as often as you like.  There’s no charge, the number always works, and you never get a busy signal or an answering machine.

     Have you ever felt like God didn’t care?  Do today’s verses help change your mind?  Remember that God is your Heavenly Father.  He is always concerned about the things that concern you.  And because His power is unlimited, you don’t have to worry about His not having enough time, or being under pressure.

 

    WORK THROUGH IT: 

     Pray through a section of Scripture.  That means you take a Bible passage and say it to God, exactly the way it is or in your own words.  Many times I like to read a few of the verses to God and then let those verses guide my thoughts in my prayer to God.  This is a great way to worship God and get to know Him better.  The Psalms are best for this.  (For starters, try Psalm 42, 51, 63, 103, 145-150).

 

READ THE BOOK:

     Notice how Christians’ prayers are described in Revelation 5:8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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