The Practice Of Prayer

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                                "PRAYER"

                       The Practice Of Prayer - I

INTRODUCTION

1. In our study on prayer, we have examined...
   a. The purpose of prayer      d. The principles of prayer
   b. The power of prayer        e. The persistence of prayer
   c. The privilege of prayer

2. Hopefully this study has increased our desire to pray...
   a. To pray more fervently, with more consistency
   b. To benefit from all that prayer has to offer

3. To encourage us even more to pray, let's look closer at "The Practice
   Of Prayer"...
   a. How should we pray?        c. With whom should we pray?
   b. When should we pray?       d. For what should we pray?

[Even if we have been praying all our lives, it never hurts to ask
"Lord, teach us to pray..."]

I. HOW TO PRAY

   A. THE MODEL PRAYER...
      1. Jesus was asked by His disciples how to pray - Lk 11:1
         a. They had just witnessed Jesus praying
         b. They knew John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray
         c. While they had prayed as Jews, they recognized a need to
            learn more
      2. In response, Jesus offered a model, a guide for learning to
         pray - Lk 11:2-4
         a. Commonly called "The Lord's Prayer", also found in Mt 6:9-13
         b.  It was intended to serve as a model ("In this manner...")
            - Mt 6:9
      -- The Lord's prayer serves as an example of how to pray, not a
         liturgical exercise

   B. THE PROPER PRAYER...
      1. Addresses God the Father ("Our Father in heaven") - Mt 6:9
      2. Expresses reverence toward God ("Hallowed be Your Name") - Mt
         6:9
      3. Includes supplication for such things as:
         a. God's purposes ("Your kingdom come. Your will be done on
            earth as it is in heaven.") - Mt 6:10
         b. Our physical needs ("Give us this day our daily bread.")
            - Mt 6:11
         c. Our spiritual needs ("And forgive us our debts...") - Mt
            6:12
         d. The spiritual needs of others ("...as we forgive our
            debtors.") - Mt 6:12
         e. Guidance and help in our struggle against sin and Satan
            ("And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from
            the evil one.") - Mt 6:13
      4. Praises God ("For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the
         glory forever. Amen.") - Mt 6:13
      5. In teaching on prayer, Jesus stressed the importance of:
         a. Simplicity in prayers - Mt 6:7-8
         b. Forgiving others - Mt 6:14-15
         c. Persistence in prayers - Lk 12:5-10
      -- Memorize the Lord's prayer and it can serve to remind you how
         to pray

[Another common concern in "The Practice Of Prayer" is...]

II. WHEN TO PRAY

   A. SCHEDULED PRAYERS...
      1. Having set times to pray can help develop a habit of prayer
      2. Consider the practice of two great men of God
         a. David, whom God described as "a man after My own heart"
            - Ps 55:17
         b. Daniel, whom the angel of God described as "O man greatly
            beloved" - Dan 6:10
      3. They made it a habit to pray at set times during the day
         a. It would not hurt to imitate them
         b. Praying three times daily:  morning, noon, and evening
      -- At the very least, make time each day to spend time in prayer

   B. SPONTANEOUS PRAYERS...
      1. Prayers should not be limited to set times
      2. Jesus spent all night in prayer before selecting His apostles
         - Lk 6:12-13
      3. Paul and Silas prayed when faced with trying circumstances - Ac
         16:25
      4. Nehemiah prayed silently on the spur of the moment - Neh 2:4-5
      5. The Israelites prayed to God in the heat of battle - 1Ch 5:20
      -- We should pray whenever and however the occasion calls for it

   C. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING...
      1. The goal is to "pray without ceasing" - 1Th 5:17
      2. Having scheduled times to pray will develop experience in
         prayer
      3. Praying spontaneously will develop a disposition to pray in
         every circumstance
      -- Together, they help us reach the goal of praying without
         ceasing

CONCLUSION

1. In regards to "The Practice Of Prayer", we have considered...
   a. How to pray, with the aid of the Lord's prayer
   b. When to pray, suggesting both set times and spontaneous prayers

2. As we develop both the experience and disposition to pray, we should
   also consider...
   a. With whom to pray, alone or with others
   b. For what to pray, besides what has already been suggested

This we will do in the second part of our study on "The Practice Of
Prayer"...
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