What is Prayer?
July 5, 2008
The Pray-B-C’s
July 5, 2008
by: Dick Gruber
adore the Lord Jesus
battle the enemy
confess your faults and sin
disciples do it
energizes your spirit
faithfully pray each day
glory in His presence
humbly let your requests be known
intercede for others
join a vast army of prayer warriors
key to Christian living
lifestyle of prayer
magnify the Lord with me
needs are expressed in prayer
open your heart to the Lord
pray without ceasing
quicken your spirit through prayer
restore your spiritual strength
sacrifice time and energy in prayer
trust in the Lord with all your heart
unquenchable fire is given to you in prayer
victories are won while praying
worship the Lord in prayer
x-amine your heart in prayer
yield yourself to God
zeal to grow through prayer
Places to Pray
July 5, 2008
These are found in the New Testament
ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE – Matthew 14:23 “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”
IN YOUR ROOM – Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
IN THE TEMPLE/CHURCH – Luke 18:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.” Matthew 21:13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’ ”
IN THE GARDEN – Matthew 26:36 “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
ON THE ROOF – Acts 10:9 “About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.”
BY THE RIVER – Acts 16:13 “On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.”
ON THE BEACH – Acts 21:5 “But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.”
IN PRISON – Acts 26:29 Paul replied, “Short time or long–I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
AT PARTIES, ON FIELD TRIPS, IN SCHOOL – Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
IN BED – 1 Thessalonians 3:10 “Night and day we pray most earnestly…”
RIDING YOUR BIKE OR AT THE COMPUTER – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray continually”
IN THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE – James 5:13 “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.”
IN THE HOSPITAL – James 5:14 “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
How to Pray
July 5, 2008
WITH LOVE – Matthew 5:44 “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Luke 6:28 “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
WITH HUMILITY – Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Luke 18:10-14 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
WITHOUT BABBLING – Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
WITH ALERTNESS – Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Luke 22:46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
WITH FRIENDS – Luke 9:28 “About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.”
WITH THE SPIRIT’S HELP – Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” 1 Corinthians 14:15 “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
WITH JOY – Philippians 1:4 “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.”
WITH CONSISTENCY – Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer,” Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray continually.”
WITH FAITH – Matthew 21:22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
WITH FERVENCY – Luke 22:44 “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Acts 2:5 “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Bible People of Prayer
July 5, 2008
ESTHER – Esther 4:15-16 “Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
DANIEL – Daniel 6:10 “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”
PETER – Acts 3:1 “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer–at three in the afternoon.”
DAVID – 1 Samuel 30:6 “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.”
MOSES – Deuteronomy 4:7 “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” Deuteronomy 9:26 “I prayed to the LORD and said, ‘O Sovereign LORD, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.’”
EUNICE – 2 Timothy 1:5 “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
CORNELIUS – Acts 10:1-2 “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.”
SHADRACH, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO -Daniel 3:17-18 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
MARY – Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”
JESUS – John 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” Mark 6:46 “After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” Matthew 14:23 “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When
evening came, he was there alone.”
THE LORD’S PRAYER
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13
Put yourself in the place of a Bible person and write what you believe would have been his or her prayer.
