To Be A Christian #5 - How Do We Pray?

To Be A Christian #5

How Do We Pray?

Ephesians 6:18

By: Joseph Ball

22. 1.0: 07/05/2015

To be a Christian, we first must be saved, which means:

I. Confess Your Sins.

II. Forsake Your Sins.

III. Believing in Christ and living for Him.

After becoming a Christian, we have to live like a Christian.  What does it mean to live like a Christian?

Christians have a book called the Bible.  What is the Bible?

I. Book of Ages.

II. Food for the Soul.

III. Light for your Life.

IV. Also: God’s Word.

Devouring Flame.

Saving Power.

Our Defensive Weapon.

And What do we do with the Bible?

I. Know It.

II. Use It.

III. Share It.

What is Prayer?

I. Worship.

II. Thanksgiving.

III. Requests.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

(Ephesians 6:18)

So then, knowing what prayer is, how do we pray?

I. Approach Expectantly.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

(Psalms 5:3)

Will look up expecting an answer.

• Expect to meet Him.
• Designated Time
• Devoted Time
• Private Time
• Any Time we go into prayer, as long as our relationship with Him is good.
• Expect to spend some time with Him.
• God wants to spend time with you.
• A few minutes a day is nice, but He wants more than that.
• Clear some time out of your schedule, and just pray.
• Expect an answer.
• When you pray From the Heart, not just the head
• He isn’t a god of wood and stone, He is a God Who hears and answers prayer.

II. Pray with a Thankful heart.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

(Philippians 4:6)

What can we be thankful for?

• We are to offer thanks for His answers to prayer.
• We are to offer thanks for His Meeting with us.
• We are to offer thanks for His Blessings in our lives.
• We are to offer thanks for His character.
• His Grace
• His Love
• His Mercy
• His Holiness

III. Bring Your Requests to Him.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

(Philippians 4:6)

• In Faith Believing.
• Be Specific about your Requests.
• Ask Big, never underestimate God.
• Request Spiritual Help.
• Ourselves
• Others
• Character Traits/Growth
• Wisdom
• Faith
• Love
• Guidance
• Personal Needs and Provisions
• Ask for God’s Will To Be Done Most of All!

IV. Just Worship Him

• When There is Nothing to request, Pray anyway.
• When You feel dry or down and out, Pray anyway.
• When you feel like you just need to vent, Pray to God.
• Pray Just to grow Closer to Him.

If we are to be married to this wonderful God, I’m sure a little communication is high on His list of things He cares about.

To Be A Christian #4 - What Is Prayer?

To Be A Christian #4

What Is Prayer?

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

By: Joseph Ball

22. 1.0: 06/29/2015

And so the Bible is God’s side of the conversation to us, and we need to meet with Him to hear from Him often from His Word, The Bible.  But what do we do to express ourselves to Him?  What do we do to communicate with God?

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

(I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

I. Prayer is Worshipping GOD

6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

(Psalm 95:6-7)

WORSHIP:

To adore; to pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration.

Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like.

The worship of God is an eminent part of religion.

Prayer is a chief part of religious worship.

• A Time of Worship which needs to be:
• Designated Time
• Devoted Time
• Private Time
• A Place of Worship
• The Prayer Closet is one of the most precious places for a Christian
• The Throne is the place we approach in prayer--Fitting for worship
• An Attitude of Worship
• From the Heart, not just the head
• Done with a devoted desire to worship
• Done with the purpose of giving God the worship He desires

II. Prayer is Thanksgiving to GOD

4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.

(Psalm 100:4)

THANKSGIV'ING

The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies.

• We are to offer thanks for His answers to prayer.
• We are to offer thanks for His Blessings in our lives.
• We are to offer thanks for His character.
• His Grace
• His Love
• His Mercy
• His Holiness

III. Prayer is REQUESTING from GOD

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

(Philippians 4:6)

REQUEST

To ask; to solicit; to express desire for.

The expression of desire to some person for something to be granted or done; an asking; a petition.

• Spiritual Needs
• Ourselves
• Others
• Character Traits/Growth
• Wisdom: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5
• Faith: And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. (Luke 17:5-6)
• Personal Needs and Provisions
• Guidance
• Everything According to God’s Will

IV. A Whole Lot More:

• Talking to God
• Fellowship with the Father
• Communication with God
• An Act of Faith

I understand that this is not quite a full manuscript, it is a set of notes used to study about prayer, and used for preaching. If you want to hear the sermon in full check out our podcast where you can hear the entire recording.

Prayer is more vital and precious in the Christian life than any other thing we have. While God's Word is essential, if we never take the time to respond to Him in prayer how do you think He feels? It is like our spouse sending us love letters, telling us all about their day, telling us all that is going on in life, and all that they have planned for you, and you not responding, just hearing and walking away. Prayer is our part of the conversation with God. Live it, do it, and love it.