How Do I Pray?

This lesson is taken from Micah 3:1-2b,4;    Luke 18:9-14;   John 16:23b and 24b

                                         I John 5:13b-15;    Ephesians 6:18;    Matthew 6:5-15

Prayer is a way that we communicate with God, also reading the Bible is another way.

We will be going through a lot of different subject on praying.  So let’s get started.

I.                    God doesn’t hear a person prayers if they are purposely sinning?

Listen, you leaders of Israel!  You are believed to know right from wrong, but you are the very ones who hate good and you love evil.  Then you beg the Lord for help in times of trouble!  Do you really think God is going to listen, after all the evil you have done?  God will not hear you, and He will even hide His face from you, for all the evil that you have done on purpose.

Discussion:

The leaders, who should have known the law and taught the law to the people, had put the law down and had become the worst of sinners.  They were taking advantage of the very people they were to serve.  All sin is bad, but the sinner that leads others into sin is the worst of all.

Then when they prayed to ask God to help, was when they found out that they were in trouble, for God hid His face from them because of all the evil that they had done on purpose.  We should remember that we should always do our best to follow God and we shouldn’t turn away from God on purpose and do what is evil.

 

II.                    Things we need when we pray:

1.      Pray with humility

Jesus told this story:

Two men went to the temple to pray.  One man was a Pharisee, and the other man was a dishonest tax collector.

The proud Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer:

I thank you God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there!  For I never cheat, sin, or commit adultery.  I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.

Now the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even to lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed.  Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow and prayed:

O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.

I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home being righteous before God.  For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored.

Discussion:

The people who lived near Jerusalem often went to the temple to pray.  A temple is like a church, it is a place to go to worship God.

The Pharisee didn’t go to the temple to pray to God, but he prayed loud enough so all the people close to him would know how good he was.  He was being self-righteous. 

Self-righteousness is dangerous, it leads to pride, causes a person to find fault with other people, and keeps the person from learning anything from God.  Don’t let pride cut you off from God.

Now the tax collector went to the temple to pray to God.  He prayed for mercy for he knew he was a sinner.  The tax collector’s prayer should be our prayer because we all need God’s mercy everyday.  

 2.      Pray without doubting

When you pray and you need wisdom, and want to know what God wants you to do, ask Him.  God doesn’t mind you asking Him, and He will gladly tell you.  But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer you, for a doubtful mind is as changeable as the waves of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.  People like that shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord.  For they can’t make up their minds, they go back and forth in everything they do.

Discussion:

Whenever we need wisdom, we can pray to God, and He will give you what you need to have the ability to make wise decisions.  Christians don’t have to stumble around in the dark, trying to come upon the right answer.  You can ask God for wisdom to guide you.  Wisdom begins with respect for God, being able to tell right from wrong.  To learn God’s will we need to read God’s Word and ask Him to show you how to obey His Word.  Then we must do what God tells us.

To believe and not doubt means not only believing in God, but also believing that He loves us.  It’s relying on God and knowing that He will hear and answer your prayers.  We must put away any bad thoughts when we pray to the Lord.  God doesn’t grant your every thoughtless or selfish prayer.  Remember that you can trust God, so commit yourself to God and don’t doubt Him.

 

3.      Pray according to God’s will

To you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life, you can be sure that God will listen to you whenever you ask Him anything in line with His will.  And if you know He is listening when you ask Him something, you can be sure that God will give you what you ask for.

Discussion:

This verse here is about God’s will, not about our will,  When we communicate with God, we don’t demand what we want, rather we ask God what He wants.  When we pray God’s will, He will listen, and we can be sure that He listens.  So when you pray let’s God’s will be done, not your will.

 

4.      Pray in Jesus’ Name

The truth is, you can go directly to God and ask Him what you need and He will give you what you ask, because you use My name.  Ask using My name, and you will receive, and you will have joy.

5.      Pray all the time

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Stay alert and always keep in your prayers Christian everywhere.

Discussion:

How can anyone pray on all occasions?  Well one way is to live your life God’s way.  Then the way you act and live becomes a prayer to God.

 

III.                    Did you know that Jesus taught His disciples how to pray?

Jesus said,” When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly.  Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

When you pray don’t go on and on as people of other religions do.  They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again.  Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!

Pray like this:

            Our Father in Heaven

            Hallowed be your name.

            Your Kingdom come

            Your will be done

            On earth as it is in Heaven

            Give us this day our daily bread

            And forgive us our sins,

            As we forgive those

            Who have sinned against us.

            And do not lead us into temptation

            But deliver us from the evil one.

            For yours is the kingdom

And the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Okay, let’s take a closer look at the prayer.

 

Our Father in Heaven Hallowed be your name.	Hallowed means Holy.  We are to give God honor, praise, for He is Holy.  This is to let us know that we should “Let God’s name be treated differently from all other names.
Your Kingdom come	Jesus described His Kingdom as He preached the Sermon on the Mount.  This asks God to achieve His purpose in the world.
Your will be done On earth as it is in Heaven	This is surrendering your will to God’s will
Give us this day our daily bread	This is asking God our provider to supply our needs for the coming day.  This is also to remind us to live in the resent and not to worry about tomorrow.
And forgive us our sins, As we forgive those Who have sinned against us.	If you forgive those who sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.  When you say this part of the prayer, you are asking God to give you a forgiving heart.
And do not lead us into temptation But deliver us from the evil one.	God doesn’t lead His children into temptation.  Jesus here reminded His followers that we need to pray to God to be delivered from evil.  We cannot defeat Satan on our own, we need God’s help.
For yours is the kingdom And the power, and the glory forever. Amen	God’s kingdom is forever, and we that believe will live forever with God.