Rose Publishing - Going: Spiritual Practices

Communing with God

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 Lords people.

Ephesians 6:18

W hat if you had a friendship with someone you could call any time, night or day? A friend who met with you regularly and allowed you to talk non-stop for ten, twenty, thirty minutesor moreand never asked you to stop? Or maybe you just send out a quick call or text now and then, and no matter what, that friend was always there to answer. Suppose as well that this friend reached out to you to give you guidance, support, love, and encouragementeven when you didnt call and ask for it first.

You would feel deeply loved by that friend, right? Happily, thats a description of how any of Christs followers can approach God.

In this lesson, were going to see that disciples of Jesus imitate Jesus in the way he prayed.

Pray until you can pray; pray to be helped to pray and do not give up praying because you cannot pray. For... when you think you cannot pray that is when you are praying.
Charles Spurgeon

In its purest essence, prayer is simply communing with the One (see Exodus 33:11) who is nearer to us than we realize (Acts 17:28). Biblical prayer can be silence or it can be an ongoing dialogue with God (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Its less a way to get stuff, and more a way to draw close to the Father in heaven.

1. How have you experienced praying to God?

Prayer is a mystery. God is all-knowing . We cant tell him things he doesnt already know. And he is sovereign working and weaving everything everywhere together to accomplish his perfect eternal purposes. These truths make us ask: Why do I even need to pray?

And yet, for reasons we cant fully understand, God commands us to pray : Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful (Colossians 4:2). Furthermore, God tells us that our prayers are eternally significant : Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:16, nlt ).

1. What results have you seen from praying?

The following list surely isnt exhaustive. But here are a few reasons prayer is so essential to followers of Jesus.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8, nasb ). Never forget that God longs for a relationship with us. Proverbs 15:8 tells us, The Lord ... delights in the prayers of the upright ( nlt ). Even if we dont know what to say, Gods Spirit prays for us (Romans 8:26). When we approach God with respect, we need not worry about praying wrong.

If we are wise, we recognize that God, being good and loving, desires our best. Consequently, a big part of prayer is learning to relinquish our desires and say your will be done (Matthew 6:10). As C. S. Lewis said, If God had granted all the silly prayers Ive made in my life, where would I be now? In another place Lewis said, Prayer doesnt change God, it changes me.

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 (Hebrews 11:6). Behind all true prayer is a belief that there is one who is there, one who hears; in all true prayer, there is an admission of you are the One I need; you are the One who can help; you are the One I trust.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:67, esv ).

Though we dont understand exactly how prayer worksonly that it isnt a magic formula or guaranteethere are plenty of examples in Scripture and in more recent history of prayer making a difference . For instance, when Hezekiah was dying, he prayed and wept. God heard and told the prophet Isaiah: Go and tell Hezekiah, This is what the Lord , the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life (Isaiah 38:5).

Prayer changes thingsat the very least it changes us.

In the name of Jesus, amen

Praying in the name of Jesus means more than mindlessly tacking that phrase on to the ends of our prayers. Biblically, a name represents all that a person is and stands for. Doing anything in a persons name means to do that thing as if he or she were doing it. To pray in Jesus name means praying the kind of prayers Jesus would pray. An in the name of Christ prayer should reflect who Jesus ishis person and works.

1. What specific factors motivate you to pray?

As with any close relationship, prayer needs to be more than, Can you give me this? And that? And that? A running conversation with the Almighty should include the same kinds of exchanges found in any intimate relationship:

• Expressions of appreciation and admiration
• Careful listening
• Revealed hopes and dreams
• Admissions of disappointment, frustration, and struggle.

Prayer is an ongoing, back-and-forth conversation that leads to intimacy with God.

Take a few moments to carefully and thoughtfully read these verses that tell us how to pray:

Stop and think about this last point for a moment. The Spirit helps us to pray. This is a huge comfort. When were clueless, he knows. When we cant, he can!

1. Based on these verses and truths, how would you evaluate your prayer life of late?
2. The Bible gives some explicit warnings about how not to pray. What actions or attitudes cited in the following verses are clear hindrances to God-honoring prayer? Write your answer on the blank spaces in the chart.
   
   Are there rules regarding the details of praying?