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INTRODUCTION:
One of the main needs we have as believers is a real, interactive relationship with the Lord. The Lord views prayer as a way of creating a relationship with each of us. Unfortunately, a lot of the teaching on prayer does not give enough emphasis to God's desire for the relationship, so prayers reduce down to our own personal needs. There is nothing wrong with seeking God for our needs; prayer is really an opportunity to expand beyond that.
SHOW NOTES:
We need to seek a relationship with the Lord, if we want to truly be able to talk with Him,
You can have a connection, as with a father, where you can present a situation before Him in order to learn what is His perfect will in that situation.
Reciting the Lord's Prayer can be a very effective way of praying, if done thoughtfully as in worship.
As we mature in our relationship with the Lord, our prayers can be led by the Holy Spirit to pray more for others and the kingdom of God.
QUOTATIONS:
The Lord answers us when we seek Him...as we listen for His voice.
People think that prayer has everything to do with receiving something from God, and I don't think that's the truth....I think prayer actually is an avenue of creating a deeper relationship with you and Him.
The whole prayer that Christ taught isn't all about you or about you receiving; it's basically worship to the Lord, creating a relationship with Him, then you receive.
As you develop your relationship with Him, you find out you don't have to ask for things because He already knows what you need before you even ask.
I think our prayers change too. They get off the self-centered prayers and they begin to pray for your brothers, your sisters, for His kingdom, for things that He, the Holy Spirit, leads you to pray for.
As we approach God in prayer, Number One, we submit our hearts to Him, we give Him our hearts,
Think about how Jesus prayed in the garden: He absolutely had a relationship with the Father and when He was praying, He said,” Is there another way, Father” He had enough of a relationship that He could say, “dad, I know that's what You want Me to do, but is there another way? Nevertheless, not what I will, not what I want.”
Sometimes He says “no” and are we willing to accept the no? Are we willing to accept His perfect will in our lives?
It's really all about the relationship. That's where it starts. And all the steps you take in between when you first started giving God praise and worship and entering into His courts to pray. That relationship ends up with the joy.
“Pray then in this way: 'Our Father, Who is 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 debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen)
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective payer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
SUMMARY:
When you have a relationship with the Lord, you talk to Him. We have the promise that Christ is standing at the door of our hearts, knocking, if we respond and open up to Him, He will relate with us. Now is the time to ask, to seek and to find Him. Our prayers go to Him to get that deeper relationship with Him.
Transcripts
Debbie:
When you have a relationship with the Lord, you talk to Him. You just talk to Him, it becomes so easy. It becomes so natural expressing your heart. There's a need here, Lord. You meet that need. And that to me is what prayer is.
Ken:
I thank You're so right. The major thing is the relationship. However, a lot of people pray without a relationship just trying to access God and see something happen for them.
I think we learn as we have a relation somewhat of a relationship, that it has to be a relationship that's ongoing. In other words, you have this connection with God where you can say, dad, our Father, I'm. I have the situation here, and I want your perfect will in it. I don't want mine. That kind of thing where you can express your heart. And I think that's really, really important. God's looking at our hearts.
Dale:
Why do we pray? Is there a reason for it? How should we pray? Really, when it comes down to it, will your prayers be answered? Matthew seven 17, ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you shall find.
Knock and it shall be open to you. I like that. Ask and it shall be given to you. And then it says, seek. You just can't stand there and ask for it. There has to be something on your part. Seeking God over this situation. Why should we pray? Psalm one 18 verse five. I called on the Lord in distress. The Lord answered me in a broad place.
oice. How should I pray, John:
Ron:
People think that prayer has everything to do with receiving something from God, and I don't think that's the truth.
I think in God's sight, prayer has to do with creating a relationship with you. I don't think God's so much into giving out things. I don't think He's Santa Claus and I don't think He is somebody that you need to cry out for things, although that's the, that's a starting place. But I think prayer actually is an avenue of creating a deeper relationship with you and Him.
If you read the prayer that Christ taught the disciples, the beginning of the prayer is worship. Hollowed be Thy name. Then the next part is Thy kingdom come, has nothing to do with you or what you're gonna receive is His kingdom. Come, Thy will be done. Then give us this day our daily bread. Okay. And then it goes from there.
The whole prayer that Christ taught isn't all about you or about you receiving. It's basically worship to the Lord, creating a relationship with Him, and then yes, you do receive things from the Lord and then forgive us as we forgive others. I just think prayer is a lot more than has been generally taught in Christianity.
Get on your knees if you're in trouble and pray, or if you want something from God. There's nothing wrong with that, but I believe that's a very, very beginning place that you start with the Lord. And as you develop your relationship with Him, you find out you don't have to ask for things because He already knows what you need before you even ask.
Does that mean we don't pray? No. We pray because we're developing a relationship and I think our prayers change too. They get off the self-centered prayers and they begin to pray for your brothers, your sisters, for His kingdom, for things that He, the Holy Spirit leads you to pray for. And basically it won't be for you.
It won't be for your stuff. It'll be for things that God's bringing forth in the earth or for His kingdom. To me, prayer is a lot bigger and a lot deeper in God's sight than what I've been taught in Christianity, which was you pray because I'm in need. You pray because you want something, which again, it, there's nothing wrong with that.
I'm not saying there's something wrong with it. I'm just saying we need to expand our thinking about prayer.
Debbie:
At the beginning you learn. The little kid asks for things, right? Ask and ask, and ask, and ask. Ask questions. As you grow, your prayer expands and becomes something more of a relationship with the Lord.
Ken:
I think what you're talking about, Ron, is so very important, but it's a pattern. It's what God's looking for us to understand as we approach God in prayer. Number one, we submit our hearts to Him. We give Him our hearts. We humble our hearts. We worship Him. I think about how Jesus prayed in the garden, and I think it's one of the most perfect example of how we ought to pray.
He absolutely had a relationship with the Father and when He was praying, He said, is there another way, Father. In other words, He had enough of a relationship that He could say, dad, I'm, I know that's what You want Me to do, but is there another way? And the Father said, no, this is the way. Nevertheless, not what I will, not what I want.
I don't want another way. I want Your way. And that's really, really important when we pray, because sometimes He says no. And are we willing to accept the no? Are we willing to accept His perfect will in our lives? Sometimes if we got what we asked for, we would absolutely be really messed up. God knows the perfect way to answer us when we pray.
Forgiveness it takes everything off of anything that you know you might have encountered with another person, bad or good. It enables God to hear you because in the next scripture it says that if you pray without forgiving, He can't even hear you. There's something about forgiveness that's very important in this pattern.
Dale:
Ask you shall receive in order that your joy might be complete, that our joy may be complete. It's an awesome gift that doesn't make sense. What about this thing that I prayed for and that thing that I prayed for? I want these things. I would rather have the joy of the Lord made complete in me then just about anything I can ask for. And I can say yes, that's even greater than anything that I can ask for. That the joy be made complete.
Ken:
It's really all about the relationship. That's where it starts. And all the steps you take in between when you first started giving God praise and worship and entering into His courts, to pray. That relationship ends up with the joy.
