Characteristics Of Prayer 3-30-25 AM
I. Properly motivated.
A. Someone once wrote, It is strange that, while praying, we seldom ask for change of character, but always a change in circumstance.
B. When praying, we need to make sure motives are pure.
C. Every request needs to have God’s will in mind.
D. Notice in this model prayer that Jesus said, Thy will be done...
1. Jesus prayed this in the garden (Matt. 26:39, 42).
2. Paul asked the Roman brethren to pray for him to come to Rome if it was God’s will (Rom. 15:32).
E. Our every concern ought to be with doing the will of God.
1. This was Jesus’ main concern (John 4:34).
2. The psalmist, prophesying of coming Messiah, wrote, “I delight to do thy will” (Ps. 40:8).
3. Peter tells us that we are not to live to the flesh but to the will of God (1 Pe. 4:2).
F. The only ones who will make to heaven are those who do the will of God (1 Jo. 2:17).
G. Someone once wrote: “Prayer is surrender‑‑surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.”
H. As we pray we must make sure we are seeking God’s will and not our own.
II. Purposefully aimed.
A. Prayers don’t need to be generic.
B. I appreciated br. Huffman asking us to pray for him.
C. Paul asked for the prayers of others (1 Th. 5:25).
D. Paul was specific in prayer:
1. He prayed for the Colossians (Col. 1:3).
2. For the Philippians (Php. 1:4).
3. For the Thessalonians (2 Th. 1:11).
E. There are things for which we need to pray:
1. Pray for preachers to preach gospel (Luke 10:2).
2. Government (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
3. Pray for the sick.
4. For each other (Jam. 5:16).
5. Pray not to enter into temptation (Luke 22:40).
6. Pray for our enemies (Luke 6:28).
F. There are situations that arise about which we must pray.
1. Job opportunities, family situations, illness.
2. We should take all these before God’s throne.
G. Some may ask why we need to even ask God.
1. God wants us to rely on Him in prayer.
3. Paul would say ...(Php. 4:6).
H. There are other things that could be mentioned for which we need to pray but these show that there needs to be purpose in our prayers.
III. Patiently offered.
A. The New Testament is very clear that there is to be endurance in offering up requests to God.
B. Notice Luke 18:1-8.
1. The parable is to get us to not give up in prayer.
2. If an unrighteous person will eventually heed the continued request of an individual, what about the righteous God we serve.
C. Notice Luke 11:5-8 - the friend kept knocking.
D. Luke 11:9-10 - vs 10 spec means keep on doing these.
E. Notice Romans 12:12.
1. In the midst of a list of qualities a Christian needs, Paul says continuing instant n prayer.
2. Continuing instant is one word in the Greek.
3. One of the meanings of the Greek word is to persevere and not faint.
F. Paul told the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing.
G. We don’t need to give up on something after praying one time about it.
IV. Promptly enacted.
A. If we are going to pray for something, we need to work for it.
B. God is not going to miraculously save people for whom we pray or give money to missionaries miraculously.
C. If we want someone to be saved we need to pray for them and then go and teach them.
D. If we want someone to come back to the Lord, we need to pray for them and then let them know they are lost.
E. If we want the borders of the kingdom to be spread we must give the money for that to happen.
F. If we want the grieving to be comforted, lets do what we can to bring them comfort.
G. There is no point in praying for something and then not doing our part to make it happen.