October 26, 2008
The lesson today is on prayer. Off the top of your head, what kind of reaction do you have when you hear that we are doing a lesson on prayer?
a) I don't really need to hear this; I am doing fine,
b) How depressing, I can never get the prayer thing right,
c) Great! I love talking about prayer,
d) Other, please specify.
7. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
- What do we learn about God from this passage?
Any man who prays is bound to want to know to what kind of God he is praying. He wants to know in what kind of atmosphere his prayers will be heard. Is he praying to a grudging God out of whom every gift has to be squeezed and coerced? Is he praying to a mocking God whose gifts may well be double-edged? Is he praying to a God whose heart is so kind that he is more ready to give than we are to ask? --Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)
- Is this talking about three different activities, or the same activity three times?
There is no need to try to distinguish different kinds of activity between ask, seek, and knock. Jesus was probably using the three verbs to refer to the same activity of petitioning the Father. His use of three different verbs added emphasis to his message. This three-pronged approach, together with the fact that all three verbs are in the present tense, conveys a clear picture of persistence in prayer.--Holman New Testament Commentary - Is asking, seeking, and knocking something we are to do once and we are done, or is it something we are to do continually?
Although this is the charter of prayer, it lays certain obligations upon us. In Greek there are two kinds of imperative; there is the aorist imperative which issues one definite command. "Shut the door behind you," would be an aorist imperative. There is the present imperative which issues a command that a man should always do something or should go on doing something. "Always shut doors behind you," would be a present imperative. The imperatives here are present imperatives; therefore Jesus is saying, "Go on asking; go on seeking; go on knocking." He is telling us to persist in prayer; he is telling us never to be discouraged in prayer. Clearly therein lies the test of our sincerity. Do we really want a thing? Is a thing such that we can bring it repeatedly into the presence of God, for the biggest test of any desire is: Can I pray about it? --Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)
Luke 18.1 - 8.
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'"
6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)
Wrong attitudes; unhealthy lifestyle; testing our sincerity in order to build persistence; increase our faith and develop patience
Question for each of us, “Is prayaer a daily part of our lives?”
Day Two. The Real Enemy is Satan.
Someone read the scriptures in the margin on page 92. Listen for characteristics of Satan:
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 1 Peter 4:7 (NIV)
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. (4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
- What do these two verses teach us about prayer?
We ae to destroy human argujents against God
Nurturewhatever is right and pure, etc
Someone read the verse printed in the margin on page 94, Ephesians 6:18
How do we get God’s power in our lives?
A lifestyle of prayer
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 1 Peter 4:7 (NIV)
- What do these verses teach us about prayer?
To "be clear-minded" suggests that believers pray intelligently or that they think about and evaluate their situations in life maturely and correctly as they begin to pray about them. In light of the context, perhaps Peter was cautioning them against giving way to eschatological frenzy and panic. To be "self-controlled" as one comes to prayer suggests that believers are to pray with a mind that is focused and alert. In other words, prayer should not be practiced nonchalantly or flippantly. Believers are to take prayer seriously.--Holman New Testament Commentary
Day Four. Pray without Ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5.17 is a familiar passage.
Pray continually; 1 Thessalonians
Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians
Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians
and never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians
pray at all times, 1 Thessalonians
Pray constantly. 1 Thessalonians
Always keep on praying. 1 Thessalonians
pray all the time; 1 Thessalonians
- This raises a question. If you did this, what would become of your work?
The next staccato note follows: pray continually. This means never stop praying. Paul was a busy missionary, and he wrote about the Christian's duty to fulfill daily responsibilities, so this is not a command about speaking non-stop prayers. It refers, however, to the attitude of prayer, or reverence before God. The Christian's life of righteousness and his approach to relationships and responsibilities should be such that he maintains a constant attitude of being in God's presence. Such a person will pray often and about many things, including requests, praise, and thanksgiving. This command also means that we should never quit praying.--Holman New Testament Commentary. Continual prayer is not prayer that prevails without any interruption, but prayer that continues whenever possible. The adverb for continually (adialeipts, also in 1:3) was used in Greek of a hacking cough. Paul was speaking of maintaining continuous fellowship with God as much as possible in the midst of daily living in which concentration is frequently broken.--Bible Knowledge Commentary
- What practical steps might we take to remind ourselves to pray throughout the day?
One thing I have been doing a lot recently is listening to the Bible and praying about what I hear. I have the Bible on my IPOD and often listen as I drive or other such tasks.
Read Ephesians 6:10-17 on page 97
Mark 1.35.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark
- Why do you think Jesus prayed in the morning?
- What is the best time of day for you to pray?
- How would you say your prayer life is going these days?
- What keeps you from prayer?
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