Week 9: Prayer part 3

Lesson 9
Speak with almost any Christian and they will tell you of the importance of prayer. Yet for many of us our prayer walk remains remarkably inconsistent. If you have been consistent in prayer may I say WAY TO GO, you are to be commended for your discipline and I know you feel the strength you have been able to draw from God. However, it might be that after two or three days of conscientiously setting aside time for prayer you have once again slipped into the habit of not talking regularly with God.
You are not alone! Almost every Christian has experienced the same thing at some time, or many times throughout their lives. Probably one of the most difficult, but necessary, things to develop in our lives is a consistent and powerful prayer life. It is necessary because God will work in our lives mainly by invitation. That’s why it’s imperative that we keep the lines of communication with Him open.
It’s difficult to maintain a consistent prayer life because there is nothing in the whole world that Satan wants more than to keep Christians from praying. As long as Christians pray, Satan’s power to work is seriously hindered. For that reason, he will do anything possible to keep us from talking to God.
Satan uses many things to discourage us from prayer. Consider some of the following:
  • doubts about whether or not God actually answers prayer
  • laziness because prayer is hard work!
  • emotional downs
  • wrong motives
  • sin in our lives
  • fatigue
  • stress
  • not enough time
Satan uses all of these things and more to stop us from communicating with our Heavenly Father.
Knowing that all Christians have trouble with consistent prayer lives from time to time, and knowing that Satan tries to keep us from praying does not excuse us from the important responsibility we have to talk to God. Jesus once told His disciples a parable found in
Luke 18:1 “to show them that they should always pray and not give up”.

If we are to ever conquer sin in our lives, and let the power of God flow through us, then we must develop a habit of prayer and fellowship with God.
Naturally, the question is this: “How can I develop such a consistent prayer life?” This may be one of the most important questions you ever ask. Below are suggestions that might be of help to you:

1. MAKE TIME FOR PRAYER

We are very time conscious in our society. Almost every week our calendars fill up with things that must be done or activities that must be attended. So, we may need to schedule our prayer time.
  • Decide how much time you want to take (at first it may be only ten or fifteen minute, but you will grow to the place where you want more time for prayer).
  • Think of prayer as your meeting with God, and since it is with God, it is a meeting that simply cannot be missed except for the most serious emergency.
  • Decide on a time of day that will have the least distractions. David found the morning to be a good time for prayer. He says in Psalm 5:3, “Morning by morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation”. If the morning is not your best time, then plan your prayer time later in the day.
  • The key thing to remember, though is this: MAKE TIME FOR PRAYER. Do not try to find time–MAKE TIME!

2. FIND A QUIET PLACE FOR PRAYER

Jesus spoke of going into a closet and praying in Matthew 6:6. Jesus Himself would often leave the hectic crowds and go into the quiet hills so that He could pray as found in Luke 5:15, 16; 6:12.
  • It doesn’t really matter where it is, as long as you will not be disturbed and you can give God your absolute attention.
  • If it is a place in your home, explain to your family that a certain time each day you will be in a certain room praying.
  • Your family will probably respect you and co-operate with you.
  • If you do not have your family’s support, you may have to find some place else. But make sure that you have a place in which you can give God all your attention.

3. REMEMBER THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Bible says in Ephesians 6:18, “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 saints.”

To pray in the Spirit simply means to pray about things that would please the Holy spirit. You may shift the order, and you may use your own words, but remember the model prayer and the things you should pray for or about from Matthew 6:9-15 in Lesson 8: ADORATION, COMMITMENT, TRUST, CONFESSION, AND VICTORY. And, of course, do as Paul says, pray FOR ALL THE SAINTS!

4. READ THE BIBLE

As part of your devotion time, begin reading through any New Testament book (only at first–later you will want to get into the Old Testament). Since the Scripture is God’s word according to 1 Timothy 3:16,17, this will help you know what God is saying to you and about what you should be praying.

5. MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD

After you have read a passage of Scripture, 10-12 verses will often be enough, take two or three minutes to reflect upon what the verses say and how it applies to your life. The Psalmist said in
Psalm 119:97, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”

By meditating on what God is saying to us, we will have a chance to let it “sink in” and our prayer time will not merely be one-way communication. We will talk to God, but God will also talk to us through His word.

6. PRAY WITH EXPECTANCY

Pray believing! Jesus said in
Mark 11:24, “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

God will answer prayer and He will change our lives. Pray with the understanding that God will answer our prayers, maybe not in the form we expect or desire, but his response will be for our good!

7. FIND A PRAYER PARTNER.

Find someone who will pray at the same time you do, even if you live miles apart. You can mutually support and encourage each other.
I hope these suggestions will get you started on many days of important fellowship with God and significant service in the kingdom of God. If you hit a snag, don’t be afraid to talk to a Christian friend about it.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND STUDY

  1. Why does Satan try so hard to keep Christians from praying?
  2. What are some of the things that Satan may use to keep us from praying?
  3. David obviously made time each day for prayer. When did David pray according to Psalm 5:3
  4. Where does Luke 5:15,16; 6:12 say Jesus often went to pray so that He would not be disturbed and so that He could give His full attention to God?
  5. What does it mean to pray in the Spirit as found in Ephesians 6:18?
  6. Why is it important to read the Bible and meditate upon God’s word during your prayer time according to 2 Timothy 3:16,17 & Psalm 119:97?
  7. Why should we pray with expectancy according to Mark 11:24?
  8. Write down the names of several people that you think you might like to have as a prayer partner. Pray about each person, and then ask those you feel led to ask to join you as a prayer partner.