Lesson 9: The Spiritual Disciplines of Devotion: Private Prayer

Note to class leader: Review the main points of Lesson 8. Ask students who are willing to share their personal prayers from Lesson 8.

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Learn to pray as Jesus prayed.

(2) Practice prayer by following the pattern Jesus established.

A young man wrote the following letter to my friend Dr. Phil Brown:

"I feel like I am not praying enough for a family member’s physical recovery. Although he is constantly on my mind, and I find myself laying him at God’s feet regularly, I still feel my praying is inadequate. One of my biggest struggles is that not only can I never be good enough, but I never read my Bible 'enough' or pray 'enough….' How do I balance the feelings of guilt over 'inadequate praying' with the fact that I know God can heal him, the fact that I want God’s will, and the fact that I don’t know what God’s will is?"

One evening during Bible study my friend Danny, a new Christian, spoke for most of us when he confessed, “Prayer is really hard for me! I just don’t know how to have a good prayer life.”

Many Christians struggle with prayer. Many are unsatisfied with their prayer lives. Since we can’t see the one we’re talking to, we find it difficult to concentrate, or even to believe that God is listening. We wonder what to say. Some question prayer’s importance since God already knows our concerns and needs before we pray. We wonder how much prayer is enough. We wonder why we don’t see more results. All these struggles are common.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Jesus could be our teacher in the school of prayer? Through his example, through his Word, and through his Spirit, he is! If we’ll take the time to listen, many of our questions about prayer can begin to be answered by studying the prayer life of Jesus.

► Give members of the group an opportunity to share their prayer struggles and questions related to prayer which they have wrestled with.

Spiritual formation into the image of Christ is directly connected to a consistent prayer life.

In this lesson, we will let Jesus teach us to pray. His simple pattern of prayer, “The Lord’s Prayer,” has instructed Christians for almost 2,000 years and cannot be improved upon. But it is not a prayer formula. It is a pattern which helps us establish a proper order and priorities of prayer, especially private prayer: 1) Begin with worship, 2) move to intercession, 3) end with praise. In this lesson, we will endeavor to form our private prayers according to this pattern and, at the same time, look to him as the example of this pattern.

The Gospel of Luke gives us many windows into the prayer life of Jesus. We will look through these windows in this lesson. By observing Jesus’ prayer life and by listening to his teaching on prayer, we will better understand how to have a deeper, more fulfilling, and more effective prayer life.

Luke tells us that there was something so compelling – so attractive – about Jesus’ prayer life that his disciples wanted to pray as he did: “Now it came to pass, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, that one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.[1]

► Quote the Lord’s Prayer together. If you don’t know it, memorize it.

"So, he said to them, 'When you pray, say: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us day by day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one."'"[2]

[1] Luke 11:1

[2] Luke 11:1-4

There Is Power in the Act of Praying

Many Christians seem to believe this. But there is no power in the act of praying, only power through praying! And not just any kind of praying, but praying in a way that pleases God. All the power belongs to God. The 400 prophets of Baal put their faith in the act of praying, while Elijah put his faith in the God who answers prayer.[1] Our focus should not be on prayer itself, but on the God to whom we pray.

More Praying Leads to More Results

Not always. Jesus told us not to be like the heathen who think their prayers will be answered because they pray many prayers.[2] God is not a vending machine from whom we can get the “candy” we want as long as we put in enough prayer coins. Prayer doesn’t work like that. When I travel around the world, I notice this is the thinking of every major world religion, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. I’ve been to numbers of shrines and seen Hindu and Buddhist monks chanting their prayers, spinning their prayer wheels, and moving their fingers through their prayer beads. They believe they will receive help when they pile up enough prayers. The quantity of prayers must be matched with the quality of our prayers. More prayer meetings alone won’t bring God’s blessing.

► Discuss these false ideas about prayer with your group. Are there other false concepts you have observed?

[1] 1 Kings 18:36-38

[2] Matthew 6:7

Jesus teaches that the first priority of secret prayer is intimate fellowship with God: “So he said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”’”[1]

The secret of a more fulfilling and effective prayer life is to delight in our relationship with God. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.”[2] This is how Israel was always to come into the presence of God,[3] and this is how God wants every child of his to come. Requests which do not rise out of delightful fellowship are faithless, misguided, and self-centered.[4]

Luke informs us that fellowship with his Father was a priority of Jesus. He often withdrew from the business of ministry to pray: “So he himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed,”[5] in prayer lingered in the presence of his Father and listened to his Father’s voice. In solitary prayer with his Father, Jesus’ thoughts, words, and behavior were formed.[6] In prayer even his requests were formed. In prayer, Jesus aligned his will with the will of his heavenly Father so that everything he asked for was in harmony with the plans and purposes of God. This is what prayer is meant to be. Unless intimate communion with the Father is the priority of prayer, our time with the Lord will lack joy and our prayers will be selfish and empty.

When George Mueller, a man who was used by God to rescue thousands of orphaned street children in Bristol, England, was asked about the effectiveness of his prayer life, he responded:

"I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished."

Out of communion with God flows a desire that his name be honored and his reputation protected. This is what Jesus meant by “hallowed be thy name.” God will honor our prayers when we always put his glory and his reputation above all. One of the first principles of prayer is that as we take care of the things that matter to God, he’ll take care of the things that matter to us.

Many wonder: How do we know when we’ve prayed enough for a particular request? How much time is the right amount to spend with the Lord in prayer every day? These kinds of questions are symptoms of a wrong prayer focus. My friend Dr. Phil Brown answered these so well:

"If 'pray without ceasing'[7] means that every waking thought is to be occupied with praying, then nobody, including Jesus himself, prayed 'enough.' Jesus’ example includes short prayers of thanksgiving,[8] early mornings of prayer,[9] late nights of prayer,[10] daytime prayer,[11] and a night of prayer.[12] However, neither Jesus nor any other Scripture author gives a standard amount of time that constitutes 'enough' prayer….

"What helps (and convicts) me is measuring my praying in terms of relationship and responsibility. I have a relationship with my wife, but I don’t ask myself have I talked with her 'enough.' The issue in relationships is understanding and intimacy. I am committed to conversing with my wife as a means to understanding her and having her understand me. When we understand one another at a given time, it is 'enough.' Of course, creating mutual understanding today does not mean that we won’t need to communicate tomorrow. We are in a relationship with God, and prayer is God’s appointed means for us to develop the relationship. We must pray however often and however much it takes to keep growing our relationship with God. That will be more sometimes and less other times.

"In terms of responsibility, we all have spiritual responsibilities in prayer. The Bible tells us we are to pray for all men,[13] for 'kings and all who are in high positions,'[14] for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers,[15] for those who persecute us,[16] for his name to be sanctified, his kingdom to come, his will to be done, our daily needs, forgiveness for any sin committed, protection from the evil one,[17] and for all saints.[18] In addition to these specified prayer responsibilities, we also have a responsibility to pray for those over whom we have spiritual oversight and influence. Samuel recognized that to fail to pray for those over whom God had placed him as a spiritual authority would be to sin against God.[19] The same is true for us."

When the focus of prayer is the relationship and responsibility, we won’t be thinking so much about time.

[1] Luke 11:2

[2] Psalm 37:4

[3] Deuteronomy 12:18; 14:26; 16:11, 15; 1 Kings 1:40

[4] James 4:3

[5] Luke 5:16

[6] John 5:20, 30

[7] 1 Thessalonians 5:17

[8] Matthew 15:36

[9] Mark 1:35

[10] Matthew 14:25

[11] Luke 9:18

[12] Luke 6:12

[13] 1 Timothy 2:1

[14] 1 Timothy 2:2

[15] Luke 10:2

[16] Matthew 5:44

[17] Matthew 6:9-11

[18] Ephesians 6:18

[19] 1 Samuel 12:23

Luke records a fascinating detail of Jesus’s baptism scene that the other Gospel writers did not:

"And while he prayed the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.'”[1]

We have no record of what Jesus was praying, but he stood dripping wet in the middle of the Jordan, praying quietly. His Father honored, affirmed, endorsed him, and filled him with the Holy Spirit.

While Praying, Jesus Received Encouragement and Grace from His Father

John Wesley notes that on three separate occasions in the Gospels when a voice spoke from heaven it was “either while he was praying, or quickly after it.”[2]

Men and women who enjoy regular time of fellowship with God in the place of prayer are more confident, courageous, and victorious because they live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is witnessing with their spirit that they are sons of God; and by the Spirit of God, they are crying out Abba, Father!

Prayerless men and women are insecure and therefore seek affirmation from people. Their fears ensnare them.[3] When I begin to feel fearful and insecure, I know there’s a problem in my prayer life. When passion and fervency, conviction, and love are gone from my heart and voice, I know there’s a problem in my prayer life. When I become too worried about what others think, there’s a problem in my prayer life. If I am drawn into self-promotion, I know there is a problem in my prayer life. When I become forceful in my teaching, critical in my spirit, fake in my public prayers, I know there's a problem in my prayer life. Courage and confidence come through prayer.

The Fullness of the Spirit Came to Jesus through Prayer and Led Him to Prayer

Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and rested upon Jesus as he prayed.[4] (This would be the testimony of the apostles a few years later as well.)[5] Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert[6] where after forty days he “returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.”[7] The humanly impossible challenges ahead of him demanded a presence and power beyond his own human power. Jesus needed the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and this fullness came through prayer.

It is not possible to be great in the kingdom of God without prayer, because it is in prayer that the Holy Spirit fills, directs, equips, and empowers Christians. Charles Spurgeon said, “If you can be great without prayer, your greatness will be your ruin. If God means to bless you greatly, he will help you pray greatly.”

Over a hundred years ago, a young English pastor by the name of Samuel Chadwick began an earnest search for the power of God. What he discovered was far better than anything he had ever imagined: the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Here is his testimony:

"Early in the year 1882, there came to me an experience that lifted my life to a new plane of understanding and of power. I received the gift of the Holy Spirit. I was led in ways I did not know, for I had hardly so much as heard that such an experience was possible. The demands of an impossible task awakened me to a sense of need. I had neither power nor might in either service or prayer. I began to pray for power for service.… It was power I wanted. I wanted power that I might succeed, and my chief concern for power was the success it would bring. I wanted success that would fill my church, save the people, and bring down the strong fortifications of Satan with a crash. I was young, and I was in a hurry. Twelve of us began to pray in band, and the answer came.… He led us to Pentecost. The key to all my life is in that experience. It awakened my mind as well as cleansed my heart. It gave me a new joy and a new power, a new love and a new compassion. It gave me a new Bible and a new message. Above all else, it gave me a new understanding and a new intimacy in the communion and ministry of prayer."[8]

► Look up Acts 1:14; Acts 2:42; Acts 3:1; Acts 4:31; Acts 6:4. From these verses, what was the priority of the New Testament Church? What were the effects of their prayers?

[1] Luke 3:21-22, emphasis added.

[2] Luke 9:35; John 12:28

[3] Proverbs 29:25

[4] Luke 3:21-22

[5] Acts 4:31

[6] Luke 4:1

[7] Luke 4:14

[8] Samuel Chadwick, The Path of Prayer, (Originally published 1938).  (See Chapter 7.)  Retrieved from http://www.justbychrist.org/images/PDF/The_Path_of_Prayer_by-Samuel_Chadwick.pdf September 12, 2020.

Come into His Presence with Reverence

(1) Come with adoration and worship.

Always begin prayer by looking upward rather than inward at yourself or outward at your problems. Worship God for who he is. Meditate on his greatness. Say his names and his attributes out loud. Then thank him for all he has done. Always have as your motive his glory!

(2) Come into his presence with rejoicing.

This is what the Psalmist meant when he said,

"Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."[1]

Come into prayer joyfully, even if you don’t feel like it. Remind your soul of who God is, and of his care for you, and be glad! Be thankful! Brighten your spirit and your place of prayer with songs and hymns of praise to God. Sing a new song. Always rejoice in God first, and your prayer life will be transformed. Do this and there will be moments when your soul enters into the joys of heaven and when heaven comes down into your world of trouble. I know this because I’ve experienced it!

(3) Come into his presence humbly but boldly.

God’s invitation to you and me reads like this: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”[2] Praise the Lord! 

If coming into God’s holy presence required sinless perfection, none of us could come. But we come through the perfection of Jesus Christ and through his merit! We can come with confidence when we come ‒ not first looking inward, but upward. This is where grace and mercy are received. 

(4) Come into his presence with clean hands and a pure heart.

Again, the psalmist sings, “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”[3]

Never think that you can enjoy intimate fellowship with God if you have a casual attitude toward sin and if your relationship with a person is fractured and you’re not doing what you can do to heal it.

(5) Linger quietly before the Lord.

David prayed, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from him comes my salvation.”[4] And again, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from him.”[5]

One of the marks of praying men and women is that they spend time listening to the Spirit of God as he reveals God’s perspective (from the Scriptures) on our real-life situations. It’s amazing what God will say when we give him a chance, when we cry out to him, and when we wait for his response.

► Moses and the apostles serve as examples of how important fellowship with God is to one’s prayer life. Take a few moments to compare Exodus 33:11, 17 & John 15:14-16. Discuss the role of friendship with God in our prayer lives.

Pray for the Success of God’s Kingdom on Earth

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”[6]

Jesus taught his disciples that in their daily prayers they are to always put God’s concerns before their own. He taught that out of communion with him, he will form our thoughts and prayers toward what he wants to do in our family, community, and among the peoples of the world.

What is God’s will? It isn’t that sinners or saints live easy, painless, temptation-free, comfortable lives; but that through all the adversities of this life, his redeeming love and grace will become visible in our homes, our churches, our communities, and through the whole world. This is God’s will which we should pray. This is heaven coming to earth!

God’s will is that his spiritual kingdom virtues and values[7] be manifested in all believers, and through them spread through the entire world. He wills that his kingdom humility, kingdom meekness, kingdom righteousness, kingdom mercy, kingdom purity, kingdom peace, kingdom patience, and kingdom love be spread through the world.

At this point in our own prayer time, we should pray for our marriages, our children and grandchildren, Christian workers around the world, the salvation of souls, the suffering church, and the nation we live in and its leaders. We should pray, not man-centered prayers, but prayers that his saving, sanctifying, and sustaining grace would reach them.

It’s almost unbelievable that through prayer we get to participate with God in the success of his spiritual kingdom around the world, even though we may not get to see all the results. Through prayer we do battle for the souls of men, and those prayers are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”[8] As God burdens us with what he wants to do, people he wants to reach, and service he wants us to perform, we pray for each need. And as we direct our prayers toward his kingdom priorities, he blesses our prayer life and extends his dominion in the hearts and lives of men and nations!

Pray in harmony with God’s kingdom and will.

One of the most important things to understand here is that to pray successfully we must pray for those things that are in harmony with God’s will. As God brings to your mind things you know to be his will – the salvation of sinners, the healing and restoration of broken relationships, unity in his church, the calling and sending of Christian workers, the making of disciples in all nations – pray these things.

Christians are sometimes confused about God’s will. The first step to clearing up our confusion is to pray for, and do, everything we clearly know to be God’s will; then God will help us discern the rest.

Things we clearly know to be God’s will

• We know it is God’s will for all mankind to be saved.[9]
• We know it is God’s will that all Christians live holy lives and abstain from sexual immorality.[10]
• We know it is God’s will for us to give thanks in everything.[11]
• We know that it is God’s will that we sometimes suffer.[12]
• We know it is always God’s will that Christians do good.[13]
• We know it is God’s will to send forth workers into his harvest field.[14]

Two of my children play the guitar. One thing I notice about guitar players is that every time they want to make music they must first pause to tune their instrument. They tighten and loosen strings until the discord becomes harmony. This is a good illustration of what should happen in prayer. Private prayer is a way to tune our will with God’s will and to let go of every concern which is out of tune with the purpose and plan of God.

The problem with so many of us is that we are overly concerned with temporal concerns rather than eternal concerns. It’s no wonder that our prayers are sometimes ineffective. Rather than harmonizing with God’s will, we pray our own will over people, plans, and projects. Though we have no peace or assurance and our hearts are filled with discord, we pray anyway. This is not biblical praying.

If prayer is anything, it is tuning our soul to God’s soul, to what matters to him. Prayer is learning to see what he sees, to hear what he hears, to feel what he feels, and to become more and more like him. And just as instruments must be tuned on a regular basis, so our souls must be constantly tuned to God’s will through prayer.

Our prayers will never rise higher than the ceiling of our prayer room if our prayers aren’t harmonized with the mind of God. Why? Because the Holy Spirit, who is the key to power in prayer, only agrees with those prayers we pray according to the will of God. “Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”[15] The Holy Spirit will never be involved in prayers which are not according to the will of God. He will not be manipulated, coerced, or tricked into blessing us outside of this divine will; so we must find out what his will is and become subject to it.

How to harmonize our prayer life with God’s kingdom and will

(1) Be nourished in the Scriptures.

Scripture must inform and shape our prayers. God loves his Word and never leads us to pray for anything which contradicts it. If we want to draw closer to God in prayer, we must always treasure his Word. Always begin your private prayers with meditation on Scripture. If you will study the prayer lives of people like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and Anna, you will notice that they prayed well because they knew God’s Word. They persistently held God to his promises.

When one of our children turned away from God for a season, many times my wife, Becky, and I would pray the Scriptures over her. We prayed for thorns and briers to discomfort her in her rebellion.[16] We pled God’s promise to bless the home of the righteous.[17] We prayed for conviction.[18] We prayed for God’s mercy.[19] We prayed that her spiritual eyes would be opened and that the Father would draw her to himself.[20] We persistently prayed many Scriptures over our daughter; and as we did, our faith was strengthened. It took time, but God heard and answered prayer. Today our oldest daughter is walking with the Lord and is a great joy to us!

(2) Pattern your prayers after the prayers in the Bible.

There are hundreds of prayers in the Bible, many of them in the Psalms. Use these prayers in your own private time with the Lord, and practice applying them to your own circumstances.

“I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it.”[21]

(3) Be spiritually discerning.

There are times when God makes it clear that there is a particular thing he wants us to pray for that will glorify him; the only way to know this is to be led by the Spirit.[22] As a missionary leader, a husband, and father, there have been times when the Lord prompted me to pray for a specific thing (such as divine healing), even when no specific promise was given for it in the Bible. I have found that with strong inner confirmation, faith is emboldened, and the answer comes. At other times, I couldn’t pray for a similar need with any measure of confidence or certainly but realized that I should not try to force my will on God. The Holy Spirit helps us know what to pray for and how to pray for it.[23]

(4) Seek confirmation from other members of the body of Christ.

If God is leading us to pray for a specific thing, he will use our spiritual family to affirm this and even to unite in praying for it. If there is no agreement, it is certainly not the Holy Spirit who is leading us.[24]

Present Our Requests

“Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”[25]

Now that we have cultivated a heart of worship and adoration, now that we have sought the success of his kingdom, we are ready to present our requests. And he is glad to hear and answer them!

(1) We pray for daily bread.

Everything essential to spiritual and physical life for the coming day. God wants this kind of dependence from us, for childlike trust glorifies his goodness. When Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for “daily bread,” he is reminding them, and us, to live contented lives.[26] As one teacher put it, “We are to limit our (personal) desires to necessities and to leave the future in his hands.”[27]

(2) We pray for daily forgiveness, while forgiving others.

While true believers do not live in habitual, flagrant sin, Jesus taught us to humbly petition for the forgiveness of sin. None of us knows his own heart. We not only say and do things in spiritually weak and unguarded moments which grieve or quench the Spirit,[28] but we also leave undone things we ought to have done. These also need the washing of the blood of Jesus.[29] Therefore we should pray with the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”[30]

This prayer of daily repentance from The Book of Common Prayer has been prayed by Christians for over two hundred years, and it would be a good practice for us:

"Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, we have offended against thy holy laws, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, spare thou those who confess their faults, restore thou those who are penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord; and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy name. Amen."[31]

(3) We pray for daily victory.

To daily pray, “lead us not into temptation,” is a prayer for spiritual watchfulness. To make this petition is to pray, “Father, you know my weakness and where the Enemy has ensnared me in the past. Don’t let me fall into shame and regret. Make me watchful over temptation. Set a guard, O Lord, over my lips, my mind, and my choices today. You know the paths I will walk today (including on the Internet), so please, Father, help me today to always choose the path of holiness. Help me to make choices today which will keep me far from the edge of spiritual defeat.”

I have found that as I pray this prayer thoughtfully and sincerely every day I become more spiritually alert; more aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power; and, therefore, more victorious!

[1] Psalm 100, English Standard Version

[2] Hebrews 4:16, English Standard Version

[3] Psalm 24:3-4, English Standard Version

[4] Psalm 62:1

[5] Psalm 62:5

[6] Luke 11:2

[7] To understand what God’s kingdom is all about, we must study the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7.

[8] 2 Corinthians 10:4

[9] 2 Timothy 2:4

[10] 1 Thessalonians 4:3

[11] 1 Thessalonians 5:18

[12] 1 Peter 4:19

[13] 1 Peter 2:15

[14] Matthew 9:38

[15] Romans 8:27

[16] Hosea 2:6; Proverbs 22:5

[17] Psalm 127-128

[18] John 16:8

[19] Psalm 103:8

[20] John 6:44

[21] George Mueller

[22] Romans 8:14

[23] Romans 8:26-27

[24] Matthew 18:19

[25] Luke 11:3-4

[26] Philippians 4:11

[27] Alexander MacLaren

[28] 1 Thessalonians 5:19

[29] In John Wesley’s notes on the Lord’s Prayer he prays, “Give us, O Lord, redemption in (Your) blood, even the forgiveness of sins: as you enable us freely to forgive every man, so do thou forgive all our trespasses.”

[30] Psalm 139:23-24, English Standard Version

[31] The Book of Common Prayer.  Retrieved from https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sites/default/files/downloads/book_of_common_prayer.pdf, 41, September 12, 2020.

(1) Pray persistently.

If prayer was so vital to Jesus, it is even more vital for us.

In Luke 18, Jesus teaches that believers must be persistent in prayer. “Then he spoke this parable to them, that men ought always to pray and not lose heart…. And shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to him, though he bears long with them?”[1]

In Luke 21, Jesus warns us that watchful prayer is the secret to preserving our souls from backsliding and escaping God’s wrath: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch, therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”[2]

In Luke 22, Jesus reveals that prayer is the key to overcoming temptation. While he prays in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus warns his weary disciples: “When he came to the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you might not enter into temptation.’ And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed,” with growing intensity. As he arose from prayer, himself victorious, he rebuked the disciples again with these words, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray lest you enter into temptation.”

I've noticed that without prayer my soul becomes disquieted and restless. I’ve noticed that temptations become more powerful. I’ve noticed that the fear of man begins to ensnare me. I’ve noticed that the weaknesses of others become more pronounced. I’ve noticed that challenges become more intimidating. I’ve noticed that everyday problems begin to feel overwhelming. But through persistent prayer my soul finds rest, my mind is renewed, spiritual perspective and courage is regained. Through persistent prayer, faith is quickened and conviction more deeply rooted in my being.

(2) Pray in faith, and rest in God’s will.

One of the most important requirements for effective prayer is faith.[3] But what is faith? How can we know if we have “enough” faith? Perhaps we are praying for something, healing for instance, but God doesn’t seem to hear us.

"Three facts are crucial for understanding the prayer of faith.[4] Biblical faith is believing that God can[5] and will[6] do what he has said he will do. Faith is not believing that God will do whatever you ask him to do without regard for his will. This is perhaps the most common misunderstanding of faith."[7]

Never use prayer to manipulate God; but to know him and to let him align your heart, your intercessions, and your petitions with his sovereign will in his presence. This is the key to effective praying.

(3) Pray with others.

There is tremendous power in the united prayers of God’s children. When moms join other moms in praying for their children, God hears and answers. When men join together in prayer for purity and victory, God hears and answers. When young people join together in prayer for revival, God hears and answers. When the Christians join together in fervent prayer for the lost and for the advancement of God’s kingdom, God hears and answers those prayers.

[1] Luke 18:1, 6

[2] Luke 21:34-36

[3] James 1:6

[4] James 5:15

[5] Matthew 8:5-10

[6] Hebrews 10:23; Titus 1:2

[7] Notes on prayer from Dr. Philip Brown

A biblically-structured, consistent prayer life, in which intimacy with God is experienced, in which God’s reputation and glory come before our requests, in which God’s kingdom and will are earnestly sought, and in which petitions for our daily needs, daily forgiveness, and daily victory are made, will certainly be an effective prayer life. When our prayer life is patterned according to the instruction of Jesus, we can then take hold of the prayer promises he gives: “And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.”[1] Again,

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you."[2]

So... “Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”[3]

[1] John 14:13

[2] John 15:16

[3] John 16:23b

(1) Take a test based on the material from this lesson.

(2) Spend at least thirty minutes this week reviewing this lesson, including the Scripture references, asking the Holy Spirit for insight.

(3) Record in your journal any specific changes that ought to be made in your life, as the Lord reveals them to you.

(4) Meditate on at least one Psalm in your daily devotional time, and record in your journal what the psalmist says about the nature and character of God.

(5) Record in your journal a personal prayer for spiritual transformation and growth based on this lesson.

(6) Practice using Dr. Brown’s Daily Prayer Guide in your daily private prayer.

(1) What are two false concepts regarding prayer?

(2) What is the first priority of prayer, according to Jesus?

(3) According to Luke’s account, what was the effect of prayer in Jesus’ life and ministry?

(4) How can we cultivate intimacy with God in prayer? Give Scripture references.

(5) What is the simple pattern for private prayer established by Jesus?

(6) What are four ways to harmonize our prayers with God’s kingdom and will?