A Lifestyle of Prayer
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV) (16) Rejoice always, (17) pray continually, (18) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT) (17) Never stop praying.
(Luke 18:1 NLT) One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort.
(John 15:4-5 NIV) Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (5) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
1. The priority of prayer.
(Daniel 6:10 NIV) Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
2. The place of prayer.
(Mark 1:35 NIV) 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.
3. The plan of prayer.
(Luke 11:1-2 NLT) Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” (2) Jesus said, “This is how you should pray…
4. The persons of prayer.
(2 Corinthians 13:14 MSG) (14) The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.
✓ The amazing grace of Jesus.
(Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin. (16) Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
(2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…”
✓ The extravagant love of the Father.
(Ephesians 3:14 NIV) For this reason I kneel before the Father…
(Psalms 103:8-13 NIV) The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (9) He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; (10) he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; (12) as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (13) As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
✓ The intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit.
(John 14:16-17 NIV) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever– (17) the Spirit of truth…