Connecting with God — Relearning the Privilege of Prayer

CONNECTING WITH GOD

Relearning the Privilege of Prayer (Study 1 & 2 Review)

-Prayer can be a difficult thing for a believer. (i.e. rabbit’s foot treatment, guilt over neglect, distraction, etc.)

-In prayer, we must learn to stop talking to self, and start acknowledging God as a .

What Good Does It Do?

-For many, prayer can be a source of discouragement when God seems to be in response. (cynicism / weariness)

-Phrases like I’ll keep you in my prayers or I’ll lift you up in prayer can be empty promises when we treat prayer like it doesn’t make a difference.

-It can seem easier on our faith not to pray and we’re left wondering if prayer really makes a difference or if God is even there.

Goals in Prayer

1. The praying life feels like with good friends. (Revelation 3:20)

2. The praying life is interconnected with of life. (1 Thess. 5:16-19)

3. The praying life gives birth to . (Hebrews 4:16)

4. The praying life the heart. (John 15:4-5)

Become Like a Little Child

-Jesus repeatedly tells His disciples to become like little children.

– Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into

the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3)

*Jesus wants us to come to Him in prayer without pretense—instead of trying to be something we aren’t.

-We need to learn to come to Him despite the fact that we are .

-Coming to God means taking off the mask—the real you has to meet the real God. He is a Person.

-Becoming like little children means transparently presenting yourself to the Lord in all of your messiness and . (John 1:45-51)

Learn to Talk with Your Father

1. like a Child (Matthew 7:7-11)

2. Believe like a Child (Luke 18:1-8; 11:5-8; 7:2-9; Matt. 15:22-28)

3. Learn to Again 

4. Learn to Babble Again (Galatians 4:6)

Approaching Our Heavenly Father Like the Son

-The best way to learn how to approach our Heavenly Father is to observe how did it.

-Jesus seemed to need time with God just as much as we do.

Why Jesus Needed to Pray

Clue #1 His

-His identity as the Son of God causes Jesus to become dependent like a child upon His Heavenly Father. (John 5:19, 8:28, 12:49)

-When Jesus tells us that without me ye can do nothing, He is inviting us into His life of a living dependence on His Heavenly Father. (John 15:5)

-When you know that you (like Jesus) can’t do life on your , then prayer makes complete sense.

Clue #2 His One-Person Focus

-When Jesus interacts with people, He often narrows His focus down to one person. (John 5:3,6)

Clue #3 His Human Limitation

-Jesus often removed Himself from the distraction of people and life’s busyness in order to in to His Heavenly Father. (Matthew 6:6)

Praying Like Jesus Prayed

-Jesus’ example teaches us that prayer is about .

-Efficiency, multitasking, and busyness can all kill intimacy—It’s extremely difficult to get to know God on the fly!

-Jesus’ prayer follows a biblical pattern. (Ps. 5:3, 59:16, 143:8)

-Jesus follows the custom of praying aloud. (Ps. 5:2-3, 17:1, 28:2; Heb. 5:7)

Take Baby Steps

-Don’t set impossible goals and then collapse.

-7 Simple Suggestions: 1. Get to bed…2. Get …3. Get awake…4. Get a quiet place…5. Get comfortable…6. Get going…7. going

Learn to Be Helpless

-Foundational to prayer is the realization of helplessness.

-i.e. Gospel of John: Samaritan woman has NO water (4); the official’s son has NO health (4); the crippled man in Bethesda has NO help (5); the crowd has NO bread (6); the blind man has NO sight (9); Lazarus has NO life (11).

*We received Jesus because we were helpless and that’s how we daily Him…Helplessness is how the Christian life works! (Col. 2:6)

-My weakness is the door to God’s grace. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

*Based on A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller