We know prayer is vital, yet it’s not always the easiest habit to maintain. Jesus taught on prayer, so let’s look at His instructions and grow in this area.
3. Mar 1:35 NASB
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house,
and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
Luk 22:32 NASB
but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once
you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
PRAYER
4.
5. PRAYER
Mat 6:9-13 NASB
"Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your
name. 10 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in
heaven. 11 'Give us this day our daily bread. 12 'And forgive us our
debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 'And do not lead us into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the
power and the glory forever. Amen.]'
9. THE HEXAGON
The Father’s Character
The Father’s
Provision
The Father’s
Kingdom
The Father’s Forgiveness
Matt 6:9
Matt 6:12
10. THE HEXAGON
The Father’s Character
The Father’s
Provision
The Father’s
Kingdom
The Father’s Forgiveness
The Father’s
Guidance
Matt 6:9
Matt 6:12
11. THE HEXAGON
The Father’s Character
Matt 6:9
The Father’s
Provision
The Father’s
Kingdom
Matt 6:12
The Father’s Forgiveness
The Father’s
Guidance
The Father’s
Protection
Teazer: We know that Prayer is vital to the Christian yet it is not always the easiest habit to maintain. Fortunately Jesus taught about prayer, so let us look at his instructions and grow in this area.
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Martin Luther
“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that - it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” Charles Spurgeon
Act 12:5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
Jesus prayed, he did not do much teaching on prayer but rather modelled a life filled with prayer to those close to Him.
A Day in the life of Jesus:
Mark 1:21-38 Mark records for us the start of Jesus’ public ministry and in fact the first day, a Sabbath Day, of His ministry in Capernaum
is chronicled in Mark 1.
He went to the Synagogue and began to teach.
a Man possessed by demons began screaming and opposing Jesus, Jesus cast out the demon.
After the Synagogue Jesus, James and John, went to Simon and Andrew’s home. When they got to there they told Him that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with fever. Jesus prayed for her and she was healed. She got up and served them a meal. That evening many sick and demon possessed people gathered at the house and Jesus healed and delivered many. It appears Jesus was up till late and must have been very tired. But in Mark 1:35-39 we read Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find Him. When they found Him, they said, "Everyone is looking for You.” But Jesus replied, "We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.” So He traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.
Christ refreshment after the toil of ministry was prayer, He maintained a rhythm of contemplation and service, of inward communion and practical obedience. Also put a rhythm of abiding (rest) and work. So we must learn to interpose the hustle and bustle of activity with withdrawal into quiet communion. Our work can damage us either by fatigue as it asks much of us or by exhilaration as it gives us much. Both toil and success cause us problems and need to be counteracted with prayer. Prayer offers us the strength to keep going in the face of challenge it also limits the effects of pride and over creation (The concept of Sabbath is to cease from creating).
Luke 22:32 Jesus prayed that our Faith may not fail because we stop trusting Him and give up or because we start trusting in ourselves.
John 17 he prayed for us.
The Lord’s prayer is also recorded in Luke but it is shortened, therefore I use this version. Luke in His gospel, which is the first volume of a two volume Historical record of the Jesus and his church, records more of the prayer life of Jesus than any of the other gospels. Luke’s Gospel highlights the humanity of Jesus the most also, therefore no wonder it focus on His need for prayer. Luke carries this theme on in Acts, as we will see in our study this term.
Some of John’s disciples asked Jesus to teach them on prayer as John did. Commentators think that John taught his disciples to pray much in the vein of the Jewish tradition of praying at the 3rd, 6th and 9th hours of the day and followed the formulaic approach of the 18 prayers from the manual of Jewish devotion. There was also a sense of these Disciples looking for the special prayer Jesus was praying, not the easy prayers adapted for use with the common public, but the secret prayer reserved for the special scholars and disciples.
But Jesus’ teaching on prayer counteracts this by being very basic and also very relational.
"Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name
'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
11 'Give us this day our daily bread.
12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.