COMMUNICATIONS CLINIC: JESUS TEACHES ON PRAYER
Lesson #7 – PRAYER AND SUCCESS – JOHN 14:12-15
· After listening to the biographies of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Miss J”, and Jim Elliot, do you think that a Christian needs to accomplish great feats in order to be a successful Christian?
· How should the Christian define success?
· Does Jesus want your life to be a success?
· What part does prayer have with being a successful Christian?
Like eating, sleeping, and breathing, praying should be something we are committed to doing until the day we die. Using a prayer parable, Jesus encourages us to keep on praying.
THE POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS – Vs. 12
· Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
· The person who has potential for success is one who believes. That’s faith. A person that is saved is a person of faith. Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:1
· Habakkuk 2:4 – Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Romans 1:17 – For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Galatians 3:11 – But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith. Hebrews 10:38 – Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.·
Why and how must a believer continue to have faith (believe) after being saved?
· What does Hebrews 11:6 tell you about the faith of a believer? But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
· The greatest work Jesus ever did was to die for our sins and to rise again.
· The next greatest work Jesus did was to help people spiritually. Consider Matthew the tax collector, the woman at the well, and Zacchaeus.
· The greatest event in Lazarus’ life was not his resurrection, but his salvation through Christ.
· We can see God do great works through us. The greatest of these works will be to help others spiritually. What are some of the works that we will do to help others spiritually.
· We will never do greater quality works than Jesus, but we can do greater quantity works. We go where Jesus never went and reach people Jesus never reached?
THE POWER FOR SUCCESS – Vss. 13-14
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
· The secret of a believer’s power is in his prayer life.
· Jesus uses the word “whatsoever”. What are some of the things we fail to ask for that we should ask for in prayer?
· What does it mean to ask for something “in Jesus’ name”?
· What should be our motive when we pray?
· Consider how the following passages tie in with powerful prayer: Philippians 4:6-7 – Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
James 1:5-8 – If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
1 John 5:14-15 – And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. John 16:24 – Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
THE PRACTICE DURING SUCCESS – Vs. 15
· John 14:15 – If ye love me, keep my commandments.
· Why should we love Jesus?
· Why is keeping His commandments a habit that we need to diligently develop?
· What are some key things that we can do that will help us keep His commandments? Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Psalm 119:11 – Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Galatians 5:16 – This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
· What will happen to our prayer lives if we fail to love Jesus enough to keep His commandments? Psalm 66:18 – If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
