WHAT WE KNOW
ON OUR KNEES – LEARNING FROM MEN OF PRAYER – LESSON #1 – INTRODUCTION
INTERACTION
- What was your biggest Spiritual challenge in the last few weeks?
- Share something that you are praying about that is important to you.
- Share something that you have prayed for this church.
- Share your biggest hang up with personal prayer.
- Share your biggest hang up with public prayer.
WHY THIS STUDY?
Ezekiel 22:30 – And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
- What does making up a hedge or standing in the gap mean to you?
- What “land” will be destroyed for the Christian unless there is prayer?
Luke 18:1 – And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
- What are some of the things in our country, our homes and our churches that make us faint or lose heart?
- How does prayer help in these situations?
James 5:16 – …The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
- What is a righteous man?
- Why are the energetic prayers of righteous men so effective?
Some of the greatest men in the Bible were men of prayer.
We are in need of men of prayer today. By studying the lives of these men along with comparable Scriptures, we will hopefully be able to improve our own prayer lives.
This week we want to remind ourselves of what we already “know” about prayer. I place the word know in quotes because we often know things in our head but not our hearts. We often “know” lots about prayer in theory, but very little about it in practice.
WE KNOW THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
1 Timothy 2:8 – I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Colossians 4:2 – Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
1 Peter 4:7 – But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
WE KNOW THE POWER OF PRAYER
Jeremiah 33:3 – Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Matthew 7:7-8 – Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: [8] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Mark 11:22-24 – And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. [23] For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. [24] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
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: [15] And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
WE KNOW THE PROBLEMS WITH PRAYER
James 1:5-6 – 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. [6] 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.
James 4:1-3 – From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? [2] Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. [3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
WE KNOW THE PATTERN OF PRAYER
Matthew 6:9-13 – After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
