First Baptist Church of Niles
Bible Study
A Study of Prayer
Conditioning Your Prayer Life - Alligning Your Heart
Alignment - Faith vs. Doubt
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. James 1:6-7
If you lack the desire to pray, the reason may come from a feeling of one of the following:
God Doesn't Know or Understand My Needs
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matt 10:30
Prayer is ultimately about
1. Intimately knowing, loving and serving God
2. Conforming our lives to His will and ways
3. Accessing and advancing His kingdom
Expect God to know your heart and what you truly need.
God Isn't Able to Help
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Eph 3:20
Believe that no limitations apply to Him and that He can do anything.
God Doesn't Care
Lack if immediate action should not be interpreted as lack of care.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9
Anticipate that He will respond to you with love, compassion and mercy.
God Isn't Likely to do Anything Anyway
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24
Assume that He is there listening, willing to come to your aid.
Alignment - Secret vs. Show
Jesus more often was known to pray in secret.
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. Mark 1:35
After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Mark 6:46
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12
Being values has some healthy benefits. Our faith and service to God must always be a matter of humility and sincerity.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Gal 1:10
God hates pride.
The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Prov 16:5
He hates the hypocrisy of those seeking their own glory while pretending to give Him glory.
To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Prov 8:13
Secret prayer helps remove selfish motives.
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Pet 5:5-7
Alignment - Obedience vs. Rebellion
A lifestyle of obedience is not a condition that earns salvation, but it is a key to answered prayer.
“Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46
“If you love me, keep my commands. John 14:15
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 1 John 3:7
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 1 John 3:21-22
Pray and obey. Obey and pray. These are powerful combinations.
Alignment - Persistence vs. Impatience
God delights when we walk by faith and show our dependency on Him. He may use delays to reveal to us our level of trust in Him.
Saul became inpatient with God
8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. 9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, 12 I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” 13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command.” 1 Sam 13:8-14
Zechariah waited on the Lord
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. 8 Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. Luke 1:5-13
Pray continuously
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36
pray continually, 1 Thess 5:17
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Col 4:2
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Mat 7:7-8
God doesn't owe us an immediate response. He waits for the perfect time.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Ps 27:14