True Prayer Defined

Session 2

I. What is the usual prayer meeting like?

 

 

 

II. Life changing prayer defined.

Prayer is heart to heart ___COMMUNION_______ with Christ as _INDIVIDUALS__ and with __GROUPS____.
  1. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Rev. 3:20.

    "I doubt that I know of a passage in the whole Bible that throws greater light upon prayer than this one does. It is, it seems to me, the key which opens the door into the holy and blessed realm of prayer." (O. Hallesby, Prayer, 11)

    "To pray is nothing more involved than to let __JESUS_________ into our needs. To pray is to give Jesus ___PERMISSION________ to employ His powers in the alleviation of our ___DISTRESS_________.
    To pray is to let Jesus glorify His name in the midst of our ___NEEDS_________." (Hallesby, 12)
  2. Read Matthew 18:1-4 and see what happened when the disciples let Jesus into their need. How was this different from the prayers we usually pray about loved ones who need to change?

  3. Christ is the only ____FOUNDER______ of a religious faith who has risen from the dead and is able ___TO_____ ___TAKE_______ ___CHARGE_______ of His followers. He is able to listen to our ___PRAYERS________, __TALK_______ to us and _GUIDE_____ us.

III. Focusing Our Prayers

  1. Christ seeks permission to enter our private world because people usually give Him only ____LIMITED____ access to their inner life.
  2. In __PRIVATE______ prayer we invite Christ into our ___PRIVATE_______ life.
  3. When we pray together we invite Christ into our _RELATIONSHIPS___.
  4. Let’s aim to make Christ completely at __HOME______ in all our __RELATIONSHIPS____ as believers.
  5. When Christ is completely at home in our __HOMES______ and our __CHURCHES_______, He creates a new __KIND____ of ___COMMUNITY____.
  6. Christ is our _LIFE____.
  7. Our prayers can give Him the _PREEMINENCE____ in our marriage, our prayer groups and our church.

IV. Lack of prayer __CUTS____ __US______ _OFF_____ from God.

 

Personal check up. Are your prayers welcoming Christ into your marriage, your family, your circle of Christian friends and your church? Are you experiencing Christ actively in charge of each of these relationships?

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