Streams: The Prayer-filled Life
People have a lot of role models people today.
Jesus was a role model for his disciples. He modeled the life with God to them. Part of that life was prayer – really central to that life was prayer.
This is why the disciples said to him in Luke 11 after they saw him praying – “Lord, teach us to pray”.
Surely they were familiar with the traditional Jewish forms of prayer, but they something different in their role model.
Jesus is our role model as well and tonight we want to learn from him the prayer filled life.
Nothing Like the Holidays movie download What is the prayer-filled life?
First, what is prayer?
Prayer is…Like the roots to a tree – roots are below the ground and mostly unseen. However, the roots determine the strength and fruitfulness of the tree. Prayer is like that; often hidden and unseen, but the depth of our prayer-life will largely determine the strength and fruitfulness of our life.
Prayer is…A relational conversation with God – a conversation of the heart and soul – like you have with a close friend. Not just a dry, emotionless, mechanical conversation. Conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. Prayer is like sitting down with a good friend over a cup of coffee. When we have a conversation like this we aren’t concerned with being overly formal or with particular use of language. A conversation like this is natural and down to earth. Sure, there is a sense of reverence in prayer, but we also must remember that God is inviting us into a conversation in which we can be ourselves.
What then is the prayer filled life?
A life that is centered on this relational conversation
It is learning to enter into God’s love for us and respond with love toward God
It is a steady gaze of the soul upon the God who loves us
It is a matter of falling in love, not just gritting our teeth
It is learning to abide in God
Let’s now look at Jesus:
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation release Mark 1:35 – Jesus spent regular time alone with God
John 5:19 – Jesus’ life and ministry was determined by the relationship with the Father
Jesus also addressed God as “Abba” – this is a deeply relational word – like “daddy”. And Romans 8:15 tells us that we too can call God “Abba” as we pray.
Historical Snapshot:
Frank Laubach – click to read more
1884 – 1970
The “Apostle of Literacy”
Ging chaat goo si 4: Ji gaan daan yam mo psp Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers divx The Prayer-filled Life and Us
Why do we need it?
“If prayer is right, everything is right.”
Prayer is essential and central to the Christian life, because it is about the relationship with God – Abba
Prayer is more than a duty or responsibility – it is a love relationship, and a love response.
Prayer is not a formula.
Praying in “Jesus name” is not a way to guarantee your prayer (a pin number to heaven) – it means that you are praying in the character and will of Jesus.
As we grow in prayer we come to be more focused on God than on the thing we are praying for. By this we become more tuned into the heart of God and are able to more effectively pray the will of God into action.
Prayer is central to our relationship with God and it is also central to our work in this world. We must let go of the idea that our prayers do not effect anything and that God is simply going to act apart from our prayers. This is not the biblical understanding of prayer. God calls us into a cooperative effort. He responds to our prayers. It has been said that “history belongs to the intercessors.”
“The prayer of a righteous person if powerful and effective” – James 5:16
How do we practice it?
Simple – prayer should not get too complicated, simple and honest
Solitude – being alone with God
Pray the Scriptures – go beyond reading or listening. Pray them as your own prayers (give examples from your prayer journal)
Holy Leisure – relax with God – enjoy each others company
Lolita ipod Listening – remember prayer is a dialogue, so we must actively learn to listen. Listen to the Scriptures (meditation) listen to the Spirit in daily life, take time to be silent in prayer.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 –
“Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.“Be stil and know that I am God.”
Prayer as a way of life:
John 15:5-8 – learning to abide in God
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
This is the ultimate goal of the prayer-filled life – that prayer would not simply be an activity but that it would be a way of life.
That we would “pray without ceasing” and that we would always “abide” “remain” in Jesus.
Make prayer a way of life by acknowledging your season of life as well.
Online Bonus:
Prayer tips:
- Praying in Color – using art and the imagination to build your prayer life
- We the Church – participate in online prayer with others
- Pray the Psalms – a four week rotation of using the Psalms for prayer
Do you have some ideas of how to grow in your Prayer-filled Life?
Just remember, the Prayer-filled Life is not just about methods or techniques, it is about developing a deep and intimate relationship with Abba God and to have an ongoing relational conversation with him.
These teachings are developed further in the book Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith by Richard Foster.
