What the Bible Says About Prayer

We are instructed to pray. (1 Tim 2:1-3; Phil 4:6; Eph 6:18-20)

Question 1: What do you learn from these scriptures about what should be included in your prayers?

We have the ministry of the Holy Spirit assisting your prayer. What we cannot express in words does not create a problem because the Spirit is interceding for us. (Rom 8:26-27)

Question 2: How does the Holy Spirit help you in your prayers?

We must have right motives when we pray. Your prayers are for the honour and glory of God alone. (Eph 1:6,12,14; 1 Cor 10:31) Your prayers must reflect the spirit of Jesus who prayed to the Father, 'not my will but your will be done.' The doing of God's will must be the goal of all your prayers.

A godly life is essential to an effective prayer life. (Psalm 37:4; John 15:7; 1 John 3:21-22)

Sin is an obstacle to prayers. (Psalm 24:3-4; Psalm 66:16-20; Psalm 37:4; Prov 28:9; Isa 1:15-17)

Jesus Taught Us How to Pray (Luke 11:1-13)

Prayer is not a formula you recite; prayer is communication with God. Prayer is an act of worship in which you are acknowledging your dependence upon the Lord.

Jesus reinforces the need to pray by telling the parable of the friend who called at midnight (verses 5-10). Note these four points:

1. It was not friendship, but persistency that secured the caller's request.
2. Jesus makes an application: 'So I say to you.'
3. Ask, seek and knock literally means that we keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking. Persistency.
4. The Lord answers the prayers of those who are persistent.

Question 3: Why does the Lord require that we ask again and again instead of just once?

In verses 11-13, Jesus reinforces his teaching with an illustration. If an evil father will meet the requests of his child, 'how much more; Jesus says, 'will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask!'

Question 4: When you ask the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, what should you expect to see in your life?

Conclusion: If you want the will of God done in your life, you have the Lord's guarantee that it will be granted when you demonstrate persistency in your prayers.

Jesus Taught Us to be Persistent in Prayer (Luke 18:1-8)

Jesus told this parable to encourage you to pray 'and not give up'.

The point of the parable is this: If an unjust judge will grant a request, how much more will God,your Father grant the requests of his children who cry out to him day and night.

God requires you to be persistent not because he is a reluctant; he wants you to demonstrate by your persistency that you are serious about your requests.

Question 5: In your own words, what is the central point Jesus is making in this parable?

God Answers Prayer

God will sometimes give you what you did not ask for. However, what God gives you is always better than what you requested. For example, see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. The Lord told Paul that it was through his weakness that honour and glory was brought to Him, and to sustain Paul throughout this ordeal the Lord would give him the necessary grace. Paul did not get specifically what he requested, he got far more, he became the means through which the Lord was honoured and glorified.

The Word of God makes is very clear that God answers prayer. (2 Chronicles 30:18-20,27; 2 Corinthians 1:10-11; James 1:5-8; 5:16)

Question 6: Can you recall a time when you saw God answering your prayers?

Additional Thoughts on Prayer

Prayer should be vital part of your daily life. In prayer you come to God either to praise him, thank him, worship him, seek his help, etc.

Discipline yourself to pray. Put a time for prayer into your daily life, and that regular prayer time will develop into a holy habit.

Use Scripture in your prayers. Select some appropriate portions of God's Word and read them several times. Your thoughts, your sentiments and your feelings which are being generated by the Word can be offered to God as prayer. For example, read 1 Corinthians 13 and hear what the Spirit says about love. Having read the Scripture a few times your heart will be desiring to practice this type of love in your life. That is prayer to Almighty God.

Have a prayer list with the names of people and of events that need your prayers.

Question 7: What steps are you going to take to make prayer a vital part of your daily life?

Memory Verse

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. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10)

End of Lesson 5. Remember to conclude your time of study with prayer, this time asking God to help you to live a prayerful life.