{"id":295,"date":"2013-10-02T20:13:04","date_gmt":"2013-10-03T01:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/?p=295"},"modified":"2013-10-02T20:13:04","modified_gmt":"2013-10-03T01:13:04","slug":"prayer-instructions-from-the-master","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/?p=295","title":{"rendered":"Prayer Instructions from the Master"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"center\">Lesson 31<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">Prayer Instructions from the Master<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">Luke 11: 1-13<\/p>\n<p>Like so many of you I have books on prayer on my bookshelf.\u00a0 The problem is that I have probably not read them or put into practice what they are trying to teach me about affective communication with the Father.\u00a0 Of all aspects of my walk as a follower of Jesus my prayer life is probably the weakest link.\u00a0 Of course I realize that prayer is to be an integral part of our daily walk but yet I treat it in a somewhat haphazard way.\u00a0 I do not set aside a dedicated time of concerted prayer each day. This is a good example of the spirit is willing by I let other things crowd out talking with God. What I have just said does not mean that I do not pray.\u00a0 When specific needs arise either in my life or my family or those I know I pray for them.\u00a0 What I am talking about however is a lifestyle of continuous prayer which needs to be addressed in my life.<\/p>\n<p>We wonder sometimes, maybe, why we do not see powerful things occur in the church. If we would take a good look at the body of believers we probably would realize that we only give lip service to prayer.\u00a0 One of the least attended activities at church and most likely in many other churches is the weekly prayer time. Even in those sessions the question becomes, is the things for which we spend the vast majority of our time about us or others?\u00a0 I have no reason to criticize others, as you can see from what was written above, but our prayers seem to be somewhat innocuous and lacking of any power.\u00a0 The things we talk about are unlike the prayer model presented to the disciples.\u00a0 We very seldom acknowledge God in the way He calls us to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Jesus told His disciples to ask in faith and they would receive what they requested.\u00a0 The secret is asking in His name and believing.\u00a0 We ask but do not act like we truly believe He will accomplish much on our behalf.\u00a0 We pray and then try to figure out on our own how we are going to handle the situation.\u00a0 We must learn that man can make all the plans in the world but unless it is God directing our steps all of our activities will be fruitless.\u00a0 We are to learn to pray for what God would desire on our behalf.\u00a0 We are to become like minded with Him.\u00a0 That is what the model prayer is all about.<\/p>\n<p>Luke 11:1<\/p>\n<p>This chapter opens with Jesus praying. The disciples had observed Him doing so, many times before.\u00a0 He had turned aside from all the demands on Him and had entered into a season of prayer.\u00a0 The disciples did not interrupt that precious time the Son had in fellowship with the Father.<\/p>\n<p>When He had finished they approached Him with a request based on the example He had set for them.\u00a0 It is possible that the prayers of Jesus had been very private and they did not know the content of them.\u00a0 They requested that Jesus provide them a framework by which they could pray effectively.\u00a0 Some of them had been disciples of John the Baptist who had taught them to pray.\u00a0 They wanted to know what expectations Jesus had for their prayer life.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What example did Jesus set for His disciples?<\/li>\n<li>What affect did it have on them?<\/li>\n<li>Why did they possibly not know the content of the prayers of Jesus? (It was possibly a time of quiet communion with the Father.)<\/li>\n<li>Why was it important that the disciples understand how to pray? (Jesus would not be with them much longer and they would need to depend on the Father for guidance.)<\/li>\n<li>Who are some of the examples for you in the area of prayer?<\/li>\n<li>Why do you need to establish a pattern of prayer in your life?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Luke 11:2<\/p>\n<p>Luke wrote that Jesus responded by telling them what to say. Matthew in his recording of the gospel said that Jesus gave the framework by telling the people to pray in this way.\u00a0 The prayer was not meant to be repeated verbatim but to include the different elements.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why are we not to pray by continually repeating the same words? (Prayer is to come from the heart.)<\/li>\n<li>What is the best way to keep from doing the above? (By using the Bible as the starting point of prayer?<\/li>\n<li>Why is the framework so important? (It helps us to focus on what God considers is essential for each of us.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Luke 11:3<\/p>\n<p>There are differences between the model prayer in Matthew and Luke.\u00a0 Jesus first spoke about the prayer during the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew started with our Father and had a longer ending. According to the NASB the ending is now found in the earliest manuscripts.\u00a0 Luke\u2019s seemed to be providing a shortened version or summary. \u00a0He began with describing how man is to relate to God.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He wants each man to understand<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>That God is the Father to all mankind.\u00a0 There are many sources that indicate that a person\u2019s picture of God is framed in the way one views his or her earthly father. \u00a0Sadly, for many their family experiences have been poor at best thus their view of God as Father is somewhat distorted.\u00a0 Jesus wanted to be understood as that loving and caring being who has man\u2019s best interest at heart.<\/li>\n<li>That God is to be viewed as hallowed.\u00a0 Man is given to Him all honor and glory.\u00a0 God is transcendent which means there is an otherness about Him. It is the idea that He is above and beyond all things and not part of His creation.\u00a0 Finally man is to see Him as<\/li>\n<li>holy which also means that He is set apart but involved with mankind. When speaking of man holiness is to be separated from the ways of the world and consecrated and set apart to carry out the work of Christ.<\/li>\n<li>God\u2019s kingdom comes when man turns over complete control of His life and accepts the work that Christ has done in his life. Man is to see this relationship with the Father.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why did Luke give a shorter version of the model prayer? (He was giving to the disciples the core elements of the prayer.)<\/li>\n<li>How is the way we see God filtered through our own experiences with our earthly fathers?<\/li>\n<li>How can we get beyond our prejudices brought on by that relationship? (Christ\u2019s relationship with God and the love that we have shown.)<\/li>\n<li>What does it mean to view God as holy?<\/li>\n<li>What does it mean for us to be holy?<\/li>\n<li>How do you understand the phrase that we are to be holy because He is holy?<\/li>\n<li>What does it mean for God\u2019s kingdom to come to earth?<\/li>\n<li>In what way is it possible in light of all that is taking place today?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Luke 11:3<\/p>\n<p>God does care about our needs.\u00a0 Jesus emphasized that man is to ask for provision for today.\u00a0 In that day the people lived from day to day.\u00a0 They were dependent on God to meet their every need.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What difficulty do we have in understanding this provision of the model prayer? (Most of us do not have to depend on what we can obtain today.\u00a0 Most of us have more than enough.<\/li>\n<li>Besides food what other needs might Jesus mean in this statement?<\/li>\n<li>What is the real essence of this part of the prayer? (We are truly reliant on God for our very existence.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Luke 11:4a<\/p>\n<p>Every person who has ever lived is under the penalty of death because of our sins.\u00a0 Man is to continually seek God\u2019s forgiveness.\u00a0 The second part of this verse talks about the fact that as God has forgiven man, then, he is to in turn forgive those who have done wrong to him.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What is the condition of mankind in relation to the Father? (We all have lived under the penalty of death for our sins at some point in our lives.)<\/li>\n<li>How do we get release for that penalty?<\/li>\n<li>What is the responsibility of those who have been forgiven? (To forgive others who have sinned against us.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Luke 11:4b<\/p>\n<p>Luke is short and to the point when discussing how man is to proceed on the path of life.\u00a0 It is so easy to be enticed to stray away from following Christ.\u00a0 Man\u2019s prayer is that he may live under the protection of God and not succumb to the tricks of the devil.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What are some of the temptations that you face every day?<\/li>\n<li>How do we keep from be led astray from God\u2019s path?<\/li>\n<li>How does God protect us?<\/li>\n<li>What is the importance in understanding God\u2019s word?<\/li>\n<li>How does praying in the fashion discussed above keep us on the straight and narrow in this life?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Luke 11:5-8<\/p>\n<p>Jesus wanted His disciples to understand the importance of being in continual prayer.\u00a0 All too often a person will give up on prayer because God does not answer him immediately.\u00a0 There needs to be an understanding that prayers are answered according to God\u2019s timetable.\u00a0 He does not want to withhold anything from a person but provides as a man has needs.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What is the important principle that we need to understand about prayer?\u00a0 (Our prayers are to be persistent.)<\/li>\n<li>What happens to you when God does not answer your prayers immediately?<\/li>\n<li>What is the thing that we are to understand about God from this parable? (He may not give to us what we want unless it is in our best interest and His timing.)<\/li>\n<li>How is prayer like the idea of preventative maintenance? (By constantly being in prayer one is prepared to face the challenges he may face in his daily activities.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Luke 11:9-10<\/p>\n<p>Building on the above idea, Jesus points out that receiving comes from asking.\u00a0 Those things that are truly important must be sought with all of one\u2019s heart if they are to be discovered (found).\u00a0 Lastly, unless a person knocks on the doors of opportunity they will never be opened.\u00a0 Man never knows which door will open for him unless he knocks on it.\u00a0 To discover God all three of these must be done.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What is gained by asking?\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>What are the two answers you get by asking?<\/li>\n<li>What are the things that you are truly seeking in your life?<\/li>\n<li>In what ways is the reward worth the effort?<\/li>\n<li>How many times have you failed to find answers because you have refused to knock on the door that may hold the key to your future?<\/li>\n<li>How important is it to never give up doing all three of these things?<\/li>\n<li>What do you have to lose if you don\u2019t?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Luke 11:9-13<\/p>\n<p>Jesus went on to compare an earthly dad to the heavenly Father.\u00a0 The earthly, although a sinful man, does nothing to harm his child in anyway.\u00a0 He provides for the needs of the child in a loving way.\u00a0 If man has a desire to do this for his child, just think how as the loving heavenly Father cares more than any man can about His children.\u00a0 Therefore, He wants to give to those who ask of Him.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What does a good earthly father do for his children?<\/li>\n<li>How does he show that he truly loves them? (He would not do or give them anything that would bring harm to them.)<\/li>\n<li>In what ways does God do more for His children?\u00a0 (He provides what not even an earthly father can give.)<\/li>\n<li>How can we be like our heavenly Father?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pray through the model prayer by thinking what each phrase truly means and not just by what you have said by rote.<\/li>\n<li>Use the ACTS method which is Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication<\/li>\n<li>Meditate on the Scripture you are reading during your daily time with the Lord.<\/li>\n<li>Pray through some of the Psalms. For example use Psalm 119:9-12 for guidance in your daily walk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Prayer changes things is a favorite phrase used by many. \u00a0If this is so we need to look around and see if the church is different than the world around us. \u00a0Our desire is to be like Jesus. He and His disciples both understood the importance of prayer in their daily lives. The message and instruction on prayer needs to taught and practiced if we expect to impact those who need to know Christ. \u00a0Our examples should be the men of God in the Bible who time after time sought the counsel and protection of their heavenly Father. \u00a0The book of Psalms especially is full of David and others crying out to God in all kinds of situations. \u00a0If they saw the need in their day are we to do less in the time given to us. May we all make prayer a priority in our lives and watch to see what God will do.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lesson 31 Prayer Instructions from the Master Luke 11: 1-13 Like so many of you I have books on prayer on my bookshelf.\u00a0 The problem is that I have probably not read them or put into practice what they are trying to teach me about affective communication with the Father.\u00a0 Of all aspects of my [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-luke"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=295"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":296,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295\/revisions\/296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}