How to Pray today – Next Level Church's First "Tuesday" Prayer & Fasting – September 2011
Jesus gave us a model for how we are to pray in Luke 11. I would highly recommend taking some time today and reading it through, b/c in these verses, we have a great template for how God wants us to pray:
So, on this First Tuesday (Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day) Prayer & Fasting Day, Here’s a template for how to spend time with Jesus today:
(By the way, Here’s the Link to watch the Video Message I spoke from this outline a while back… enjoy)
7 Specifics for Prayer:
v. 1 “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’”
v. 2 “He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Our Father in heaven,’”
1. Have Confidence in your Relationship with God.
A. We’re not praying to a Partner, or Creator, or Judge or even Friend.
– Jesus was keying in on the Role of God as Father in our lives.
B. Prayer starts with a Confidence that God loves us as a Father loves his children.
– The Greek Word: ‘Daddy, or Pappa.’
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
C. The best part of God’s day is letting us off the hook!
– We have grace & mercy through Jesus!
D. Don’t just go straight to business in prayer, Come to God as Father!!!
v. 2 “…hallowed be your name…”
– or “holy is your name…” – An act of praise.
2. Love God and Worship His Name.
A. After we approach God as Father, just spend time praising Him for who He is!
– Don’t rush this… just fall into Who God is!
Psalm 103:1 “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
v. 2-3 “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
v. 4 “who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things
v. 5 “so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
B. This is when we change realities.
– Prayer is not getting Heaven to come down, Prayer is getting earth to come up!
– Until the 2 switch place, nothing powerful is going to happen!
– Praise & Worship of God is when that happens!!!
v. 2 “…your kingdom come, your will be done…”
3. Pray God’s Agenda First.
A. God has a prayer list.
– Before we rush into our needs, we need to Seek His Agenda 1st!!!
B. What’s on God’s Agenda?
– The #1 Thing is: The Lost!!!
C. MIP: When we pray God’s agenda 1st, our needs get way smaller!
v. 3 “Give us each day our daily bread…”
4. Present your Needs to Him.
A. God wants us to depend on Him for Everything, not just Urgencies!!!
– If all we ever pray for are the urgent things we’re missing a huge opportunity to trust God for the bigger components of what’s going on in & thru our lives!
v. 4 “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.”
5. Get your heart right with God & with People.
A. This is the zone to cleanse your heart before God.
Where do we need forgiveness?
Healing?
Cleasing from bitterness?
Matthew 5:23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
v. 24 “leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
v. 4 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one…”
6. Confront the Enemy.
A. A more accurate translation is: “and do not let us be led into temptation…”
– God doesn’t lead anyone into temptation.
B. There is an aggressive side to prayer where we actually take ground for those we love.
– We are called to do battle in the spirit realms through prayer!!!
Matthew 6:13 “…for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
7. Trust God with Absolute Assurance in His Ability.
A. At the end of it all, we can walk away from our times of prayer with an assurance that no matter what we face,
– or what happens, God is in control & working it all together for His Glory!!!
B. This world all belongs to Him.
– & yes, Satan is trying to reek havoc & destroy lives, but we serve a God who is greater!!!
* Use this as a template.
– At minimum, it’s a 7 minute template.
– What you’ll discover is, 7 minutes will just be the beginning.