ILL: Someone once said 'Pray as though everything depended upon God; work as though everything depended upon you.

Question: What do you think that means?

Question: Does God really answer prayer?   If God knows all things, why do we pray?

Question: What is prayer?

     It is a conversation between God and His child. It is talking and listening. Prayer is not an escape hatch to get us out of trouble. It is not merely something to make life easy for us.  We don't pray only when we are in trouble or when the future looks uncertain.

Question: Why do we pray?

     -To have fellowship with God
     -To stand in the gap for others: 1 Sam 12:23,  Eph. 6:18
     -To seek God's help
     -To hear God's voice
     -To partner with God in His work.
      -John Wesley 'God will do nothing apart from the prayers of His people'
     -To effect the will of God: Matt. 6:10; 26:39; Rom. 8:26-27

Question: Why don't we pray?

Question: How do we pray?

General:
     -In humility: 2 Chron 7:14
     -With our whole heart: Jer. 29:13
     -Believing: Matt. 21:22
     -In obedience: James 5:16b
     -In His will: 1 Jn 5:14-15
     -Free of unconfessed sin: Ps 66:18
     -Right motives: James 4:3
     -By living in relationship with God: John 15:7

Specific:
1. Adoration
     -Prayer begins by focusing on God and recognizing His presence: Ps 139:1-6
     -Prayer should be filled with praise for and of God: Ps. 100:2,4
      -Focus on one attribute to praise God: His faithfulness, love, mercy, holiness, grace...

2. Confession
     -Confession is foundational to healing and wholeness: James 5:16;  MAtt. 6:12
     -God promises to forgive those who confess their sins to Him: 1 Jn. 1:9

3. Thanksgiving
     -Take time to make a list of things you are thankful to God for and then tell Him.
     -No prayer should be made w/o thanksgiving: Phil. 4:6

4. Supplication
     -No request is too small or too big for God.
     -Asking is an expression of trust in God to provide what we need.
      -We ask in faith (James 1:6-8)
      -We ask in the name of Jesus (Lk 18:1)
     -God promises to answer (Eph. 3:20)

5. Learn to pray out loud
     -Pray out loud when at home and all alone.
     -Pray short one line prayers at Prayer meeting.
     -Praying out loud edified those listening and shows your confidence in God.

Question: What has God promised concerning prayer?

    -Read: Jer. 33:3
          -Condition: Call to God
          -Promise: He will answer and tell us great things we don't know.
 -Read: Matt. 21:22
          -Condition: Ask and Believe
          -Promise: You will receive whatever you ask for
 -Read: 1 John 5:14-15
          -Condition: Ask according to His will
          -Promise: He hears and we have what we ask of Him.
 -Read: John 14:14
          -Condition: Ask in Jesus' name
          -Promise: He will do it.
 -Read: Ps. 84:11
          -Condition: Asking
          -Promise: He withholds no good thing