Pray – God’s heart
By praying we learn to pray – Richard Foster
We learn to pray by praying – Philip Yancy
How do we learn to pray? By praying – Mother Theresa
Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Jesus enjoyed the presence of his Father and prayed heaven down to people
Messy Prayer: Pray your feelings, desires, trust
When a doctoral student at Princeton asked, “What is there left in the world for original dissertation research?” Albert Einstein replied, “Find out about prayer, Somebody must find out about prayer.
Ps. 13:1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
Asking God to change people
When we begin praying for others, we soon discover that it is easy to become discouraged at the results which seem frustratingly slow and uneven. Richard Foster
John 7:17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
No manipulation, no control, perfect freedom… This is God’s way Richard Foster
Eph. 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened
Ex. 17:11-12 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset
Asking God to heal life-threatening sickness
At times God chooses to suspend His natural ways in favor of non-natural ways. When God does that, it’s called a miracle. It is a miracle precisely because it is NOT common! If God did this all the time, then it would be common, and the common-ness of it would make it a law, not a miracle! Ray Duerksen
Let God be God
Ps. 116:15 The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.
From God’s perspective
What matters to God?
James 4:3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
Prayer is about a relationship with the good parent
Pray God’s heart
Who would you like me to encourage this morning?
How can I give money away this morning?
What do I need to confess to you this morning?
Ps. 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires
Pray God’s heart