Family Worship Center, Beloit WI
Celebration Service - Core Values - Passionate Prayer
Why People Don’t Pray
• Not sure they know how to pray.
• Get bored or distracted while trying to pray.
• Think their requests are too small for God.
• Not sure their prayers will make a difference.
What is Prayer?
• Prayer is communicating with God
• Talk to God:
– With gut-level honesty
Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.” - Exodus 5:22-23 (NIV)
What is Prayer?
• Prayer is communicating with God
• Talk to God:
– With gut-level honesty
– About everything that matters to you
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. - Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
What is Prayer?
• Prayer is communicating with God
• Talk to God:
– With gut-level honesty
– About everything that matters to you
– Continually
Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
What is Prayer?
• Prayer is communicating with God
• Talk to God:
– With gut-level honesty
– About everything that matters to you
– Continually
– Listen for his response
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. - John 10:27 (NIV)
Why didn’t God answer my prayer?
What matters to God when you pray?
Your relationships matter to God
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. - Mark 11:24-25 (NIV)
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. - 1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)
Your motives matter to God
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures… - James 4:3 (NIV)
The way you live matters to God
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. - James 5:16 (NIV)
Your faith matters to God
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. - James 1:6-7 (NIV)
God’s will matters
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him. - 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)
Your persistence matters to God
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. - Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
Pray like Jesus prayed
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray…” - Luke 11:1 (NIV)
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” - Matthew 6:9-13(NIV)
Seek God’s presence with a worshipful heart
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” - Matthew 6:9 (NIV)
Seek God’s will over your own
…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. - Matthew 6:10 (NIV)
Seek God’s provision for your daily needs
Give us today our daily bread… - Matthew 6:11 (NIV)
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His Glory in Christ. - Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
Seek God’s forgiveness for your sins
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. - Matthew 7:12 (NIV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
Seek God’s deliverance to overcome temptation
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. - Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (NIV)