INTRODUCTION...

Question…do you love your mother…ever hear that phrase? Basically a rhetorical statement…obvious yes. Last week and this week, we wanted to present a challenge to us, both individually and corporately, that has an obvious YES answer.

- Chris challenged us last week to up our game in regards to our study, reading, memorizing and valuing of GOD’S WORD, THE BIBLE
- This week I want us to consider that spiritual discipline of PRAYER

If I were to ask you what christians should do as part of their life in Christ, devotion to God…most would say
1. Read your bible
2. Pray
3. Tell others about Jesus

- We know what we are SUPPOSED to do, but the actual doing of it is where we stall out

--> QUOTE – D.A. Carson “A Call to Spiritual Reformation”
“We don’t drift into spiritual life; we don’t drift into disciplined prayer. We don’t grow in prayer unless we plan to pray. That means we must set aside time to do nothing but pray. What we actually do reflects our highest priorities. That means that we can proclaim our commitment to prayer until the cows come home, but unless we actually pray, our actions disown our words.”

- I think there are many reasons we stall out…and I would suspect that many of us struggle with that failure…shame and guilt for not doing it…for not doing it ENOUGH…and btw, how much is enough?…how do I know I’m praying the right way, the right things…

So…today is not about guilt, shame, reprimand…my hope today is that you are encouraged, that you will start praying or grow in your prayer life as a disciple of Jesus. This is a new year, a fresh start…as my grandmother used to tell me “it’s never too late to do the right thing”…so this is the year!

OUR MISSION STATEMENT…

“Creekside Church will PROCLAIM CHRIST crucified and risen existing to MAKE DISCIPLES through Biblical Teaching, Authentic Worship, Devotion to Prayer and being a Loving Community, all to GLORIFY GOD”

BIBLE… some guiding verses

[COLOSSIANS 4:2]
“2 Continue steadfastly in PRAYER, [CSB Devote yourselves] being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

[1 THESSALONIANS 5:17]
“PRAY without ceasing…

[PHILIPPIANS 4:6]
“6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by PRAYER and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

[EPHESIANS 6:18]
“…PRAYING at all times in the Spirit, with all PRAYER and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…”

[ROMANS12:12]
“12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in PRAYER.”

OBSERVATIONS:
1. We should be DEVOTED/COMMITTED to continual and constant praying
2. We should be THANKFUL in our prayers
3. We should be ALERT, WATCHFUL in our prayers (intentional, observational)
4. We should pray about everything and for everyone

Wow. That is a high standard. Those are some challenging statements. And yet that is how we are commanded to pray!

@ CREEKSIDE…
1. We value prayer at our gatherings (large, small, programming)
2. Elders pray 2 meetings a month, Staff pray weekly
3. Prayer Team Tues pm
4. Prayer Corner weekly
5. Prayer cards weekly
6. 24 Hours of Prayer October yearly

IN YOUR LIFE…
Even with all of this instruction and our commitment as a church body…how is prayer in your own life, in your daily walk with Jesus? How devoted to prayer are you..as a spiritual discipline/habit?

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JESUS...
(the way he modeled devotion to prayer)

[MK 1:16-39]
- 16-20…Jesus calls his first disciples
- 21-28…Jesus cast out demons in synagogue
- 29-31…Jesus heals Peter’s/Simon’s mother in law
- 32-34…Jesus heals many sick people and cast out demons…the whole town needed to be ministered to

Key verse 1:35…“35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying…” || What a day…

- 36-39…Jesus knew what was next as he followed the leadership of his Father instead of doing what the town/disciples wanted him to do

Jesus was devoted to prayer…even in the busyness of life…he made time to pray…it was not an add-on, it was essential

THE INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO PRAY...
(the way he taught us to pray)

[MT 6:5-13]
Jesus deals with our heart attitude as we pray

- Vs5…don’t pray like the hypocrites do
- vs6…Pray in secret to your Father
- vs7-8…don’t pray with empty words
- vs9 pray like this…

--> Upward: vs9-10… “our Father in heaven…”
1. Hallowed be your name Father
2. Your Kingdom come Father
3. Your will be done Father (praying for the supremacy of God in all things)

--> Downward: vs11… “Give us today our daily bread” (praying for my own needs, physical)

--> Outward: vs12… “forgive us, help us forgive others” (praying through our need for forgiveness & our need to forgive others)

--> Inward: vs13… “Lead us from temptation…deliver us from evil” (praying for my spiritual needs)

SOME PRACTICAL TOOLS…

1. COME UP WITH A PLAN (WHEN/WHERE)
- Time…Jesus ‘very early in the morning while it was dark’…in AK, that could be 9am…summers could get challenging! || 6/3/9…morning, afternoon, evening prayer…pick one, pick two, pick three

- Place…Jesus found a solitary place to pray…encouraged us to pray in secret, in a closet, no one to impress…
-- So time of day and location can be strategic in being able to actually fulfill your commitment to pray faithfully
-- Be committed, faithful, devoted (this is struggle)

2. COME UP WITH A PATTERN (WHAT/HOW)
- Lord’s Prayer Model…upward/praise God || downward/my personal needs || outward/others needs, my heart towards others || inward/my spiritual needs, growth

- Verbal or Written…some really need to say things out loud…some need to just be still and pray in their heads…some might need to write || My Style: I write out my prayers…helps me focus, be intentional when I pray, helps me remember things to pray for, and encourages me when I go back and read my prayers to see how God has answered me

- Pray the Scriptures…as you read the Bible, pray those verses back to the Lord as a prayer || Psalm 31 example ||

- Rhythms and Schedules…I am trying to do the 6/3/9 daily prayer rhythm (it is a work in progress) and I have created a schedule or rhythm to those prayer times || 6am = my own heart, prayers of thanksgiving || 3pm = my ministry, church, staff, elders || 9pm = my family, kids, grandkids, Rhonda, extended family

- “Pray Continually" (without ceasing) 1 Thess 5:17… maybe for you…it won’t be a specific time, place, rhythm…maybe you just need to pray like you breath…just all day long, in every situation, be in a state of prayerful dependence…pray for things as they happen…as you see them…just a series of short, small, simple prayers all day long…

- OR…Maybe it is a mixture of all of these things! … There is no right or wrong system…the point is to pray, to actually do it.

- RESOURCES…we do have a few books/resources on prayer at the Barnabas Nook

KEY THOUGHT…
QUOTE – Oswald Chambers
“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”

APPLY…
1. Live in grace…that prayer will become a want to, not a have to…
2. Make a plan…give yourself some direction, easier when we have a plan to follow or some type of direction
3. Be devoted to prayer and grow in it…just start praying…that this year we would pray more than we did last year…that we would experience the work of the Holy Spirit IN US, and THROUGH US as we pray

PRAYER and COMMUNION…

- Let's take a few minutes to pray, posture, kneel, hands raised, stand…
- Psalm 31:1-5 on screen…pray through this together…
- Pray over communion elements
- Dismiss for communion to be taken individually