Understanding Prayer: Building a Relationship with the Heavenly Father

1. Why and How Do I Pray What is prayer? Main way in which we develop a relationship with our Heavenly Father It is: concerned with relationship not ritual vertical rather than horizontal seeking reward from God and not from other people Prayer to our heavenly Father loves to give good gifts to his children through the Son no right to come by our own merit the way is open through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross Jesus Christ has unlimited credit in Heaven by the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit lives in us and helps us to pray

2. Why Pray ? The way we develop a relationship with our Father in heaven Content of prayer: Praise, thanksgiving, confession, petition, guidance, listening etc Questions concerning prayer If God knows all our needs why should we ask He asks us to do so His spirit helps us to ask aright Does God always answer prayer? Jesus said “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” “Whatever you ask in my Name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” “If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven”

3. Unanswered prayer • Unconfessed wrongdoing • Disobedience • Wrong motives • Not according to God’s will • Not yet How should we pray • No set way - we are free to talk to God as we wish • He doesn’t want meaningless words or empty phrases but to hear what is on our hearts • Some people find it helpful to have a pattern to follow A - adoration: praising God for who He is and what He has done C - confession: asking forgiveness for things we have done wrong T - thanksgiving for help, family, friends,answered prayer etc S - supplication: praying for ourseles, our friends, and for others

4. The Lord’s Prayer A model prayer taught by Jesus Our Father in heaven We should consider our relationship to God like a father to his child except that this Father lives not on Earth but in heaven and is Almighty Hallowed be Your Name In Hebrew someone’s Name signified a revelation of that person’s character. We should desire that everywhere and in all things God’s name is honoured. Your kingdom come God’s kingdom is his rule and reign. We should pray that God may everywhere reign like a king in people’s lives and in society both in the present and the future. Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven Men and women would do God’s will rather than their own

5. Lord’s prayer continued Give us today our daily bread we ask for physical necessities of life Forgive us our sins (wrongdoing) as we also forgive those who have sinned against (wronged) us Forgiveness is only possible by Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for us. Realising how much we have been forgiven, we should be ready to forgive others also. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil We are all spiritually weak and must pray for God to prevent us being lead astray through temptation. When should we pray Always - wherever we are and have opportunity Alone - regular times, particularly in the morning With others - with other people in small groups or in prayer meetings