1. If My people will humble themselves and Pray...
Lord Teach Us To Pray
Introduction:
Early in Jesus’ ministry Sent out the Seventy -
Story of Seventy Coming Back rejoicing
Rejoice not that you have power over the spirits but that your names are written in heaven.
Early on in their ministry the Disciples began to experience an amazing phenomenon in Jesus’ life
They would wake up and go to find him and wouldn’t be there - they would find Him praying….
If My people will humble themselves and Pray...
2 Chronicles 7:14

2. “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:1

3. Matthew 6:5-9
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:
Some boundaries
Two Boundaries
No Praying Just to look good or to simply fulfill some requirement - This is not for Display - This is real conversation
When you pray do not use vain repetitions - Many Words - Emptiness
Note your Father knows what you need -
Right from the beginning we notice that God is our Father and that He is interested in what we need!

4. Matthew 6:10-13 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
       Your kingdom come.
       Your will be done
       On earth as it is in heaven.
       Give us this day our daily bread.
       And forgive us our debts,
       As we forgive our debtors.
       And do not lead us into temptation,
      But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory forever.
Amen.
Explain Cyastic Structure

5. Biblical Poetic Structure
Main Point or what’s most Important
Sub-point C
Sub-point C
Sub-point B
Sub-point B
Sub-point A
Sub-point A

6. The Lord’s Prayer the Structure
Requests
Surrender
(His Will)
(His Kingdom)
Dedication
(Confession / Forgiveness)
(Turn from Sin/Protection)
Praise
Praise

7. The Lord’s Prayer

8. This then is how you should pray...
Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name...
Praise / Adoration
Who is God?
What do you like about Him?
What are His Names?
What do they mean?

9. This then is how you should pray...
...Your kingdom come. Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven...
Surrender
Pray for God’s kingdom and will to come into your life!
Submit your life to God’s Will
Find His will in Scripture.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you and teach you.

10. This then is how you should pray...
...Give us this day our daily bread...
Requests
Intercessory Prayer
Let God know what you need.
Persistence
Patience
Long Suffering
Keep a list - record what God does.

11. God wants to Grant our requests
Where is a friend when you need one?
Story of Breaking Down in Canada

12. This then is how you should pray...
...Forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors...
Confession
Thank God for His gift of forgiveness.
Confess your shortcomings and sins to God and turn commit to turning from them.
Ask God for forgiveness and the gift to forgive others

13. This then is how you should pray...
...do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one...
Protection from Evil
Recognize that Satan is powerful, but that God is much more powerful. Acknowledge that we are in a spiritual war, and ask God to keep Satan’s power away from you and those for whom you have been praying.

14. This then is how you should pray...
...For Yours is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory
forever!
Amen
Praise Him Again!
And again I Say Rejoice!
Give thanks to God!
Sing Praises to His Name!
Share what He is doing!

15. Luke 11:5-8 Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

16. Luke 11:9-13
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

17. So What? We often feel like our prayers are not being heard. Why?
Praying to look good or fulfill requirement…
To many meaningless words vs.. Persistence
Maybe we just don’t know Who we are talking to.

18. John 15:11-16
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

19. It is easy to ask a friend Is HE your friend. He has Chosen you
It is easy to ask a friend Is HE your friend? He has Chosen you. Will you let Him in?

21. General Conference Prayer Initiative
You Can't Have the Holy Spirit!
Not without prayer. God's last day messenger to the remnant instructs us, "that a revival can only be expected in answer to PRAYER! 1 Selected Messages p. 121
The 777 commitment. 7 days a week - 7 AM and 7 PM
In the January 3, 1907 Review and Herald we were instructed that, "A chain of earnest praying believers should encircle the world... to pray for the Holy Spirit."
Won't you join us in making this outpouring of the Holy Spirit a reality for the coming year? Perhaps this will be the last year we need live in this world of sin!

22. Ways to get involved at City Church
Personal Commitment to Knowing God and Personal prayer time
Global Prayer Rain Prayer time at City Church 8:00 Sabbath Mornings in the Open Circle Classroom
The Hour of Prayer Wednesday Nights at Midweek Manna 6:30-7:30