1. Christian Prayer

2. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies. Thomas Vincent 1674 The praying hands of Albert Dürer By Abrecht D ü rer

3. Christian Prayer Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies. Thomas Vincent 1674 The praying hands of Albert Dürer By Abrecht D ü rer

4. What is ‘Offering up our Desires to God’? ‘Do not worry about anything but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God’. (Phil 4:6) Often in trials, difficulties, hardships, illness and loss Pouring out the heart Silence before Him The Eagle Nebula

5. What is ‘Offering up our Desires to God’? Cry for help. ‘This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord’ (Ps 34:6) Declaration of need without resourcing. ’When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him “they have no wine”. (Jn 2:3) The Eagle Nebula

6. There is no Need for Worry/Anxiety in Requesting from the Lord! We are God’s children. ‘Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you’ (Mat 7:7-8) He never refuses to hear our prayers Earth with New Moon

7. There is no Need for Worry/Anxiety in Requesting from the Lord! He won’t give us evil things. ’Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone / fish/serpent?’ (Mat 7:9-10) He will answer them in his way with perfect wisdom and love Earth with New Moon

8. How Do we ‘Offer up our Desires’ to God’? Test the rightness of things we pray for! Test our own sincerity in asking! Then, it is a pouring out of our heart to him in faith and love ‘Trust in him at all times O’ people; pour out your heart before him’ (Ps 62:8) Spiral Galaxy

9. Christian Prayer Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies. Thomas Vincent 1674 The praying hands of Albert Dürer By Abrecht D ü rer

10. What are ‘Things Agreeable to His Will’? ‘And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him’ (1 Jn 5:14-15) Earth with Clouds

11. How do we Know we are Asking in God’s Will? No demands! That is our will. Discussion about what he wants from us. That is his will. ‘If you abide in me, and my words abide in you……(Jn 15:7) Not for our own desires but for his glory and honour. His will. Service for God Our prayers will then be according to his will The Swan Nebula

12. How do we Know we are Asking in God’s Will? We need wisdom to seek his will (rightness, sincerity, scripture or just listening to him) ‘If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you’ (James 1:5) The Swan Nebula

13. How does Scripture Tell us to Pray in God’s Will? With sincerity. ‘Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart (Heb 10:22) With humility. ‘O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek’ (Ps 10:17) With faith. ’But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind ’ (Js 1:6) Orion Nebula

14. How does Scripture Tell us to Pray in God’s Will? With fervency. ‘the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective’ (Js 5:16) With perseverance. ‘Then Jesus told them a parable about the need to pray always and not to lose heart’ (Lk 18:1) With a spirit of forgiveness. ‘So when you are offering your gift at the alter …..first be reconciled to your brother or sister and then come and offer your gift’ (Mat 5:23-24) Orion Nebula

15. How do we Know we are Asking in God’s Will? Apply the test! Can we say to Jesus “Lord, please give me this for your sake and in your name”? The Cat’s Eye Nebula

16. Christian Prayer Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies. Thomas Vincent 1674 The praying hands of Albert Dürer By Abrecht D ü rer

17. How do we Pray ‘in the Name of Jesus’? Jesus taught ‘if you ask for anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you’ (Jn 16:23) Paul says ‘Give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Eph 5:20) Hourglass Nebula

18. How do we Pray ‘in the Name of Jesus’? Jesus’ name! Is his nature and character He is the Son of God He has the unique relationship with God He can perfectly reveal God to us He is Saviour of our souls/friend of sinners The Cone Nebula

19. A Vision of the Role of Jesus in Assisting our Prayers From the Revelation of St John ‘Another angel, who had a golden censor, came and stood at the alter. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden alter, before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angels hand’ (Rev 8:3-4) Pluton

20. What Role has the Holy Spirit as we Pray ‘in the Name of Jesus’? 1The Holy Spirit helps us to pray even when we don’t know what to ask for. ‘The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express’ (Rom 8:26) The Ring Nebula

21. What Role has the Holy Spirit as we Pray ‘in the Name of Jesus’? 2Jesus said ‘The Father will give you another Counsellor, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth…’ (Jn 14:16-17) Helping – directing our words Prompting – individuals or situations Guiding – riches of God’s promises Wisdom – when/what to pray Teacher – learn truth Black Hole

22. What Role has the Holy Spirit as we Pray in the Name of Jesus? 3The Holy Spirit joins the hearts of believers in corporate prayer. ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you’ (2 Cor 13:13) Jupiter

23. What Role has the Holy Spirit as we Pray in the Name of Jesus? 4‘And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Saints’ (Eph 6:18) Praying for things that the Spirit leads us to pray for – brief and on the hoof or arrow like Earth with Crescent Moon

24. Christian Prayer Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies. Thomas Vincent 1674 The praying hands of Albert Dürer By Abrecht D ü rer

25. What Sin Must we Confess? Original or actual sin Against the Law or Gospel By omission or commission In thought, heart or lip Saturn

26. What Sin Must we Confess? ‘Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me’ (Ps 51:4-5) Saturn

27. How do we ‘Confess Sin’? Humbly Fully With grief for them With hatred for them In the strength of the Lord Not to return again to the practice of them The Shorter Catechism 1674 NeNNeN Neptune

28. How do we ‘Confess Sin’? ‘If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1Jn 1:9) NeNNeN Neptune

29. Christian Prayer Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies. Thomas Vincent 1674 The praying hands of Albert Dürer By Abrecht D ü rer

30. How do we ‘Thankfully Acknowledge his mercies’? ‘Do not worry about anything but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God’. (Phil 4:6) NiNi Night Star

31. How do we ‘Thankfully Acknowledge his mercies’? For life, temporal and spiritual, both here and in eternity For salvation For the Holy Spirit For the privilege of prayer For answered prayer For unanswered prayer NiNi Night Star

32. Our Relationship with God in Prayer When we pray daily It becomes personal It becomes more intimate We develop a new perspective Communication becomes honest We start to praise during prayer

33. And - Our Relationship with God means we work together ‘My father is still working and I also am working’ Jn 5:17 – Jesus intimacy with the Father shown in the privilege of working with the Father ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men’ Mat 4:19 - Jesus reveals the disciples work

34. And - Our Relationship with God means we work together ‘For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life’ Eph 2:10 ‘Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received’ 1 Pet 4:10

35. Working with Our Lord Understanding and participating in God’s work also brings intimacy in prayer What is your assignment?  If in Authority?  God working thru you?  Prayer warrior?

36. Conclusion ‘I know not what place my prayers may have, but I do know that when I pray, I have the privilege of opening the resources of heaven to those for whom I pray’ When God is about to work, he frequently lays a burden on his people to pray for that thing. Prayer appears to be a necessary part of God’s way of ‘doing business’. Derek Prime Practical Prayer

37. Father, glorify your name!