2. Your Question Who should we pray to: God or Jesus? Does it matter?

3. In the Gospels we see Jesus praying on mountains, in the desert, in a garden, at a tomb, in an upstairs of a house over supper. The Gospel writers didn’t accidentally make mention of these times; they wanted to convey to us that Jesus was a person of prayer.

4. Jesus set aside time… He set aside a place… He got away… and he sought His Father’s assistance.

5. “Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: ‘Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, “A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit and I have nothing for him to eat.” And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, “Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.” But I tell you this – though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.’” Matthew 5

6. “We are not wringing gifts from an unwilling God, but going to one who knows our needs better than we know them ourselves and whose heart towards us is the heart of generous love. If we do not receive what we pray for, it is not because God grudgingly refuses to give it but because he has some better thing for us. There is no such thing as unanswered prayer. The answer given may not be the answer we desired or expected; but even when it is a refusal it is the answer of the love and the wisdom of God.” -William Barclay-

7. “Some children were brought to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. The disciples told them not to bother him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” And he put his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.” Matthew 19:13-15

8. Be careful in assuming that a person or a group of people are unimportant and not worthy of your time, attention and prayers. The Kingdom of God belongs to people like that.

9. John Chapter 17 “The Prayer of Jesus”

10. We have a window into the way that Jesus talked to God and how we should talk with God: talking over the events of our lives like we would with a good friend who cares for us and wants to know what we have been experiencing.

11. The protection that Jesus is praying for isn’t that his followers be spared pain or trouble… but that they be protected by being unified in Him.

12. Being made holy is the process of being set aside for God’s purposes.

13. Holiness is the transformation of our will, our hearts and our minds to be like God’s so that we choose right things and right relationships and healthy lifestyles rather than unhealthy.

14. The very last sentence of the “prayer of Jesus” shows Christ praying that we would have His love in us.

15. This Week’s Challenge: Pray as Jesus prayed in John 17 Communicate with God about your life Pray to God for the unity of His Church Pray for God’s holiness in your life Pray to be filled with God’s love