his word—my life: prayer...b: or withheld his love from me! prayer: o lord god, you who are...

© 1997 Northwestern Publishing House. Reprinted by permission.

His Word—My Life

Repeating Courses for Adult Bible Study

Lesson One—Prayer Begins with What God Has Done for Us

Lesson Two—Prayer Is a Vital Part of a Christian’s Worship Life

Lesson Three—Elements of a Well-Rounded Prayer Life

Lesson Four—In Prayer, We Seek God’s Blessings for Ourselves

and Others

Lesson Five—Pray Sincerely

Lesson Six—Pray Persistently and Expect Results

Lesson Seven—Regular and Systematic Prayer

Lesson Eight—God’s Promises Give Prayer Its Power

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Northwestern Publishing House

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© 1997 by Northwestern Publishing House.

Published 1997 Printed in the United States of America

Prayer

by

Kenneth A. Cherney


Prayer

Lesson One

Worship

What makes it easy to talk to someone?

Think of how all these things apply to our gracious God. There is no one

who’s easier to talk to! David felt that way about God.

Read selected verses of Psalm 4

A: Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.

B: Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my

prayer.

A: How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will

you love delusions and seek false gods?

B: Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD

will hear when I call to him.

A: Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Many are asking, “Who

can show us any good?”

B: Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

A: You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and

new wine abound.

B: I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make

me dwell in safety.

Prayer Begins with What God Has Done for Us

1. In prayer we approach the Father through Jesus, his Son

2. In prayer we approach the Father with the help of the Spirit

Prayer Lesson One—Page 2


Prayer: O Lord, as we study your Word, pour out on us your Holy Spirit.

Let us learn the joy of talking with you, and move us to speak with you from

penitent and trusting hearts. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Introduction

Have you ever heard of “active listening”? In active listening, you turn your

entire body toward the speaker. You look him or her in the eye. You nod at

appropriate moments, and you ask questions or offer brief comments to help

yourself understand the person you are listening to.

Active listening is an important skill. Communication won’t happen if the

listener expects the speaker to do all the work.

God is an active listener. In fact, he alone has opened up the lines of

communication between us and him. And, he helps us ask for the right

things. In our first lesson we’ll consider this question: When we pray—that

is, when we talk with God—who is really doing the work?

Studying God’s Word

Read John 20:10-18

1. How does Jesus refer to God in verse 17?

2. What comforting name does he give to the disciples? (verse 17)

3. Why can Jesus describe our relationship with God in these terms?

In prayer we approach the Father through Jesus, his Son



Read John 16:22-27

4. Look closely at verses 26 and 27. Why can Christians pray to the Father?

5. What does it mean to pray “in Jesus’ name”?

6. How do Jesus’ words make you feel about praying?

7. This We Believe, the WELS statement of faith, describes the prayers of

“all who do not know Christ” as “vain babblings addressed to false

gods.” Why is this accurate?

His Word in My Life

Recently, the chaplain of the Kansas state legislature was reprimanded for

offering prayers explicitly “in the name of Jesus.” A member of the

legislature (who was a Unitarian) complained, “This man has to learn to

pray more inclusively”—meaning that the chaplain should avoid

mentioning Jesus in his prayers.

What do you think the chaplain should do?

As we study prayer, let’s keep this truth uppermost in our minds: If Jesus

had not suffered, died, and risen again, it would be impossible for us to

pray. Sinners like us would be barred forever from the throne room of a holy

God. But now, thanks to Jesus, the door to God’s throne room is always

open to believers. When you come before God with a prayer “in Jesus’

name,” God gives you the same reception he would give to Jesus himself.



Read Romans 8:15-17,26,27

1. What is our attitude toward God thanks to the Holy Spirit’s work in us?

What can we now call God? (verses 15-17)

2. Because of our “weakness,” what difficulty do we experience in our

prayer life? (verse 26)

3. How does the Holy Spirit help us? (verse 27)

4. Evaluate: Some churches teach that an unbeliever can become a Christian

by praying a prayer in which he invites Jesus into his heart.

His Word in My Life

Noting the many secular activities her church was engaged in, one

member said in disgust, “You could take the Holy Spirit out of our church

altogether, and nobody would even notice. Ninety percent of our programs

and activities would be completely unchanged.” Is this true of our prayer

life? Why or why not?

When you talk to a friend on the phone, it’s very easy to understand what’s

going on. Your thoughts pass from your brain to your mouth, over the wires,

into your friend’s ear, and finally into his brain. Prayer to God is a bit more

complex. More than our brain and mouth is at work when we pray to God.

God the Holy Spirit is dwelling within us. Through the gospel he has opened

the lines of communication between us and God. He has also created a new

In prayer we approach the Father with the help of the Spirit



mind in us so we can pray according to God’s will. Even more, he himself

from within us offers prayers to the Lord that are in perfect accordance with

his will.

Summary

God is at work when we pray. The Father has sent his Son to open the lines

of communication between us and him. Jesus has made us his brothers and

God’s children. The blood of Jesus that atoned for our sins is the reason why

we can pray with confidence to our God. The Holy Spirit sustains this faith

in us and prays to our Father on our behalf. The Triune God is the most

active listener there is.

Life with God

Include the following thoughts in your personal prayers this week.

Day 1: Thank Jesus for giving you a gracious heavenly Father.

Day 2: Thank God for the amazing privilege of speaking with him.

Day 3: Think of an area of your life in which you don’t know what to pray

for. Thank the Holy Spirit for his ministry of intercession.

Day 4: Ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to help you toward a more active

prayer life.

Day 5: Think of several specific places around the world where Christ is

not known. Ask God to spread the gospel to people there so that prayers

can be heard from those places.

Day 6: Ask God to deepen your knowledge of him for the specific purpose

of helping you to pray better.

Day 7: Reread (or recall) Luther’s explanation to the First Petition of the

Lord’s Prayer in the Small Catechism. Pray the entire Lord’s Prayer with it

in mind.


Prayer

Lesson Two

Worship

What is the most awe-inspiring sight you have ever seen? An approaching

storm? The birth of a baby? A night sky full of stars?

It’s been said that Americans are losing the ability to be struck with awe.

Thanks to the wonders of technology—for example, the special effects we

see at the movie theater or the rides at a theme park—the awesome is in

danger of becoming commonplace.

It would be a real shame to lose our sense of awe at things like an

approaching storm, the birth of a baby, or a night sky full of stars. It would

be an even greater shame to lose a sense of awe in the presence of God.

Reflect on the psalmist’s awe in the presence of the Lord.


A: Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make

his praise glorious!

B: Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your

power that your enemies cringe before you.

A: All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you,

B: They sing praise to your name.”

A: Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s

behalf!

B: He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations—let not

the rebellious rise up against him.

Prayer Is a Vital Part of a Christian’s Worship Life

1. Prayer is an act of worship that pleases God

2. Christians worship God with both private and group prayers

Prayer Lesson Two—Page 2


A: If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

B: But God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.

A: Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer

B: Or withheld his love from me!

Prayer: O Lord God, you who are enthroned in the heavens, we thank you

for the privilege of worshiping you in prayer. Teach us now to pray in awe

of your power and love. Amen.

Introduction

Perhaps you attend a civic function where some religious leader is asked to

offer a prayer. As he begins his prayer, some people cross themselves, some

fold their arms or their hands, and some put their hands in their pockets. As

he prays, the officiant is careful not to offend any religious group, and so he

says little beyond a vague request that “God” would “bless” the occasion.

Really, the only purpose for his prayer is to inject “a little religion” into the

proceedings. This done, an audible sigh of relief goes up from the crowd.

The prayer is over with, and everyone can sit down.

God, too, sighs with relief when such prayers are over with. Today we will

look at the kind of prayer that is satisfying to God’s people and pleasing to

him.


Read Psalm 50:9-15

1. God had given Israel the privilege of offering him animal sacrifices. Even

though God had commanded sacrifices in the Old Testament, what was

wrong with the sacrifices Israel was bringing? (verses 9-13)

2. What higher form of worship does God ask for? (verses 14 and 15)

Prayer is an act of worship that pleases God



3. Why is such a prayer a wonderful way of worshiping God?

Read Psalm 141:2

4. How are our prayers like “incense”?

His Word in My Life

Agree or disagree: Since prayer is an act of worship, the best place to pray

is in church.

God knows exactly what we need, and we always can count on him to give it

to us. Still, he is honored when we ask, for our asking is an act of worship.

We worship God by asking him for all kinds of things, at all kinds of times

and places.

Read Luke 5:15,16

1. What was Jesus’ regular practice?

2. What lesson is there for us in this regular practice of Jesus?

Read Matthew 18:19,20

3. When we join with other Christians in prayer, what does Jesus promise?

Christians worship God with both private and group prayers



4. Commenting on these verses, Saint Cyprian said: “He [Jesus] shows that

he is rather with two or three who pray with one mind, than with a great

many who differ, and that more can be obtained by the concordant prayer

of a few, than by the discordant supplication of many” (“Treatise I: On

the Unity of the Church,” The Ante-Nicene Fathers, [Grand Rapids:

Eerdmanns, 1970], Vol. V, No. 12, p. 425). Put this thought into your

own words.

5. Explain: When we pray, we are saying something about God; when we

pray with someone, we are also saying something about that person.

His Word in My Life

Some families have the custom of joining hands around the table when

they offer prayers. What does this custom mean? Do you find it helpful?

“I don’t need to come to church to pray; I can pray alone at home.” You’ve

probably heard this one before. The proper response is “Of course you can

pray alone at home, and I hope you do.” The right to go off by ourselves and

share our most intimate thoughts with God is one of the most precious

privileges Jesus won for us.

It is second only to the privilege of joining in prayer with other Christians

with whom we share a common faith. We Christians find that group prayer

enhances our private prayer lives, and our private prayer lives enhance our

corporate prayer. It is not either/or; it is both/and.

Summary

To summarize this lesson, discuss the following:

1. What makes prayer an act of worship?



2. What are the benefits of praying alone? What are the benefits of praying

in a group?

Life with God

Day 1: Before you begin your personal devotion, look around at the place

where you’re doing it. Is it private? worshipful? conducive to meditation

and prayer? Make a list of things you could do to make it more so.

Day 2: Do the things to enhance your “prayer corner” that you listed on

Day 1.

Day 3: When you sit down to a meal, after praying, ask the members of

your family about your mealtime prayers. Do they like the way you’ve

been doing them? Would they suggest any changes?

Day 4: Choose at least one of your family’s suggestions and implement it.

Day 5: At your local library, look in the Reader’s Guide to Periodical

Literature for articles in current, secular magazines (Time, Newsweek, etc.)

about prayer. Read one or more of the articles. Does the author view

prayer as worship? Does he seem to recommend praying? Why? Do his

remarks agree with what Scripture says about prayer?

Day 6: Ask your pastor about the prayers he uses in the worship service

(the Prayer of the Day, the General Prayer or Prayer of the Church, etc.).

What is their purpose? Where does he find the prayers he uses?

Day 7: Make a point of arriving at church early. Find a seat near the

entrance. Before the service begins, thank God for the privilege of joining

with other Christians in prayer. As your fellow members file in, thank God

for bringing them to church to pray with you.


Prayer

Lesson Three

Worship

David, the author of Psalm 139, began his prayers by praising God’s

wisdom.


A: O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

B: You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts

from afar.

A: Where can I flee from your presence? If I rise on the wings of the

dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

B: Even there your right hand will guide me, your right hand will

hold me fast.

A: I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

B: Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

A: How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

B: Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.

A: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious

thoughts.

B: See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way

everlasting.

Elements of a Well-Rounded Prayer Life

1. Adoration

2. Confession

3. Thanksgiving

4. Supplication

(ACTS)

Prayer Lesson Three—Page 2


Prayer: Heavenly Father, send us your Holy Spirit. Enrich the content of

our hearts, so that you are pleased when we open them to you in prayer. In

the name of Jesus and for his sake we ask it. Amen.

Introduction

A story is told about a country boy who, at age fourteen, fell completely

silent. For seven years he didn’t say a word to anyone. At first, his family

and friends were astonished, but finally they came to accept Junior’s silence

as a fact of life.

Then, one day, Ma burned the biscuits. She was scolding herself softly as

she carried them to the table.

“Ma, you burned the biscuits,” Junior said.

Ma dropped the plate on the floor. The family looked at Junior in shock.

“Son,” Dad said, “you haven’t opened your mouth in seven years! Why

not?”

“Because,” Junior said, “up ‘til now, everything’s been okay.”

Is our prayer life a little like that? Do we feel no need to pray as long as

everything’s “okay”? If so, let’s remember: in our prayers, we can talk about

much more than our own lives and what’s wrong with them.

Today we will look at one way of keeping our prayers well-rounded, filled

with a variety of things God wants us to pray for. Remember the word

ACTS. It will help you organize your prayer.


Read Psalm 138

1. Find a verse that expresses the main point of this psalm.

2. What does it mean to “praise” someone?

Adoration



3. List the things David praises the Lord for. Which ones are characteristics

of the Lord? Which ones are things God does?

ADORATION = prayers in which we praise God for who he is and what he

has done.

His Word in My Life

Many Christians find that beginning their prayers with adoration is the

easiest way to get started praying. Why do you think they feel that way?

Who says our prayers have to be about us? Why not pray to God about

God? Think of all that you know about God, and start there. Praise him for

who he is and what he has done. Because there is no end to his loving

actions, you will find thoughts and words coming easily.

Read Luke 18:9-14

1. Why did the Pharisee and the tax collector go to the temple?

2. What was wrong with the Pharisee’s “prayer”? (See NIV footnote.)

3. What made the tax collector’s prayer God-pleasing?

Confession



4. Discuss: Whenever we want to pray about ourselves and our needs, we

should begin with the tax collector’s prayer.

CONFESSION = prayers in which we acknowledge our sinfulness and ask

God for forgiveness.

His Word in My Life

Explain the following statement: If you’re looking for a prayer topic you

can never exhaust, try the goodness of God. If you’re looking for another,

try human sinfulness.

There is a saying, “Everyone grabs for the bench when it’s the piano that

needs to be moved.” When faced with a heavy, unpleasant job, we sometimes

try to avoid it by fastening on something lighter and more pleasant, hoping

no one notices.

God isn’t at all like that when he answers our prayers. The many, smaller

requests we make of God day by day pale in comparison with our biggest

problem: our sin. That’s the piano. Compared with it, all our other needs

are small benches.

But God grabs the piano first. He takes our burden of sin on his own

shoulders and carries it to the cross, where he gets rid of it forever. Then,

along with the forgiveness of our sins, he lovingly and cheerfully gives us

everything else we need, according to his will. We can pray with the hymn

writer: “With my burden I begin: Lord, remove this load of sin” (from CW

409:3).

Read Philippians 1:3-6

1. For what does Paul thank God? (verse 5)

Thanksgiving



2. How is thanksgiving similar to praise? How is it different?

3. After a prayer of confession, what is the first thing we should thank God

for?

THANKSGIVING = prayers in which we acknowledge God’s many

kindnesses and express our gratitude for them.

His Word in My Life

Explain: The more a Christian grows in his faith, the more aware he is of

how ungrateful he’s been.

God loves to hear us thanking him for the many blessings he’s given us.

Read Philippians 1:9-11

1. How does Paul continue his prayer?

2. On whose behalf does he make this request?

3. What does Paul ask that God would enable the Philippians to do?

Supplication



4. Evaluate: What Jesus tells us to pray for in the Lord’s Prayer can serve as

a good list of things to pray for on behalf of others.

SUPPLICATION = prayers in which we make requests to God on behalf of

ourselves and others.

His Word in My Life

Agree or disagree: It is in our supplications that our selfish sinful nature

most often rears its head.

God wants us to pray for all that we need and for the needs of others. He is

honored when we place ourselves completely in his hands.

Summary

It’s Monday morning; the sun is shining, and the weather is beautiful.

You’re on your way to work, where you face a major task that has you a

little bit worried.

Take a moment and compose a brief prayer that’s appropriate to this

situation. Build that prayer around the four elements we learned in this

lesson: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication. Then, share yours

with the group.

Remember ACTS.

Life with God

Day 1: In your prayers today, focus on adoration. Make a list of attributes

of God, and praise him for being who he is.

Day 2: In your catechism, read the Apostle’s Creed with Luther’s

explanation. Pray a prayer of adoration that praises God for what he has

done.

Day 3: Read the Ten Commandments with Luther’s explanations. Offer an

appropriate confession of your sins.



Day 4: Now find the Table of Duties in your catechism. Find where it

mentions the duties of your station in life, and confess to God the ways in

which you have neglected them.

Day 5: List the evidences of God’s goodness that you can see from where

you are right now. Thank God for them.

Day 6: Make a mental list of people who have been significant in your

spiritual life. Thank God for each of them.

Day 7: To think about: What is the most pressing need I feel right now?

What is my most important need? Are they the same? If not, how are they

related? After thinking for a few minutes about these needs, take them to

God in prayer.


Prayer

Lesson Four

Worship

David’s psalms are full of prayers for the church of his day.


A: I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the

LORD.”

B: That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise

the name of the LORD.

A: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.

B: May there be peace within your walls and security within your

citadels.”

A: For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within

you.”

B: For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your

prosperity.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, by your Holy Spirit, make us sensitive to what our true

needs are and to the needs of others. Move us to call earnestly upon you in

prayer. Amen.

In Prayer, We Seek God’s Blessings for Ourselves and Others

1. God encourages us to pray about any need we have

2. We take the needs of others to God in prayer

Prayer Lesson Four—Page 2


Introduction

“I can do it myself!” If you have, or have had, a four-year-old in your house,

those are familiar words. Moms and dads often watch with pride as their

four-year-olds insist on dressing themselves, tying their own shoes, and

pouring their own juice. Parents understand this as a vital part of the

maturation process, and they don’t even mind when the juice gets spilled

once in a while, or when the shoes are tied with granny knots, or when the

shirt gets put on inside out.

It’s a different matter, however, when an adult goes through life insisting “I

can do it myself!” Self-reliance and independence are important virtues, but

not when they prevent us from seeking or accepting help when we need it.

The worst kind of self-reliance is the kind that refuses to ask for help from

God. That’s the mark of a spiritual four-year-old, and we need to be on our

guard against it.


Read Philippians 4:6

1. When we try to “do it ourselves,” we can’t help but become anxious

about unmet needs. What does Paul tell us to do?

2. How many needs should we take to the Lord in prayer?

Read James 4:1-3

3. What do unfulfilled desires lead to? (verse 1)

God encourages us to pray about any need we have



4. What is the wrong way to deal with unfulfilled desires? (verse 2)

5. What is the right way to deal with our desires? (verse 2)

6. What should we do, however, before we ask God to fulfill our desires?

(verse 3)

7. Agree or disagree: James is saying that prayers for more money are

unacceptable.

His Word in My Life

Discuss this situation: A certain Christian complains to others about his

wants and needs but won’t pray about them because he considers most of

them “too trivial to bother God with.”

The Lord wants us to take all our needs to him in prayer. But he warns us to

examine our motives lest we pray selfishly or to satisfy sinful desires.

Read 1 Timothy 2:1-4

1. For whom should we pray? (verses 1 and 2)

We take the needs of others to God in prayer



2. What blessings might we ask God to give to government authorities?

Why? (verses 2-4)

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

3. Review the elements of prayer that we learned in the last lesson. Then

locate those elements in the prayer Paul offered to God on behalf of the

Thessalonians.

4. If you prayed Paul’s prayer for your own congregation, which parts

would you leave as is? Which would you modify? What specific requests

would your prayer contain?

His Word in My Life

Agree or disagree: It is very important that we know all the details about

the lives of our fellow Christians so that we can pray about them

intelligently.

For whom are you praying—regularly, specifically, confidently? God wants

us to pray for the spiritual and temporal needs of those around us, especially

fellow Christians.

Summary

Taking our own needs to the Lord demonstrates our trust in the Lord’s

power and desire to help us.

When our prayers include the needs of others, it demonstrates that the Holy

Spirit is teaching us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

On the other hand, when we’re beset by such sins as pride, self-centeredness,

or ingratitude, these will inevitably rear their heads in our prayer lives too.



The Lord wants us to guard ourselves from prayers driven by these sinful

emotions.

Life with God

Day 1: In your prayer time, make today your Self Day. Make a list of your

material and spiritual needs. Evaluate the items on your list, prioritize

them, and pray about them.

Day 2: Today is Family Day. Do the same for the needs of your family.

Day 3: Workplace Day. Do the same for the people you work with.

Day 4: Neighborhood Day. Do the same for the people who live near you.

Day 5: Nation Day. Do the same for your country.

Day 6: Synod Day. Do the same for the WELS—its pastors, teachers,

administrators, and employees.

Day 7: Congregation Day. Do the same for the people at your church.

(Don’t forget the pastor!)


Prayer

Lesson Five

Worship

Heartfelt, open, and sincere—qualities of Christian prayer. Listen for those

qualities as you read this psalm.


A: I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

B: Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

A: The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon

me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

B: Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!”

A: The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

B: The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need,

he saved me.

A: Be at rest once more, O my soul,

B: For the LORD has been good to you.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, open our eyes to the spiritual perils that surround us

and to the great saving acts of our God. Let them move us to hearfelt and

sincere prayer. Amen.

Pray Sincerely

1. Warnings against insincerity

2. Examples of heartfelt prayer

Prayer Lesson Five—Page 2


Introduction

What is the most honest form of speech human beings are capable of? It has

to be the cry of an infant. Babies are still incapable of flattery, subtlety,

duplicity, or any of the other forms of insincerity that plague adults. When

they’re hungry, or hurt, or afraid, they know exactly how they feel, and they

don’t hesitate to let the whole world know.

The prayers of the psalmists are like the cries of babies. Sometimes they’re

anguished cries; sometimes they’re jubilant; sometimes they’re calm and

reflective. But they are never anything but completely open and honest with

the Lord as they speak with him. For that and other reasons, they’re ideal

models for our prayers.

Today’s lesson explores warnings and examples to encourage us toward

sincere prayer.


Read Matthew 6:5-8

1. Why do the “hypocrites” pray? (verse 5)

2. Using verse 6, complete this thought: We pray sincerely when we

remember that . . .

3. What is wrong with the way pagans pray? (verse 7)

4. Using verse 8, complete this thought: We pray sincerely when we . . .

Warnings against insincerity



His Word in My Life

Agree or disagree: Brief prayers are always better than long prayers.

Have you ever sat down to write a letter and struggled with how to begin?

One author observed that when this happened to him, it was usually because

he was trying to impress someone. Prayer is similar.

Before you pray, remind yourself that you are addressing your heavenly

Father. You don’t need to impress him, nor can you. But he loves you and

wants to hear from you.

Remember: “Few words and much meaning is Christian; many words and

little meaning is heathenish” (Martin Luther).

Read 1 Samuel 1:1-20

1. List the words in the account that describe Hannah’s state of mind as she

prayed. (Example: “downhearted,” verse 8.)

2. How does Hannah describe her act of praying? (verse 15)

3. Why did Hannah feel better after she prayed?

4. Evaulate: If our prayer is to be sincere, we must have all the emotions

Hannah displayed in her prayer. If they are not present, we should work

on it.

Examples of heartfelt prayer



Read 2 Kings 19:14-19

5. Hezekiah had just received a letter from the powerful king of Assyria in

which that wicked king threatened to destroy Jerusalem. What did

Hezekiah do with the letter?

6. How is Hezekiah’s prayer similar to Hannah’s? How is it different?

His Word in My Life

Agree or disagree: We should pray only for those things we feel very

strongly about.

There are many examples of heartfelt prayer in Scripture. They are based on

trust and confidence in God’s power and love.

Summary

The Lord is pleased with prayer that comes from the heart. Such prayers

acknowledge God’s goodness, power, and love.

God wants us to avoid prayers that are mere empty words or that are prayed

so that others will congratulate us for our piety.

He wants us to come to him as did Hannah and Hezekiah, not worrying

about how we look or feel but with full attention on him as the giver of all

good things.

Life with God

Day 1: Open your hymnal to the liturgy your church uses most often. Read

it, and after each element think of an adjective that describes the emotions

it evokes (for example, confession evokes feelings of sorrow). List the

adjectives in order on a piece of paper.



Day 2: Find a psalm that conveys the same emotions (note: not necessarily

the same thoughts) as an adjective on your list.

Day 3: Find a hymn in the hymnal the conveys the same emotions (note:

not necessarily the same thoughts) as the psalms on your list.

Day 4: Reverse what you did in the first three days. Read a psalm and find

a section of the liturgy or a hymn that evokes the same emotions.

Day 5: In a book of prayers (or the hymnal), find a prayer that, when you

read it, doesn’t sound like you at all. Edit it so that it does, and pray it.

Day 6: Rather than pray orally or mentally, write God a letter (remember

ACTS). Save it in your Bible.

Day 7: Pull out the letter you wrote to God yesterday. Does it convey what

you want to say today? What would you add? subtract? change?


Prayer

Lesson Six

Worship

God does answer prayer. The Bible makes that clear, and the prayers of the

psalms ring with the confidence that they will stir God to action. Note that

truth as we pray these words.


A: Listen to my prayer, O God,

B: Do not ignore my plea.

A: I call to God, and the LORD saves me.

B: Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my

voice.

A: He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me,

B: Even though many oppose me.

A: Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you;

B: He will never let the righteous fall.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, send the Holy Spirit into our hearts. May he renew our

faith in your gracious promises so that we pray with joy and confidence.

Amen.

Pray Persistently and Expect Results

1. Pray expecting an answer

2. Don’t give up until you get an answer

Prayer Lesson Six—Page 2


Introduction

At a public hearing before the city’s planning commission, a church was

requesting authorization for its new building. The congregation’s president

was explaining the church’s plans. As he told the commission how the

church had acquired the land, suddenly eyes were rolling and muffled

snickers could be heard all around the room. The congregation’s president

had just said that the land had become available “in answer to our prayers.”

That’s the way it usually goes. These days, the world tolerates—in fact, is

fascinated by—prayer, just so long as you don’t maintain there’s a real,

personal God who listens and answers.

Yet Scripture encourages us to pray expectantly and persistently. Today’s

lesson will underline that fact.


Read James 1:5-8

1. What does James encourage us to pray for at the beginning of this

section? (verse 5)

2. What powerful promise about prayer does James give us? (verse 5)

3. What does it mean that God gives “without finding fault”?

4. What is wrong when a person doubts that he will get what he’s praying

for? (verses 6 and 7)

Pray expecting an answer



5. Compare James 1:6,7 with Mark 9:21-27. Does James mean that one

doubtful thought is enough to render our prayer ineffective? Explain your

answer.

His Word in My Life

A certain church does no evangelism or mission work—on the grounds

that it prays for the salvation of the heathen every Sunday and knows this

prayer will be answered. What is that church losing sight of?

James stresses that real prayer is a fruit of faith. Faith that knows God as

the Savior from sin and the giver of all good things will pray with

confidence. When you pray, expect an answer. And don’t be surprised when

you get it!

Read Genesis 32:22-30

1. With whom was Jacob wrestling?

2. Why did God allow Jacob to wrestle with him all night?

3. When Jacob “pinned” God, what request did Jacob make of him?

Don’t give up until you get an answer



4. Agree or disagree: When we pray for something and don’t get it, we

should conclude that it isn’t God’s will that we have it and should stop

praying for it.

His Word in My Life

Evaluate this statement: God is not someone we can win over simply by

continuing to bother him with our requests.

Wrestling is an excellent picture of a Christian at prayer. When we bring

our requests to God, he challenges us to a spiritual wrestling match. It’s an

amazing thought—but even more amazing is God’s promise that for Jesus’

sake we will win!

Why does God deal with us like this? We benefit tremendously from our

wrestling matches with him. Remember, prayer is faith at work. Sometimes

God wants it to be hard work. God knows that, like any other living thing,

our faith occasionally needs serious exercise.

Summary

Read Luke 18:1-8. How did the widow show that she confidently expected

an answer? How did she demonstrate a spirit of persistence?

Life with God

Day 1: Read God’s description of the future glory of the church in Isaiah

62:1-7.

Day 2: Read Luke 11:5-10.

Day 3: Reread Luke 18:1-8.

Day 4: Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. (Note Luther’s comment:

“Therefore, wherever there is a Christian, there is none other than the Holy

Spirit, who does nothing but ‘pray without ceasing.’”)

Day 5: Read Matthew 15:21-28.



Day 6: Read 2 Samuel 12:15-24.



Prayer

Lesson Seven

Worship

The prophets and apostles knew about the benefits of regular prayer. So did

the author of Psalm 119.


A: In the night I remember your name, O LORD, and I will keep your law.

B: At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.

A: I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

B: My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may

meditate on your promises.

A: Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.

B: Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we again thank you for the privilege of speaking

with you in prayer. Enrich our prayer lives so that we use this privilege at

every opportunity. Amen.

Introduction

There are two excellent ways to destroy our prayer lives.

One way is to create an elaborate system of rules for which prayers should

be said and when. Prayer then becomes a matter of keeping the rules instead

of a joyful, heart-to-heart talk with God. The result is a ritualistic going

Regular and Systematic Prayer

1. Examples from fellow Christians

2. The greatest example of all

Prayer Lesson Seven—Page 2


through the motions. Most people become irritated with the rules and

abandon prayer altogether.

The other way is to insist that all prayers must be completely spontaneous,

that giving any thought to when we’ll pray or what we’ll say is somehow

wrong, that we should pray only when the mood strikes us and we’re 100%

certain we “feel like it.” In theory that sounds like a good way to make sure

prayer never becomes forced or artificial. In practice, however, it can

become a good way to make sure prayer never happens.

Surely it’s possible to avoid both extremes and cultivate a prayer life that has

elements both of regularity and spontaneity.


Read Daniel 6:6-11

1. What was Daniel’s regular practice of prayer?

2. What potential obstacle to this practice did he encounter?

3. Daniel’s practice is not commanded anywhere in Scripture. Why then did

he keep at it even when it put his life in danger?

Read Acts 2:1,15; 10:9; 10:3

4. What three regular times for prayer does the early church seem to have

observed?

Examples from fellow Christians



His Word in My Life

Respond to these objections to regular prayer.

a. I don’t have time.

b. I just know I’ll forget.

c. My family is never together. There’s no good time when we can pray

together.

d. It all seems so mechanical.

e. I don’t know how to start.

Christians of the past made prayer a regular part of their schedule.

1. Read the following verses from Luke’s gospel. What can we conclude

about Jesus’ prayer life?

Luke 3:21

Luke 6:12

Luke 9:18

Luke 9:28

Luke 11:1

Luke 22:39,40,44

The greatest example of all



His Word in My Life

Agree or disagree: We shouldn’t make it the pastor’s job to pray regularly

for our needs when we can do that ourselves. This is just another example

of how we ask our pastors to live our Christianity for us.

Jesus provides the perfect example of regular prayer.

Summary

To summarize this lesson, discuss the following quotation: “Praying is very

difficult work. This is the reason it is also very rare” (Luther).

It is the last thing the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh want us to do, but

prayer is a wonderful privilege God has given us.

Life with God

Day 1: Compose (or find in Scripture) a short morning prayer and a short

evening prayer for yourself. Save them.

Day 2: Read “Luther’s Small Catechism—Daily Prayers” (Luther’s

Catechism, David Kuske, p. 16). Compare Luther’s prayers with what you

wrote yesterday.

Day 3: Compose (or find in Scripture) a short before-meal and a short

after-meal prayer your family can use.

Day 4: Reread “Luther’s Small Catechism—Daily Prayers” (Luther’s

Catechism, David Kuske, p. 16). Compare it with what you wrote

yesterday.

Day 5: Read “Luther’s Small Catechism—The Lord’s Prayer,” (Luther’s

Catechism, David Kuske, pp. 6-8).

Day 6: Read Luther’s “A Simple Way to Pray” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 43,

pp. 193ff. Also available in tract form from Northwestern Publishing

House, stock #06N0564).

Day 7: Select a paragraph from your daily Scripture reading, adapt it as

necessary, and pray it as a prayer:



Example: Matthew 18:10-14 (chosen at random) becomes:

Lord Jesus, send your Holy Spirit to teach me, so that I never look down

on those whom the world might consider little ones. Let me be a

blessing and not a hindrance to all the little ones I know. I thank you,

Father, for sending angels to watch over them. Let me see the vision of

glory those angels always see.

Lord, I’m amazed at the love you show in leaving your ninety-nine sheep

to go after one that’s lost. I thank you for going after me, finding me,

and bringing me home on your shoulders. Let me learn to see the lost in

the same way you do. Make me your instrument as you seek the lost.

Amen.


Prayer

Lesson Eight

Worship

The Book of Psalms is Jesus’ prayerbook, which he has given to the church.

When we use the psalms, we make the prayers of Jesus our own prayers.

We, the Body of Christ, come before God with the very same prayers that

were prayed by Jesus, our Head.

Read selected verses of Psalm 40, a Messianic psalm.

A: I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

B: He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set

my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

A: He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

B: Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

A: Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.

B: The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I

to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

A: Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.

B: You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

Prayer: O Lord God, the promises you make about our prayers astonish us.

Give us faith to trust them. May they move us to call upon you in prayer at

every opportunity. Amen.

God’s Promises Give Prayer Its Power

1. God promises that prayers do much good

2. God promises to give us what we ask for in his name

Prayer Lesson Eight—Page 2


Introduction

Human reason has a terrible time understanding prayer. “If God already

knows everything that’s going to happen, how can my prayer accomplish

anything? If God’s will is always done, what’s the point in praying for

something to happen? When a farmer prays for rain and a vacationer prays

for sunshine, how can God answer both of them?”

Faith listens to these objections, shrugs its shoulders, and goes right on

praying. How God can answer prayer is unfathomable. Why God should

answer our prayers is even more so. But God does answer them. That fact is

revealed in the clear words of Scripture. To paraphrase an old children’s

song: “Jesus hears me; this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”


Read James 5:16-18

1. Whose prayer does James say is powerful and effective?

2. Read 1 Kings 18:1,41-46. Why could Elijah pray confidently for rain?

3. How can we be sure that we are among the righteous whose prayers the

Lord answers?

4. Agree or disagree: There is a big difference between Elijah’s

righteousness and our righteousness.

God promises that prayers do much good



His Word in My Life

Agree or disagree: God never really says no to the prayer of a Christian.

God has promised us that our prayers are powerful and effective. We can

pray, confident of this fact, not because of our goodness but because God

has promised to listen to the prayers of those who are clothed in Christ’s

righteousness.

Read John 14:13,14

1. What astounding promise does Jesus make regarding prayer?

2. In order for this to happen, in whose name must we pray?

3. Read a similar promise in 1 John 5:14. What kind of prayer does John

say God will answer?

4. Explain: Prayer in Jesus’ name will always be prayer according to God’s

will.

5. Go back to John 14:13,14. Why does Jesus answer our prayers?

God promises to give us what we ask for in his name



His Word in My Life

Agree or disagree: We are sinning if we are disappointed when we ask for

something and don’t get it.

God promises to give us what we ask for in Jesus’ name. In areas where we

know what God’s will is, we can be certain he will answer us. In areas

where we don’t know what God’s will is, we will be content with the

gracious answer God provides, even if it is not what we prayed for.

Summary

Summarize this course by thinking about the following statement. Agree or

disagree: You could define a Christian as a person who prays.

Life with God

How does God answer prayer? Note how each reading answers that

question.

Day 1: Read Exodus 9:22-35.

Day 2: Read Ezra 8:21-23.

Day 3: Read Nehemiah 4:1-9.

Day 4: Read Isaiah 38.



Day 7: Read John 11:38-44.

his word—my life: prayer...b: or withheld his love from me! prayer: o lord god, you who are...

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