Praying With Anticipation

Christians must never stop praying. I Thes. 5: 16-18 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Luke 18: 1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, …

God has promised to hear and to answer the prayers of Christians Luke 11: 9-10 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.

I John 5: 14-15 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

Even so, our lessons have observes that many of our prayers are not granted.

We’ve observed 7 reasons why : 1. We did not ask. 4. We harbored evil. 2. We didn’t have faith. 5. We prayed as a duty. 3. We didn’t listen. 6. We use repetition. 7. We had selfish motives.

With this lesson we will observe : 1. Our need to develop our prayer relationship 2. Our confidence to approach God about anything 3. We must pray in the name of Jesus. 4. Always approach God with praise and gratitude.

a prayer relationship with the Father and the Son. I. We have a need to develop a prayer relationship with the Father and the Son.

One tends to be more guarded in conversations with strangers.

John 6: 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. James 4: 7-8 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

John 15: 14-15 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

I John 1: 7 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Study, Meditation and Prayer are required to have a relationship with God. John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." ( Compare … I John 1:6-7 )

II. Christians must have the confidence to go to God about anything.

Proverbs 18: 24 A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Hebrews 2: 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

God will never rebuff the believer’s prayer. James 1: 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

I Peter 5: 6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Philippians 4: 6 The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Hebrews 10: 23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate ( encourage, motivate ) one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

III. Christians pray in the name of Jesus.

Jesus is man’s only access to God. John 14: 6 – said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Ephesians 3: 11-12 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

Asking in the Son glorifies the Father. John 14: 13-14 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

Jesus is man’s only mediator with God. I Timothy 1: 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all,

I John 2: 2 And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; Hebrews 7: 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 4: 14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

“In the name of Jesus” is not a tag line. I John 5: 14-15 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

God with praise, adoration and gratitude. IV. We should always approach God with praise, adoration and gratitude.

Jesus emphasized praise in one’s prayer. Matthew 6:9 Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Matthew 6:10 Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:13 For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

The Apostles praised God in their prayers. Peter : I Peter 4: 11 … so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John : Paul : Revelation 1: 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Paul : Romans 16: 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

Jude the Lord’s brother : Jude 25 – to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. The Hebrew writer : Hebrews 13: 21 – even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gratitude is a sincere form of praise. Hebrews 13: 15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

With this lesson we have observed : 1. We need to develop our prayer relationship 2. We may approach God about anything in prayer. 3. We must pray in the name of Jesus. 4. We approach God with praise and gratitude.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. I Corinthians 11: 26

Never give up praying I Thessalonians 5: 17