PART 2 – WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 1. Pray When You Get Up Every Morning. • Jesus got up “a great while before day” in order to pray. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 1. Pray When You Get Up Every Morning. • In such a time we can commit the day to God. • Getting in touch with the Lord the first thing in the morning facilitates keeping in touch with Him throughout the day. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 2. Pray When You Have to Make Important Decisions. • Jesus prayed before He chose His disciples. Although Jesus knew that one would betray Him, another would deny Him, and all would fail Him, making the right choices was critical. Prayer was therefore essential. Luke 6:12-13 PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 2. Pray When You Have to Make Important Decisions. Luke 6:12-13  12Now in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13And when it was day, He summoned His disciples and selected from them twelve, whom He named apostles (special messengers): PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 2. Pray When You Have to Make Important Decisions. • They were an unlikely group: uneducated fishermen, freedom fighters, a tax collector, a traitor-to-be • They were ambitious, impulsive, pessimistic, fallible men. • Nevertheless, they were chosen after a night of prayer. The promise to us in a time of decision is James 1:5-6 PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 3. Pray When You Are Under Pressure. When great crowds gathered to hear Jesus and to be healed, He went away to the wilderness and prayed. (Luke 5:15-16) We must never forget for a moment that beyond the usual physical and mental demands there rages a spiritual battle. (Eph. 6:12) PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 3. Pray When You Are Under Pressure. Some of the greatest pressure can come when you are serving God and ministering to other people. When Jesus felt pressures or was overwhelmed with people, what did do? Jesus sought the renewal of communion with the Father in prayer. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 3. Pray When You Are Under Pressure. • We must never deceive ourselves into thinking we need less than Jesus needed. Many believers have the right words and perhaps even the right actions, but the life-giving water of the Spirit has seemed to dry up. (Jer. 2:13) PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 4. Pray When You Have Difficulties with Other Christians. Jesus told Peter that He had prayed so that his faith would not fail, so that when he turned back he could strengthen his brothers. (Luke 22:32) PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 4. Pray When You Have Difficulties with Other Christians. In the Spirit’s power we must fight the temptation to criticize, slander, attack or judge one another. Some of the greatest pressure can come when you are serving God or ministering to other people. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 4. Pray When You Have Difficulties with Other Christians. We must determine to fight the forces of darkness, not one another. “The Christian army is the only one which shoots its wounded.” – Warren Wiersbe. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 4. Pray When You Have Difficulties with Other Christians. • We lift up the shield of faith on behalf of those being attacked. • We release the Spirit’s power to encourage or convict. • We keep the love of God flowing between us when the Devil is out to divide us. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 5. Pray When You Are Tempted. Jesus was clear in telling His disciples to pray that they not fall into temptation. (Luke 22:40) Jesus set the example for us when He withstood the Tempter’s deceit in the wilderness, and later in the Garden of Gethsemane. Prayer and fasting were his spiritual safeguards. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 5. Pray When You Are Tempted. • Whenever you face a strong temptation, or even a small one, pray! When you pray, claim the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 6. Pray When You Are Hurting. In the midst of His agony on the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) When we consciously turn our thoughts toward God and pray for other people, our own pain can be relieved. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 6. Pray When You Are Hurting. A season of pain can be used of God to transform us into the likeness of Jesus, but only if our perspective is right. Countless hurting Christians will testify that the only thing that keeps them sane and steady in pain is communion with the Lord in prayer. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 7. Pray When You Face a Need. God has not promised to solve all our problems, but He has promised to supply all our needs. (Phil. 4:19) God knows your needs before you express them to Him; but He still longs to hear from you. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 7. Pray When You Face a Need. Even when we’re not certain about what we need, the Holy Spirit interprets our prayers to the Father. (Rom. 8:26) The most basic of our needs is worthy of bringing before the Lord in prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matt. 6:11) PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY Conclusion. When you should we pray? In a general sense, always. But in a specific sense, there are times and conditions that compel us to pray. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

7 KEY TIMES WE SHOULD PRAY 2. Let me encourage you again: remember to … • Pray when you get up in the morning. • Pray when you have to make important decisions. • Pray when you are under pressure. • Pray when you have difficulties with other Christians. • Pray when you are tempted. • Pray when you are hurting. • Pray when you face a need. PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY

PART 2- WHEN TO PRAY