1. Prayer
What’s it all about?
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2. The activity of speaking to God. (Collins Dictionary)
A solemn request for help or expression of thanks expressed to God or another deity. (Oxford English Dictionary)
The activity of speaking to God. (Collins Dictionary)
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3. Possible hinderances to our prayers
3 things it is or isn’t
4 things we need to do
Possible hinderances to our prayers
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4. It doesn’t have to be a polished performance
‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
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5. It doesn’t have to be a polished performance
‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
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6. It’s a private thing
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
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7. It’s not about length “Lord, save me!”
‘The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king . . .
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
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8. We need to ask ‘You do not have because you do not ask God.’
“Son of David, have mercy on me.” Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
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9. We need to have right motives
‘You do not have because you do not ask God.’
‘When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.’
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10. We need to ask in accordance with God’s will
‘‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.’
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
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11. Promise box
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12. If you remain in me
Jesus said, “‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
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13. Word in Greek Λόγος Logos ῥῆμα rhema ῥῆμαtα rhemata (plural of rhema)
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14. We need to be persistent
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.”
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15. We need to be persistent
‘For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”’
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16. We need to be persistent
And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.
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17. Can our prayers be hindered?
Wanting public acclaim
Don’t ask
Wanting personal gain
Contrary to God’s will
Give up
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18. Can our prayers be hindered?
Unconfessed sin
Unforgiveness
Wrong attitude to wife
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