Week 1 || Day 7
PURPOSE OF PRAYER: BECAUSE GOD SAYS SO AND JESUS MODELS IT.
Prayer is an act of obedience and it allows us to become more like Jesus as we follow the example he set. As believers we are commanded to pray. Matthew 6:41 (NLT) says, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Jesus reiterates this in Luke 18:1 (NLT) “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” In I Timothy, we are commanded to pray as well. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” (I Timothy 2:1 NLT)
Jesus, himself, led a life of constant prayer and connection with our Heavenly Father. He set the perfect example of a prayer life for believers. When we follow His example, we find not only the words to say, but the posture of prayer and the circumstances in which we pray (Hint - it’s in ALL circumstances!).
One prayer that we are explicitly told to pray is The Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6:9-13 (NRSV): “Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’”
Illustration:
“In 1999 John F. Kennedy Jr. flew his small airplane from New York City to his family home in Massachusetts for a wedding. On board were his wife Carolyn and her sister. Though Kennedy was a licensed pilot, he had not yet been approved for instrument flight (using only instruments to navigate). When their takeoff was delayed until after dark, Kennedy should have waited for daylight or sought a more experienced pilot to help. Yet, Kennedy took off into the darkness. The plane never reached its destination, and all three passengers were killed in the crash.
Investigators determined that the crash was likely caused by disorientation from flying over open water at night without any landmarks or visible horizon. Kennedy’s lack of experience may well have led him to trust what he thought he was seeing more than what his instrument panel was telling him.
All of us face the temptation to walk according to sight instead of faith. Faith in God will keep us from crashing. Human reason will fail us at times, but God never fails. His Word keeps us on the right course as long as we obey it.” - Chicago Tribune, September 26, 1999
There are many things that we are asked to do, often without full understanding. Going to God in prayer is a command we cannot long afford to disobey.
Kids SEEK, too!
Kids’ Illustration:
“A father and son arrived in a small western town looking for an uncle they had never seen. Suddenly, the father, pointing across the square to a man who was walking away from them, exclaimed, ‘There goes my uncle!’
His son asked, ‘How do you know when you’ve never seen him before?’
'Son, I know him because he walks exactly like my father.'
If we walk in the Spirit, the world should know us by our walk.” - Lee Robertson, The Gold Mine
If we want our lives to reflect Jesus, we do what He does! And Jesus prayed! All the time! And Jesus told us to pray as well.
Kids’ Activities for Today’s Prayer Focus:
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Bible:
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6 ESV)
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” (Jeremiah 29:12 ESV)
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22 ESV)
“But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” (Luke 11:28 ESV)
“But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:21 ESV)
“I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the LORD, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.” (Isaiah 45:19 NLT)
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Quote for Today:
"Prayer makes a godly man, and puts within him the mind of Christ, the mind of humility, of self-surrender, of service, of pity, and of prayer. If we really pray, we will become more like God, or else we will quit praying." - E.M. Bounds
“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.” - George Herbert
“Becoming like Christ is a long, slow process of growth. Spiritual maturity is neither instant nor automatic; it is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life.” - Rick Warren
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Points to Ponder:
Prayer doesn’t always look or sound formal. In fact, in my life, it has become more of a rhythm of constant communication - as I do my chores, as I fall asleep, as I’m going for a walk. We want to make sure to seek God in all areas of our lives and make prayer a priority.
Take a minute and pray right now - no matter what you’re doing! Invite God into your time/your work/your play and ask Him to speak to you as you go about your day.
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CLOSING PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I am delighted to honor you by coming to you in prayer. I know that as I do, you will form me more and more into the image of Christ. I read in Ephesians 4:13 (CEV), “This [work] will continue until we are mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him.” I am a work in progress, Father. While I recognize that my transformation into the likeness of Jesus will take my entire life, I ask that you help me to grow more like Jesus each day. I have been given a firm foundation because I have been created in your image, fearfully and wonderfully made, and I yearn to be even more like you. I recognize, Father God, that you are the potter and I am the clay and I submit to your molding and forming in my life. Please continue to guide me on your path of righteousness and shape me continually to be more like Jesus. Amen.
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