First Christian Church, Owensville, IN
May 24, 2020
Quotes on prayer:
“Jesus's resurrection is the beginning of God's new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord's Prayer is about.”—N.T. Wright
“The greatness of prayer is nothing but an extension of the greatness and glory of God in our lives To fail to pray, then, is not to merely break some religious rule - it is a failure to treat God as God. It is a sin against his glory.” –Timothy Keller
Adoration: Praise Sovereign God for His attributes, for who He is and what He is like in this passage:
Ephesians 1:3-8: 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. (NLT)
For ________________, Mighty God. We give you praise!
Confession: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you anything in your life that is displeasing to Him and confess it to Him. Are there any sinful desires you’ve given in to that should be confessed and repented of?
Romans 6:11-12: 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires…(NLT)
I confess ______________, forgiving God. Forgive us our sins. (If prayed aloud with others.)
Thanksgiving: In light of the following passages and anything else the Spirit reminds you of, let us thank God for what He has done & does.
1 Peter 1:14, 18: 14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance….18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors…(CSB)
Philippians 3:20: We, however, are citizens of heaven. We look forward to the Lord Jesus Christ coming from heaven as our Savior.(GW)
For _______________, loving God. We give you thanks.
Supplication (Humble Petitions) & Intercession:
1 Timothy 2:1-2: 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. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. (NLT)
• Pray to our merciful God about anything/anyone the Spirit puts on your heart to pray.
For _____________, Merciful God. Hear our prayer.
• After reading and thinking about the following passages, pray to our merciful God as the Spirit guides you.
Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (NIV84)—Jesus
1 Peter 2:12: Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (ESV).
Philippians 1:27: Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. (NLT)
For _____________, Merciful God. Hear our prayer.
For what shall you pray after pondering these related verses:
1 Peter 2:11: Beloved, I urge you to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul (ESV)
1 Peter 4:3: You spent enough time in the past doing what unbelievers like to do. You were promiscuous, had sinful desires, got drunk, went to wild parties, and took part in the forbidden worship of false gods.
Galatians 5:19-21: 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (CSB)
For _____________, Merciful God. Hear our prayer.
Benediction: The Lord’s Model Prayer
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13, KJV)