Following Christ and His Model of Prayer GBC Saturday Seminar Session Two 2009-10-10

1. Session Two
DISCIPLES
OF PRAYER
FOLLOWING CHRIST AND
HIS MODEL OF PRAYER

2. Session Two OBJECTIVES
! Identify prayer ruts to avoid.
! See a pattern for, and the profit of,
structured prayer.

3. Assumptions by Jesus
1. Jesus assumes that disciples pray.
2. Jesus assumes that hypocrites pray.
3. Jesus assumes that a reward is at stake.

4. How NOT to Pray
Don’t Pray for the Wrong Reward (vv.5-6)
Maybe you’ve met:
Mrs. Not-enough
Mr. Backdoor
Mr. Likes-to-be-alone

5. How NOT to Pray
Don’t Pray from the Wrong Reasoning (vv.7-8)
Formal Emptiness
Casual Emptiness
• Using God’s name as a punctuation mark.
• Icing prayers with “for Your glory.”
• Flippantly finishing a prayer “in Jesus’ name.”

6. How TO Pray
Invocation (v.9a)
The act of invoking or appealing
to a higher power for assistance.

7. How TO Pray
Calibration (vv.9b-10)
To measure and adjust to a standard.

8. How TO Pray
Supplication (v.11)
A humble appeal, asking someone
who has power to grant the request.

9. How TO Pray
Confession (v.12 [vv.14-15])
A formal statement admitting that
one is guilty, along with a desire of absolution.

10. How TO Pray
Benediction (v.13)
The act of praying for divine protection.

11. TAKE-AWAYS
The Disciples’ prayer is:
• an argument for LEARNING prayer.
• an argument for STRUCTURED prayer.
• an argument for THEOLOGICAL prayer.
• an argument for PERSONAL prayer.

12. TAKE-AWAYS
Grunts Warriors
• Don’t be a prayer parrot. • Don’t show-off a superior
• Try adding light structure prayer life.
to prayer times. • Don’t forget the skeleton.