Prayer: The Conversation of the heart with God!

Psalm 27:8 When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."

I. As soon as a Christian has been justified by faith and thus has become a child of God, he begins to commune with God.

As one who is now in communion with God, the Christian can now converse with God. This conversing is called prayer.

Prayer can be with spoken (verbal) words;

Acts 7:59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Acts 16:25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Prayer can also be non-verbal;

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; {27} and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

The Spirit of God is continually active in the life of the Christian;

Romans 8:14-15 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. {15} For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

II. The Prerequisite for Prayer.

Man is nothing, he is but dust and ashes . . .

Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

Genesis 18:27 And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.

More than just dust and ashes, we are all sinners . . .

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Yet as sinners we are able to speak to the majestic God as a child speaks to his father.

Matthew 6:9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

What makes it possible for sinful man to pray to a holy God?

Only faith in the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake makes prayer a prayer "in Christ's Name!" Only prayer in the Name of Christ has God's command and promise.

John 14:13-14 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. {14} "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

John 16:23 "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.

It is only by virtue of the Cross of Christ that sinful man is able to pray to a holy God.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

What of the prayers of non-Christians?

1 Corinthians 10:20 No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.

What merit does an non-Christians (unbeliever) have as he approaches God?

No merit but his own! -- Good Works!

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; {9} not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Isaiah 64:6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

What merit does a Christian have as he approaches God? The merits of Christ!

Romans 5:21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

III. The Power and Effect of Christian Prayer.

God preserves the world for the sake of His people in order that they (Christians) can accomplish their Christian calling in the world.

What is the Christian's calling in the world?

Matthew 24:14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The will of God is that the Gospel be preached to all the world. Why is this so important?

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. {17} For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

As Christians, God's will is to be our will. Thus, God's will is to be the guiding force in our prayers.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Examples of the power of Christian prayer;

Spread of the Word of God in the face of opposition;

2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;

Open door to preach Word of God boldly;

Ephesians 6:19-20 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, {20} for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Colossians 4:2-4 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; {3} praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; {4} that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

Deliverance from danger;

Romans 15:30-32 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, {31} that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; {32} so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.

Prayer to preserve the state (government);

Jeremiah 29:7 'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.'

Prayer for peace to be preserved and restored;

1 Timothy 2:1-3 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, {2} for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. {3} This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

Psalms 76:6 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

Prayer that the ungodly be dealt with;

Psalm 5:6 You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

Psalm 5:10 Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You.

Psalm 55:23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

IV. Things for which Christians are to Pray.

Matthew 21:22 "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

(See also Matt. 7:7-10; Mark 11:24; John 14:13-14 & 16:23)

God will give Christians what they ask for! The question is, As Christians what are we to ask for?

Christians who now have God's will as their own are to pray for what is in accord with God's will. This is true in respect to their own lives as well as the lives of others.

The Small Catechism makes a distinction for Christians as we pray!

"When praying for spiritual blessings, necessary for our salvation, we should as unconditionally; when praying for other gifts, we should ask that God grant them to us if it be His will."

Spiritual blessings are assured;

James 1:5-8 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. {6} But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. {7} For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, {8} being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. {9} If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Petitions of the Lord's Prayer.

Prayers outside the realm of assured blessings are left to God to answer according to His will for our lives.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

V. Types of Christian Prayer.

1) Praise;

Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

2) Confession;

Luke 15:17-19 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! {18} 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; {19} I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."'

3) Supplication;

Exodus 8:28-29 Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me." {29} Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the LORD . . .

4) Intercession;

Philemon 1:4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

5) Thanksgiving;

Matthew 15:36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.