Foundations:Foundations:Prayer, Pt. 2Prayer, Pt. 2

Luke 18Luke 18

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How Do I Get More Involved?How Do I Get More Involved?

◦MembershipMembership

◦ServiceService

◦CommunityCommunity◦Goal: connected=growth Goal: connected=growth through boththrough both

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What is prayer?What is prayer?

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Review:Review:

Understanding God’s Understanding God’s dwelling place changes how dwelling place changes how I prayI pray

My forgiveness by Christ is My forgiveness by Christ is contingent upon my contingent upon my willingness to forgive those willingness to forgive those who’ve sinned against mewho’ve sinned against me

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Foundational Truth:Foundational Truth:

◦HowHow I approach God in I approach God in prayer is just as prayer is just as important as it is important as it is thatthat I I approach Himapproach Him

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How do I approach God in How do I approach God in Prayer?Prayer?

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I come to God pI come to God persistentlyersistently, , believing he will answerbelieving he will answer

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Then Jesus told his Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to disciples a parable to show them that they show them that they should always pray and should always pray and not give up.not give up.

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What would make them What would make them give up?give up?

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Just because God hasn’t Just because God hasn’t answered doesn’t mean I answered doesn’t mean I should stop prayingshould stop praying

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He said: "In a certain town He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who there was a judge who neither feared God nor neither feared God nor cared about men.cared about men.

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And there was a widow in And there was a widow in that town who kept that town who kept coming to him with the coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'against my adversary.'

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"For some time he refused. "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet or care about men, yet because this widow keeps because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "with her coming!' "

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And the Lord said, "Listen And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge to what the unjust judge says. And will not God says. And will not God bring about justice for his bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? he keep putting them off?

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I tell you, he will see that I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and they get justice, and quickly. However, when quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the will he find faith on the earth?”- vs. 1-8earth?”- vs. 1-8

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Unjust judgeUnjust judge: cares about : cares about no one but himselfno one but himself

GodGod (righteous judge): (righteous judge): cares about judging cares about judging injustice and righting injustice and righting oppressionoppression

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Consolation of IsraelConsolation of Israel

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Just because God hasn’t aJust because God hasn’t answerednswered doesn’t mean I should stop prayingdoesn’t mean I should stop praying

◦According to his will (based on his According to his will (based on his Word)Word)

◦Understanding that prayer is Understanding that prayer is worshipworship

◦Asking, Seeking, Knocking…Asking, Seeking, Knocking…

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I come to God humbly, with I come to God humbly, with nnothingothing to offer and in to offer and in need of mneed of mercyercy

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To some who were To some who were confident of their own confident of their own righteousness and looked righteousness and looked down on everybody else, down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:Jesus told this parable:

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"Two men went up to the "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. tax collector.

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The Pharisee stood up and The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'tenth of all I get.'

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““Look at all I have to offer Look at all I have to offer you, Lord! Reward me you, Lord! Reward me because I’m so righteous because I’m so righteous and have done so much and have done so much good”good”

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"But the tax collector stood "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'sinner.'

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““I have mocked you with I have mocked you with my life, God. I stand in my life, God. I stand in need and throw myself on need and throw myself on the mercy of the court”the mercy of the court”

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"I tell you that this man, "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went rather than the other, went home justified before God. home justified before God. For everyone who exalts For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, himself will be humbled, and he who humbles and he who humbles himself will be exalted”- vs. himself will be exalted”- vs. 9-149-14

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God does not grant prayers God does not grant prayers borne out of pride and borne out of pride and arrogancearrogance

““God opposes the proud, but God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”- gives grace to the humble”- JamesJames

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““Grace is opposed to Grace is opposed to earning. Not opposed to earning. Not opposed to effort, but opposed to effort, but opposed to earning”- JR Vassarearning”- JR Vassar

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I have nothing to offer God I have nothing to offer God that didn’t othat didn’t originateriginate with with him him

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I have nothing to offer God I have nothing to offer God that didn’t othat didn’t originateriginate with with himhim

I haven’t done anything for I haven’t done anything for God that he couldn’t have God that he couldn’t have done bdone betteretter himself himself

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God rewards his people for God rewards his people for doing what they ought to do doing what they ought to do by the power he provides in by the power he provides in the places he has guided themthe places he has guided them

Therefore, we approach God in Therefore, we approach God in humility (recognizing need) humility (recognizing need) and worship (praising his and worship (praising his provision)provision)

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Persistent, Humbly…Persistent, Humbly…

I come to God tI come to God trustingrusting, , ready to take him at his ready to take him at his WordWord

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People were also bringing People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they disciples saw this, they rebuked them. rebuked them.

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But Jesus called the children But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. belongs to such as these.

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I tell you the truth, anyone I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the who will not receive the kingdom of God like a kingdom of God like a little child will never enter little child will never enter it”- vs. 15-17it”- vs. 15-17

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““God, I trust you for God, I trust you for everything. But…I may everything. But…I may choose a different direction. choose a different direction.

And…I’m planning just in case And…I’m planning just in case you don’t come through”you don’t come through”

Let him ask in faith, without Let him ask in faith, without doubting...- James 1:6doubting...- James 1:6

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Trusting implies taking Trusting implies taking direction…direction…

When God does a work, I don’t When God does a work, I don’t have the right to tell him how have the right to tell him how he must do ithe must do it

What should a Messiah look What should a Messiah look like?like?

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CorollaryCorollary::

Like a child, I come to God Like a child, I come to God joyfully, glad to be in his joyfully, glad to be in his presencepresence

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Persistently, humbly, Persistently, humbly, trusting…trusting…

I come to God I come to God ssurrenderingurrendering, ready to , ready to give up anything that gets give up anything that gets in the wayin the way

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A certain ruler asked him, A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal I do to inherit eternal life?”life?”

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"Why do you call me "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except "No one is good—except God alone. God alone.

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??????

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There’s never a reason to There’s never a reason to pray to a good teacher- he pray to a good teacher- he can’t do anythingcan’t do anything

So when I pray, I need to So when I pray, I need to recognize the power of God recognize the power of God to act in miraculous ways on to act in miraculous ways on my behalfmy behalf

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A teacher has no power to A teacher has no power to command me to do command me to do anythinganything

God has authority and, as God has authority and, as a follower of Jesus, I am a follower of Jesus, I am bound to obey by faithbound to obey by faith

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You know the You know the commandments: 'Do not commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor give false testimony, honor your father and mother'"your father and mother'"

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"All these I have kept since I "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. was a boy," he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me"Then come, follow me"

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When he heard this, he When he heard this, he became very sad, because became very sad, because he was a man of great he was a man of great wealth wealth

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Jesus looked at him and said, Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of man to enter the kingdom of God"God"

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Those who heard this asked, Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?""Who then can be saved?"

Jesus replied, "What is Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is impossible with men is possible with God”- vs. 18-possible with God”- vs. 18-2727

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Deal or No Deal?Deal or No Deal?

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Is it ever worth it to hold Is it ever worth it to hold onto something that onto something that keeps me from Gkeeps me from God’sod’s b bestest in my life?in my life?

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What would you do What would you do for a Klondike bar?for a Klondike bar?

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The kingdom of heaven is like The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and went and sold all he had and bought that field bought that field - Matthew 13:44- Matthew 13:44

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It’s an issue of faith vs. beliefIt’s an issue of faith vs. belief

Every good and perfect gift- Jas. Every good and perfect gift- Jas. 1:171:17

Your father in heaven will give Your father in heaven will give good gifts to those who ask him- good gifts to those who ask him- Matt. 7:11Matt. 7:11

Richly provides us with everything Richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment- 2 Tim. 6:17for our enjoyment- 2 Tim. 6:17

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TakeawaysTakeaways::

For what should I still be For what should I still be praying that I’ve stopped? praying that I’ve stopped? Why did I stop? Why did I stop?

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TakeawaysTakeaways::

Am I unconsciously trading Am I unconsciously trading with God- my righteous with God- my righteous actions for his willingness actions for his willingness to give me what I ask for? to give me what I ask for? If so, will I repent?If so, will I repent?

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TakeawaysTakeaways::

When I pray, do I trust When I pray, do I trust that God’s ways are best that God’s ways are best and follow by faith as he and follow by faith as he leads?leads?

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TakeawaysTakeaways::

What do I need to What do I need to surrender that’s keeping surrender that’s keeping me from God’s best for me from God’s best for my life? Will I do it right my life? Will I do it right now?now?