Watching "Life-Giving Prayer times" with Daniel Henderson.
Traditional strategies that make confused, disjointed prayer times. How not to start prayer:
1. "does anyone have a prayer request?"
- Talking about us and our problems, not God-focused
2. "Let's all pray as we feel led" or "Let's pray around the circle", lacks unity, feels boring or forced.
Great prayer meetings happen when my heart is tuned to God's call. In other words, I've been meditating on God's word with other people and we pray for God's will in regard to applications from his word. We do this in BSF leaders meeting, it's wonderful.
8 guiding principles for prayer times
1. Foundation: God's word, Scripture-fed prayer. Who starts the conversation? Let God start it. "Where the mind is not brimming with scripture the heart is seldom brimming with prayer" - John Piper
2. Fervor: Holy Spirit, Spirit-lead prayer. The Spirit of God works in us to lead us into prayer. Cool I'm studying this right now in BSF, harmony! Suffering in Christ, with Holy Spirit brings unfathomable hope (Romans 8:17-30)
- As we mature we go from wanting what's in his hands to wanting him. Like a child growing up, wanting the relationship not the gifts from the parents.
5. Flow ABCs: Promote for edification
- Audible for your benefit and ours. That we can agree, get to know each other
- Brief Setup it up, allow everyone to participate.
- Clear enough that we can focus and agree.
6. Freedom in physical posture/Expression
- diversity, in love shown by God's children. It's okay.
7. Flexibility have a plan yet facilitate loosely
8. Faithfulness, life-long. Leading a fresh Biblical prayer time will be hard. Like learning a new golf grip. Get's worse before the "game" improves.
Strategies to "Level the praying ground." Give people entry points. Fill in the blanks
Romans 8:28, "All things work together for our good"
Lord, I thank you for helping this past week during _______________
I love and trust you, even though I'm through ________________
Wake up and pray
Shotgun approach. Look at all the attributes you see. Praise God for who he is.
Rifle; specificity breeds authenticity. Focus on a single attribute and how you're personally thankful for Him. Psalm 23:3, "Thank you Lord for guiding during __________________________"
Traditional strategies that make confused, disjointed prayer times. How not to start prayer:
1. "does anyone have a prayer request?"
- Talking about us and our problems, not God-focused
2. "Let's all pray as we feel led" or "Let's pray around the circle", lacks unity, feels boring or forced.
Great prayer meetings happen when my heart is tuned to God's call. In other words, I've been meditating on God's word with other people and we pray for God's will in regard to applications from his word. We do this in BSF leaders meeting, it's wonderful.
8 guiding principles for prayer times
1. Foundation: God's word, Scripture-fed prayer. Who starts the conversation? Let God start it. "Where the mind is not brimming with scripture the heart is seldom brimming with prayer" - John Piper
2. Fervor: Holy Spirit, Spirit-lead prayer. The Spirit of God works in us to lead us into prayer. Cool I'm studying this right now in BSF, harmony! Suffering in Christ, with Holy Spirit brings unfathomable hope (Romans 8:17-30)
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. (Romans 8:26-27)3. By Faith: Worship Based prayer. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. What does it mean? A high view of God, he always rewards those who seek HIM for WHO HE IS.
- As we mature we go from wanting what's in his hands to wanting him. Like a child growing up, wanting the relationship not the gifts from the parents.
- Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.4. 29:59 plan Jesus said to "pray this way" not quoting the words, but following the pattern (Matthew 6, Luke 11). Simple pattern: He is worthy we are needy. Seek his face, trust his hand. The 2x2 pattern of directing music. 4X4 pattern upward, downward, inward, outward.
- By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
- And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (Hebrews 11:1-3,6)
- Reverence: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name
- Response: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
- Requests:
- Resources: Give us this day our daily bread and
- Relationships: forgive us our trespass as we forgive those who trespass against us
- Readiness: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Eph 6, fight with the word of God, hide God's word in our heart)
5. Flow ABCs: Promote for edification
- Audible for your benefit and ours. That we can agree, get to know each other
- Brief Setup it up, allow everyone to participate.
- Clear enough that we can focus and agree.
6. Freedom in physical posture/Expression
- diversity, in love shown by God's children. It's okay.
7. Flexibility have a plan yet facilitate loosely
8. Faithfulness, life-long. Leading a fresh Biblical prayer time will be hard. Like learning a new golf grip. Get's worse before the "game" improves.
Strategies to "Level the praying ground." Give people entry points. Fill in the blanks
Romans 8:28, "All things work together for our good"
Lord, I thank you for helping this past week during _______________
I love and trust you, even though I'm through ________________
Wake up and pray
Shotgun approach. Look at all the attributes you see. Praise God for who he is.
Rifle; specificity breeds authenticity. Focus on a single attribute and how you're personally thankful for Him. Psalm 23:3, "Thank you Lord for guiding during __________________________"
