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Week of June 3, 2001
ADORATION AND PRAYER
Like the salutation at the beginning of a letter, in Matthew 6:9, we see Jesus opening His prayer by addressing His Father as "Our Father." The very next item in His prayer is the acknowledgement of God's holiness. The acknowledgement of God's holiness is to adore God. Adoration is worshipping with reverent admiration and devotion. This week we will be studying the discipline of worship in prayer.
REFLECTION
Take some time to think about something in your life that you really admire. For me it is my "First Kiss" rosebush. I simply adore the gently, ruffled petals. Each one painted with a wash of lightest pink hue, overlaid on the delicate, antique white, tissue paper-like petals. Day by day I keep vigil as the buds emerge, slowly, humbly from their sepals, gradually opening themselves up to the bidding of the sun until their faces are fully surrendered to those who would gaze upon their luscious beauty. And, as if my eyes are not satiated by the richness of the rose's physical beauty, then there is the perfumed fragrance that I love to drink in through my nostrils and encourage anyone in their vicinity to do the same.
Likewise, worshipping God is the drinking in, and the lifting up, and the gazing upon, the beauty of the attributes of the Almighty.
BIBLE STUDY
A prayer of A. W. Tozer about worshipping God is "Enlighten our minds that we may know Thee as Thou art, so that we may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee."
Take some time to read Psalm 103, which focuses on the attributes of God. Knowing God and His Character is where worship begins.
For each of the following verses in Psalm 103 write down the corresponding attribute or characteristic of God that David is speaking of. If you get stuck, try finishing the statement "God is ____ for each of the following verses:
Vs. 1______________________________________
Vs. 3______________________________________
Vs. 4______________________________________
Vs. 5______________________________________
Vs. 6______________________________________
Vs. 8______________________________________
Vs. 10_____________________________________
Vs. 11_____________________________________
Vs. 13_____________________________________
Vs. 14_____________________________________
Vs. 17_____________________________________
Vs. 19_____________________________________
Because God is worthy to be praised, David begins and ends Psalm 103 with praise. Praise is the response of the mind, the spirit and the emotions as we contemplate the nature and character of God.
PRAYER OF ADORATION
Take the list of attributes that you constructed and spend some time contemplating each of these attributes of God.
Now, continuing in an attitude of worship, praise God by lifting up with your voice, in an attitude of praise, the attributes of God from your list.
EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION FROM PSALM 103:4
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.
The attributes of God spoken of in verse 4 are: God is our salvation, God is our Redeemer, God is love, and God is compassionate.
A prayer of praise might go like this:
God, I praise you because you are my Redeemer and you alone save men from the pit of hell. I praise You for blessing me with crowns of Your love and compassion. God, You are all powerful, all loving and compassionate.
Just as we behold a beautiful rose with our eyes, holding it in our hands, turning it this way and that to see every angle, bringing it up to our nostrils to enjoy its fragrance, we are to take every attribute of God and meditate on it. Acknowledge the beauty and the worthiness of who He is, and offer it back to Him in words of praise and adoration.
Week of June 10, 2001
WHAT'S IN A NAME
Jesus said, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:14). All Christians know they are to pray in the name of Jesus. In this Bible study we will explore the significance of praying in Jesus' name.
BIBLE STUDY
The NIV study Bible states, " name and person are closely related in the Bible. God's name is his identity and reputation—that by which he is known" (Study note from Ezekiel 20:9).
Read the following scriptures and write down what they say about who Jesus is.
Colossians 1:19
Colossians 2:9
Acts 2:36
John 1:29
Matthew 1:21
Now read John 14:12-14 and answer the following questions incorporating what you learned from the above scriptures.
Who does Jesus say can ask for anything in His name and He will do it?
.
For a person to have faith in Jesus, who must they believe that He is?
.
What must they believe that He did?
.
Read the following scriptures and write down what they say about the work of Christ.
John 4:34
John 14:31
John 17:1
John 17:23
Praying in Jesus' name means prayer that is consistent with his identity, His person and His work
Based on the scriptures you read about the work of Christ, what kinds of things do you think you can ask for in prayer and expect to be done by Jesus?
What kind of prayers do you see as inconsistent with the identity of Christ, His person and work?
In John 14:13-14, Jesus brought glory to the Father because He was perfectly aligned with the Father's will. The passion of Christ was to do what His Father sent Him to do and to glorify Him. Prayer in Jesus' name means that we can expect Jesus to do what we ask when we
1. Believe that He died for our sins
2. Make our requests consistent with His will
3. We desire to bring glory to God
PERSONAL APPLICATION
Which scripture(s) did God use to speak to you in this week's study?
.
How does this scripture apply to you and your life at this time?
.
How do you think God wants you to respond to this study?
.
Pray and give thanks to God for the encouragement He has given you through this study and ask for His help in making the adjustments He is calling you to make.
Week of June 17, 2001
THE SCRIPTURES AND PRAYER
The scriptures are like a road map. In fact they are our "trip tik" to heaven. They teach us about God, what He expects of us, and what we can expect from Him. They teach us how to receive the blessings of God and how to avoid His curses. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that man can be equipped for every good work. Prayer is no exception to this. In order to be well equipped for the "good work" of prayer we must look to the scriptures for our training.
BIBLE STUDY
Read the following scriptures and write down the key thought about the use of scripture in prayer.
Romans 1:16
Hebrews 4:12-13
Jeremiah 23:29
Psalm 149:6-9
John 17:17
Psalm 107:20
Spiritual warfare is a term used in Christian circles to convey the truth of Ephesians 6:12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.
Spiritual warfare is largely thought of in the context of prayer. Read the following verses and answer the questions.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5: What weapons is Paul talking about? What are the weapons of the world? What weapon has divine power?
Ephesians 6:12: In order to choose the right weapon a person must understand who and what they are fighting against. Read verse 12 again and in your own words write down who and what we are fighting against.
Read Ephesians 6:13-18 and identify the specific weapons Paul says are available to the Christian:
Vs. 13
Vs. 14
Vs. 15
Vs. 16
Vs. 17
Vs. 18
What weapon was Jesus using when He fought Satan in the desert in Luke 4:4, 8, 12?
WHAT ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Read the following scriptures and identify the key thought concerning the Holy Spirit and prayer.
Romans 8:26-27
2 Corinthians 2:11-12
Ephesians 6:18
In your own words summarize what the role of the Holy Spirit is in prayer.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
Write down the most meaningful scripture from this week's study.
.
How does this scripture apply to you and your life at this time?
.
How do you think God wants you to respond to this study?
.
Take some time to pray about the things God is showing you through His word as well as the things that you find confusing.
Week of June 24, 2001
WHAT TO PRAY FOR
In the Feature Article we talked about prayer flowing from knowledge of God. Praying consistent with God's will requires that we know God's will. Scripture imparts the mind of God to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. This week's study will focus on some of the things the scriptures specifically encourage us to pray for.
BIBLE STUDY
Look up the following scriptures and write down the key thoughts about what/who to pray for.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Colossians 1:9-12
Ephesians 3:14-21
Colossians 4:3-6
Ephesians 6:19-20
Ephesians 6:10-11
Read Jesus' prayer for all believers in John 17:20-26. Identify at least 4 specific requests Jesus made in that prayer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
James 5:16 states, "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." A righteous man is one that has placed His faith in the person and work of Christ and also desires what God desires. If you want to see your prayer life blossom, pray according to the scriptures-it is the revealed will of God.
Write down the most meaningful scripture from this week's study.
.
How does this scripture apply to you and your life at this time?
..
How do you think God wants you to respond to this study?
..
Take some time to pray about the things God is showing you through His word as well as the things that you find confusing.
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