Prayer%20Rules

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Prayer Rules
The Lords Guidelines to Acceptable Prayer
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Prayer Rules

• There are many things to consider when addressing
  the subject of prayer what prayer is, the
  elements of prayer, the necessity of prayer, etc.
• This lesson reviews the guidelines or conditions
  of acceptable prayer.

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Prayer Rules

• We cannot pray to God any way we choose and
  expect to be heard!
• Our prayers may not be heard because we are not
  praying right. Our prayers go no higher than the
  ceiling if we are not praying right.

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Lord, Teach Us To Pray

• Lord, teach us to pray (Lk.111). Let the Lord
  teach us the guidelines to acceptable prayer -
  some dos and donts of acceptable prayer. How
  should we pray?
• These guidelines are for both private and public
  prayers. Each of the dos and donts follow a
  natural progression from start to finish.

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 1. Be right with God
• The following passages teach us that if we have
  an attitude of persisting in sin, God will not
  here our prayers Psa. 3415-17 6618
  Prov.1529 289 Isa. 591-2 Jn.931
  1 Tim.28 1 Pet.312 1 Jn.321-22

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• Are you on praying terms with God? We cannot
  persist in sin and have our prayers heard.
• If we are sinners, and God wont listen to
  sinners, how can we be forgiven? We must repent
  of our sin first, then pray for forgiveness
  (Isa.115-16 Ac.822).

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 2. Pray in faith (Mt.2121-22 Mk.1124
  Jas.15-8 515)
• Faith is used in these verses to mean full
  assurance, i.e., no doubts (see Rom.1423)

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• Prayer presupposes the existence of God. We must
  pray truly believing that God will hear us and
  answer (Eph.320).
• A doubtful Christian does not expect God to
  answer his prayers. Why offer a prayer if we do
  not believe that God will answer it?

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 3. Pray with respect Mt.69
• Hallowed means set apart or sanctified, not
  common. We converse with God, but we do not
  belittle God. We must not approach God in a
  flippant or common way. Some call upon God as
  Big Daddy.

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 4. Ask according to his will (Psa.14518 1 Jn.
  322 514-15)
• This brings boldness and assurance to the
  Christian. We must pray with an understanding
  of God's will (1 Cor.1415) so we can pray
  according to his will. Jesus sets the example
  for us (Mt.610 2639,42), and Paul (2
  Cor.128-9).

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• Praying according to his will is the same as
  praying in the Spirit - under the Spirit's
  influence (via the Word) (Eph.618 Jude 20)

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 5. Be specific (Mt.77-11)
• God answers us individually. Ask and seek
  for specific things. One way to do this is to
  pray for the immediate circumstances around us
  (Ac.423-31 121-12).

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 6. Pray with thanksgiving (Phil. 46 Col. 42)
• No matter what is said to God in prayer (praise,
  confession, intercession, petition), the one
  praying must have gratitude.

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 7. Pray with watchfulness (Mt.2641 Mk.1438
  Lk.2136 Eph.618 Col.42 1 Pet.47)
• The Christian must be spiritually alert when he
  prays. The Devil can tempt us to sin even while
  we are praying!

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 8. Be persistent (Lk.115-13 181-8 1 Thess.
  517-18 Jas.516-17)
• We cannot pray to God too much! We can learn from
  Elijah (Jas.517) and Epaphras (Col.412).
  Praying for daily bread (Lk.113) implies that
  we pray daily!

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• We sing the songs, I need thee every hour, and
  Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord.
  Do we really mean this?

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• 9. Pray in Jesus name (Jn.1413-14 1516
  1623-24 Eph.218 312 520 Col.317
  Jas.514)
• Praying in the name of Jesus involves more than
  just saying those words. It means that we
  understand Christ's authority, position and
  claims.

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Prayer Rules Some Dos

• Why pray in the name of Jesus? Jesus is our
  mediator (1 Tim.25), advocate (1 Jn.21), high
  priest (Heb.414-15), and intercessor (Heb.725).
  We go to God through Jesus. Jesus is the only
  avenue of approach to God (Jn.146).

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Prayer Rules Some Donts

• 1. Dont pray display (Mt. 65ff)
• We are not to pray to be seen (public display)
  or heard (vain repetition) of men.
• Sincerity and humility will keep us from
  violating this guideline (Lk.189-14
  Jas.46-10). We must approach God with a humble
  and contrite spirit (Psa.5117).

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Prayer Rules Some Donts

• 2. Dont pray with the wrong motives (Jas. 43)
• This kind of prayer is not asking according to
  his will, but according to our will. Our wishes
  (motives) must be consistent with God's will.

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Prayer Rules Some Donts

• What are our motives in prayer? What are we
  going to do with what God gives us? There is
  nothing wrong with praying for material
  possessions (Mt.611) and physical health (3
  Jn.2), but how are we going to use the material
  possessions and physical health - for our own
  pleasures, or God's glory?

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Prayer Rules

• Why doesn't God hear my prayers? It may be that
  God is giving us a different answer than we
  expect. It may be that we are not praying right.
• We must follow the guidelines of prayer laid down
  by the Lord. He knows how we ought to pray! Lord,
  teach us to pray!