Sunday, August 7, 2011
Led by Eric Gintert
We can learn a lot about prayer by reading what God's servants of old have prayed.
Jesus in Gethsemane"To pray is the greatest thing we can do: and to do it well there must be calmness, time, and deliberation; otherwise it is degraded into the littlest and meanest of things. True praying has the largest results for good; and poor praying, the least. We cannot do too much of real praying; we cannot do too little of the sham. We must learn anew the worth of prayer, enter anew the school of prayer. There is nothing which it takes more time to learn. And if we would learn the wondrous art, we must not give a fragment here and there -- "A little talk with Jesus," as the tiny saintlets sing -- but we must demand and hold with iron grasp the best hours of the day for God and prayer, or there will be no praying worth the name. This, however, is not a day of prayer. Few men there are who pray. Prayer is defamed by preacher and priest. In these days of hurry and bustle, of electricity and steam, men will not take time to pray. Preachers there are who "say prayers" as a part of their programme, on regular or state occasions; but who "stirs himself up to take hold upon God?" Who prays as Jacob prayed -- till he is crowned as a prevailing, princely intercessor? Who prays as Elijah prayed -- till all the locked-up forces of nature were unsealed and a famine-stricken land bloomed as the garden of God? Who prayed as Jesus Christ prayed as out upon the mountain he "continued all night in prayer to God?" The apostles "gave themselves to prayer" -- the most difficult thing to get men or even the preachers to do. Laymen there are who will give their money -- some of them in rich abundance -- but they will not "give themselves" to prayer, without which their money is but a curse. There are plenty of preachers who will preach and deliver great and eloquent addresses on the need of revival and the spread of the kingdom of God, but not many there are who will do that without which all preaching and organizing are worse than vain -- pray. It is out of date, almost a lost art, and the greatest benefactor this age could have is the man who will bring the preachers and the Church back to prayer." -- E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer
- Matthew 26:36-46 - Jesus asked His closest friends to watch with Him... the word "watch" means to be sober or alert. Jesus fell on His face an prayed prostrate before God. Jesus told His apostles to watch and pray that they enter not into temptation... therefore, if we are not watching and praying then we could be caused to enter temptation. Jesus was persistent in prayer (He came to the Father 3 times to pray for the same thing) but He couldn't depend on or lean on the strength of His friends, only His Father. He didn't let those closest to Him effect his prayer.
- Mark 14:32-40 - Jesus asked His friends, "couldest not thou watch one hour? " meaning could they not spare just a short space in time to pray with Him.
- See also Luke 22:39-46
- Jonah 2:1-10 - Jonah was in complete spiritual and physical darkness while he was in the whale's belly. God has to get Jonah alone so He could crush Jonah's heart.
- Jonah 3:1-10, 4:11 - Once Jonah repented and God had the whale vomit him out, he ran to Nineveh... what should have been a three day journey took Jonah only one day. The Ninevites put themselves in sackcloth and ashes out of humility and cried mightily (prayed) unto God. 120,000 people in Nineveh repented.
Children's Lesson: "How Rahab Helped Two Men"
Read Joshua 2:6
Questions to Answer:
1. Why did Joshua send two men to the city of Jericho?
2. As whose house did the spies stay while they were in Jericho?
3. Where did Rahab hide the men?
4. How did Rahab help the spies leave the city?
5. What promise did the spies make to Rahab?
"Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good." Psalm 135:3
Prayer Requests
Our Country - debt ceiling raised this week
Eric Gintert - Paetec bought this week by another company; job in jeporady
Del M. - losing job within 30 days... being falsely accused
Carlos & Sherry Sanchez - leaving church do to there acceptance of homosexuality
Patti - also considering leaving her church
Dan & Jen T. - church issues
Penny Walters - working for six days this week
That we would all have brokenness in our hearts
Comments