SFL Section 4: Prayer, Combined Discipleship and Leadership Notes

This is taken from
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

Donald S. Whitney
Monday, 19 August 13
As a church leader how would you answer these reasons (given by people in your congregation) for not praying?
As a church leader how would you answer these reasons (given by people in your congregation) for not praying? I Am Too Busy
As a church leader how would you answer these reasons (given by people in your congregation) for not praying? I Am Too Busy I Feel Too Dry Spiritually To Pray
As a church leader how would you answer these reasons (given by people in your congregation) for not praying? I Am Too Busy I Feel Too Dry Spiritually To Pray I Feel No Need To Pray
As a church leader how would you answer these reasons (given by people in your congregation) for not praying? I Am Too Busy I Feel Too Dry Spiritually To Pray I Feel No Need To Pray I Am Too Disappointed with God To Pray
As a church leader how would you answer these reasons (given by people in your congregation) for not praying? I Am Too Busy I Feel Too Dry Spiritually To Pray I Feel No Need To Pray I Am Too Disappointed with God To Pray I Am Too Ashamed To Pray
As a church leader how would you answer these reasons (given by people in your congregation) for not praying? I Am Too Busy I Feel Too Dry Spiritually To Pray I Feel No Need To Pray I Am Too Disappointed with God To Pray I Am Too Ashamed To Pray I Am Content With the Way Things are
PRAYER... FOR THE PURPOSE OF GODLINESS
A survey of 17,000 evangelical Christians found that on average they prayed for less than 5 minutes each day A survey of 2,000 pastors and their wives found they prayed for less than 7 minutes per day. Whitney says that prayer is second in importance only to Gods word. Carl Lundqvist said this about prayer and the wog...
The New Testament church built two other disciplines upon prayer and Bible study, the Lords Supper and small cell groups. John Wesley emphasized ve works of piety by adding fasting.The medieval mystics wrote about nine disciplines clustered around three experiences: purgation of sin, enlightenment of the spirit and union with God. Later the Keswick Convention approach to practical holiness revolved around ve different religious exercises.Today Richard Fosters book, Celebration of Discipline, lists twelve disciplines all of them relevant to the contemporary Christian. But whatever varying religious exercises we may practice, without the two basic ones of Emmaus prayer and Bible reading the others are empty and powerless.
PRAYER IS EXPECTED
Matt 6:6-9 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,who is unseen.Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words... 9This, then, is how you should pray:Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Lk 11:9, 18:1
GODS WORD MAKES IT CLEAR
Col 4:2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Col 4:2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 1 Thess 5:17pray continually,
Col 4:2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 1 Thess 5:17pray continually, Did you notice anything about these two verses?
Col 4:2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 1 Thess 5:17pray continually, Did you notice anything about these two verses? They are commands

How devoted are you to prayer? Note that prayer is relational - it comes out of an unbroken relationship with the Father. Whitney suggests it is like having two phone lines - God is always on one of them and you are aware of him even when speaking on the other.
Martin Luther,
As it is the business of tailors to make clothes and cobblers to mend shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.
What do you think are the most common excuses for not praying?
What excuses do you use for not praying? Most people claim other demands, priorities etc. - yet if you asked them they would gladly tell you how important it is to pray! The call to prayer is also an invitation - Heb 4:16Let us then approach Gods throne of grace with condence, so that we may receive mercy and nd grace to help us in our time of need.
What excuses do you use for not praying? Most people claim other demands, priorities etc. - yet if you asked them they would gladly tell you how important it is to pray! The call to prayer is also an invitation - Heb 4:16Let us then approach Gods throne of grace with condence, so that we may receive mercy and nd grace to help us in our time of need.
Note here that there is no need to be pessimistic about praying God is happy to hear and give grace - prayer is not an obligation but an opportunity to respond and receive Gods command is a command of love - he wants to hear from us, to communicate with us and to bless us.
Prayer is important in spiritual warfare: John Piper suggests we can see prayer as the use of a walkie-talkie in warfare, not for our own convenience or ease of life. The example of Jesus in prayer is important - he prayed and so should we, he needed it, so do we - Lk 5:16But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Major reasons for prayerlessness: - a lack of discipline - prayer time is not planned or prioritised
- the problem of often not seeing the result of prayer - after all it is primarily a spiritual activity - sometimes we do not feel Gods nearness when we pray, it is easy to pray when we feel Gods closeness - when we dont see the need to pray, Jn 15:5 apart from me you can do nothing - yet we are proud and self sufcient - when we do not see Gods greatness, when we lose focus on the cross
PRAYER IS LEARNED
We start the Christian lives in need of learning to pray - and continue to grow and learn about prayer throughout our Christian lives. On one level we know instinctively how to pray - much as a baby knows how to talk from its earliest days - yet still we need to see, as the disciples did, that we need Jesus to teach us to pray - Lk 11:1 - how do we do this?
1. By praying Just as we learn a foreign language by using it - we might read about it, know how to pronounce words, build sentences etc. - but ultimately we have to speak out the language - HSp helps us in this, Jn 16:13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
2. By meditating on scripture Meditation is the missing link between Bible intake and prayer. Reading the Bible should lead us into prayer, should help us to pray. After reading the Bible meditation allows us to take it deeper into ourselves, to digest it - then we can take it back and talk to the Lord about it in a meaningful way. What we read has now become more meaningful and purposeful in our lives.
John Owen: Pray as you think. Consciously embrace with your heart every gleam of light and truth that comes to your mind. Thank God for and pray about everything that strikes you powerfully Matthew remarked on Psalm 19:14 Davids prayers were not his words only, but his meditations; as meditation is the best preparation for prayer, so prayer is the best result of meditation. Meditation and prayer go together.
William Bates, Puritan pastor indicated
What is the reason that our desires like an arrow shot from a weak bow do not reach the mark? But only this, we do not meditate before we pray. Our prayers are ineffectual if we dont meditate before we pray.
Whitney nishes this section with some insight from George Muller,
It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benet of which I have not lost, for more than fourteen years.The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the rst great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.The rst thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished...
Now, I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God, and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, by means of the Word of God, while meditating on it, my heart might be brought into experiential communion with the Lord...
The full story is well worth reading: http://
webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lHJJhsc8TlEJ:www.connsbrook.org.uk/ George%2520Muller%2520and%2520Bible%2520Reading.doc+&hl=en&gl=uk
3. By praying with others One of the great learning experiences for the disciples must have been being with him and hearing Jesus pray. Find good models in prayer and learn from them. Do not repeat their habits but learn from their insight, passion, use of scripture etc. Do not repeat their words - or repeat the same words over and over Matt 6:7 Make it a habit to pray with other people - many great movements have started in this way
4. By reading about prayer Remember Proverbs 27:17 & 13:20 Take time to read of the great prayer warriors learn from their struggles as well as their successes. Almost every great man or woman who achieved things for God were people who prayed and prayed and prayed.
4. By reading about As iron sharpens prayer iron, so one Remember Proverbs person sharpens 27:17 & 13:20 Take time to read of the another. great prayer warriors learn from their struggles as Walk with the well as their successes. wiseevery and become Almost great man or woman who achieved wise, for athings for God were people who companion of prayed and prayed and fools suffers harm. prayed.
4. By reading about prayer Remember Proverbs 27:17 & 13:20 Take time to read of the great prayer warriors learn from their struggles as well as their successes. Almost every great man or woman who achieved things for God were people who prayed and prayed and prayed.
PRAYER IS ANSWERED
Psalm 65:2 You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. Whitney says all prayer is answered, Matt 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will nd; knock and the door will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks nds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Andrew Murray comments on Christs pledge. Ask and you shall receive, everyone that asks receives. Therefore, if you ask and receive not it must be because there is something wanting in our prayers. Maybe God answered in a way that is not obvious to us. Maybe we are asking for things that are outside the will of God or will not glorify Him. Maybe we are praying with selsh motives. Maybe we are failing to deal with blatant sin in our life. God does not mock us with His promises to answer prayer.
C.H. Spurgeon said I cant imagine anyone of you tantalizing your child by exciting in him a desire that you did not intend to gratify.When God leads you to pray, He means for you to receive. We need to discipline ourselves to pray and pray aright so we can experience the joy of answered prayer.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER LIFE?

Since prayer is
expected will you pray? You need to develop a specic plan about your prayer life. At what time of the day will you faithfully go before the Father? How long will you pray each day? Will you read the Bible?
WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER LIFE?

Will you read books about prayer written by godly men so you can learn how to pray aright? Where will you pray? You need a special place. Will you take action today?
John Piper says, Unless Im badly mistaken, one of the main reasons so many of Gods children dont have a signicant life of prayer is not so much that we dont want to, but that we dont plan to. If you want to take a four-week vacation, you dont just get up one summer morning and say, Hey, lets go today! You wont have anything ready.You wont know where to go. Nothing has been planned. But that is how many of us treat prayer.We get up day after day and realize that signicant times of prayer should be a part of our life, but nothings ever ready.We dont know where to go. Nothing has been planned. No time. No place. No procedure. And we all know that the opposite of planning is not a wonderful ow of deep, spontaneous experiences in prayer.
...Therefore, my simple exhortation is this: Let us take time this very day to rethink our priorities and how prayer ts in. Make some new resolve.Try some new venture with God. Set a time. Set a place. Choose a portion of Scripture to guide you. Dont be tyrannized by the press of busy days.We all need midcourse corrections. Make this a day of turning to prayerfor the glory of God and for the fullness of your joy.
Since prayer is learned, will you learn to pray? Will you learn about how others have prayed? Will you meet others to pray? Will you learn to pray by linking Bible reading to prayer via meditation? When will you start? Start where you are. If you are not praying, start. If you are not meditating, start. If you are not reading your Bible, start.
Since prayer is answered will you persistently pray? Matt 7:7-8 is in the present, continuous tense. That means we must pray persistently before answers come. If we fail to persist it may mean that at the heart of our prayer lacks seriousness about our request. God may want us to persist in order to strengthen our faith in Him.
George Mueller,
The great fault of Since prayer is answered will you persistently pray? the children of God Matt 7:7-8 is in the present, is, they do not continuous tense. That means we continue in prayer, must pray persistently before answers come. If we to persist they dofail not it may mean that at the heart of persevere. If they our prayer lacks seriousness about desire anything for our request. God may want us to persist in order to strengthen our Gods glory, they faith in Him. should pray until they get it.
CH Spurgeon said, Even as the moon inuences the tides of the sea, even so does prayer inuence the tides of godliness. JC Ryle, "What is the reason that some believers are so much brighter and holier than others? I believe the difference, in nineteen cases out of twenty, arises from different habits about private prayer. I believe that those who are not eminently holy pray little, and those who are eminently holy pray much."
The Leader at Prayer

J. Oswald Sanders, Chapter 11, Prayer and Leadership
The spiritual leader should outpace the church, above all, in prayer
Yet no leader fails to be conscious of how much more he could grow and develop in this area.
CJ Vaughan, If I wanted to humble someone I should ask them questions about their prayers. I know nothing to compare with this topic for its sorrowful self confessions Prayer is the Christians vital air and native breath. We talk of prayer as drawing near to God, as a place of power, it is indispensable, a place of delight, a command. Yet often we fail to pray.
CJ Vaughan, If I wanted to humble someone I should ask them questions about their prayers. I know nothing to compare with this topic for its sorrowful self confessions Prayer is the Christians vital air and native breath. We talk of prayer as drawing near to God, as a place of power, it is indispensable, a place of delight, a command. Yet often we fail to pray.
One famous leader confessed he found his heart loath to go to God in prayer and when he did he was loath to stay yet he confessed the need for self discipline here, encouraging those who knew him to greater depth and discipline in prayer even when they thought they could not. The time and effort given to prayer is a measure of how important it it to us.
Martin Luther declared We cannot learn about praying extra work was not a except by doing it! Intellectually it reason to to pray less, might seem hard understand but by looking work at Jesus we see the Work, from necessity of it - and if anyone early till late. In fact I could manage without it, surely it have so much to do would be Jesus. Yet prayer was dominant and prominent in his that I shall spend the life and a regular part of his first three hours in teaching. prayer.
We cannot learn about praying except by doing it! Intellectually it might seem hard to understand but by looking at Jesus we see the necessity of it - and if anyone could manage without it, surely it would be Jesus. Yet prayer was dominant and prominent in his life and a regular part of his teaching.
D. M. McIntyre wrote: In Luke 5:16 we have a general statement which throws a vivid light on the daily practice of the Lord. And He withdrew Himself in the deserts and prayed. Note: *It is not of one occasion but of many that the evangelist speaks in this place. *When He prayed he was in the desert *One so mighty, so richly gifted with spiritual power, still needed to pray * he still needed to ask for grace to help in time of need.
Jesus at prayer: Lk 6:12 - full nights Mk 1:35 - rising early Lk 5:16 - often Mk 6:46 - after feeding 5000 Lk 9:28 - before transfiguration Lk 6:12 - before choosing the apostles Heb 5:7 - with loud cries
All vital praying makes a drain on a Jesus at prayer: Lk 6:12 - full nights True mans vitality. Mk 1:35 rising early intercession is a Lk 5:16 - often sacrifice, a bleeding Mk 6:46 - after feeding 5000 sacrifice Lk 9:28 - before transfiguration Lk 6:12 - before choosing the J. H. Jowett.
apostles Heb 5:7 - with loud cries
absolutely necessary; essential; full of energy; lively

Col 4:12 - Epahphras is wrestling for you in prayer Col 2:1 - Paul is struggling (a word usually used for agonising or being in agony) - the same word is used of one who is weary (Col 1:29), competing (1 Cor 9:25), a soldier battling for his life (1 Tim 6;12), a man struggling to deliver his friends form danger (Jn 18:36) True prayer is a strenuous spiritual exercise which demands the utmost mental discipline and concentration
Rom 8:26-28 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for Gods people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Pray in the Spirit

Holy Spirit is the master teacher in prayer - more is mentioned of this aspect of his ministry than of any other. All true prayer comes from his activity in our souls. Paul and Jude both speak of praying in the Spirit - the same things, lines, name, as he does
Pray in the Spirit

Holy Spirit is the master teacher in prayer - more is mentioned of this aspect of his ministry than of any other. All true prayer comes from his activity in our souls. Paul and Jude both speak of praying in the Spirit - the same things, lines, name, as he does
True prayer rises in the spirit of the Christian from the Spirit who indwells us
Pray in the Spirit for 2 reasons: 1. The HSp is the atmosphere and sphere of the life of a Christian - yet much of our praying is merely physical, in the area of the mind alone, produced by our thinking not the Spirits teaching. Real prayer is deeper. It uses the body, requires the cooperation of the mind, and moves in the supernatural realm of the Spirit...it transacts business in the heavenly realm
2. Pray in the power and energy of the Spirit. Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lords people. Human power and energy are not enough!
The HSp helps us to pray even in our failings;
The HSp helps us to pray even in our failings; - in our sin HSp leads us to grace and forgiveness in the blood of Jesus
The HSp helps us to pray even in our failings; - in our sin HSp leads us to grace and forgiveness in the blood of Jesus - ignorance of mind can stop us praying but HSp knows the mind of God and reveals it to us as we wait and listen, so we know our prayer is in accordance with Gods will
The HSp helps us to pray even in our failings; - in our sin HSp leads us to grace and forgiveness in the blood of Jesus - ignorance of mind can stop us praying but HSp knows the mind of God and reveals it to us as we wait and listen, so we know our prayer is in accordance with Gods will - sickness and weakness stops us praying, HSp brings life and healing, enabling us to rise above such things
The HSp helps us to pray even in our failings; - in our sin HSp leads us to grace and forgiveness in the blood of Jesus - ignorance of mind can stop us praying but HSp knows the mind of God and reveals it to us as we wait and listen, so we know our prayer is in accordance with Gods will - sickness and weakness stops us praying, HSp brings life and healing, enabling us to rise above such things - And, satan tries all sorts of tricks to stop us praying
Do you pray in the Spirit? Do you walk in the Spirit - all of the time, sometimes, occasionally, rarely, never? Are your prayers powerless and frequently (always) unanswered?
Biblically prayer is often seen as spiritual warfare; - Eph 6:12 - the Christian at prayer stands in between God and the devil wielding no personal power but having a strategic role - the victory won by Christ works through our prayers to those in captivity and darkness. Jesus seemed at times to be less concerned over the sinful person as the power behind their sin (or sickness) the grip of satan in such lives is released through the power of the cross taken hold of in prayer
Such understanding is vital in spiritual leadership - know where the battle is meant to be won and pray there in spiritual warfare. Matt 12:29 -Or again, how can anyone enter a strong mans house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. - neutralise the power of the enemy - by taking hold of the power of the cross - the power of which is taken hold of in prayer.
Such understanding is vital in Luke 10:19 spiritual leadership - know where I have given you the battle is meant to be won and pray there in spiritual warfare.
authority to trample Matt 12:29 -Or again, how can on snakes and anyone enter a strong mans house and carry off his possessions unless scorpions and to he first ties up the strong man? overcome all the Then he can plunder his house. ofpower theof enemy; - power neutralise the the enemy - by taking hold of the power of the nothing will harm cross - the power of which is taken you. hold of in prayer.
Hudson Taylor
It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.

Practice
We might all say we believe in the power of prayer - but practicing it is very different. Do you believe you can take hold of Gods power to move the cold, unyielding hearts of men? We might think this is inconsistent how can we speak of freewill and yet also of this power of prayer to affect hearts? Sanders notes:
1. God is always consistent with himself - no contradictions therefore if answer to prayer is promised it will come in a way consistent with who God is - 2 Tim 2:13 2. Prayer is commanded by God - meet the conditions suggested by God and he will answer - he commands prayer for kings and those in authority, so surely such prayer has power consistent with Gods created order.
3. We can know Gods will regarding what we are praying - Ro 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for Gods people in accordance with the will of God. As we seek the will of God and the HSp impresses upon our hearts and minds Gods desire - this leads us into the prayer of faith - even if it takes time to be answered
One day George Mueller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Mueller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muellers funeral the last one was saved.
One day George Mueller began praying for five of his friends. After many Muller was asked if he believed months, one of them came to the Lord. these men would really were be Ten years later, two others converted, replied, converted. It he took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Mueller Do you think God would persevered in prayer until his death for have kept me praying all the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave hoping that he these years if up he did not would accept Christ! His faith was intend to save them? rewarded, for soon after Muellers funeral the last one was saved.
"God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." John Wesley

It is important to remember we deal first with the ear of God in prayer not the ear of men. Remember it is not our prayer that moves people - but the influence of God upon them. If you want to move someone you must be sure you can move God first! Prevailing prayer that moves people is the result of a right relationship with God - most unanswered prayers are centred on the believers relationship with God.
Are your prayers full of... - self interest - impure motives - sin - if you cling to sin you move away from God - unbelief (Heb 11:6) Great leaders in the Bible were great at prayer, EM Bounds says,
They were not leaders because of brilliancy of thought, because they Are your prayers full of... self interest were exhaustless in impure motives resources, because of - sin - if you cling to sin you their magnificent move away from God culture or native - unbelief (Heb 11:6) endowment, but Great leaders in the Bible were great because, at prayer, by the EM Bounds power says, of prayer, they could command the power of God.
The school of prayer begins with the kindergarten understanding of communion with God and proceeds beyond graduate studies - where is your prayer life now, is it progressing? Who are your prayer models, who has helped you most in prayer?

SFL Section 4: Prayer, Combined Discipleship and Leadership Notes

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SFL Section 4: Prayer, Combined Discipleship and Leadership Notes

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This is taken from

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

PRAYER... FOR THE PURPOSE OF GODLINESS

GODS WORD MAKES IT CLEAR

GODS WORD MAKES IT CLEAR

Col 4:2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

GODS WORD MAKES IT CLEAR

GODS WORD MAKES IT CLEAR

GODS WORD MAKES IT CLEAR

GODS WORD MAKES IT CLEAR

William Bates, Puritan pastor indicated

WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER LIFE?

WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER LIFE?

The Leader at Prayer

absolutely necessary; essential; full of energy; lively

Pray in the Spirit

Pray in the Spirit

The HSp helps us to pray even in our failings;

It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.

"God does nothing except in response to believing prayer." John Wesley

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