VOLUME 2
ISSUE # 4
WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT:
ENGAGED
Now this is the
confidence that we
have in Him, that if
we ask anything
according to His
will, He hears us.
And if we know
that He hears us,
whatever we ask,
we know that we
have the petitions
that we have asked
of Him.
I John 5:14-15
Prayer is powerful! We know this
because of our Scripture reading. We
long for our prayers to effectively turn
God’s ear and to be satisfied.
Unfortunately, most Christ Followers
are dissatisfied with their prayer lives.
As we study Scripture though, we
realize that our discontent comes
from misunderstanding the depth,
height, width and purpose of prayer.
We have become disillusioned to
believe that God’s chief end in our
lives is for us to be happy. Through
this study you will be equipped to
understand the real nature of prayer
and incorporate ways your prayers
can be effectual and fervent… To
believe praying makes a difference,
we must be ENGAGED!
24/7 faith
A 24/7 faith is the only faith that is authentic. It
is unselfish and God-centered. This type of
faith is personal and real. It is not produced by
community, but community enhances it. This
section is for the individual believer.
1.23.11
...In Prayer
I JOHN 5:14-15
Luke 19:13
Day 1
Initially, this verse makes us think we might have a ‘blank check’ from Personal
God. We rub the Bible 3 times with the palm of our hand and voila;
instant gratification. However, many find it easy to forget that this verse
also says, ‘according to His will.’
So we do not have a ‘blank check.’ Our responsibility is to ask according to His will.
Is it easy for you to release your desires and allow them to give way to God’s Will? Or,
do you pray for God to change His mind so that you get what you want? These are two
completely different ways to pray. By the way, God will only hear one of them...
Today, consider those you love who do not know God. What would you Relational
desire to see God do in their lives today? Take the promise of this verse to
heart as you pray for those things. Remember that God works through His
relationship to each person.
Generational
People like great deals. Some people like deals so much that they go
around hunting for them. How would you like to win a gift certificate good at
any store? Well, you wonder, how much? What’s the catch?
The gift is for $5000. The only condition is that you only can spend up to $1,000 a
month for five months. Wouldn’t this be wonderful? But in the end because you were
busy, forgot, or whatever reason, you ended up spending only $800 the first month,
$350 the second month and nothing on the third through fifth months. You could have
gotten $5,000 worth of gifts but in the end you only received only $1150 worth. That
is only 23%. With your friends you can boast that you got this and that for free. But,
you don’t tell them that you could have gotten much more but you never got around
to using it.
How is your prayer life like this? Talk about your answer in your family time.
Relational Faith Generational Faith
Relationships define who we are. God has God expects us to pass on our faith to the
placed us in community with others with whom next generation. Scripture is full of commands
we must relate. Whether it is marriage, to leave a legacy of faith. However, it is not for
employment, social, civic, worship, etc., we must the faint of heart. This section will provide
learn to relate to others as Christ. fodder for you to talk about faith at home...
Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
Personal
Personal Jesus says in John 16:23, As we have studied prayer, we
Real prayer is communion with Personal
"...whatever you ask the must realize that prayer is not
God, and what is necessary for Father in My name He will
communion are common thoughts commanding things for God to
between His mind and ours. give you?” He definitely does, do, but a humble and heartfelt expression
but we still do not have a of our attitude of dependency and need.
What we need is for Him to fill our minds ‘blank check.’ To ask God for anything in Because of this, the one who truly prays is
and hearts with His thoughts. This takes the name of Jesus Christ, it must be in submissive to God's will, content with God
place as we read His Word. Then His desires keeping with what He wants for us. To ask supplying his need according to the design
will become our desires flowing back to Him in Christ's name is to ask as if Christ of His sovereign pleasure. The result of
in the form of prayer. James 4:3 confirms this: Himself were asking. Therefore, we can this, combined with the essence of God's
"You ask and do not receive, because you ask only ask for what Jesus would ask. It is right attitudes and thoughts as we draw near to
amiss, that you may spend it on your and obligatory to put away our own will Him, will work to create us brand new in
pleasures." If we ask amiss, we are not asking and accept God's. Jesus says in John 8:29: His image.
in accordance to His will, and we will not "And He who sent Me is with Me. The
receive. Father has not left Me alone, for I always
Remember today that Relational
do those things that please Him." If we do
as Jesus did, we are sure to receive answers someone is praying for you
Do you find yourself praying God’s Word
back to Him? Do you find your desires are as He did. He adds in John 11:41-42: according to God’s will. Are
becoming more like His or do you want His "Father, I thank you that You have heard you ready for those prayers to be
desires to change to be more like yours. Me. And I know that You always hear Me." answered? Are you ready for God’s will to
be paramount in your life?
Maybe you can begin to pray the prayers As you pray throughout your day, ask
from the Bible...
yourself at the ‘amen’, “Would Jesus have
prayed that prayer?” Psalm 139:1-7:
Relational O LORD, You have searched me
Today, pray for any whose and known me. You know my
relationship with you may be Notice the emphasis on asking Relational sitting down and my rising up; You
strained. Can you pray according to for the BIG things in these
God’s will for these relationships? What do understand my thought afar off.
verses; “ANYTHING”;
you need to do yourself to be in God’s will You comprehend my path and my
“WHATEVER”. Are you afraid to
in these situations? tackle the big things in prayer because of lying down, and are acquainted
their “bigness”? What relationship issue, with all my ways. For there is not a
Generational or issue in the life of a loved one, is the word on my tongue, but behold, O
Is our idea of God biggest thing you could pray for? Are you
nothing more than that LORD, You know it altogether. You
ready to start praying for that today
of a greater human parent? have hedged me behind and
according to God’s will?
God the Father undoubtedly relates to us before, and laid Your hand upon
like a parent, and Jesus tells us to think of me. Such knowledge is too
Him and address Him as our Father. So wonderful for me; it is high, I
far, so good…. Satan does not care how many people
cannot attain it. Where can I go
read about prayer or study prayer if only
from Your Spirit? Or where can I
Now we must ask: What should a Father he can keep them from praying.
be like? flee from Your presence?

Day 5 As we close this section on Prayer, it is interesting to find where our confidence must rest. Many
teachers/preachers want you to trust them for your answer. Others want you to trust the church,
positive thinking, or even faith itself, i.e. “you’ve got to believe to receive!” However, this is not the truth
of Gods’ Word. His Word says that our confidence must be in HIM. Not in our praying but in HIM.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him.” Our confidence/faith must be in God’s ability not in
our own. As we deal with His sovereignty and supremacy, knowing as a Father He wants the best for us, it
is so much easier to pray boldly for God to work out His will in our lives. But now, we must figure out…. What is
God’s will for my life? We will be looking at that for the next 5 weeks...

Today, let’s summarize your relationship prayers. You pray for God to do something for (or to) someone you
love, or maybe whom you don’t love as you should. Someone may be praying for you in the same way. What
can be the result of these prayers that may be in conflict? Remember the most important aspect of these verses.
Submitting our desires to God, both in our prayers and in our heart condition, brings about answered prayers.

If the church wants better Pastors, it only needs to pray for the ones it has. Thanks for your prayers...

You may pray for an hour and still not pray.You may meet
God for a moment and then be
in touch with Him all day. --Fredrik Wisloff NEXT WEEK: Ephesians 4:16