Sunday School Lesson Dr.

Jack Schaap, Pastor

First Baptist Church
Hammond, Indiana
=PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING=
Lesson 1
Prayer

AIM: to teach my pupils to pray and how to pray, as we begin this new series of lessons.

POINT OF CONTACT: Ask how many pupils can tell of a definite answer to prayer. Share a few prayer
answers. Make the answers brief. For example, do not say, “Give me the story of an answered prayer,” or “Tell
me about an answered prayer.” Rather say, “Tell me something that God has given you in answer to prayer.” The
answer should not be over ten or fifteen words at the most—maybe one or two. It is never good to throw the
lesson open for discussion. It is much better to ask for short answers. Do not take long for this.

I. THE PLACE OF PRAYER. In the Old Testament, the place of prayer meant much. However, since the
coming of Jesus, the place of prayer means little. The Samaritan woman was concerned about the place
of prayer and worship, for to the Jew, the temple meant the place of God’s presence; and to the Samaritan,
the temple on Mount Gerizim meant the place of God’s presence. Jesus, however, gave her a new
revelation when He said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth,” John 4:24. He was saying that now we can talk to God anywhere.
1. Jacob prayed. Genesis 32:22-30.
2. Jonah prayed in the belly of a whale. Jonah 2:1.
3. Hagar prayed in the heart of the desert. Genesis 21:14-21.
4. Hezekiah prayed on a sickbed. II Kings 20:1-3.
5. David prayed hiding in caves. I Samuel 24 and 26.
6. The penitent thief prayed on a cross. Luke 23:39-43.
7. Prayer was offered on a riverside. Acts 16:13.
8. Prayer was also offered on a seashore (Acts 21:5), on a housetop (Acts 10:9), on a mountain (Luke
6:12) and on a battlefield (I Samuel 7:9, 10). All of these events simply teach us that we can pray
anywhere. The Apostle said, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands...” I
Timothy 2:8a. Jesus said, “...enter into thy closet,” Matthew 6:6a. Though we can pray to God
anywhere, it is a good idea to have a particular place where we come to God and meet Him. On the
other hand, we should be on speaking terms with God anywhere. (Ask the class to tell you some
different places where they have prayed. Then suggest that they pray in every place. List a few of
the places where they ought to pray: at school, at home, at play, on a date. These are very
important.)

II. THE POSTURE IN PRAYER. Many people make much over this. The Bible tells us that people prayed
in different postures.
1. People prayed sitting. David prayed in II Samuel 7:18 while sitting.
2. Standing was the most popular Jewish position of prayer. I Samuel 1:26; Nehemiah 9:4;
Mark 11:25. Hannah prayed for her son while standing. Jeremiah prayed while standing. Solomon
prayed while standing. The publican in the Gospel of Luke prayed while standing.
3. Many prayed on their faces, or prostrate. Ezekiel fell on his face and prayed. Ezekiel 3:23; 9:8;
11:13. No doubt Jesus prayed in Gethsemane from this position.
4. Some prayed with lifting up of hands. See Exodus 9:33; Psalm 28:2; I Timothy 2:8. In fact, the
lifting up of hands became synonymous with prayer. Psalm 141:2.
5. Kneeling, of course, is another posture of prayer mentioned in the Bible. Daniel prayed, kneeling.
Daniel 6:10. Stephen knelt when he prayed. Acts 7:60. Paul knelt while praying. Ephesians 3:14.

You will recall that Peter prayed while sinking in the water. There is no definite way to pray. The
condition of the heart is the important thing, not the position of the body. We should pray while
walking down the street. We should pray while running. We should pray while driving. We should
pray while standing. We should pray while lying down. We should pray while kneeling. We
should pray while sitting. We should pray without ceasing. (Ask some of the pupils to tell the
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position in which they pray or have prayed.) Some of the great Christians have prayed while
walking. Some people pray while driving around in the car.

III. WHEN TO PRAY. Of course, the Bible tells us to pray always. Ephesians 6:18. We are told to pray
without ceasing. I Thessalonians 5:17. Let us notice the different times we ought to pray:
1. We ought to have periods of prayer. There ought to be times when we spend long seasons in prayer.
It was not uncommon for Charles Simeon to give four hours to prayer. Charles Wesley prayed two
hours every day. John Wesley rose to pray at four o’clock every morning. Martin Luther prayed
three hours a day. John Fletcher sometimes prayed all night. All great Christians have had seasons
of prayer. Some have prayed daily by the hour; some have spent long seasons in prayer at other
periods; but every person should find times when he needs to pray for long seasons.
2. We should pray periodically through the day. Daniel prayed on his knees three times a day.
Daniel 6:10. David prayed evening, morning and at noon. Psalm 55:17. He said in Psalm 119:164
that he praised God seven times a day. Paul and Silas prayed at midnight in Acts 16:25. Jesus
prayed early in the morning and sometimes all night. The Scripture says He rose a great while
before daybreak to pray. Some have found it wise to pray in the morning. Others find it wise to
pray in the evening to ask God’s protection through the night. Psalm 4:8; 42:8; and 141:2.
Someone has said, “Who goes to bed and does not pray, maketh two nights of every day.” Perhaps
some should pray at noontime. Acts 10:9.
3. Then there should be prayers whispered through the day. Some have called these “flash prayers.”
Nehemiah was especially fond of such prayers. We ought to find ourselves praying many, many
times during the day.
4. Family prayer. In the Old Testament, many of the Bible characters built an altar everywhere their
family pitched a tent. Genesis 12:7, 8; 13:4; 18:19. In the New Testament we often read of a church
in the house. Romans 16:5; I Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2. Both Old and New
Testaments give us the example that, in a sense, the home should be a little church. Certainly every
home should have family devotions—a family altar, if you please. (Take a little time and show the
pupils how to have a family altar.)
5. Secret prayer. We ought to have times and places of secret prayer. Matthew 6:6. Jesus said,
“...enter into thy closet.” Somebody said that Dr. J. H. Jowett had a prayer closet. It was an upper
room in his home in which were two chairs. One chair was always vacant. Along with these two
chairs, there was a table and a Bible. Dr. Jowett would sit in one chair and talk to the Lord, Whom
he imagined to be seated in the other chair. (Ask the pupils to give you some times when they pray.
Share the ideas for a while. It may help others to find when to pray.)

IV. FOR WHAT SHOULD WE PRAY?

1. We should pray for all men. I Timothy 2:1.
2. We should pray for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18; John 17:21.
3. We should pray for rulers. I Timothy 2:2.
4. We should pray for ministers. Ephesians 6:19.
5. We should pray for conversions. I Timothy 2:1, 4.
6. We should pray for our enemies. Luke 6:28.
7. We should pray for pardon and forgiveness from sin. I John 1:9.
8. We should pray for the sick. James 5:16.
9. We should pray for power. Ephesians 1:16-20.
10. We should pray for God’s will. II Thessalonians 1:11, 12.
11. We should pray for deliverance from evil men. II Thessalonians 3:1-5.
12. Pray that your life will be well pleasing. Hebrews 13:20, 21. (Ask the pupils some things for which
they pray. Let them share with you some of the things for which they pray.)

V. INTERCESSORY PRAYER. This is the prayer where we plead for others; this is the agonizing prayer;
this is the prayer where we come to God and plead with God. Job did this in Job 42:7-10; Moses, in
Exodus 8:12, 30; and Exodus 9:33. Samuel did this in I Samuel 7:7-9; 15:11; Elijah, in James 5:17, 18;
Ezra, in Ezra 9:5-15; Nehemiah, in Nehemiah 1:4-11; Paul, in Romans 1:9 and Philippians 1:3-11;
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Stephen, in Acts 7:60; Epaphras, in Colossians 4:12; and even our Lord continues to do this in Heaven
now, as we read in Hebrews 7:25.