Tag Archives: Personal Prayer Life

Roots of the Faith – Spiritual Disciplines: Our Prayer Life (part 1)

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My notes for Wednesday night, October 2nd. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. Our study over the next few months will be “The Roots of the Faith.” This study will focus on key biblical truths that will transform our thinking and allow us to faithfully live out the Christian life. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.
Over the next several weeks we will be walking through the following Spiritual Disciplines:

  • Bible Intake
  • Prayer
  • Worship
  • Evangelism
  • Serving
  • Stewardship
  • Fasting
  • Silence and Solitude
  • Journaling
  • Learning
  • Perseverance in the Disciplines

Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Revised and Updated. (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress; Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2024)

The book that will guide our study: GET IT AN READ IT!!!!! We have a few available at church.

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life – Amazon Link

Some great resources on Prayer:

Ligonier Ministries: Prayer

Grace to You: John MacArthur. Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer – Matthew 6:5-13

Divided in 2 parts (PART 1 tonight)

  • In relationship to God – HIS GLORY – vv. 9-10
    • His Holiness – v. 9
    • His Reign – v. 10a
    • His Rule and Purpose – v. 10b
  • In relationship to believers – OUR NEEDS – vv. 11-13
    • Our Physical – v. 11
    • Our Spiritual – vv. 12-13

With 6 Petitions

  • 1-3 are cast in terms of God’s Glory – vv. 9-10
  • 4-6 are cast in terms of our benefit or needs – vv. 11-13

Prayer is Necessary – vv. 5-6a

  • When you pray
  • Colossians 4:2 – Continue in prayer
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing
  • Go into your room

Prayer is Personal (To the Father) – vv. 6b-8

  • Pray to your Father
  • He Sees and Rewards
  • He knows before we ask (our heart… desires and motives)

Jesus Gives us an Example – v. 9-13

  • Pray then like this

We Pray to a Holy Heavenly Father – v. 9

Our Father in heaven

  • Jesus prayed to His Father – Mark 14:36
  • To the Father… it is a personal prayer
  • Believers – Only through the gospel of Jesus Christ…Through conversion… is God is our heavenly Father – John 14:6
  • Unbelievers – Those that have not repented of their sin and placed their faith in Christ… The devil is their father – John 8:44

Hallowed by Your Name

  • Name – Represents all that He is.  His character and attributes. HIS HOLINESS
  • He is Holy.  One should acknowledge His holiness
  • 1 Peter 1:15-16 – but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

We Pray for His Purpose and Will – vv. 10

Your kingdom come – v. 10a

The King reigning in His Kingdom. His rule and reign over His creation

  • Started with the coming of Christ… yet not fully consummated until His ultimate and final return.
  • The Kingdom is NOW manifested and made known as the church lives out the Lordship of Christ through our lives.
  • Christ’s rule and reign through the hearts of believers and the ministries of the local church.
  • God’s redemptive plan lived out.

Your will be done – v. 10b

His will. His purpose and plan.

  • God is never trespassing on his own property. Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof”
  • Romans 12:1-2 – … that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
  • We are never going to ask Him to do something He has not already planned. (WHAT A PROFOUND THOUGHT)

He is all powerful, all knowing, all wise, and all loving.  HIS PROVIDENTIAL CARE AS HE RULES WITHIN HIS KINGDOM.

3 Possible Understandings of His Will

  1. God is in control of nothing
  2. God is in control of somethings
  3. God is in control of all things – THE RIGHT ANSWER
    • It is all or nothing .He is God…we are not. We have a will, but our will can never be superior to His will.
    • People say…WE HAVE FREE WILL.  I always say yes, we do but OUR WILL IS NOT SUPERIOR TO HIS WILL.  If someone really believes in TOTAL FREE WILL….THEN why pray at all…WHAT CAN GOD DO?????

A perfect example – Acts 2:23 – this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. (ESV)