Praying Biblically in 2014
“Prayer, like everything else in the Christian life, is for
God’s glory and for our benefit, in that order” (R.C. Sproul, Does Prayer Change Things?” pg. 10).
“…still it is very important for us to call upon him: First,
that our hearts
may be fired
with a zealous and burning desire ever to seek, love and serve him, while we become
accustomed in every need to flee to him as to a sacred anchor”
(J. Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book
3, Chapter 20, pg. 852).
Memorization ~ James 5:13, 14, 16a
“Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy?
Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders
of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
… The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
There is only One true and living God who answers prayer ~ 1
Kings 18:16-46
1. Don’t
be a “mugwump”[1]
– vs. 21.
a. How
does God feel about his people being double-minded? (See James 1:5-8, Psalm
119:113 and also Mt. 12:30 and Revelation 3:15).
2. God
answers prayer despite our sinful ways – vs. 22. (c.f. 1 Kings 18:3-4, 13)
3. Get
your spiritual house in order – vs. 30.
a. Do you need to confess
your sins (Js. 5:16)? Be reconciled w your brother (Mt. 5:23-24)?
4. Striving
for unity is paramount – vs. 31. (c.f. John 17, Ephesians 4:1-6).
a. Remember,
the nation had been divided into two for 58 years now!
5. Our
God is a God of history, so remember His faithfulness – vs. 36. (c.f. Ps. 136)
6. God’s
glory is the chief end of man, and Elijah’s prayer – vs. 36-37 (see Sproul quote)
7. Before
mercy there must be a sacrifice – vs. 38
a. “…God’s
fire marked his acceptance and approval of the sacrifice...before the mercy and
favor of the rains can return to the drought stricken landscape, there must
intervene a sacrifice, a substitute for sin, that is acceptable to God. That is
precisely what our theology of the cross argues for: Jesus himself became our
substitute so that we might be forgiven” (Kaiser, 82).
8. Prayer
can be (should be?):
a. Personal
and private – “climbed to the top of Carmel” (vs. 42; see Mt. 6:5-6).
b. Prostrate
– “bent down to the ground and put his face b/t his knees” (vs. 42).
c. Persistent
and persevering – “seven times…” (see Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8).
d. Base
your prayers on God’s Promises[2] - (1 Kings 18:1)
[1] Walter C. Kaiser Jr. Revive Us Again: Biblical Insights for Encouraging Spiritual Renewal.
Broadman & Holman, © 1999, pg. 81.
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