PRAYER

1
PRAYER PROVIDENCE
2
PRAYER DEFINED

• An address to God expressing requests and/or
  thanksgiving.
• Supplication and intercession.
• Prayer is the means by which children of God
  address Him to ask for things we need and desire,
  both for ourselves and others, and to offer
  thanksgiving and praise to God.

3
PROVIDENCE DEFINED

• The means by which God responds to our needs,
  petitions and supplications.
• General Providence benefits all men generally
  (Matthew 545).
• Special Providence benefits Gods children
  alone (Deut. 440 533 Matthew 633 2820
  Romans 828 Ephesians 320 Phil. 419).

4
IN THE PAST GOD SOMETIMESWORKED SUPERNATURALLY

• When God worked supernaturally everyone knew it
  was God working (John 32 Acts 416).
• God does not work this way today (1 Cor. 138-10
  Eph. 411-13 John 2030-31 Mark 1619-20).
• Gods providential working today cannot be
  positively and dogmatically identified.

5
Illustrations

• Esther 414 Yet who knows whether you have
  come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
• Philemon 15 For perhaps he departed for a
  while for this purpose, that you might receive
  him forever.
• Romans 828 And we know that all things work
  together for good to those who love God, to those
  who are called according to His purpose.

6
PRAYER AND PROVIDENCEARE COMPLEMENTARY

• As Gods faithful children pray, Gods providence
  operates.
• Prayer is mans duty and privilege of addressing
  his Creator.
• Providence is Gods response to our needs and
  petitions.

7
GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERSBECAUSE OF HIS NATURE

• God is gracious.
• Exodus 2227 And it will be that when he cries
  to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.
• God is good.
• Romans 24 Or do you despise the riches of His
  goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not
  knowing that the goodness of God leads you to
  repentance?

8
GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERSBECAUSE OF HIS NATURE

• God is loving.
• Romans 58 But God demonstrates His own love
  toward us, in that while we were still sinners,
  Christ died for us.
• God is generous.
• Romans 832 He who did not spare His own Son,
  but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not
  with Him also freely give us all things?
• God cares for us.
• 1 Peter 57 casting all your care upon Him, for
  He cares for you.

9
GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERSBECAUSE HE IS OUR
FATHER

• Mat 79-11 "Or what man is there among you who,
  if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a
  serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to
  give good gifts to your children, how much more
  will your Father who is in heaven give good
  things to those who ask Him!"

10
GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERSBECAUSE HE HAS
PROMISED TO

• John 931 "Now we know that God does not hear
  sinners but if anyone is a worshiper of God and
  does His will, He hears him."

11
GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERSBECAUSE HE HAS
PROMISED TO

• James 15 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask
  of God, who gives to all liberally and without
  reproach, and it will be given to him.
• James 516 - Confess your trespasses to one
  another, and pray for one another, that you may
  be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a
  righteous man avails much.

12
GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERSBECAUSE HE HAS
PROMISED TO

• Matthew 66 "But you, when you pray, go into your
  room, and when you have shut your door, pray to
  your Father who is in the secret place and your
  Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
  
• Matthew 69-13 "In this manner, therefore, pray
  Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your
  kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is
  in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And
  forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver
  us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom
  and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

13
GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYERSBECAUSE HE HAS
PROMISED TO

• Matthew 77-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you
  seek, and you will find knock, and it will be
  opened to you. For everyone who asks receives,
  and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it
  will be opened.

14
GOD WILL ANSWER PRAYER WHENWE COMPLY WITH HIS
CONDITIONS

• Gods general providence is unconditional.
• (Matt. 545), for He makes His sun rise on the
  evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just
  and on the unjust.

15
GOD WILL ANSWER PRAYER WHENWE COMPLY WITH HIS
CONDITIONS

• Every spiritual blessing that one may seek from
  God in His Special Providence is conditional.
• One must obey the gospel. (Mark 1616 Acts 238
  etc)
• One must remain faithful (Rev. 210).
• One must obey (Heb. 58-9).
• One must walk in the light (1 John 16-9).
• There are no spiritual blessings without
  conditions.

16
PRAYER IS A SPIRITUAL BLESSINGWHICH HAS
CONDITIONS

• Matthew 65, "And when you pray, you shall not be
  like the hypocrites. For they love to pray
  standing in the synagogues and on the corners of
  the streets, that they may be seen by men.
  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
• James 16-7, "But let him ask in faith, with no
  doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the
  sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not
  that man suppose that he will receive anything
  from the Lord
• Matthew 2122, "And whatever things you ask in
  prayer, believing, you will receive."

17
PRAYER IS A SPIRITUAL BLESSINGWHICH HAS
CONDITIONS

• Humility.
• "not my will, but Yours, be done." (Luke 2242)
• "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the
  humble. (James 46)

18
PRAYER IS A SPIRITUAL BLESSINGWHICH HAS
CONDITIONS

• A humble attitude produces a spirit of dependence
  on God.
• Give us this day our daily bread (Matthew
  611).
• Our prayers should explicitly refer to this sense
  of dependency we feel, for such is the fruit of
  genuine humility.

19
GOD WILL ANSWER WHEN WEPRAY ACCORDING TO HIS WILL

• 1 John 514 "Now this is the confidence that we
  have in Him, that if we ask anything according to
  His will, He hears us.
• Acts 2216 And now why are you waiting? Arise
  and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling
  on the name of the Lord.'
• James 43 "You ask and do not receive, because
  you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your
  pleasures.."

20
GOD ANSWERS THE PRAYERSOF THE FAITHFUL

• John 931 "We know that God does not hear
  sinners.
• Prov. 289 - "One who turns away his ear from
  hearing the law, Even his prayer is an
  abomination.
• 1 John 322, "And whatever we ask we receive from
  Him, because we keep His commandments and do
  those things that are pleasing in His sight."

21
PRAYER PROVIDENCE

• It is Gods nature to answer prayer.
• He has promised to answer prayer.
• We must comply with His conditions.
• We must ask in faith, in humility, and in harmony
  with His will.
• We must be serving Him faithfully.
• 1 Thess. 517 pray without ceasing

22
GODS PLAN OF SALVATION

• Hear the gospel Romans 1017
• Believe the gospel Mark 1616
• Repent of sins Luke 133
• Confess your faith in Christ being the Son of God
  Romans 109-10
• Be baptized (immersed) for the remissions of sins
  Acts 238
• Live faithfully Revelation 210