A 4-week Life-Changing Prayer Experience
Pastor-Teacher Dean Bouzeos
Community Church of Greenwood, IN
“Change Your Life. Change Your World.”
Class Objectives
- To identify biblical truths on prayer
- To learn motivational quotes about prayer
- To engage in ministerial intercession through prayer
- To utilize missional resources for prayer
Plans
- We will move from the inside - out
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
- We will prioritize praying, guided by Scripture
“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:4
Prayer Quotes
“You can do more than pray after you have prayed but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” S.D. Gordon
“The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing; but it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; not those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time and pray.” S.D. Gordon
{Notes can be adapted to your class/study/group}
{Opening prayer (Pastor Dean)/praying through Pastor Jason’s prayer card (individually, quietly) *Indy Mayor election and local elections}
General Prayer Principles
- The Lord’s expectation of our praying
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
- The Lord’s example for our praying
9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, God’s Praise
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, God’s Plan
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread, God’s Provision
12 and forgive us our debts, God’s Pardon
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, God’s Protection
but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:5-15
- The Lord's exhortation to our praying
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
{Praying for Biblical Virtues for our kids/grandkids (individually out loud)}
√ here for the comlete 4-Week Study Notes >>> Dean Bouzeos Prayer Class -Change Your Life.docx
Week 1 Passage
21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” 35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
When we pray for ourselves and our family and our church, we should come to the Lord:
Boldly Humbly Earnestly Faithfully Patiently Reverently Honestly Obediently
{Praying for the weekly CCG prayer sheet (groups of 2 or 3 at your table)}
Sharing of answered prayer in your life and at CCG
{Praying for upcoming CCG church events (with table group)}
- Family Class 11/8, 11/15
- GriefShare “Surviving the Holidays” 11/12
- Christmas Extravaganza 12/1
- Christmas Sing-a-long 12/13
- Night of Remembrance 12/21
- Christmas Eve Sunday Service 12/24
- New Year’s Eve Sunday Service 12/31
{Closing prayer (a volunteer)}
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