Praying Together
Lesson 1
Class Purpose, Foundation, and Prayer Basics
Purpose of the Course:
- To learn the foundation and purpose of prayer
- To learn how to pray out of relationship with God
- To learn to pray utilizing biblical principles of praying together
- To learn ways we can encourage our children to pray and also pray for them
The first four lessons are focused on ourselves, and key points that should help us all be on what some call - the same page – concerning the topic of Praying Together. The first lesson focuses on laying a foundation. I Cor 3 vs 11 says ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ It is a foundation that focuses on who God is according to I John 4 vs 8 and what Jesus has sacrificially done for us due to that Love. That is not only a foundation, but could be called a banner. The lesson also takes us back to the roots of prayer looking at Hebrew.
The next lesson will help us find God’s purposes or keys that can help the focus of our prayers.
Following that lesson we will be looking at what prayer involves and why it can be difficult.
The forth lesson will be dealing with are we praying from the Head Prayer or with Heart Prayer.
Then as the lessons move on we will be looking at preparing ourselves to pray with a prayer partner or praying with someone else.
Then we will look at some ways a church of a group of people can pray together.
Finally we will be looking at training our children to pray. This instruction is in the 2nd module.
I believe that as you study God’s word and let His Holy Spirit minister to you, that much will be gleamed from this material that will help us all to learn from each other and grow in our prayer life.
It is my prayer that the words these words may be a reality in all of us when it comes to prayer:
‘It only takes a spark
to set a fire glowing,
And soon all those around
will wake up in its glowing;
That’s how it is with God’s Love,
Once you’ve experienced it.
It is fresh like Spring,
You want to sing,
You want to pass it on!’
I encourage each of us to ask the Lord to let His Holy Spirit help us in this course to allow His Love to grow in our hearts and in our prayers.
Now moving forward in our first lesson:
Starting with the foundation of prayer, we should take time to think about what moves us to pray. It is a need? Are we praying because something happened to us that we do not understand or something that has hurt us? Are we praying to help someone else? Are we praying to get to know God more closely? Possibly there are other reasons. All of these may encourage us to pray, but looking at scripture what really should be our motivation to pray?
There is a motivation that I want to present for us to ponder.
God has set two commandments before us to live by. Matt 22 vs 36-40 says:
“36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38. This is the first and great commandment.
39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.,
These commandments represent a foundational principle of our faith and should be guide our prayers.
Let’s look at that foundational principle: the *Foundation of prayer: God’s Love
Look at I John 4:8. It states: “God is love.” The greatest two commandments found in Matt 22:36-40 are:
- To love the Lord our God.
- To love our neighbor as ourselves.
These commandments are relational and show us that God wants us to operate in His love, which is His law of love. – God’s Love sent Christ to sacrifice His life for us. That demonstration of God’s love shown by Christ, shows that we should love others with a love that is willing to make significant sacrifices for others. Sacrificial love that comes from the heart, can help open the hearts of others so they may be receptive to what God has done for them at Calvary. Christ said ‘By this shall all men know you are my disciples if you have ‘love one to another’ John 13:35. When we show that love, we are also lifting up Jesus. Lifting up Jesus is lifting up God’s love, and there is a wonderful thing that will happen when we lift Jesus up. John 12:32 says ‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ That is a wonderful promise. Christ gave us an example of this love by his demonstrating sacrificial love coming from the heart of God, by dying for us on the Cross. The source of that sacrificial love is God, who is love.
How does that Love relate to prayer? If we want to see God’s love in action when we pray, then we must let God’s love be a motivating factor behind each prayer we pray, which may involve action -- sacrificial action as part of our prayer. When we do, prayer becomes an act of love.
God wants us to depend on Him for His power which operates through love for others, whom we come across in our lives. God’s power is in His love that shed Christ’s blood for us a Calvary. That love has made a relationship with God possible and it can direct our prayers in the way of love.
We should ask ourselves when we pray, do we want to see the Love of God encourage and work in others?
With the understanding that the foundation of prayer is Love, God’s Love, sacrificial love, we are perhaps ready to understand what praying really is?
The next article shows prayer in a different light—not just asking—but much more. Prayer is part of a relationship. A relationship of love that draws us to pray!
Let’s look at the Biblical root of the word pray. The Biblical root of the word pray will help in our understanding of where the word pray comes from. Much of what we think about prayer comes from modern concepts. Prayer has been around for a long, long time and a study of the root will help us to recognize basic principles in prayer.
Biblical Root of the Word: Pray
by
Lewis Turner
If most of us were asked to define prayer, probably the majority would say ‘asking God for something’. Unfortunately that may be the limit of our understanding of prayer.
There is much more to prayer, and the Hebrew language used in writing the Old Testament in the Bible is a good place to go to teach us about prayer.
In the Bible, in the Old Testament, which was originally written in Hebrew, the word used for prayer is tephillah written תְּפִלָּה. It means intercession, or supplication (earnest prayer of petition); In implication - a hymn. A Prayer can be a Psalm and many of the Psalms in the Bible are actually prayers, and are a part of communication with God. A closer examination of the word tephillah we find the root word palal written: פָּלַל. It means to judge; by extension to intercede, pray: entreat, judge(-ment), make pray(-er,-ing), make supplication. We usually think of supplication as a presentation of requests. A close study of the Hebrew letters use in the word for prayer and the word for supplication shows that prayer and supplication are related to the covenant of God—God’s word, and that speaking is involved. To make that easier to understand, prayer involves speaking in accordance with God’s Word.
Prayer is not just speaking, but praying is an act of communication with God, indicating that a relationship exists.
From what we saw in the word meanings above, there are some basics that we can conclude are true about prayer.
- One is prayer comes out of relationship where we commune and talk with God. This indicates a relationship exists. A note of expanding on the area of relationship. The relationship referred to is a relationship with God. Looking at I John 4: 8, which says “God is Love”, then that relationship is a relationship of Love.
- We also find that intercession and supplication are a part of prayer
- Also, we find the ancients used music and psalms. Much of our worship of God is done through music. King David certainly used music, and wrote a number of psalms in the book of Psalms. Looking at his example, we could say that the expression of music is part of prayer. That one may be new to some of you, but it can be definitely a part of prayer.
- Prayer involves speaking in accordance with God’s Word.
Relationship, intercession and supplication, and worship are what we could call basics of prayer. Today, we may view aspects of prayer a bit differently with more detail, but these basic of prayer will be seen again and again as we pray.
Truly, prayer that comes out of a relationship with God and is built upon a solid foundation found in God’s Word. That foundation is God’s Love. (I John 4:8)
Assignment:
1. Take time to review this lesson, and as you pray, Make notes for yourselves where you are in your prayer. Ask yourself what motivated you to make prayer a focus in your life. If prayer is an act of God’s Love, does that have an impact on your focus? Let these be a type of reflective notes that will help you as we progress through the course.
2. When Christ draws people to himself—What is he really doing and communicating to those people.
3. If God has set two commandments before us to live by, which represent a fundamental principle of our faith, how should those two commandments affect our prayers?
4. If God’s love is not a motivating our prayers what is????
Reading for next lesson: Recommend reading chapter 1 of our primary text for next week.
Next lesson we will be looking at:
Looking at scripture, and learning to recognize focus points or keys that can guide our prayers.
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I do all sorts of prayers…often quick target ones when I am in a situation where prayer is needed and I do not have the time to go off by myself…I could be in the car and see an emergency vehicle go past me…or I could be listening to the news and I stop everything to pray. Often I am overwhelmed by the needs of those around me and my soul cries out within me…but the best time is to go off by myself and rest in Him…because in this time, I am in his peace and love and just be there….or my mind will just flow out with my love for those everywhere…..but as you have indicated…this is an extension of being …being with God…filled with His love…resting in his peace knowing that He is right here…with those around me…with those in need….He is right there with me, encouraging me to pray for them….to pray with them……or just to be with them…in His Presence…………...
I signed up for this class a long time ago….but now is the time I am actually taking it….I am seeking a deeper relationship with him. thank you for reminding me to step back….to slow down…to love…to step into His Love…to rest in Him….and to allow His Spirit to love me and to teach me how to submit to Him whole-heartedly….to love him in a deeper, all encompassing way……teach me to love others this way….…..unconditionally…...
Just to let you know that we had a wonderful prayer time last Tuesday. For an hour we prayed for our neighbors and friends who do not yet know the Lord.
Wow! Thank you for this insight. That love should be the motivating factor in prayer is an eye-opener to me. My prayers for others from now on will be different (out of love, I will be praying...) And worship will be an expression of my love for God...I look forward to the next lesson... I will be sharing this nugget of truth to my prayer group this afternoon.
Thank you for sharing your discovery--When people get excited about our Lord--that's a blessing that will encourage others!
ok when I pray I usually write them down so when there is a prayer meeting I basically sit there and pray silentl. I am afraid to pray out loud.
Jeanne, I've been experiencing at greater depth that God made each of us so unique and complementary so together we can reflect so many facets of our God's image, even all creation. I'm learning that in different prayer settings God may lead me differently too ...I tend to be more silent too and for awhile wondered if I was afraid, but the more I focus on God I am more able to be led by the Spirit and be comfortable (and others are too I think) how God leads each of us. I appreciate you sharing that. Cathy
Lewis, I just started back on Lesson 4, then 3 and then I started from the beginning with Lesson 1 now. I wanted to share that this is very powerful to re-experience these lessons from a renewed place the Lord has me right now, sitting at Jesus feet with more full attention and abiding and what He has done in opening more of my heart to His heart.
It is so beautiful how new treasures are discovered in scripture and I wanted to share that this from Lesson One: John 12:32 says ‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ for application in our lives today is that as each Believer makes God more central in their lives and more exalted / worshipped and loved, then the Spirit of God and the Good News will that much more reverberate throughout the earth so that those who do not yet know will be more drawn to Jesus Christ.
I praise God !!! for how He has led you in developing and sharing these studies in both narrative and oral and I going to pursue learning in depth from them and what other brothers and sisters share here.
How God made me, I may also tend to appreciate the quietness of learning this way too to be able to take the pace of grace that God gives to be able to slowly listen and hear and respond to God's heart / the Holy Spirit.
God bless you and all, Cathy
What you shared Cathy--is a blessing just to hear it. I know others will be encouraged too.
Blessings--Lewis
1- Motivation- Myy prayer life is motivated by God who gives prayer requests. Like pray for America, Europe, Africa and so and so!! I remain in prayer till He says stop!! It seems funny!!!
2-On the 21.2.07 the voice said " I have drawn you to me in order to put on a permanent communicating unobstructed phone line" Jesus drws us in order to let kknow his will and secrets - Psalm 25:14
3-Two commandments unite us with God and creation and encourage us to pray waiting for the kingdom of God to come.
4- If there is no love motivation it is hell on earth.
-Looking at scriptures and leaning help us remain grounded and rooted in biblical principles- Love in short.
-The nnext lesson wilp us looking at God's purposes...
Jerome
In Jesus
Thank you for sharing, and may your Love for God and our Lord Jesus grow strong as you seek Him with your whole heart. God's love, indeed, moves us to pray.
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