Prayer Partner (II)
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The Life of Abraham: Living Out God’s Story | Prayer Partner
Bible Reference: Genesis 18:22-33
Big idea: God gave us the amazing gift of prayer, but we have to learn how to pray effectual prayers.
Prayer Partner (II)
To accomplish His Will on earth, God desires to partner with us through prayer. However, sometimes our prayers are ineffectual.
John 14:13-14
Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
James 4:2-3
You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
In this session we will learn 5 ways to pray effectual prayers.
#1 Pray with Knowledge
Genesis 18:25-26
You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?” 26 The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Here we see that Abraham was not praying for God to spare the wicked, who had to be stopped. He was praying according to God’s character, that God would spare the righteous people in the city. To pray effectual prayers, we have to pray knowing God’s character.
How do we grow in this knowledge?
John 15:7
If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
We will have to read God’s word and spend time in prayer with Him. The closer your relationship with Jesus, the more you will know Him and the more you will pray according to His character and will.
#2 Pray with Love
When God revealed His plan of judgment toward Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham takes the risk of offending God with his questions. Abraham’s prayer was motivated by love – for his nephew Lot, his family and other Sodomites he had rescued earlier.
1 John 4:8
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
To pray effectual prayers, we have to share God’s heart of love. Every prayer that Jesus made was motivated by love.
Matthew 14:14
When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
1 Corinthians 4:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Do your prayers represent God’s heart?
#3 Pray with Humility
Genesis 18:27-28
Then Abraham answered, “Since I have ventured to speak to my lord—even though I am dust and ashes—28 suppose the fifty righteous lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
Even though God calls Abraham His friend, Abraham does not speak in a presumptuous way. He respects God. For our prayers to be effectual, we have to pray with humility like Abraham.
James 4:6
As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
We can develop humility in prayer through incorporating worship, gratitude, repentance and intercession before presenting our prayers and requests to God.
#4 Pray with Perserverence
Genesis 18:32
Then he said, “Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time. Suppose ten are found there?” He answered, “I will not destroy it on account of ten.”
Matthew 7:7
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you."
This world values what is instant, but God’s Kingdom values what is lasting. To pray effectual prayers, we have to learn to persevere in prayer.
Perseverance is important in 2 ways:
It expresses faith.
James 1:6-7 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
It builds faith, because faith grows in the tension between what is and what will be.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
#5 Pray with Trust
Genesis 18:33
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
Why did Abraham stop at 10 people as his last request? It is possible that he figured out that whatever happens after that, that God will always do what is good, just and merciful. He decided he did not need to pray any further, but instead that he could trust God with the outcome.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Sometimes situations in our lives can get so complex and the most effective prayer that we can pray is “Lord, let Your Will be done”.
To pray effectual prayers, we have to be able to leave a situation in God’s hand knowing He always knows best and that He will always do what is good and right.