Class Summary, Session 2

The Lord’s Prayer: Praise God

Worship-based prayer seeks God’s presence.

“If all we ever do is seek God’s hand, we may miss His face; but if we seek His face, He will be glad to open His hand and satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts.” (Henderson)

Sustaining prayer vs. situational prayer. Sustaining prayer places us in the presence of God. Situational prayer is stimulated by the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Most of our prayer time should be spend in sustaining prayer.

Jesus was concerned about both why we pray (Matthew 6:5, 6) and how we pray (Matthew 6:7-9.

The Lord’s Prayer

  1. Say these words (Luke 11)
  2. Pray in this manner (Mathew 6)

Jesus was a master teacher. He wanted us to memorize the words so that we would have a prayer pattern imprinted in our minds. Then, we could expand on His words.

  1. What were the actual words? (The template or pattern.”
  2. What do the actual words mean? The kernel truths.
  3. The step beyond. Where is He leading us with this? Expound, expand, and apply.
  1. The words: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by Thy name.
  2. The meaning:

a.You are our Father.

b.You are not of this world, and are neither bound by it nor dependent on it.

c.You are holy.

  1. The step beyond: To praise God by talking to Him about who He is.

Discovering God’s attributes.

We learn about God, not from human reasoning, but from His Spirit and His Word.

The scriptures are filled with the revelation of God.

Assignment:

  1. Study the scriptures a chapter at a time. Do so with a note pad beside you.
  2. Be looking for attributes of God. Every time you notice one, jot down the verse number and the attribute.
  3. Begin your prayer by using these listed attributes to shape and inform your praise. You will find an inexhaustible well of praise.