Notes from Week 2

Girls’ Small Group – Prayer

Week II – Focusing on God

(notes reliant heavily on Pray with Your Eyes Open – Pratt)

I. Review – We will be studying 3 areas of prayer: Looking at God, Looking at ourselves, Looking at our communication.

1. We defined prayer – “Believers communicating with God.”

2. We said that in this definition we must first acknowledge the recipient (God), secondly we acknowledge that we as the source are involved in our prayers (our attitudes, circumstances, feelings, thought, all are parts of our prayers), and thirdly that prayer is a verb. We are doing something – communicating.

3. Matt 6:5-8 teaches us not only how to pray but what to avoid in prayers.

4. We discussed some of the problems that could / do arise in prayer – We don’t feel like we pray enough, we don’t feel we pray “rightly”, we often pray memorized or superficial prayers.

5. We broadened our definition to be sincere communication with God. Ed uses the following definition for prayer: “Prayer is earnest communication with our Father.”

6. We talked also about the characteristics of God last week and discussed our tendency to focus on just one part or aspect of Him when we pray. We know not to have this one sided concept of God – but – we can be assured that He, as our heavenly Father, hears and delights in our prayers. Even when we don’t know the words to say – the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. We know prayer is necessary and essential and that though our prayers our personal relationship with the Lord is grown and deepened.

7. We looked at the variety of the Psalmists prayers.

8. We challenged ourselves to intentionally pray in areas we had been avoiding talking to God about.

II. Looking at God

1. We are to look to Him as completely dependent servants. (Ps 123:1 – 2 We are slaves looking to His hands.” When we pray we are to acknowledge Him as provider for all our needs.

*Heb 4:16 – tells us we can ask for these things with confidence

* II Sam 7:27 – 29 - tells us He will bless His servants

2. We are to address God when we pray. The Bible gives us many ways of addressing God: Righteous Judge, Prince of Peace, Word of Life, etc… Try this week to address Him differently than usual. Ie. for the particular prayer – Master Potter when asking for growth vs. God.

3. We are to look to God in our prayers with Fascination

* Ps 15 :1 – 3 Look at the different “addresses” / descriptions the Psalmist uses her

* Note the metaphors – God as: My Rock, Fortress, Shield, Stronghold

These bring to mind specific images and emotional reactions

- Not only are we to admire and contemplate the character of God when we pray, we should also stand in awe of His actions

4) We are to look to and acknowledge God’s Actions / Deeds when we pray

- Don’t be limited in our perspective. Try to identify the many ways God acts not only in our lives but in His world.

a. God has sustained His people in the past –

Ps 77:11 – 20 – Bringing His people across the Red Sea – Meditate and pray though Scripture of His mighty works of Old.

b. The Lord is actively working in the present -

Ps 18:46 – The Lord Lives!

c. The Lord knows our future and is growing us accordingly

Valley of Vision Puritan Prayer - “Heavenly Father, if I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize Thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is Thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to Thee, acknowledging this as the highest testimony of Thy love.

When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul instead of sin He became more dear to me than sin had formerly been; His kindly rule replaced sin's tyranny. Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued I must not only labour to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and He must become to me more than vile lust had been; that His sweetness, power, life may be there. Thus I must seek a grace from Him contrary to sin, but must not claim it apart from Himself.

When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in myself I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Though now I have His graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where Thou wilt show Thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day.

d. Our prayers depend on no merit of our own, but all their worth and hope of success are founded and depend on the promises of God, so they need no other support…It must be fixed in our minds…the command to pray is common to us…we are to lean on the Word of God… He will listen favorably to all…let their be sincerity of heart, the dissastifaction humility, and faith…Our most merciful Father will not reject those whom He urges and encourages to come…in prayer.” Institutes

5) We are to seek His presence when we pray

a. What does “His presence” mean – “He is near!”

Jer 23:23 – 34

Ps 46: 1-2

b. We are to desire that nearness.

Ps 73: 25 – 28

c. We have to be interested and want His presence

James 4:8

d. To be near – we must draw near – we must seek after Him when we pray.

III. Review / Application

- Pray this week with honest, freedom, and confidence. Focus on how you are in relationship

to God, how you call on Him, and what He has, does, and will do in His world.

- Start writing down areas to pray about in your life and those who ask you to pray for them. Be committed and intentional when you prayJ