Bible Study Thoughts 1-19-2021

Prayer is important

That God takes delight in me (Zeph. 3:17), is enthralled by my
beauty (Ps. 45:11), and loves me unconditionally (Jer. 31:3) are truths I am still learning to believe.

If past experiences hinder the new believers you know from accepting God’s unconditional love, direct and encourage them in the process of releasing those experiences to Him for redemption. Share Ps. 103:8-14 with them, verses 8-10 and 13 in particular: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. . . . As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”

Prayer is a language of humility.

Prayer is a new language, and it takes time to learn. Encourage young believers to keep it simple. It’s so easy for a novice to become overwhelmed or to be intimidated by the fluent prayers of others. Encourage new believers simply to listen and learn when veteran members of God’s family are praying. Reassure them that all prayers from the heart are acceptable to God. Remind them that God is patient, and He understands the learning curve!

Mt. 6:5, 7: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. . . . And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

a simple way to approach God in prayer: I’m sorry (confession and repentance), thank you (gratitude), and please (petition). Searching for and admitting where I am wrong opens the door for honest communication with God. Scripture tells me that if I miss this important step, the Lord will not hear me when I pray (Ps. 66:18). Repenting of sin wipes it away and brings refreshment from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). Gratitude acknowledges the many blessings I have been given, through no effort of my own. Then I am ready to bring my requests for myself or others humbly to Him.

Prayer is a conversation.

While God does want to grant us the desires of our hearts, those desires should not be our primary motivation for prayer. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” It delights God when we delight in Him by praising Him, thanking Him, seeking Him, and listening to Him. Receiving the desires of our heart is a by-product of the conversation.

Prayer is a habit.

I once read that it takes 28 days to develop a habit. If I want to nurture my relationship with God, I must develop the habit of spending time with Him—talking to Him, listening to Him, and making Him a priority in my life. Teach new Christians that although prayer can be done any time and anywhere, it’s important to reserve some quiet times for intimacy with God. Remind them how difficult it is to have a conversation with someone in a crowded room. Jesus often drew away from the others for prayer, especially when He needed alone time with His Father or when
He had an important decision to make (Lk. 6:12). He also taught about the importance of quiet times for prayer in Mt. 6:6: “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”

…..praying “in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests” (Eph. 6:18)