I doubt if there is any Christian who has not, at times, found it difficult to pray. Many have asked the questions, “Do our prayers matter to God? Do they matter in real life and in the real world?”
Both the Scriptures and the experiences of countless believers over time say they do. If fact, prayer may be the single most important aspect of being a follower of Jesus. But prayer is not a formula or a way to simply get things we need, but the exercise of a personal relationship with the living God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Just as we don’t drift into a deep spirituality, we don’t drift into a deep prayer life. We will not grow in prayer unless we plan to pray and see it as a central part of a maturing faith. That means we must pray according to God’s will, in line with His values, and in conformity with His own character, purposes, and promises.
“Prayer flows from the posture of our hearts toward God, not from reaction to the world around us. When we pray, we step out of the fundamental reality of the world and into the fundamental reality of God, so we must begin by inviting God to reorder our affections.”
–Tyler Stanton, Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools
The goal of our August sermon series is to work through a few select prayers of the New Testament in such a way that we hear God speak to us today. We are aiming to discover strength and direction to improve our praying and adopt the Bible’s priorities as our own.
What we discover in these prayers is that the focus is not on our material needs or even the needs for the broader world, but on a deeper spiritual growth in our own lives. The desperate need of our time is not for successful Christians, popular Christians, or winsome Christians; it’s for deep Christians. The only way to become a deep Christian is through a deeper prayer life.
In this series we will look at prayers of the Apostle Paul from four of his New Testament letters. Each will focus on a key aspect of deeper prayer:
Discernment—daily guidance for what is best
Perseverance—strength to endure difficulty
Revelation— knowing God better
God’s Will—wisdom and power to live the life God desires
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
–Jesus (John 15.7)
As a part of this series, we are encouraging everyone in the church to find a prayer partner just for the month of August. A prayer card will be handed out this Sunday, August 4th, for this purpose. Deeper prayer is experienced not only through a deeper relationship with God, but with others who are praying with us and for us.
Finally, if you would like a summer read on deeper prayer, beyond the study of the Scriptures, you may find one of these titles helpful:
Praying with Paul, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, by D.A. Carson
Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer, by Tyler Stanton
A Praying Life, Connecting with God in a Distracting World, by Paul E. Miller
Prayer, Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, by Tim Keller
Praying, along with you, for a deeper knowing of God and His will for our lives and our church.
Pastor Rob
