Study Suggestion Request

[AutumnBreeze]

I am doing a Bible study about prayer with a group. Do you have any suggestions for study guides or books?

 

[Aussie52]

You can't go past E M Bounds on prayer.

 

[GWH]

I am doing a Bible study about prayer with a group. Do you have any suggestions for study guides or books?

I suggest reading all Bible passages about prayer. Here is some of what I have learned:

The kerygmatic prayer that is necessary in order for a sinner be saved and walk with God is confession (1John 1:9, Psa. 32:1-5).
When a sinner learns the NT Gospel of Christ, repents and confesses Jesus as Lord (Acts 20:21, Rom. 10:9), the Holy Spirit (HS)
enters the convert’s heart (Rom. 5:5, Rev. 3:20), uniting them with God as heavenly Father (Rom. 8:14-16) and identifying them with Christ’s worldwide/catholic body or church (Col. 1:18), which moment is called spiritual rebirth (John 3:3-8) or “baptism by the Spirit” (1Cor. 12:13). The kerygmatic moment or stage of conversion may be described grammatically as occurring in the past: we were saved when we repented/received the baptism of the HS. From the moment of repentance onward begins the second stage of growth, discipleship (Acts 14:22) or sanctification (2Thes. 2:13).

The crux of God’s Word is the Gospel of salvation (kerygma), while the secondary teachings (didache) consist of the manifold applications of the law of love (1John 3:11). The Believer’s main types of responses to God’s Word are prayer to God and good works unto others for God (cf. 1John 4:20, Eph. 2:10). Prayer is simply talking to God. The power of prayer is God’s, and believers should not talk as though God would not act if they did not pray.

When Jesus taught believers how to pray (in Matt. 6:6-13), he said it should be done in secret and avoid babbling like pagans. He advocated praying for God’s will to be done, praying for physical needs, requesting forgiveness of sins as we forgive those who regret sinning against us, and seeking freedom from the tempter.

Paul exhorted believers (in Eph. 6:18) to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, which leads into a discussion of didachaic prayers/thoughts a believer might address to God.

When a believer confesses sin and is refilled by the Spirit, he/she experiences divine love, joy and peace (Gal. 5:22-23), which prompts prayers giving thanks. Jesus led a prayer of thanksgiving during the Last Supper (1Cor. 11:23-24). Paul frequently expressed thankfulness for believers he had helped to convert and who had helped support his ministry (1Thes. 1:2, Phil. 1:3). He instructed Believers to “Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.” (1Thes. 5:17-18)

A type of prayer akin to thanksgiving is praise, which expresses love and glory to God for who He is and what He means to us. Numerous Psalms express this type of prayer, from 9:1-2 to 150:1-6. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice [prayer] of praise.” Revelation 5:13 refers to prayers of praise in heaven: “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth . . . singing: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

A fourth kind of prayer is petition, which may be the most used and least understood type. The Lord’s Sample Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13) has a series of petitions. In Philippians 4:6 Paul taught: “By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” A petition in which we ask God for something on behalf of another person is called intercession. Paul frequently prayed for others (Eph. 1:16-18, Phil. 1:3-4&9, Col. 1:3&9), and he asked believers to pray for him (Eph. 6:18-20, Col. 4:3-4, 1Tim. 2:1, 2Thes. 3:1), so perhaps intercession should be our most frequent type of petition (Eph. 6:18b).

The privilege of petitioning God should not be viewed as a blank check, nor is the primary purpose of prayer to persuade God to do our will like a genie. Rather, in prayer we should express our agreement with the perfect will of God. As 1 John 5:14 says, “if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” Although agreement with God is not always mentioned (cf. Eph. 3:20, John 16:23), Jesus exemplified this principle when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-46). Pray for God’s will to be done.

Again, we should approach God’s “throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16) not to ask Him to do some good He otherwise would not do, but rather to remind ourselves of His presence and that He is the source of all blessings (Jam. 1:17). Prayer is like surfing: one does not need to ask God to send waves, but rather for readiness to ride them. In order to pray in accordance with God’s will, we must know God’s Word (John 15:7). Like bread and butter or romantic love and spiritual marriage, prayer and LGW go together.

We need to partake of the bread of truth (Matt. 6:10-11), because our souls need every word God speaks (Matt. 4:4). Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” (John 14:23). In order to obey, we must learn, even as Jesus did (Heb. 5:8). This is the reason believers should attend a local church (fellowship) where the pastor/lead learner is a good Bible teacher (Heb. 10:25, Rom. 10:14). The numerous practical problems we experience in this pre-heavenly life—poverty, war, disease, divorce, crime and so forth—find their solution to the extent that as many people as possible learn GW as soon as possible. Prayer is easy and can be done almost anywhere, but let us not neglect taking time and making effort to study Scripture.

Hope this helps.

 

[homwardbound]

I am doing a Bible study about prayer with a group. Do you have any suggestions for study guides or books?

Prayer, what is prayer? Is it my hands folded, my head bowed, to is tha only a position assumed?
I am saying this because of the scripture that says to no stop praying pray 24/7
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ("pray without ceasing"), Ephesians 6:18 ("pray at all times in the Spirit"), and Luke 18:1 ("always pray and never give up"), highlighting a lifestyle of, and reliance on, constant prayer.

If prayer is a position and we are to pray 24/7 not cease ever, then my hands folded, my head bowed and knees on the floor. I would never get anything else done would I, would you?

This is to see Father God in risen Son for us never leaves us, never forsakes us. We know not to go certain places. Right is right, wrong is wrong and we each know this is true in us each.
So why do we do those things we not want to do? Romans 7
Could it be we are not seeing by Son we are freed from being under Law through risen Son?
Fear is placed in many people by religion(s) "I" better not or else attitudes
Better pray about it, you need to see it my Highway or out on the highway you go!
God loves us all , everyone even the arrogant religions, the people all of us 1 John 2:1-27, by Son John 19:30 fulfilled the prophesy John 1:29 and now we are viewed reconciled forgiven by Father Col 1:21-22. So best to take Daddy on and continue on verse 23 of Col 1
This is the prayer of Paul to all to see the freedom win not being under Law any longer, now upholding Law Romans 3:31