ReFormation: Prayer

Date
October 15, 2017
Speaker
Pastor Ryan Flunker
Topic
Prayer, Spiritual Growth
Series
Re-Formation
Book
Matthew

Prayer has had many forms throughout the years of the Christian church, and even today our culture has many expressions for calling out to the Lord. The problem is many of us have subconsciously inherited one of these forms without recognizing the potentials for its deficiencies when it comes to expressing and understanding prayer.

Today we will continue our walk though Matthew 6 to examine what Jesus says concerning prayer, and how it squares with our expectations, practices, and common misconceptions.

Misconceptions on Prayer

Righteousness – Prayer make you holy
Quantity – More prayer means God will hear you

1 Kings 18:26-28

26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed.
Superstition – Prayer magically blesses things
Power – There is power in prayer?
Incantation – I must say the right words to get God to hear me

Romans 8:26-27

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
Genie – Ask and you shall receive