Page 8 - The Importance of Prayer Student Textbook

teach are nothing but human rules. Can we pretend to honor God with our prayers but when we closely
examine them, they are more man centered than God centered. The Psalmist seemed to think so and he
prayed in Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy
sight oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

When we look at Jeremiah 33:3 in its context it will reveal that God was hurt that Israel had abandoned
their love relationship with Him according to verse 5. Because of this God had abandoned them to
judgement at the hand of a heathen nation. But in verse 6 He expresses that a time will come when they
would call upon Him again and He would heal them. But notice that the context of this prayer promise is
a call to a love relationship with Himself. He longs for us to enter this relationship with Himself and His
blessed Son. The results of doing this is a knowledge or understanding of the highest. Another similar
invitation to prayer is found in Ephesians 3:20. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Can we fully understand these two invitations? In
Jeremiah He says, I want to show you great and mighty things that are not yet known. In Ephesians He
tells us that the power of the Holy Spirit which is at work in our lives and wants to take us to new heights
in our walk with Him, which are beyond our capacity to think. I want to challenge you to go with me on
this great adventure as we enter into the omnipotence of God. But let me start by reminding us that it’s
all about Him, it’s not about us. As we begin our discussion about prayer please put aside your thoughts
about creaturely comforts which often revolve around material things our flesh so desires. When God
began to describe what he had done in Egypt to his chosen people He described his actions in these
words that are found in Exodus 19:4. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried
you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. He so longed for the Israelites to pursue Him intimately,
so in His own power, he could demonstrate His very life through them.

Some of you who are reading this syllabus will be at the beginning of your prayer journey. Like Samuel, it
would be good to learn how to pray the Samuel prayer for listening ears to hear what the Spirit would
want to say to you. In I Samuel chapter 3 Samuel was just beginning to learn to listen to the Lord as He
was trying to speak to Samuel. He was advised to pray this prayer, speak lord, for your servant is
listening. (I Samuel 3:10) Andrew Murray sounds off this warning about learning how to pray the Samuel
prayer. He said, “if we do not learn how to pray when we are younger, we will stumble at it all of our
lives”. I am not sure we ever outgrow this prayer. Another similar prayer to begin to pray at the
beginning of your spiritual journey is the supreme prayer of the learner found in Psalm 119:18 Open
thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I will say this several times
throughout this course. We never pray these prayers so that we can have greater knowledge, we pray
these prayers so that we can have greater obedience and intimacy for His glory. It is important that we
remind ourselves that we are to be doers of the word and not hearers only. (James 1:22) Because of the
importance of the last two sentences I must repeat myself, we never pray these prayers so that we can
have greater knowledge, we pray these prayers so that we can have greater obedience and intimacy for
His glory. If our teaching and praying is man centered it will be all about gaining knowledge. However, if
it is God centered it will be about our obedience to Him, for the purpose of gaining intimacy, for His
glory. Would you pause just a moment and ask God right now to show you a truth about Himself that is
not a truth about you?

Preachers of old have written about this great prayer adventure. Charles Spurgeon wrote, that prayer is
“the slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence”. Prayer influences men by influencing God
to influence them. If you want to lead well, then you must pray well. Henry Blackaby wrote, “More than
any other single thing leaders do, it is their prayer life that will determine their effectiveness”. Andrew
Murry wrote, “the highest part of the work entrusted to us, the root and strength of all other work…

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