1. THE POWER OF
PRAYER
(SENIOR CLASS,
LESSON 4)
BIBLE READING: MATTHEW
6:5-15
MEMORY VERSE: JAMES 1:5
IF ANY OF YOU LACKS
WISDOM, YOU SHOULD
ASK GOD, WHO GIVES
GENEROUSLY TO ALL
WITHOUT FINDING FAULT,
AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO
YOU.
3. QUESTION?
Do you pray?
If yes, Why you pray?
When do you pray?
How much time you set apart for prayer?
How do you pray?
Do you have family prayers? How often?
4. DOES GOD LISTEN TO OUR PRAYERS?
• NO, GOD DOESN’T LISTEN TO THE PRAYERS OF WICKED.
• YES: GOD LISTENS TO THE PRAYERS OF HIS CHILDREN.
• YES: GOD LISTENS TO THE PRAYERS OF A SINNER WHO REPENT.
5. WHAT IS PRAYER? WHAT IS
NOT PRAYER?
The most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer
is the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to
communicate his emotions and desires with God and to
fellowship with God.
As a baby cries to his or her mother, so the cry of a CHILD OF
GOD to the Lord is prayer.
The wicked have no desire to pray (Psalm 10:4), but the
children of God have a natural desire to pray (Luke 11:1).
Prayer is described in the Bible as seeking God’s favor
(Exodus 32:11), pouring out one’s soul to the Lord (1 Samuel
1:15), crying out to heaven (2 Chronicles 32:20), drawing near
to God (Psalm 73:28, KJV), and kneeling before the Father
(Ephesians 3:14).
Prayer can be audible or silent, private or public, formal or
informal.
6. WHY PRAY?
• For one thing, prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him.
• We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7).
• Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (Mark 1:35; Acts
1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3).
• Prayer is a means of discerning His will (see James 1:5).
• If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also.
• Because Prayer is our means of “plugging into” God’s power, it is our means of defeating Satan
and his army that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves.
• We pray in preparation for major decisions (Luke 6:12-13); to overcome demonic barriers
(Matthew 17:14-21); to gather workers for the spiritual harvest (Luke 10:2); to gain strength to
overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41); and to obtain the means of strengthening others
spiritually (Ephesians 6:18-19).
7. HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE PRAY?
The biblical answer is “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
8. HOW
So, what is the proper way to pray? Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to pray without being anxious, to pray
about everything, and to pray with thankful hearts.
All prayer must be offered in faith (James 1:6), in the name of the Lord Jesus (John 16:23), and in the
power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). As the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia puts it,
“Christian prayer in its full New Testament meaning is prayer addressed to God as
Father, in the name of Christ as Mediator, and through the enabling grace of the
indwelling Spirit” (“Prayer” by J. C. Lambert).
God is far more interested in our hearts when we pray than He is in our words.
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be
heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:6-7). In prayer, we are to pour out our hearts to God
(Philippians 4:6-7), not simply recite memorized words to God.
9. HOW TO PRAY: A MODEL: - A. C. T. S.
Adoration – The A in the ACTS model stands for adoration, which means worship—glorying and exalting
God. Through adoration, we show our loyalty and admiration of our Father. As we pray, we are called to
worship God in adoration. This could be a song of praise to Him, praying a psalm of worship, declaring
His attributes, or a myriad of other forms of worship.
Confession – The C in the ACTS model stands for confession. The word confess means “to agree with.”
When we confess our sins, we agree with God that we are wrong and that we have sinned against Him
by what we have said, thought, or done. God forgives us and restores our fellowship with Him (1 John
1:9).
Thanksgiving – The T represents thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6 says, “With thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God” (ESV). How is thanksgiving different from adoration? The difference is that
worship focuses on who God is; thanksgiving focuses on what God has done. We can thank God for
many things including His love, salvation, protection, and provision.
Supplication – The S stands for supplication, which refers to prayer for our and others’ needs. A
supplication is a request or petition. We may pray for mercy (Psalm 4:1), leading (Psalm 5:8), wisdom
(James 1:5), and much more.
10. THREE ANSWERS TO PRAYER
YES (Peter and John prayed to God at the gate of beautiful, instant answer)
NO (Although “it was in the heart of David” (2 Chronicles 6:7) to build the temple, the
Lord said that this must be done by his son.)
WAIT…..I HAVE SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU. (Story of Jesus and Lazarus)
God only promises to grant our prayers when we ask according to His will.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we
ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
What does it mean to pray according to God’s will? Praying according to God’s will is
praying for things that honor and glorify God and/or praying for what the Bible clearly reveals
God’s will to be. If we pray for something that is not honoring to God or not God’s will for our lives,
God will not give what we ask for.
11. TO DO BY NEXT CLASS.
• Please don’t forget to pray everyday
• Learn Memory verse: ROMANS 12:1 and 2
• Read the assigned portion : Lesson 5: Not conform to the world, Daniel
1:1-21
• ASK QUESTIONS IF ANY.
13. BIBLE READING MATHEW
26: 36-45
MEMORY VERSE:
PHILIPPIANS 4: 6,7
6 DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT
ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERY
SITUATION, BY PRAYER AND
PETITION, WITH
THANKSGIVING, PRESENT
YOUR REQUESTS TO
GOD. 7 AND THE PEACE OF
GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS
ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL
GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND
YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.
POWER OF
PRAYER PART II
15. BACKGROUND
• Jesus goes to Gethsemane with his disciples
• He is very troubled and sorrowful
• He kneels in prayer before HIS FATHER asking the father to fulfill his
will
16. MATHEW 26: 36-45
• 36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go
over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be
sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.
Stay here and keep watch with me.”
• 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this
cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
• 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one
hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the
flesh is weak.”
• 42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away
unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
• 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and
went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
• 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has
come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.
17. NEVER FORGET…
• EVEN JESUS NEED TO PRAY
• HERE JESUS PRAYED 3 TIMES.
• PRAYER IS A WEAPON AGAINST OUR TROUBLES. TURN TO GOD IN PRAYER
• WHEN WE PRAY, SEEK HIS WILL IN OUR SITUATION, NOT OUR WILL.
• WATCH AND PRAY, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT FALL INTO TEMPTATION.
18. THREE ANSWERS TO PRAYER
YES (Peter and John prayed to God at the gate of beautiful, instant answer)
NO (Although “it was in the heart of David” (2 Chronicles 6:7) to build the temple, the
Lord said that this must be done by his son.)
WAIT…..I HAVE SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU. (Story of Jesus and Lazarus)
God only promises to grant our prayers when we ask according to His will.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we
ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
What does it mean to pray according to God’s will? Praying according to God’s will is
praying for things that honor and glorify God and/or praying for what the Bible clearly reveals
God’s will to be. If we pray for something that is not honoring to God or not God’s will for our lives,
God will not give what we ask for.
19. TEMPTATION
• WHO AND HOW?James 1:13-14 says, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is
tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each
person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.“
• MEANS OF TEMPTATION: 1 JOHN 2: 16 - For all that is in the world — the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the
world.
• Temptation is not of itself sinful. It becomes sin when we allow the temptation to
become action, even in our minds.
• BEST DEFENSE - FLEE: The best defense against giving in to temptation is to flee at
the first suggestion. Joseph is a great example of someone who did not allow
temptation to become sin (Genesis 39:6–12). “Flee the evil desires of youth” (2
Timothy 2:22)
20. LIFE APPLICATION
• WHAT ARE THE TROUBLES YOU FACE AS A TEEN?
• WHAT ARE THE TEMPTATIONS YOU FACE AS A TEEN?
