Lesson 1

WHAT IS PRAYER?

Prayer is:
(1) To ask
(2) To call
(3) To wish
(4) To desire
(5) To beseech
(6) To petition.

Prayer is offered to God in the name of the Lord Jesus (John 14:13-14). It must also be in accordance with His character and be presented in the same spirit of dependence and submission that marked His earthly ministry. (Psalm.40:7-8; Matthew.26:39; John 4:34; 5:19 & 30; 6:38).

  • Prayer is communion with our Creator and Maker (Psalm 100:3); it is a place where we engage in a loving fellowship with the Maker of Heaven and the Earth, who has graciously invited us into a covenant relationship with Him through the person of Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  (Genesis 3:8-9; Genesis.5:22-24; 6:9; Exodus 33:14-17; 1 John 1:3; Revelation.21:3-4)
  • Prayer is communication with God, where we Thank, Praise and Worship Him. We also come before Him to confess our sins and ask for our needs and desires. (Daniel. 2:20-23; 6:10; 9:4; John 11:41-44; Psalm.86:5 &12;1 Thessalonians.5:18)
  • Prayer is creative when uttered in faith, that is, to ask with confidence in God. (Matthew.21:22; Mark 11:24)

From the above, we can conclude that prayer is a privileged hotline, available to us as God’s children, and ambassadors on earth, as we seek for and execute His will.  Spending time with God in prayer is one of the greatest privileges we must exercise in order to live a victorious Christian live.

However, many are still confused about what prayer is, and wonder why they should pray.

MATTHEW 6 VERSE 9:

FOCUS OF PRAYER: OUR FATHER

  1. God the Father (Not an angel or anything created; animate or non-animate)

        Exodus 20:1-6; Deuteronomy. 5:6-11; John 4:23–24; Luke 11:2; Matthew 6:9

God the Father is the First person of the Trinity.

  1. Some Old Testaments References:   Isaiah 63:16-17; 64:8-9; Deuteronomy. 14:1-2; Hosea 11:1.Psalm.103:13 Jeremiah.31:20
  2.  New Testament References: Matthew. 6:8; 11:25-27; John.10:25-30; 14:16-17; Romans.1:7; 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians. 8:5-6; Ephesians. 4:5-6.

God the Father loves, communicates, thinks, and has a will. Although God is omnipresent in the universe, the Father has a special presence in Heaven. He has given us the authority to dominate the earth, hence the quote by Wesley that “without God man cannot, but without man God will not”.

Let us examine the Implications of God being a Father?

  • Relationship
  •  Reference
  •  Discipline
  •  Provision
  •  Protection
  • Direction

Courtesy:
Ilorin House Fellowship, Ilorin, NIGERIA

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