Focus on Prayer

August 23

Children’s Prayers

"Lead us not into temptation but deliver us some e-mail,

Amen."

Children’s Prayers

"And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who

put trash in our baskets."

Children’s Prayers“Dear God, if you watch in church on Sunday, I’ll show you my new shoes.”

Children’s Prayers

“Dear God, please put another holiday

between Christmas and Easter, there’s

nothing good in there right now.”

For the next couple of weeks we want to study and become

involved in prayer

Focus on God’s Attributes

• For each of the following passages what attributes of God do you see listed? What actions of God do you see portrayed?

• 1 Chron. 16:10-12 (NIV) Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. [11] Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. [12] Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

Focus on God’s Attributes

• Neh. 9:17 (NIV) They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,

Focus on God’s Attributes

• Psalm 29:1-4 (NIV) Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. [2] Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. [3] The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. [4] The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.

Focus on God’s Attributes

• Psalm 86:15 (NIV) But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Focus on God’s Attributes

• Psalm 89:2-8 (NIV) I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. [3] You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, [4] 'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.' " Selah …

Focus on God’s Attributes

[5] The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. [6] For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? [7] In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. [8] O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Focus on God’s Attributes

• Psalm 99:2-3 (NIV) Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. [3] Let them praise your great and awesome name-- he is holy.

Focus on God’s Attributes

• Psalm 145:17-20 (NIV) The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. [18] The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. [19] He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. [20] The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

Focus on God’s Attributes

• Daniel 9:9 (NIV) The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;

• What other characteristics of God might you add to this list?

Holiness

• To be holy is to be distinct, separate, in a class by oneself.– primary meaning: separateness– ancient word that meant, ‘to cut’ – more accurate would be the phrase ‘a cut above

something.

Holiness

• The one who is holy is – uniquely holy– with no rivals or competition

• God is transcendentally separate– He is far above and beyond us– He seems almost totally foreign to us

Holiness

• When you come face to face with the holiness of God, how does this impact your daily life?

God

Prayer Together

• As a class and as individuals, let’s pray and praise Him for His holiness, for His awesome attributes• Pray aloud just short prayers … a sentence or two• As you feel led – pray aloud and praise God for

Who He is• _______ will open, start us off• I will close

Focus on Cleansing

• Contrast God’s holiness with our sin stained lives

• In the passages that follow– Look for sins we consider “acceptable”– Look for things we tolerate … even though they

are sin

Focus on Cleansing

• Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV) There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: [17] haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, [18] a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, [19] a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Focus on Cleansing

• Proverbs 8:13 (NIV) To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

• Zeph. 1:12 (NIV) At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.'

Focus on Cleansing

• 2 Cor. 12:20-21 (NIV) For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. [21] I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

Focus on Cleansing

• Ephes. 4:31 (NIV) Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Focus on Cleansing

• What of our affections and priorities can revolve around people and things more than Jesus? What kinds of things can be more important to us than Jesus is?

• In what ways do our actions, words, motives and attitudes sometimes not honor God?

Grieving the Holy Spirit

• To grieve: ‘to afflict with deep sorrow.’• Eph 4:29 – 31 ‘Let no unwholesome word

proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word that is good for edification according to the need at the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

In its context the Holy Spirit can be grieved

• when we return to those things from

which we should have been set free.

• bitterness, wrath and anger etc can

grieve the Holy Spirit

• because they deny what has happened

to us in being born again.

Praying Together

• In what areas of our lives might we return to old ways and grieve the Holy Spirit?

• As a class and as individuals, let’s pray – Ask God to search us– Show us common place sins– Help us to be willing to confess – Lead us into an attitude of brokenness and

repentance.

Application

• If the Holy Spirit has convicted (convinced) you of something, apply the verse – Proverbs 28:13 (NIV) He who conceals his sins

does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy

Application

• Be encouraged by this today: Philip. 1:6 (NIV) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

• Read more about the struggles of David, “a man after God’s own heart” in Ps 51

• Read the Daily Devotionals written by MBC Pastor and staff

Focus on Prayer

August 23