Series Two: The Man of God

This section deals with the great difficulty of remaining faithful in prayer during the Christian life. Consistent communion with God is a difficult discipline. Even those who have lived long enough to develop a certain pattern know that there are certain infirmities that can continue to plague their consistency. This lesson will help in personal examination to identify weaknesses in your own life that inhibit prayerful dependence on the Lord.

It would not be an overstatement to say that everyone doesn’t pray as they should. Perhaps you are not struggling in fervent prayer now, but you have before and you will again. This is, of course, due in part to our sinfulness, which still plagues us on a day-to-day basis. Even the most seasoned of saints will tell you of times when they know they have been neglectful in prayer.

What does prayer represent? Dependence. In prayer we have a growing understanding of our need to rely on the Lord for even the most seemingly “mundane” things. We can be quick to forget about our need for His grace and think that we can tackle the day in our own strength. We become self-reliant. When this happens, our prayer life suffers. We’ll now look at several other hindrances that lead to a life that lacks prayer, followed by positive dispositions that should mark a Christian’s life.

1. We must be aware of hindrances to a life of dependent prayer. (Spoiler alert: they all have to do with you!)
   1. Lack of belief (Prayer is an act of faith.)
      1. Must believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6)
      2. Must believe that God is there and interested in your prayer
      3. Must understand that His answer may not be what, when, or how you expect it
      4. Must believe that His answer is best
      5. Must not depend on giving answers to every question we have, but cling to Him in faith
   2. Lack of persistence
      1. We are used to immediate responses in day-to-day life.
         1. This is conditioned by culture and society.
         2. If we don’t hear an immediate response, we cut off communication.
      2. Not receiving immediate responses gives us long-term needs to be prayerful over.
         1. God draws us to Himself in regular communion through our needs over which we pray continually.
         2. At times God does not give us what we ask for because we will spend it on ourselves (Jas 4:3).
   3. Lack of preparedness
      1. Distractions abound.
         1. New dynamics are thrown at you every day.
         2. The struggle now is more difficult than in years past.
         3. Technology, hobbies, etc. are not the problem—our hearts are.
         4. We love to be exposed to all sorts of things, but most of it is not helpful to the Christian life when unbalanced.
         5. We have altogether given up on meditation (Ps 1:2).
      2. Make the time you need.
         1. Christ is the model for prayer.
         2. Christ secluded Himself at times to pray (Luke 5:16).
2. We must work to cultivate the following dispositions toward God in prayer.
   1. Readiness
      1. Put on the armor of God (Eph 6).
         1. The armor is not meant to be merely contemplated.
         2. Be convicted by what the armor is and live by it.
         3. The armor protects you from temptation.
      2. “Pray at all times in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18).
         1. There is a great readiness implied.
         2. Submissiveness to the Holy Spirit is expressed.
         3. We don’t know how to pray as we ought. (Rom 8:26).
         4. Our weakest prayers are perfectly translated by the Holy Spirit.
         5. The Holy Spirit knows our hearts and weaknesses.
   2. Devotion and alertness in prayer (Col 4:2)
      • Philippians 1:9–10 offers a parallel idea. We need to petition God in prayer in order to prove what is excellent. This offers protection from sin, and failure here results in vulnerability and the lack of discernment.
      1. We are too often self-reliant.
      2. We must be spiritually desperate.
      3. We need God’s power, grace, and strength every day (Col 1:9).
      4. We need God’s wisdom to walk worthy (Col 1:9–10).
         1. Every day we get up there’s an opportunity for Satan to keep you from walking worthy.
         2. Sin crouches at the door threating atrophy in the Christian life.
   3. Submissiveness and surrender
      1. Prayer that is consistent with what you know about God and His will
      2. Prayer that seeks to be obedient to what God says
         1. This is a yieldedness to the Lord (Eph 6:18; Jude 20).
         2. You cannot be selfish in prayer.
         3. You cannot pray in the Spirit and be submissive if you have become stubborn against the truth.
         4. God wants our pride crushed.
         5. God is patient, but determined.
         6. God may use circumstances/trials to bring about submissiveness.
            • Trials test our theology regarding God’s sovereignty.
            • Trials drive us to prayer.
            • Trials give us a great opportunity to grow in our faith and prayer.
   4. Spiritual concern
      1. We must cultivate a concern for what really matters: spiritual growth and maturity.
         1. Pray with a concern for others to stand complete (Col 4:12–13).
         2. Pray with the same intensity as Paul demonstrated (Col 2:1–10).
         3. Don’t always pray for relief from the trial, but how you can grow through it.
         4. Know that tests and trials produce endurance.
      2. We must cultivate a concern for discernment (Phil 1:9).