Volume 5: Prayer
Summary of Volume 5
In all of the gospels, Jesus is constantly faced with questions. Those who were threatened by Jesus questioned his intentions. Those who followed Jesus often questioned the meaning of his teachings. Even Jesus' closest disciples questioned his plans. In these questions, as Jesus, the rabbi, did so well, he would point to the deeper reality of God’s kingdom as his guiding principle. It was this hidden pearl that the disciples wanted to have access to. It may have been the hunger to know the source of Jesus’ strength, character, and resolve that prompted the disciples to ask, “teach us to pray.”
Prayer was the only practice that the gospel writers recorded as having been explicitly taught due to the disciples' request. The spiritual discipline of conversation with God must have been captivating to watch for the disciples, Jesus, in prayer, communed with the Godhead while being on earth. Jesus elevated prayer from ritualistic mumblings or from a wish list of requests to talking to and talking with God.
Over the next few weeks, we will learn how to pray like Jesus, pray with God, and hear God’s voice.
Topics
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Prayer may be a challenge for many of us. It can feel like the equivalent of “eating your vegetables.” You know you should, but it can feel so forced or performative. Yet, for Jesus, this was one of the most crucial habits that he incorporated in his everyday life. Simply put, Jesus saw prayer talking back and forth with God.
For us, the journey of growing in prayer will begin with talking to God.
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In our journey of prayer, we move from transformation through talking to God, to connection and intimacy by talking with God.
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God desires us to begin our journey in prayer searching for Him. Our relationship will reach His desired level of intimacy until we pause to listen to God. It’s in our listening that we follow in Jesus’ footsteps to see what the Father is doing, and partner with Him in bringing healing into the world.
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Prayer brings change to our world. As disciples to Jesus, we are able to partner with God in bringing Heaven to Earth through prayer. Prayer is our first priority and our first line of attack against the enemy, flesh, and the world. God is bringing healing to the whole world, and that happens both physically and spiritually.
