In His Steps: Week 1 Passionate Prayer
“The reality is that a heart desire for prayer is lacking. Many do not know how to spend half an hour with God! It is not that they absolutely do not pray; they may pray every day—but they have no joy in prayer. Joy is the sign that God is everything to you.” Andrew Murray, Living a Prayerful Life
Question: What are the signs of being a part of the church?
Short Answer: Prayer
Eight Desires of a Praying Heart:
1. I want to be personally devoted to God.
(1 Kings 8:61) Be completely devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commands.
(James 4:8) Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
2. I want to be personally devoted to prayer.
(Colossians 4:2) Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
3. I want to meet with other believers to pray.
(Acts 1:14) They all met together and were constantly united in prayer…
4. I want to have other believers around me who will pray for me.
(2 Thessalonians 1:11–12) 11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5. I want to have other believers around me to pray for.
(Ephesians 6:18) Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
(Romans 15:30) Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.
(2 Corinthians 1:11) And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.
6. I want to choose prayer over gossip and condemnation.
(1 John 5:16–17) If you see a fellow believer sinning…you should pray…
7. I want to pray for God to be God in people’s lives.
(Philippians 1:9–11) 9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
(Ephesians 1:16–21) 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
8. I want to pray for the spread of the gospel.
(Colossians 4:3–4) 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
(Ephesians 6:19–20) 19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
(2 Thessalonians 3:1) Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.