Prayer: A Direct Line to God… Week 1

Are you a sayer and prayer or are you a sayer and stayer?

Many people SAY they will pray for someone or about something, but in all actually, they just stay in the same place and not do anything at all. Telling someone that we’ll pray for them is really easy.. but how many of us actually say the prayer we promised? When we seek counsel from other people about a decision and they tell us “Pray over it” how often do we actually pray?

• What is keeping you from praying? A
• Are you unsure how to talk to God?
• Are you unsure of how to pray?

You are not alone. Even the disciples were unsure of how to pray. In Matthew 6:1-13 and Luke 11:1-13, Jesus addresses these questions. He talks to them about prayer. I encourage you to take out your Bible and look at these two chapters.

• What are the questions you see the disciples asking?
• Do you ever have the same questions?
• What is Jesus’ response to them?
• What is his response to you?
• What are the prayers of your heart?
• What’s keeping you from talking to God?

Essentially, praying is just talking to God. It’s just opening up your heart and using your voice to communicate what you are saying. James 4:2 says “you have not because you ask not”

• What have you not asked for?
• What are the things that God has not been able to provide because you have not used your voice to talk to him.

Matthew 7:7-11 says ( I love how the Message Bible puts it):

•                 “7–11       “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?”[1]

God wants to hear from you. He wants you to come to him with everything. Prayer is the doorway to God. He hears our hearts, he hears our cries, he hears you!!

Write out your prayer for the day. Get a spiral notebook or send yourself and email and every morning, write down your prayers. Then, as God answers them, go back and check them off. What are you going to prayer for?


[1] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 2002), Mt 7:7–11.