Taking the Boredom out of Prayer
Written by Vonette Bright
Introduction
At the mention of prayer, many times people are bored with pious-sounding clichés or put under a tremendous load of guilt.
I trust in our time together prayer will be a joyful liberating experience and if you have not already experience it – your time in prayer will become so refreshing and enjoyed.
Our goal
To learn to be more effective in prayer and to gain a greater commitment to personal and corporate prayer. (Church, in groups)
Prayer is the greatest privilege
A. Access to the throne
- Share in the ministry of Christ
- Most powerful resource for change
- The first and only thing that will work is the last thing we try
B.
To many, however, prayer is boring
- Eyes go half mast
- A chore
- Done only out of obligation
- “Drowsy Prayer” a ritual to be rushed and ended
C. For prayer to be meaningful we must look at prayer as a means to a relationship
- Speaking to out Heavenly Father
- Developing a friendship with God
- Getting to know the way He works in the lives of men
- Getting to know His character, His precepts
- Spending time with Him, letting Him speak to you
Prayer patterns to employ
- Pray in modern language, in six words or less
- “Thank You” for one thing, e.g. The Lord Jesus, The beautiful day, etc.
- “Thank You” for something which has happened in your life in the past 24 hours “Please help….” (Yourself or someone else)
- Ask for one thing for yourself Thank God for how He will meet those desires and requests
- Choose a Psalm (Psalm 145-150:103) or another passage of praise scripture to pray back to God
- Choose a specific scripture related to a particular need
- Salvation
- Illness
- Areas of influence
· Government
· The home and family
· The church
· News and educational media
· Entertainment media
· Education
· Judicial system
· Business and commerce
· Medical services
- Talk to God as your best friend
- Philippians 4:5 – The King James version says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The Amplified Bible expounds, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition (definite requests) with thanksgiving continue to make your wants known to God, and God’s peace (be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace) which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
- Fenelon quote:
Tell God all that is in your heart
As one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures
And its pains, to a dear friend.
Tell Him your troubles, that He may comfort you:
Tell Him your joys that He may sober them;
Tell Him your longings, that He may purify them;
Talk to Him of your temptations that He may shield you from them;
Show Him the wounds of your heart, that He may heal them.
Lay bare your indifference to good,
Your depraved tastes for evil, your instability,
Tell Him how self-love makes you unjust to others,
How vanity tempts you to be insincere,
How pride disguises you to your self and others.
If you thus pour out all of your weaknesses, needs, troubles,
There will be no lack of what to say,
You will never exhaust the subject,
It is continually being renewed,
People who have no secrets from each other
Never want for subjects of conversation,
They do not weigh their words,
For there is nothing to be held back;
Neither do they seek for something to say,
They talk out of the abundance of the heart,
Without consideration they say
Just what they think.
Blessed are they who attain such
A familiar, unreserved relationship
With God.
- Prayer requires creativity and concentration
- Talking to someone you can not see
- Listening to a voice not audible
- Can be work and exhausting unless creative, inspirational and productive.
- Training is helpful – 80 year old after training said, “One hour goes zipping by.”
- Paul’s pattern of prayer
- Colossians 4:2-4 “Devote yourselves to prayer keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open the door for the Word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”
- This passage is obviously related to evangelism
- It may be to pray for an open door
- It may be to pray for boldness
- It may be to pray for an open heart of the non-believer
- may be to control circumstances
- Ephesians 6:18-20 (Put on the whole armour of God) “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chain; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
- Elements of prayer
- Adoration – Recognize God’s attributes, His nature
- Waiting – Develop a holy stillness in God’s presence
- Confession – “Temple cleansing time”
- Scripture – Word enriched prayer
- Watching – Develop a holy alertness
- Intercession – Praying for others
- Petition – Personal needs
- Thanksgiving – Blessings and trials
- Singing – Worship in song
- Meditation – mentally evaluate or ponder spiritual themes
- Listen – Receive spiritual instruction
- Praise – Begin and end with worshipping God· 5 Minutes on each point ·
- Pray the names of God
- Jehovah-Jireh: God, Our provider – Gen 22:14
- Jehovah-Rohpe: God, Our healer – Ex 15:26
- Jehovah-Nissi: God, Our banner of victory – Ex 17:15
- Jehovah-M’kaddesh: God, Our sanctification – Num 20:7
- Jehovah-Shalom: God, Our peace – Judges 6:24
- Jehovah-Rohi: God, Our righteousness – Jer 23:6
- Jehovah-Shammah: God, The ever-present one – Ezek 48:35
- A Prayer diary
- Prayer litany – Read Psalm 136
