Growing through discipleship Point 2

Jan 21, 2022 | by Teacher Michael Carter

We grow as disciples through developing a Prayer Life

Principle: Prayer is communicating with God. 1^st Timothy 2:1-4

Application: Set apart time to Develop a daily prayer life. Luke 18:1/ 1st Thessalonians 5:17

Growing as a disciple is undergirded with a developed prayer life

I use the term prayer life because there is a difference in spot praying or praying when you need something from God and a developed prayer life. Spot praying is when you need something from God, or your in a spot where you believe you need divine intervention so you pray. Or you participate in prayer at church. A developed prayer life is a setting apart from the world where you are praying regularly.

The Lord modeled daily prayer and taught His disciples to develop a daily prayer life. Mark 1:36 / Luke 5:16

It prompted them to ask Him to teach them to pray. Luke 11:1-13 To grow as a disciple, in our relationship with God and in our faith, we need a developed prayer life. Neither Jesus nor His disciples were spot prayers. The disciples watched the Lord’s daily habit of prayer and learned to develop a prayer life for themselves. Discipling His disciples into developing a prayer life was important to Jesus, So it should be important to us.

Prayer is open communion and communications with God.

One of the blessings of Jesus work on the cross was the restoration of our ability to commune with God face to face. When Jesus was crucified, the curtain of the temple was torn down. Matthew 27:50-5. This curtain signified the separator between us and God. Because the price was paid, and God has imputed righteousness unto us through Jesus Christ.

Because of Jesus, we are able to come to God ourselves in prayer. Corinthians 5:17-21 / Hebrews 4:16.

God has always invited and desired to commune with us in prayer.

Think of it as a marital relationship

How healthy and effective would your marriage be if you spoke to one another only on Sundays. Of when you needed something from one another. A healthy marriage requires regular communications and fellowship. Well. developing a healthy fervent relationship with God requires regular time with Him in fellowship in prayer. Fellowship with Him in a set aside quite environment where your focusing on him, and Him only.

However, developing a prayer life requires an intentional choice.

You've got to intentionally want to grow your prayer life. In today’s society and social order, our days are

so full and we can be very busy. Most are busy doing things that are necessary and we simply are living life.

This makes setting yourself apart to pray a challenge to most. However, even within our busy lives, we have

to find time to spend with God in prayer. Actually, it’s not about time, it’s about what’s important to you.

Most will make the time to do what they believe to be important to them.

If developing a prayer life is not that important you will not prioritize it and make the time to grow in prayer. So, you probably will not develop a prayer life. We develop a prayer life by viewing prayer as an important part of our lives. Then we most likely we will set apart the time to do it. And its not about how you feel. You may not feel like prayer. Developing a prayer life is an intentional choice to devote time to pray. Make prayer important and set apart the time to pray. Acts 3:1

There is always going to be something else to do. I’m sure the early church had responsibilities and other things to do as well. Yet, they deemed prayer important. So they committed to daily prayer as disciples.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was noted to be a man of prayer. He is reported as saying “I have so

much to do; I have to rise three hours early to pray”.

Prayer is one of the most important cornerstones in the faith and in relationship with God.

Prayer is where we are intimate with God, telling Him all of our concerns. 1^st Peter 5:6-7
Prayer is where we learn to be still and develop a listening ear for God. Habakkuk 2:1-2
Prayer is where we are filled and renewed. Jude 1:20 / 1^st Corinthians 14:4
Prayer is where we stop the madness, and quietly settle down our souls. Philippians 4:6-8
Prayer is where we express our thanksgiving, praise and worship towards God. Psalm 100

We develop a prayer life by setting ourselves apart unto God to pray. Habakkuk 2:1-2

I know there are those who would say that they pray while driving or getting ready for work. While all of that is good, it’s not a prayer life. A prayer life is us setting ourselves apart from the world and the day to day things that we do unto God to pray. You’re quietly before God, doing nothing else but focusing only on Him.

You have determined a time and a place to shut everything down to spend that time with God

Not only will you find that this gives you an opportunity to give yourself a break from it all, but it helps to settle your world down and it reduces stress. And it helps to re-center you. It’s a needed pause in everything to spend time with the one who can fix it all and who is everything. Shutting it all down in communion with God daily will absolutely change your life.

We developed a prayer life by becoming intimate and open with God. Philippians 4:6-8

It’s in the presence of God when we tell Him about all of our cares, failures short comings and concerns.

We pour it all out unto Him; withhold nothing from Him that’s in our lives or hearts. These are moments of humility that develop intimacy with God. It’s like baring it all with your doctor. With God, He already knows about it. He’s waiting to see if you are going to humble yourself and be honest and real with Him. Look at Luke 18:9-14. It’s not about being religious or eloquent, but real from the heart.

When we are real in our hearts with God, He will hear us. Psalm 10:17 / James 4:6

This open hearted intimate prayer grows your relationship with God and positions you to experience Hs move in your life. You’re not just talking to God; you’re listening for Him and responding to Him. It’s an exchange; you’re in heart to heart communion with God. When done daily, you position yourself to develop a listening ear to God, grow and experience His influence in your life.

We develop a prayer life through consistency and perseverance. Ephesians 6:18

The answer to your prayers may or may not occur in the time you desire or think they should. And keep in mind, there are situations that God has allowed or situations that our choices have placed us in. In any case, God can use it to mature us. So often the situation may not change because God is trying to change and mature you in it. Therefore, keep praying and persevere. He is doing a work in your heart and life.

Trust God, He has your back through the process. Proverbs 3:5-6

So, you’ve been praying and yet it appears that nothing is happening. First, we’ve got to move away from the thinking that prayer is always about asking God for something or needing Him to move. Partitioning Him is only one part of prayer. Prayer is communion with God. When we develop a true prayer life, there are several things occurring in those moments before God in prayer. We are exposing our hearts to Him. These are intimate moment of growth with God. These are moments that should pause to listen within to hear Him.

Think of it like spending time with your father.

But in God’s case, He is the perfect father. So you have no issues with Him as a father, only love appreciation and a greater desire to know Him. So, there in His presence, express your heart and be mindful to pause and listen within. Again, you’re in communion with God. It’s an exchange. God is doing a work in your heart and life in those moments. If He convicts your heart, repent of that issue. If He leads you, follow. But be ready to listen and follow God's promptings and direction. It's an interactive time of communion with God.

And in regards to answering prayer, there is a lot that may be going on that impacts that.

Again, God may be working a work in you. Or there may be mitigating circumstances that you don’t know about. Or there may be spiritual activities going on as in Daniel 10:12-17. No matter the cause or delay, it becomes a matter of trusting God. Developing a prayer life is about perseverance, faith and trusting God. He will work it our according to His will. Ephesians 1:11

Developing a prayer life is principled in the word of God. Isaiah 43:26 / Luke 22:15-20.

We are in a covenant with God sealed by the blood of Jesus. This is why we do communion, to remember that we are in a blood covenant with God. An within that covenant are principles and blessings. So when we pray, we don't just bring the problem to God; bring the answer that's in the covenant that speaks to His influence in that area. Base your prayers on the word of God. God is committed to keeping His word.

Choose to incorporate daily prayer in your life as a lifestyle. 1st Timothy 2:1-4

There are things we do consistently as a part of our daily routine. They become a matter of lifestyle that become muscle memory and habit. Over time, we don’t even think about it, we just do them. So when they are interrupted, we take note of it because it matters to us. This is because they are a part of our lifestyle and routine. When we pray daily, over time this will occur as well in regards to our prayer lives. When we don't pray, we will miss it.

As disciples, developing a prayer life is a cornerstone in our relationship with God and in our faith.

It’s not about how long you pray. It’s about setting yourself apart consistently preferably daily to pray.

Start with the time you set and commit to, and build from there. It will change your life. More than anything, it’s about consistency. If you miss a day, don't beat yourself up. Just get back in there the next day. Choose to make prayer a daily part of your life style, It will impact your life.

Over time, a developed prayer life will impact and change your life. It is difficult to spend quality time with God every day and not change.

Commit to developing a daily prayer life by creating an environment that welcomes God’s presence.

Uninterrupted and quite – Set you self apart from everything. You want a quite environment
Focusing on God – Shut things down, you want to focus completely on God
Music may help you enter into His presence – You can began and end your prayer session with worship music. It sets the tone.