PRAYER - WHAT WE TALK TO GOD ABOUT

30 CORE COMMITMENTS – PRAYER

 Let’s imagine that you and are in an amazing spaceship that is traveling in orbit around the earth.  This spaceship has a special type of sensor that can listen in on all the prayers being said to God – prayers spoken out loud or prayers just spoken silently.  Our spaceship travels over all the places of the earth – North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and even Antarctica. (Write PRAY lengthwise on the board)

What do you think we’d hear when we put on our headphones and turn on the sensor that hears the prayers?

(wait for answers)

Write PRAY on the board, then add in smaller letters

Praise

Repent

Ask

Yield

Now think of all the prayers we imagined we heard.  If these 4 words help us think of ways we pray to God, which one best describes the prayers we heard?

(Ask)

God really does want to know what we need and what we’re concerned about – the things we’d ask for – let’s turn to Matthew 7:7-11

(God wants us to ask and he will give us what we need).  But God wants more than just asking when we talk to him.

But imagine if I was talking to you, and every time I talked with you, all I talked about was what I needed.  God wants us to talk to him about what we need, but there are other important things beyond what we need.

Let’s begin with the “P” – praise.  Let’s say I saw Gian practice hard in soccer and I watched him play a game.  I watched all that hard work pay off when he was able to move around several opponents and get the ball right into the goal.  What could I say to Gian that would praise him?

(you’re becoming a strong part of the team)

We see something about Gian and tell him.  God wants praise too, not because he’s a great soccer player, but mostly because he’s wonderful beyond anything humans are.  God isn’t proud to want praise.  He’s the only one who is worth it, worthy to be praised.  Turn to Revelation 4:11

(read it)

Here’s just one reason God is worth praising – He’s the Creator and what a creation He made!!!

Praise means – wow, God, you’re amazing!

Repent – or “sorry” prayers:

We know the Bible tells us we are all sinners – Romans 3:23.  Jeremiah 17:9

God has made a way for us to be forgiven – but part of that forgiveness involves something called “repenting”.  Maybe you’ve done something wrong – maybe fought with your brother or sister, and your mom says – say you’re sorry – and you say (wait for kids)…sorry.  And maybe 1 minute later, when mom’s out of the room, you hit your sister for telling mom on you.

Hm – repenting?  Sorry?  What do you think?

Repenting looks more like this:  Turn to Psalm 51

Psalm 51:3&4 (I’m wrong and guilty)

51:17 – broken hearted – sorrow, sad

Forgive me – 51:2

Change me – 51:10

What does God think of a prayer like this?  Is he mad at me when I sin?  He hates sin, but what does He think of someone who is truly sorry?

(read 51:17 again)

Ask – we know well about this

Yield – (have an object and invite someone forward – have us both hold onto it, and then give it to him/her)

What did I just do?  I yielded.

Remember last week when we talked about saying “You’re not the boss of me”? 

We can push God away and tell him He has no business telling us how to live.  But when we decide to follow Jesus, we agree that God is the boss of me.

We “yield” to God and let Him be the boss.  And that is the best decision we can make.  If God is Creator, and what he does is the best, we make a very, very smart decision to yield to God.

So now we know there’s lots more to prayer than just asking.  (Review).

Now I have an important question for you:

Is there anyone you pray for and who prays for you?

The Bible tells us that God listens to prayers.  He will listen to you when you ask Him to help someone else.  He will listen to someone else who asks Him to help you.  But He wants you to ask.

So who could that person be who might say – yes, I’ll pray for you not just today, but often?  Who would you be willing to pray for not just today but often?

I want to give you 2 gifts from 2 people at Westerly who thought these would be really helpful – these bracelets were created to be in twos – one to keep and one to give to someone with the promise to pray for one another. (These silicone bracelets were from a National Day of Prayer event).

(Hand out bracelets).

T&T Leaders, please take one and help it remind you to pray for your handbook kids.

Once everyone gets 2 bracelets, put one on yourself and keep the other to give away.

On the outside of the bracelets are the letters PRAY, and on the inside are the words we just talked about.

So to close, I want you to put on your bracelet and then put your other hand on it.

God, we’re sorry that sometimes all we do is ask you for things and don’t ever tell you we’re sorry for the sins we do, or tell you that you are wonderful.  We’re sorry that we live like we’re the bosses, but you really are the boss.

Lord,  let these bracelets help us find a friend who will pray for us – special prayer friends. 

Amen.