Nov. 30, 2025

Background:

• Jesus urges His disciples to always pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1)
• We are in spiritual warfare
• We can become weak and discouraged
• We either pray or faint in the struggles with Satan
• We are to pray
• We are in spiritual warfare and must take up the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-16)
• Prayer is like the atmosphere we breathe...we can't make it without prayer

Key Sermon Points:

1. Paul's instructions on prayer

• The variety of prayer
  1. Prayer references to a general request a petition is a specific request
  2. We may pray publicly or privately or a loud cry, or quietly, standing, kneeling, at home, in church, at work, while traveling, etc.
  3. Sometimes we need to be alone with God in prayer
  4. Paul encourages us to pray (1 Samuel 1:26, 1 Timothy 2:1)
  5. There are so many ways to pray (Jesus prayed on the mountain, in the garden, and often)
  6. It is important for us to have a variety of prayer
  7. We don't have to be on our knees to pray
  8. We can simply lift up our heads and cry out to the Lord in prayer
  9. What's important in how our hearts are conditioned
• The frequency of prayer
  • Jesus said to keep alert and pray always (Luke 21:36)
  • The God-fearing Cornelius prayed to God continuously (Acts 10:2)
  • It's through prayer that God begins to work on our hearts
  • God communicates with us through prayer
  • We must be dedicated to prayer (Romans 12:12, Philippians 4:6, 2 Timothy 1:3)
  • Jews prayed 3 times a day and extra time on holidays
  • We must pray every day and all of the time
• The power of prayer
  • Pray in the Spirit
  • The most essential and powerful prayer is in the Spirit
  • To pray in the Spirit is to pray in the name of Jesus Christ
  • It gives us access, power and authority when we pray in the name of Jesus
  • To pray consistently in the will and name of Jesus
  • We do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit intercedes for us
  • The Holy Spirit sifts through our words and makes utterances that reach the throne room of God (Romans 8:26-27)
• The manner of prayer
  • The Believers should be alert with all perseverance
  • We must be steadfast and consistent in prayer
  • We must bring EVERYTHING in our lives before God in prayer and to be persistent
  • It is important for us to pray
• The object of prayer
  • We are commanded to pray for unbelievers, the government, leaders, and for the saints
  • We are to focus our prayers on the saints, Christians involved in spiritual warfare
  • God provides spiritual armor
  • The greatest thing that we can do for each other is to pray
  • Sometimes our prayer is to protect our brothers and sisters by covering them in prayer so that they can recover (and not to laugh at them) (Genesis 9:21-24)
  • Pray that God can use us to make the Good News of Jesus Christ known to others
  • When one part is weak and wounded and unable to function, other members should have compassion and support and strengthen them
  • Pray for boldness and strength
  • God will try us and show us what we have
  • We need to pray more
  • The object of prayer always should be on someone else