“Teach Us to Pray . . .”

Prayer to the One True God is one of the clearest things that sets apart the people of God from the rest of the world. And yet if you ask any self-professing Christian, most will indicate that prayer is one of the greatest areas of weakness in their exercise of faith. We all have many rebellious excuses for not getting around to this duty: busy schedules, cold hearts, other responsibilities.…But without prayer we suffer. And we must ask ourselves, If we lack a desire to seek blessings from our Father in heaven through prayer, are we really His sons?

From cover to cover, the Bible is full of prayers and instructions on how to pray. So, this semester, CNCF is diving into Scripture's teachings and encouragements regarding prayer. We'll examine the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How, of praying. And then we'll put it into practice. We'll increase in knowledge this semester, but the goal will be to grow in our understanding of God and our desire to please Him!

To whet your appetite, here are some good definitions of prayer I've come across in preparing to teach:

Prayer is a sincere, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God. (John Bunyan, Praying in the Spirit)

Prayer is more than just an expression of emotion. It is finding the way to God and speaking with Him, whether the heart is full or empty. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible)

Prayer is God's appointed means for appropriating the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. (D. A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation)

When His disciples asked Him how to pray, Jesus' told them:

Pray, then, in this way:
"Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

Apart from Scripture, I've been reading a number of helpful books, which I recommend:

• Praying in the Spirit and The Throne of Grace, by John Bunyan
• War Psalms of the Prince of Peace, by James E. Adams
• A Call to Spiritual Reformation, by D. A. Carson

And I'm excited about several more on the way:

• A Method for Prayer, by Matthew Henry
• Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds
• Take Words with You: Scripture Promises and Prayers / A Manual for Intercession, by Tim Kerr
• A Hunger for God, by John Piper