MENS TRAINING CLASS

1. MENS TRAINING CLASS LESSON # 5 Presented at: Newton church of Christ Newton, NC 28658 2008

2. Leading In Prayer • Key Passages on Prayer: • James 5:16 --- Righteous must lead in prayer. • James 1:6 – It must be offered in Faith. • Matthew 26:39 --- God’s Will always needs to be invocked. • Biblical Prayer involves much: • Daily Provisions – Matt. 6:11 • The Sick and specific illnesses – James 5:16. • The growth of the church – Eph 1:16-18 • The government and civil authority – 1 Tim 2:1-2 • The many blessings we have – Eph 1:3; 1 Cor 1:4

3. Leading In Prayer • DIRECTION OF PRAYER…: • We pray to God the Father (Matthew 6:9). • We pray through Jesus, our; • Mediator (Romans 8:34, I Timothy 2;5), • High Priest (Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:14-15, 7:26-28), • Lord (John 13:13, Philippians 2:9-11) • Judge (II Timothy 4:1, Acts 10:42), • Savior (Titus 2:13), • and King (I Timothy 6:15, Hebrews 7:1, Revelation 19:16). • We pray in Christ's name (or by His authority) John 14:13, Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 3:17. • The Holy Spirit also intercedes (Romans 8:26 -27).

4. Leading In Prayer • Some Practical considerations: • Remember that you are speaking for everyone. • By praying personal statements you exclude --- “I have sinned”, is not a statement that should be included in a public prayer. • Pray the kind of prayer you’ve been asked to pray. • A closing prayer is a closing prayer ect. • A prayer for the elements at the table is just that. • A dismissal prayer ought to be just that --- it is not another time to engage in preaching.

5. Leading In Prayer • Never use prayer as a pulpit. • It is also not the place to inform God of things – since God already knows. • Remember you are praying to God not to your brethren. • Be reverent in your prayers – Heb 10:31 • God is our Father – and not our “BUDDY”. • Prepare to offer prayer. • There is nothing wrong with having written out your prayer before hand. • Psa. 8 is a helpful spot to beginning your prayer.

6. Leading In PrayerACTS of PUBLIC PRAYER • A – DORATION • C – ONFESSION • T – hanksgiving • S – upplication • Don’t mumble – but speak clearly so that all can understand what is being said. • Be yourself. You are not trying to impress anyone with your flowery speech – or your holier than thou attitude. • Pray from the HEART --- don’t use cliches • Have you heard this – “Guard, guide and direct us until we meet again.” • Whats wrong with “Be with us until we meet again.” • Or – “restore them to their normal walk of life” ect. • Whats wrong with – “Please heal them.”

7. Leading In Prayer • CONTENT OF OUR PRAYERS…. • Praise - Matthew 6:9. • Thanksgiving - I Timothy 2:1. • Supplications - I Timothy 2:1. • Confession - Matthew 6:12; I John 1:9. • Sick - III John 2. • Physical needs - Matthew 6:11. • Help in temptation - Matthew 6:13. • Any lawful desire - Philippians 4:6. • Intercessions - Prayers said on behalf of others, (I Timothy 2:1; Luke 22:32; John 17:9; James 5:16; Matthew 5:44; Romans 10:1).

8. Leading In Prayer • Close your prayer or sometime in the prayer show that it is by the authority of Christ that this prayer is offered – Col. 3:17 • The more you prayer personally at, home, in the car, at work or at play – the better you are able to communicate with God in a public setting. • Remember that practice makes perfect.

9. Leading In Prayer • The scriptural “church of Christ” prayer: • Our Heavenly Father. We continue thanks unto Thee for this another opportunity to have to come together to study another portion of Thy word, and to worship Thee in Spirit and In Truth (without fear of molestation from any source) • Bless all those for whom it is our duty and privilege to pray for the world over, but especially those of the household of faith. If it be Thy Will, restore them to their much wanted and needed health. • Bless brother ….. As he breaks unto us the bread of life this day and give him a ready recollection of the things he has prepared to say. And help us as listeners, that we might study these things to see if they are true and if they are help us to apply them to our everyday lives as the need might be.

10. Leading In Prayer • Help us to live closer to thee in the future than we have in the past, forgive us of all those sins we have committed since we last sought pardon at Thy Bountiful Hand. • And now Father – continue with us through this service, and through the remainder of our lives here on this earth. • Guard, guide and direct us; and be with us as we depart to our respective places of abode, and bring us back at the next appointed time. • And if in the end we are found faithful, give us a home with Thee in Heaven. • In Christ’s name we pray, AMEN. - Author Unknown

11. Leading In Prayer • Be careful of thoughtless repetition. • Examples • "Guide, guard, and direct us.“ • "Go with us to our respective places of abode.“ • "Bless those for whom it is our duty to pray for.“ • "Partake of in a manner well pleasing in thy sight.“ • "Bring us back at the next appointed time", etc. • While such phrases are not unscriptural, they are so frequently repeated they tend to attract attention to themselves rather than the concepts they represent. • Be careful lest these phrases become vain repetition (Matthew 15:9). • As we grow in the faith we should strive to express our thoughts in our own way.

12. Leading In Prayer • ATTITUDE OF PRAYER… • Sincere – • Jesus condemns the prayers of play actors, (Matthew 6:5, Luke 18:9-14). • Humble – • James 4:10. According to His Will (Luke 22:42, James 4:15). • In faith – • James 1:6-8; I John 5:14. • Regularly – • Daniel 6:10-11, I Thessalonians 5:17.