What is prayer? Prayer is talking to God. It's not repetition, trying
to impress God (or your friends), or trying to get your own way. There
are 4 primary elements to prayer:
· WORSHIP-This is our response to the greatness and awesomeness of God. He is all-powerful (Psalm 66:3), all-knowing (Psalm 147:5), eternal (Psalm 90:2), faithful (Psalm 145:13), and good (Psalm 136:1).
· CONFESSION-Asking God to forgive our sins. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). You cannot hide, rationalize, or excuse your sin before God. When you sin, deal with it immediately. Agree with God that you were wrong, tell him you're sorry, and if necessary, apologize to other individuals.
· THANKSGIVING-Thanking God for all He has done. "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name" (Psalm 100: 4). God always comes through for us, don't forget to say thanks.
· INTERCESSION-Coming to God with your requests. "If you, then,
though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him"
(Matt. 7:11). God should be the first person we turn to when we have needs
or problems.
· Desire to know God through His Word (Matt. 5:6)
· Determine to seek God by His Word (Psalm 27:8)
· Discipline your life to find God in His Word (John
8:31)
READ IT! Soak yourself in scripture! Carry a Bible wherever you go, and read it in your spare time, while traveling, or waiting in line. You can NEVER read it too much. The Bible is food for your spirit.
The best way to study your Bible is chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse. It is important to read the Bible literally and in context. You wouldn't buy a novel and start reading in the middle, would you? Respect the Word of God and read it as it was intended to be read.
A concordance, dictionary, other translations, Bible atlas, and a spiral notebook are all good tools for helping you study the Bible. Use the notebook to record your thoughts, observations, and questions.
As you read, ask yourself: What is God doing in this text?
· Prayer
"If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be
done for you by my Father in heaven" (Matt.18:19-20).
· Fellowship
Meeting with fellow believers is an important part of developing spiritually.
Your church family will talk with you, pray for you, and help you become
a productive member of Christ's Body.
· Teaching
Another purpose is to edify the members. To edify means to build up,
develop, and disciple. The main call of the church, is training people
to reflect Christ in all they say and do.
· Identification with Christ
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before
my Father in heaven " (Matt. 10:32). When you go to church, you proclaim
to the world that you are a Christ-follower.
E-mail us! We would love to hear from you. biblecounsel@yahoo.com
The preceding material has been compiled from several sources including: Youth Aflame by Winkie Pratney and Living for Jesus When the Party is Over by Greg Speck. Compilation copyright 1997, by TC Ministries.