What is prayer?

"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?..." Isaiah 40:26

Couple weeks back was preparing a bible study session on the Lord's Prayer, and it really amazes me how God can speak to me in my daily devotion! When i was about to prepare for that lesson, the topic for my QT for the next few weeks to come was on the Lord's prayer!

And just by reading the Lord's prayer alone, it teaches us so much on what prayer is! Its not just something to recite, but it is use as an outline from which you must work your way when praying, no matter what you are praying about, then you will experience a growing confidence that you are praying the way Jesus taught.

Before we can pray effectively, we must first be convinced who God is (our Heavenly Father) and where God is(who art in heaven).

Thus, doesn't this reveal at once a fatal weakness when we pray? We usually come into God's presence, and instead of focusing our gaze upon Him, we focus it on our problems and our difficulties. Perhaps this is the reason why, when praying we frequently end up more depressed or more frustrated than when we began? This is perhaps one of the greatest lessons we can learn about prayer- the initial FOCUS MUST BE UPON GOD!
(adapted from Swelyn hughes,everyday with Jesus)

And to add to how God always never fails to surprise me! Was also reading a book on prayer by Philip Yancey, and his words on prayer was so similar to what God is revealing in my quiet time! ... "To begin, I need to think more about God than about myself when i am praying. Even the Lord's Prayer centres first in what God wants from us. 'Hallowed by your name, your kingdom come,your will be done' - God wants us to desire these things, to orient our lives around them" And at the end of the day, prayer comes back to our relationship with our Heavenly Father each day! =)

Our Father in Heaven

Key Idea:
Jesus calls us to acknowledge God as our heavenly Father and to honour and keep His name holy.

Key Verse:
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

Key Learning Points:
1) Recognise that Jesus calls them to acknowledge God as their heavenly Father who loves them

2) Learn that they have responsibilty to love and honour God as His Child.

3) Think through their relationship with God and focus on one area where they can grow deeper in their love and knowledge of Him as their heavenly Father.

"Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God"

The Lord's Prayer

"Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heavenGive us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen." Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven's cares for us! =)

6. Communication of the Word

Key Learning Points:

1. We need to read the bible everyday because it is one of the ways in which God communicates to us.

2. There are beautiful and powerful verses in the bible that speak to us and re-assure us of God's mercy and love at all times.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

Therefore, the Word is nourishment to our spirit just as bread is nourishment to our physical body. It guides us in our lives in this world. Hence, we need to read our bibles everyday to get constant nourishment and guidance. Isn't it comforting to read these powerful verses that all of you have found?


In addition we also need to allow the bible to guide our lives, by reading the bible with our hearts.

5. Prayerful dependence

Key Learning Points
1. We need prayerful dependence in every aspect if our lives.

2. God Loves it when we pray to Him. We need to pray with our hearts, and be clear about what we want to pray for before we start praying.

Prayers are about communicating to God. To thank Him for all that he has done, to acknowledge Him as our Father in heaven, to ask Him for guidance and for the things we need.

Illustration: Like how you get to know your friend better, by talking to him often and you start to know what he likes and what he don't like. Thus, Talking to Jesus is like this. Before we know what God's will is for us, we need to talk to him often to start knowing his will for our lives.

1) God loves it when we pray to him. Just like how we communicate to our parents and friends, praying is communication to God

2) When we pray, we should pray with our hearts. (with honesty)

3) When we communicate to God, we should be clear of what we are saying, and what we want to say. Don't babble non-stop.

As Christians, we need to consistently pray to God. As part of YM, we also need to pray to God to ask for unity and guidance. In every aspect of our lives, we need prayeful dependence.

Jesus Modelled prayerful dependecne as well that empowered his Ministry.
1) Luke 5:15-16: During his busy times of Ministry, Jesus often slipped away to lonely places to pray

2) Mark 1:35: Jesus faced many dmenads on his time and energy, yet he still took time to leave and pray at a solitary place.

3) Luke 6:12-13: Jesus took time alone in prayer before making major decisions.

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. "Mark 11:34

"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." €Romans 8:24-27

4.A Proper Concept of Christ

The thrust of the Word of God is not what we are to do for God, but who God is and what he has done for us. Our "doing" comes out of our "being".

This is a lesson which cannot be learnt in one lesson... Thus will try to summarise as much as i can..
1) Each of us need a proper concept Christ
2) That he died for ALL our sins on the Cross and forgave us all.
3) His also our Heavenly Father whom we can trust in.

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3"

3. Consistent Contacting Ministry

Key Learning Points:

1.Constant communication and interaction are key to building a commmunity for God

2. Jesus came into this world to make contact with us. We should learn from Him and make constant contact with our fellow small grop members. We also need to make contact with people outside of YM.

Blogs like this GEL blog are ways in which we communicate today. It helps us keep track on each other lives and this tagboard is here for members of GEL to chat with one another as well as comment on bible study lessons.

" And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.Hebrews 10:24-25"