Wednesday Night Bible Study

BIBLICAL FACTS ABOUT PRAYER AND SOVEREIGNTY PART TWO:  THE HEART AND PURPOSE OF PRAYER AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.

ACTS 4:23-31

1. 1.   Confidence in God’s sovereignty – the true foundation for prayer. 23-28

1. 2.   Asking for the right things – the true test of prayer. 29-30

1. 3.The felt realization of God’s presence and power – the true answer to prayer. 31

 
 
 

1A      Believers in both the OT Scriptures and the NT Scriptures had no problem believing in both the absolute sovereignty of God and the necessity of prayer.     

  The early church had no problem with the sovereignty of God in their plight

SO WHY PRAY IF GOD IS GOD

God’s plan is so comprehensive that it not only includes the final destinies of things but also includes the secondary, creatively processes that work together to accomplish these ends. For instance, God does not simply ordain light to shine on the earth each day; He also employs the sun, the moon, the stars, and countless other things to accomplish that end. God does not merely determine that someone will recover from a disease; He uses doctors and medicine to accomplish the healing. As the playwright of history, God did not simply write an ending for the book of time. He wrote every word on every page so that all events lead to the grand finale (Pray With Your Eyes Open, 109-10).

In other words, the “all things” which God works out “according to the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11) includes the means that He uses to bring about His ultimate ends. God uses the sun to bring light to the earth, He uses doctors to restore people to health, and He uses prayer to bring about many things He has purposed in eternity past.

THE CHRISTIAN’S PRAYER

Move, I beg You, upon my disordered heart

(A Puritan Prayer)

O Holy Spirit,
Move, I beg You, upon my disordered heart.

Take away my unruly desires and hateful lusts.
Lift the mists and darkness of unbelief. Brighten
my soul with the pure light of truth. Make it . . .
fragrant as the garden of paradise,
rich with every goodly fruit,
beautiful with heavenly grace,
radiant with rays of divine light.
Be my . . .
comforter,
light,
guide,
sanctifier.

Take of the things of Christ and show them to my
soul. Through You may I daily learn more of His . . .
love,
grace,
compassion,
faithfulness,
beauty.
Lead me to the cross and show me . . .
His wounds,
the hateful nature of evil,
the power of Satan.

May I there see my sins as . . .
the nails which transfixed Him,
the cords which bound Him,
the thorns which tore Him,
the sword which pierced Him.

Help me to find in His death--the
reality and immensity of His love.

Open for me the wondrous volumes of truth in His
death. Increase my faith in the clear knowledge of . . .
atonement achieved,
redemption completed,
guilt done away,
my debt paid,
my sins forgiven,
my soul saved,
hell vanquished,
heaven opened,
eternity made mine.

O Holy Spirit, deepen in me these saving lessons.
Write them upon my heart, that my walk be . . .
sin-loathing,
sin-fleeing,
Christ-loving.A

PRAYING IS GENUINELY A VERY THOUGHTFUL RESPONSIBLITY