Spice Up Your Prayer Life

We talked the first four weeks about who God is, why we pray to Him, where passages in the bible are that teach us to pray, and what types of prayer there are.  The last week of the class we discussed when we can pray, as well as struggles when we pray.

Here are a few verses on prayer:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, (17) pray without ceasing, (18) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Matthew 6:5-8 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (6) But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (7) “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. (8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Psalms 55:16-18 But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. (17) Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. (18) He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.

Daniel 6:10 Daniel . . . went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Psalms 119:147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.

Mark 1:35-39 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (36) And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, (37) and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” (38) And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (39) And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Psalms 5:3  O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Psalms 88:13  But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

By now you probably get the point: the morning seems to be a great time to pray.  What reasons do you think there are for this?

Here are a few practical ideas to help you find an extra few minutes in the morning:

• Decide if what you’re doing the night before is really that important
• Get everything ready for the morning: clothes, papers, lunch for the next day, prepare breakfast for the kids, you can even preset your coffee machine
• Decide on a set time to get up.  If you get up the same time each day (especially on weekdays), you will adjust more easily
• Commit to being up 30 minutes early for at least 2 weeks

Often times we are distracted by other things going on in our lives, making it difficult to concentrate on prayers

• Jesus, in addition to waking up before everyone else, “went out to a desolate place (Mark 1:35).  While we may not be able to take a walk through the woods, having a corner of your home set aside for prayer can help.
• Again, take care of things the day before.  If you know dirty floors or unfinished homework is a distraction, sweep or finish your assignment the night before so that it isn’t hanging over your head.
• One person has told me that praying on her knees is a physical way to help her remember that she is praying, which helps her from being less distracted mentally.
• Base your prayer on scripture.  Often times we see prayers that start with individual issues but quickly move to God’s promises and character.  If you begin your prayers by reading a psalm, you will more likely be drawn to God’s heart than if you begin your prayer by worrying about what’s going on.

In addition to our own private prayers, we are also called to pray publicly:

Acts 2:42-47 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (43) And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. (44) And all who believed were together and had all things in common. (45) And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. (46) And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, (47) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

What types of prayer are most common in your small group?  Are we too often asking for prayers about health and others (not that these aren’t important)?  This can be a sign of not wanting to be more vulnerable and real with one another.

Fasting and Prayer

Matthew 6:16-18 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (17) But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, (18) that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Fasting can be private: 2 Samuel 12:16-23, When David prays for his child with Bathsheba to live; Psalm 109:22-24, when David says he is weak because of so much fasting

Fasting can be public: Ezra 8:21-23, when he proclaims a fast to bring the people back to the Lord; Acts 13:2 when the early church leaders were fasting about who they should send for mission work.

Fasting can be a response to a major challenge: Nehemiah 1:2-4, when Nehemiah learns that the temple has been destroyed; Matthew 4:1-4 when Jesus fasted for 40 days

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Sorry for the delay in posting this, it’s been a busy week.

The 5 W’s of Prayer
Part 4: What Do We Pray?
All Verses ESV

Types of prayer (not exclusive or exhaustive)
Thanksgiving
(Psalms 100:1-5)  A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!  (2)  Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!  (3)  Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  (4)  Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!  (5)  For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Why do we offer these types of prayer?

What are the seasons of life when we can use this prayer?

Praise and Worship
Psalms 145:1-6  A Song of Praise. Of David. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.  (2)  Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.  (3)  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.  (4)  One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.  (5)  On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.  (6)  They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.

What happens in your relationship with God when you offer these types of prayers?

What are the practical results in your life when you pray like this?

Supplication
Luke 11:9-13  And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  (10)  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  (11)  What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;  (12)  or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  (13)  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Why do you think this is the most common type of prayer?

Intercession
Philippians 1:9-11  And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,  (10)  so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,  (11)  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Christ and the Holy Spirit intercede for us.  Why should we intercede for others?

What about when we don’t know how to pray for others?

Confession

Matthew 6:12  and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Sometimes real intimacy is missing in our OAG.  We sometimes know a lot about people, but don’t really know them well.  How can confession build intimacy among our friends?

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This week we explored to prayers: Hannah’s in 1 Samuel and Mary’s Magnificat in Luke.

Last week we looked at Wayne Grudem’s comment that our everything we think or feel about God comes to full expression in our prayers?  How do you see this play out in these prayers?  How would you compare this to your own prayers?

1 Samuel 2:1-10
And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
(2)  “There is none holy like the LORD;
there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
(3)  Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
(4)  The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength.
(5)  Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.
(6)  The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
(7)  The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
(8)  He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and on them he has set the world.
(9)  “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
(10)  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed.”

Luke 1:46-80
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
(47)  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
(48)  for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
(49)  for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
(50)  And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
(51)  He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
(52)  he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
(53)  he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
(54)  He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
(55)  as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

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Why Do We Pray

(all verses from the ESV)

Matthew 6:5-8 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (6) But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (7) “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. (8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

We can pray for things that we know God wants to give us

• James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (8) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
• 1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. (15) And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.

What are examples of situations for when we do not know God’s will? How are we to pray then?

• We can pray “if it is Your will.”
• We can rely on what we do know about God’s will (esp. communicable attributes)
  • knowledge (James 1:5-8)
  • wisdom—choosing the right goals and paths (Romans 16:27, Job 12:13, 1 Cor. 1:18-20, Colossians 3:10)
  • faithfulness (Jeremiah 10:10-11)
  • Goodness (Psalm 119:68)
  • Love (Matthew 22:37-38, 1 John 4:11)
  • Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
    • Mercy (forgiveness towards those who have done evil or are in distress
    • Grace (giving something to those who do not deserve it)
    • patience (withholding punishment over a period of time)
  • Holiness (Leviticus 19:2, 1 Peter 1:16)
  • Peace (1 Corinthians 14:33)
  • Righteousness and Justice (Psalm 19:8, Isaiah 45:19, Romans 3:25-26)
  • Jealousy (Exodus 20:5, Revelation 4:11)
• Psalms 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

“All that we think or feel about God comes to expression in our prayer” (Wayne Grudem). What does this mean, and how does it make us inspect our prayer life?

What are different ways that our thoughts and feelings about God “come to expression”?

The prayers of a righteous man: why do they work?

• John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
• 1 Kings 3:11-14 And God said to him [Solomon], “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, (12) behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. (13) I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. (14) And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
• 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Can we change God’s mind? What about prayers that God doesn’t answer?

• James 4:1-3 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? (2) You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. (3) You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

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This class will be organized into 5 parts:

1. Who is God to Whom we pray?
2. Why should we pray
3. Where are passages in the bible that teach us to pray?
4. What types of prayer are there?
5. When are practical times to pray, and when should we fast as well as pray?

Read through the following list of verses.  Every day this week, pick either one big list (e.g. Poetic images of Jesus) or individual verses within the list and begin your prayer by acknowledging and thanking God for the way He has revealed Himself to us.  Feel free to comment on your experiences or thoughts.

Who is God

(All Verses are from the ESV)

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

Names of God

Elohim: similar to our word “God,” the word can refer to other gods as well. General term for God.

· Genesis 35:2-3- So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. (3) Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Adonai: a similar term, meaning “God” or “gods.”

Compounds of “El”

· El Shaddai: This is usually translated “God Almighty,” but my also have the idea of “Fertile God.”

o Ezekiel 10:5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.

o Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

o Genesis 35:11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.

· El Elyon: “The Most High God.” Stresses God’s strength, sovereignty, and supremacy

o Psalm 9:2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

o Daniel 7:18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

YHWH: called the Tetragrammaton: 4 consonants with no vowels, not meant to be voiced.

· Yahweh (YHWH): Comes from a verb which means “to exist, be.” It is usually translated The LORD in your bibles.

· Exodus 3:13-15 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (14) God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (15) God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Biblical Uses of Jehovah that Reveal More of God’s Character

· Jehovah Jireh: Genesis 22:8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”

· Jehovah Nissi: Exodus 17:14-15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (15) And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner

· Jehovah Shalom: Judges 6:22-24 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” (23) But the LORD said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” (24) Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace.

· Jehovah Maccaddeshcem:

o Exodus 31:13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.

o Genesis 2:3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

· Jehovah Tsidkenu: Jeremiah 23:5-6 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. (6) In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

Father

· Father is used of God in the Old Testament only 15 times while it is used of God 245 times in the New Testament.

· pater: 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, (12) and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, (13) so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

· abba: Galatians 4:4-9 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (6) And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (7) So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (8) Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. (9) But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

Poetic Images of God

• Isaiah 54:5 For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
• Genesis 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
• Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.
• Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
• Hosea 13:7-8 So I am to them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk beside the way. (8) I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open.
• Deuteronomy 32:4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
• Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
• Psalms 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Poetic Images of Jesus

• John 13:13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.
• Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
• Romans 11:26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, . . .”
• Ephesians 2:19-21 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
• Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our Knowledge of God

· Revealed: our knowledge of God does not come from our wisdom or understanding, but God’s revelation

· Romans 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

· Matthew 11:25-27 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; (26) yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. (27) All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

· 1 Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

· Incomplete: in this life, we will never fully understand God

· Psalms 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

· Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

· True: Even though we don’t understand Him fully, we can know God truly

· Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, (24) but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

· Hebrews 8:11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

God’s Nature

· Trinitarian: God is One, yet Three: The word Trinity never occurs in scripture, but the idea is spread throughout. Because of His triune nature, God has never been lonely or in need of relationship. It is not out of such a need that he created the earth.

o 1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

o John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

o Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? (4) While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

o Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

· Shared, a.k.a. Communicable (attributes that he passes on to us)

o Holiness: 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

o Love/Goodness:

§ Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

§ Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved– (6) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

§ Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

§ 1 John 4:8-11 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (9) In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (10) In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

o Truth:

§ Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

§ John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

§ John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

o Mercy

§ Ephesians 2:4-7 (see above)

§ Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, (5) he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, (6) whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

· Unshared, a.k.a. Incommunicable (attributes that are unique to God)

o Omniscient (all knowing). Hebrews 4:13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

o Omnipotent (all powerful):

§ Able to do all things

· Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

· Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

§ Able to guarantee our salvation

· Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

· Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

§ Unchanging in His will

· Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

· James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

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Dustin Heinen is the husband of Erin, the Audio/Visual deacon at Creekside, and a Ph.D. student in Classical Philology.  This course is developed out of One Another Group experiences and studies.

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Welcome to SpiceUpYourPrayerLife.com. The goal of this site is to give you the information you need to pray biblically.  The site will be updated weekly during the 5 week class at Creekside Community Church in Gainesville, Fl.

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