Praying

Pray On & Pray Through

/ Bob

In Luke 11 and Luke 18 we find two parables which Jesus told in order to encourage his followers to pray – to seek the Father in all things. We prepare for every eventuality and yet so many times our plans fail. God is there waiting for us to turn to him. When we have wasted our resources, God is there waiting for us to turn to him. Even in those times when you declare with the defiant fortitude of a two year old, “I Got This,” He is still there ready to help you pick up the pieces when you realize you got nuthin’.

God is way more gracious than the grumpy neighbor of Luke 11 and way more kind than the unjust judge of Luke 18. If we would learn to ask, seek, and knock as He tells us to do in Luke 11:9-10 and keep on going to Him – not as a last resort when everything has blown up in our face – but always. We should go to Him first to find grace and help in our time of need. He knows what we need before we even ask Him. He just wants us to ask. If you’ve been a parent you know how you long for your kids to come to you when they need help. That’s what our Father wants us to do – go to Him in prayer.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, October 13, 2024. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Prayer the Moves Heaven: Power with Purpose. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/prayer-that-moves-heaven-study-guide/ .Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


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Class Notes – 10.13.2024 – Pray On and Pray Through – Luke 11.5-13Download

Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Prayer – Part 2

/ Bob

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we read that we are to train, that is discipline, ourselves for Godliness. Furthermore, we are told in Philippians 2:12-13 that we are to work out our own salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification and for His will. Committed Christians must discipline themselves for the spiritual warfare that we will face daily. Prayer, especially prayer that is part of a consistent quiet time discipline, is where we receive our mission orders for the day.

Too often prayer is what we resort to in time of need. We turn to God when the crisis overwhelms us – when we seem to be losing control of our well-ordered world. However, we must discipline ourselves to live in constant, two-way communication with the Father. Then and only then can we face life’s challenges with the peace that only He can provide.

In Sunday’s class, we looked at both the teachings of Jesus about prayer and the practices of Jesus in prayer. By fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we can learn to walk in daily victory no matter what fiery darts Satan hurls our way. It’s time for us once again to find a time, find a place, and meet with God on a daily basis. Not doing so is akin to a soldier waking up and going straight into battle without checking in with the commanding officer to see what the plan is for the battle.

God stands ready to help us through literally EVERYTHING we might face during the day.  We need to start each day in communication with Him and remain in communication with Him throughout the day.  Coms (communication devices) are critical in a military mission because communication with the commander and other team members is critical. And so it is in our spiritual battles – we must have our coms in place and working as we head out into hostile territory.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 4, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

class-notes-06.11.2023-spiritual-disciplines-prayerDownload

Fit for Life: Spiritual Disciplines for Committed Christians – Prayer

/ Bob

In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 we read that we are to train, that is discipline, ourselves for Godliness. Physical training we are familiar with in our body-image culture, but while bodily training is of some value, Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Furthermore, we are told in Philippians 2:12-13 that we are to work out our own salvation knowing that it is God Who is at work in us for our sanctification and for His will.

Too often prayer is what we resort to in time of need. We turn to God when the crisis overwhelms us – when we seem to be losing control of our well-ordered world. However, we must discipline ourselves to live in constant, two-way communication with the Father. Then and only then can we face life’s challenges with the peace that only He can provide.

In Sunday’s class, we looked at what prayer is and then we went into a closer look at The Model Prayer of Christ, more often referred to as The Lord’s Prayer. In doing so we dove into the world of 1st Century Jewish thought and practice concerning prayer. The Model Prayer has become so familiar that we fail to see the significance of each phrase and the meaning behind every word. And in failing to see the significance we have become those who Jesus described in the verses just before The Model Prayer – heathen who speak vain repetitions because they think that they will be heard for their many words.  (Matthew 6:7)

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, June 4, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

class-notes-06.04.2023-spiritual-disciplines-prayerDownload