PRAYING IS SPIRITUAL NOT PHYSICSAL

NOTES for Monday night 3rd August 2009

2. PRAYER IS SPIRITUAL NOT PHYSICAL
John 4:23 “…the true (genuine) worshippers will worship the Father in SPIRIT and in truth (reality); …”
We must be quickened, made alive, born again by the Holy Spirit before we can pray with our spirit. This fact is explained by Jesus to Nicodemus.
John 3. 1NOW THERE was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (a leader, an authority) among the Jews,
2Who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles--and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him.
3Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
4Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb again and be born?
5Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.
6What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above).
8The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
9Nicodemus answered by asking, How can all this be possible?
10Jesus replied, Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet do not know nor understand these things? [Are they strange to you?]
11I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, We speak only of what we know [we know absolutely what we are talking about]; we have actually seen what we are testifying to [we were eyewitnesses of it]. And still you do not receive our testimony [you reject and refuse our evidence--that of Myself and of all those who are born of the Spirit].
12If I have told you of things that happen right here on the earth and yet none of you believes Me, how can you believe (trust Me, adhere to Me, rely on Me) if I tell you of heavenly things?
Rom 8:26 “…but the SPIRIT Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings too deep for utterance.”

1 Cor 14:14 “For if I pray in an (unknown) tongue, my spirit (by the Holy Spirit within me) prays,

2 Cor 10:3-5. For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),
Jude 1:20 (Amplified Bible)20But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;

MEN OF PRAYER

For MEN OF PRAYER – Monday night NOTES.

WHY PRAY?
Who is listening? To WHOM do we pray? What does the Bible say about this?
Consider first those who do NOT listen to our prayers,

(a) idols of wood, stone etc.

(b) pictures, letters, trinkets, charms, etc. from the dead,

(c) dead people – including Saints, and ‘Uncle Charlie who is looking down on us’

(d) Pets, animals, birds, fish,

(e) Angels – we may talk with them but we do not worship them. They are agencies of God sent to minister to us,

(e) Evil Spirits, demons, Satan, any spirits brought up by mediums and witches,

(f) Mystical objects and events,

(g) Anything at all except GOD. Exodus 20: 1 THEN GOD spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. 4 You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, 6 But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
We pray to GOD the Father.
(a) Instructions from Jesus – Matt 6:6, “… pray to your Father, Who is in secret…”. To His Disciples, “…when you pray, say, our Father, Who is in Heaven…”. Matt 6:9

(b) Paul prayed :- Rom 10:1, “Brethren…for…Israel I long and pray to GOD that they may be saved.” 2 Cor 13:7 “But I pray to GOD that you do nothing wrong.” Acts 16:25, “But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to GOD…”
(c) Christians of the early Church:- Acts 2:46, “And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, … constantly praising GOD.”
Acts 4: 23 After they were permitted to go, [the apostles]Peter and John) returned to their own [company] and told all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, lifted their voices together with one united mind to God and said, O Sovereign Lord, You are He Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them, … 29 And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly, (boldness), 30 While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.
(d) The healed cripple :- Acts 3:9, “And all the people saw him (the healed cripple) walking about and praising GOD".

GOD OUR FATHER
Our mental image of GOD as our father may not be a good one especially if we have had an unpleasant experience with our earthly father, or if we did not have a father in our childhood. The characteristics of our Heavenly Father are on display for the diligent to search out in the Old Testament and in the descriptions given by Jesus about His Father. ‘God our Heavenly Father’ appears nearly 300 times in the New Testament. James 5:11. “... in as much as the Lord is full of pity and compassion and tenderness and mercy.” Ps 103:13,14. As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe]. 14 For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust. Matt 7:11, If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven (perfect as He is) give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him.