Prayer | BELIEVE | Randy Frazee

Key Question is not Why doesn’t God give me everything I ask for?

Key Question is How do I grow by communicating with God?

Key Idea: I pray to God to know him, to find direction for my daily life, and to lay my requests before him.

Prayer is more than giving God his “to do” list for the day.

I pray to God to know him.

I cried out to God for help;

    I cried out to God to hear me.

2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

    at night I stretched out untiring hands,

    and I would not be comforted.

3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;

    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b]

4 You kept my eyes from closing;

    I was too troubled to speak.

5 I thought about the former days,

    the years of long ago;

6 I remembered my songs in the night.

    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

7 “Will the Lord reject forever?

    Will he never show his favor again?

8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?

    Has his promise failed for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:

    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. (pg. 196-7; Psalm 77:1-15)

12 I will consider all your works

    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

13 Your ways, God, are holy.

    What god is as great as our God?

14 You are the God who performs miracles;

    you display your power among the peoples.

15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,

    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. (Pg. 196-7; Psalm 77:1-15)

Don’t begin your prayer asking for something but rehearsing who God is and his track record

We don’t need God to change our circumstances as much as we need to remember he is bigger than our circumstances.

Read and rehearse scriptures in your mind.

I pray to find direction for my life

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

Fill your heart and mind through worship and the Word.

Go to God genuinely wanting his will for your life.

Ask him

Ask others to pray and speak into your request.

Listen and wait.

I pray to lay my request before God

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

If I had cherished sin in my heart,

    the Lord would not have listened;

19 but God has surely listened

    and has heard my prayer.

20 Praise be to God,

    who has not rejected my prayer

    or withheld his love from me! (Pg. 192; Psalm 66:18-20)

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps. 37:4

First delight yourself in the Lord and then...he will give you the desires of your heart.

When you delight in the Lord, your desires change to his desires.

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