The Art of Prayer
It has been said that the greatest education in the world is watching a master at work. This is true whether we are referring to an artist, athlete, engineer, teacher, or anything else. We learn most from those who have developed mastery in that area. What about the spiritual life, specifically the life of conversation with God known as prayer? Let’s turn our eyes to Jesus, who is the Master of prayer and see what we can learn from Him about the art of prayer.
Praying With the Master
When Jesus faced arrest and crucifixion, He draws away with His disciples to pour out His anguish before the Father. In that place of anguished prayer in Luke 22:39-46, Jesus yields to the Father’s will. What does it look like for us to pray with the Master in the midst of anguish? Sermon Outline “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44) The Noticeable Pattern of…
Praying Like a Master
When the disciples had spent enough time with Jesus, they asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). With the disciples, we need to learn from Jesus’ essential teaching on prayer in Luke 11:1-12. Sermon Outline “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) The What of Prayer (Luke 11:1-4) Addressing the Father Declaring His Name and His Kingdom Requesting what we need: provision, forgiveness, endurance The How of Prayer (Luke 11:5-10) With shameless audacity By asking, seeking, knocking The…
Making Space for Prayer
Jesus is the Master of prayer, and He makes space for prayer. We see this throughout the Gospel of Luke, and it comes clearest in Luke 5:16: “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” What does Jesus’ pattern of making space for prayer teach us about our own life of prayer? Pastor Matt kicks off the first part of a long-term exploration on the Gospel of Luke with a look at Luke 5:16, 6:12a, and 9:18a. Sermon Outline “Jesus often…