Prayer

Connections List
 * Omnipotence
 * Matthew 6
 * Acts 4
 * Man affect God decisions
 * Ask for whatever
 * Listen to God
 * Miracles
 * Test God
 * Gift of Faith
 * Pray Miracles
 * Rely on God, he helps
 * Imitate/conduct God
 * Seek God

Scope
 * Prayer, communication with God of a fairly normal kind
 * Special kinds of prayer: listening

Topcis
 * Definition
 * Interesting mech/properties
 * Exhortation to pray
 * Other Scripture, e.g.s
 * Categories (like ACTS prayer)
 * Uses of prayer
 * why pray if god controls all?
 * Prayer works

Definition
 * Talking to God

Mech
 * Prayer is asking for the world to change, agreeing with the change that will happen.
 * Mark 9:29 "This kind can come out only by prayer."
 * Jeremiah 7:16 "So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you." a very rebellious and hypocritical people. Yet...Nehemiah or Ezra repentance prayers?
 * Lamentations 3:44 "you have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through"
 * It is interesting to me that the disciples were not recorded praying until Acts 1:14, but it was immediate after JC leaving. Maybe they did since imitate Rabbi, though JC prayer was in private. Odd if disciples pray to JC right away
 * Prayer = how to get power (quote from... Luther? Calvin? someone else? see MH sermon 1/14/18)
 * Tim Keller "god answers prayer like we would if we knew everything" I disagree since our heart is not perfect
 * Mark 11:25 forgive ppl before praying >> god forgive you. *1 Pet 3:7 Treat wives well so nothing hinders your prayers. 1 Pet 4:7 be alert and sober so that you may pray.
 * 1 Cor 7:5 couples could abstain for a while in order to pray, but not for long because of temptation

Exhortation to pray Scripture - primaries Scripture - else
 * Beginning of many letters, 'we pray for you all the time w/emotions' 1 Thess
 * Pray continually 1 Thess 5:17
 * Pray and not lose heart Luke 18:1 (parable of persistent widow), so pray repeatedly about the same thing.
 * Do not be anxious but bring everything to God Php 4:6
 * 1 Tim 2:1 I urge that prayer be made for all people
 * Pray in spirit on all occassions with all kinds of prayers and requests Eph 6:18*
 * Lords prayer- from which we get ACTS prayer
 * Acts model prayer - most is statement, only make request at end, request is for boldness not alleviation
 * Ps 6:9 lord has heard my cry, accepts my prayer
 * Ps 34:15 lord attentive to cry of righteous
 * Hab 1:2 I cry but God does not listen
 * Ps 13 God hides his face from me

Categories of prayer (modern, 1st 4 are ACTS) Phillipians 4:6 has supplication and thanksgiving Psalms have all ACTS
 * Adoration/praise
 * Confession
 * Thanksgiving/rejoice
 * Supplication (for self? for basic ops?)
 * Intercession (may be equivalent to kingdom prayer)
 * Kingdom
 * Listening - Habakkuk 2:1

Uses of prayer
 * Miracles and physical things. Exod 8:29, Num 21:7, 1 Sam 12:19, various NT ish.
 * Cast out demons Mark 9:29
 * Avoid temptation Matt 26:41, lords prayer
 * Escape tribulation (=avoid temptation?) Luke 21:36
 * More direct not do wrong 2 Cor 13:7
 * General spiritual blessings Eph 3:17 and other places
 * Logistics: Speak well Eph 6:19, to see you soon Heb 13:19, gen 3 John 1:2
 * ppl generally be converted Col 4:3, kingdom lords prayer
 * God to be glorified 2 Thess 1:12, lords prayer
 * Healing ?Emotional James 5:16

So, if God controls everything and knows our every thought, why should we pray?
 * For our own benefit, so that we see results and give glory to God.
 * For our own benefit, so that we help the implementation.
 * Because God likes to do things in tandem with his people.
 * If it happens, others may give glory (e.g. Elisha on Mt. Carmel)
 * To show we need God
 * To align ourselves with his will (not just read bible)
 * Other movements on our hearts - confession, thankful
 * Actually recieve instruction from God

Prayer works
 * 1st year on MLH6, 1st year on RWJ9. Over time we have seen a strong correlation between prayer and results, without visible psychological inflence. Possibly generous interpretation of results, but no placebo effects on behavior really. The persecuted church also primarily asks for prayer, partly as a cop-out possibly but also because they know it works.
 * Century 2009 stomache dehabilition.
 * Louise patient w/heart palpitations.
 * The great prayer experiment (nothing happened)