Adult Mentor: 1st Qtr 2018

By R.H. Boyd

The Contemporary Training for the Church (CTC) is a church ministry of training. The discipline of the Contemporary Training for the Church guides train church membership in the distinctive beliefs held by Christians. This ministry is designed as an essential part of the total educational program of the church.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
• Release date: Oct 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781681673448

Book preview

WHAT DO I SAY TO THE LORD GOD?

QUARTERLY THEME:

Things Disciples Should Do and Appreciate

Lesson Scripture:

Luke 11:1–13

DISCIPLINES LEARNED

I. A MODEL FOR PRAYER

II. ATTITUDE IN PRAYER

KEY VERSE:

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

(Luke 11:2, KJV)

INTRODUCTION:

This quarter we will begin with the study of prayer. Prayer is essential to a faithful Christian life. The importance of prayer was repeatedly demonstrated by Jesus in His ministry on earth. As we study the Gospels, we find Jesus constantly praying to His Father before making important decisions concerning His ministry. Through prayer, we commune with God, who in turn gives us the power we need to work for His Kingdom.

EXPOSITION:

I. A Model for Prayer

At the outset of today’s lesson, one of Jesus’ disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ Jesus’ prayer life exemplified a perfect model of prayer not only for His disciples but for all believers. Realizing how important prayer would be to them, Jesus did not hesitate to teach His disciples. The way in which Jesus instructed them to pray would later become known as the Model Prayer. The Model Prayer is a guide to be used by anyone desiring to pray according to God’s will. Jesus told His disciples exactly how to pray and what to say when they prayed.

THEOLOGICAL CONCEPTS:

1 The Lord’s Prayer teaches us how to pray and what to pray for.

2 It also shows us how to hallow and revere God’s name and person.

3 Finally prayer put us into communication with God.

Jesus’ prayer begins by acknowledging who God is. Jesus told His disciples to pray to our Father which art in heaven. As our Father, God is the Head of the human family. He instructs us in the way in which we are to go. He provides for us and takes care of all our needs. We establish our personal relationship with God by referring to Him as our Father. Once we acknowledge God’s presence, we should bless, worship, and praise His name. God’s name is like no other name. His name describes His character. God’s name, like Himself, is holy, blessed, and consecrated. Therefore Jesus wants us to glorify His name. While glorifying God’s name, we are to pray for His Kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth as it is done in heaven.

We can ask God to meet our every need and trust in His Word according to His promises. We need God’s provisions in every area of life. Each day we should seek God for both physical and spiritual nourishment. We should have no doubt that God will meet these needs.

Jesus said we also should pray to our Father to forgive our sins (Luke 11:4, NRSV). Note the plural possessive pronoun: our, not my. Our sins include the sins of our family, friends, and even our enemies. Intercessory prayer for the forgiveness of sin is needed for the entire world on a daily basis. We must understand that in order for God to forgive our sins, we must be willing to forgive others for their sins against us: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:14–15, KJV). Upon asking God for forgiveness, we should pray that He deliver us from temptation and from the schemes of the evil one, so that we can better avoid sinning again.

ACTIVITY:

MAKING IT STICK

Prayer is God’s way to let us express ourselves to Him. Read the Lord’s Prayer along with Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and compare and contrast the two. Also study the prayers of the Pharisee and the publican in Luke 15. Compare and contrast these prayers with prayer you hear at your congregation’s altar calls. How do they differ? How are they alike? Does your church make ample use of prayer and meditation as a vehicle for ministry? How can you improve your prayer life?

II. Attitude in Prayer

Prayer teaches us to seek God and trust in Him for all things. We are to be persistent and continue in prayer without ceasing. Why doesn’t God always answer us right away when we pray? God’s purpose for us is not always revealed in an immediate answer to prayer. Sometimes God deliberately delays His answer to our prayers in order to accomplish His will for our lives. Therefore, we must persist in prayer to be able to recognize God’s work when the answer comes. While we wait for God’s answer, we should continue praying so that we may remain in constant fellowship and contact with Him. When we fellowship with God through prayer, we come to understand His character and can better discern His will.

Prayer demonstrates how much we really trust God. When we trust God, we know we have what we pray for, especially when we pray according to His Word. To explain this, Jesus compared God