STEP SEVEN                                                                                                       

PRAYER

Prayer is talking with God, a two-way conversation opening up to Him, and listening to Him.  You can pray anywhere at any time.

1.       Elements of prayer -- We can use the acronym "CATS"

1.1       Confession -- 1 John 1:9; Ps 66:18; Prov 28:13

1.2       Adoration/praise -- Psalm 86:12; Heb 13:15

1.3       Thanksgiving -- Eph 5:20; 1 Thess 5:18; Phil 4:6,7                       

1.4       Supplication (asking):

A. For others - Intercession -- Col 4:12; Eph 6:18-19 (Not praying for other Christians is a sin -- 1 Sam 12:23)

B. For the Lord to send workers into His harvest field -- Mt 9:37

C. For ourselves - petition -- Matt 6:11; 7:7,8.

2.       Why pray?

2.1       God commands it -- Luke 18:1-7; "Pray constantly"--1 Thess 5:17 and we need it -- Phil 4:6,7

2.2       Christ's example--Mark 1:35

"...went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed."

2.3       Paul's example

"Always praying"--Col 1:3; 1 Thess 3:10

"Follow my example, just as I follow Christ's."--1 Cor 11:1

2.4       Spiritual warfare. Through prayer we gain spiritual victory over principalities and powers--Eph 6:12,13,18

2.5       To receive mercy and grace to help us -- Heb 4:14-16

3.       What can hinder our prayers?

3.1       Sin--Isaiah 59:1,2

3.2       Doubt--James 1:6; Mark 11:24

3.3       Our motives--James 4:3;

3.4       Family relationships--1 Peter 3:7

3.5       Unforgiveness--Mark 11:25,26; Matt 6:15

3.6       Pride--1 Peter 5:5

3.7       Spiritual powers, Satan--Eph 6:12, Dan 10:2,12-14.

4.       How to discover the riches of prayer.

          4.1        Obey His commands and do what pleases to Him--1 John 3:22

          4.2        Ask according to the will of God--1 John 5:14

          4.3        Ask believing--Matt 21:22

          4.4        Keeping Jesus' words in our hearts--John 15:7

          4.5        Forgive--Mark 11:25

          4.6        Be humble--1 Peter 5:5

          4.7        Get priorities right--Matt 6:33

          4.8        Ask specifically--Mark 10:51

5.       What are the results of prayer?

          5.1        Receive the Holy Spirit--Luke 11:9,13

          5.2        Peace--Phil 4:6,7

          5.3        Joy--John 16:24

          5.4        Loving care--1 Peter 5:7

          5.5        Wisdom--James 1:5

          5.6        Healing--James 5:13-15

          5.7        Growing in faith e.g. Abraham--Gen 18:16-33

          5.8        Revival--2 Chron 7:14

6.       Collective or corporate prayer--Acts 2:42; 4:31; Mt 18:19-20

HOMEWORK:      Memorize Phil 4:6,7                                                                       

Make a daily prayer list and use it.                                              

Begin reading the Psalms, as well as hymns and choruses, and make a list of the various names and descriptions of God for use in praise and prayer.               

EXERCISE: Does God always answer our prayer "yes"?  Check these references so see how God answers prayer.Draw a line from each reference to the best description of answered prayer:

A.  1 John 5:14,15    1.  Delayed answer "wait"

B.  2 Cor 12:7-9                                      2.  Different answer

C.  John 11:1-44                                    3.  Definite answer "yes"

D.  Acts  3:1-10                                     4.  Step by step answer

E.  Deut 7:22                                          5.  Denied answer "no"

(Verification of responses is on the bottom of page 13.)

STEP EIGHT                                                                                                                -13-

OUR WITNESS

1.       Ways of witnessing

1.1       Your life--James 1:22; Col 4:5,6; 1 Peter 3:16  "What you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you say."  Emerson

1.2       Your word--1 John 1:3; 1 Peter 3:15

A.      Direct testimony/evangelism--for example the use of The Four Spiritual Laws-2 Tim 1:8

B.            Indirect testimony--share your own experience of the power of God in your life.

1.3       Your concerned prayer for a friend's need or problem--Acts 28:8

2.       Who is responsible for saving people? (Also see appendix pages 21,22)

2.1       Jesus Christ--1 Tim 1:15

2.2       We are ambassadors of Christ--2 Cor 5:19,20

2.3       The Gospel--the power of God for salvation Rom 1:16; Define gospel in your own words--1 Cor 15: 3,4

3.       An example of witnessing; Philip and the Ethiopian--Acts 8:26-40

3.1       He communicated verbally - he spoke - Acts 8:35

3.2       In the process he used the Scriptures - also Acts 8:35 The Plan of Salvation from the Bible will help us do the same. (this is a variation of the Roman Road that we have seen in Step One):

The Plan of Salvation

A.      All have sinned--Rom 3:23

B.      The wages of sin--Rom 6:23

C.      Christ died for us--Rom 5:8

D.      Salvation is a gift--Eph 2:8,9

E.       You have to receive it--Rev 3:20;  John 1:12

F.       You must receive Him as Lord--Rom 10:9

G.      The assurance of salvation--1 John 5:11,12

3.3       He was prepared and knew the Scriptures--1 Peter 3:15,16

(Responses to exercise on bottom of page 12: A-3, B-5, C-1, D-2, E-4)

4.       Personal testimony

4.1       What is a personal testimony?  1 John 1:3; Acts 4:20

4.2       Pauls testimony--Acts 26:4-23; 22:1-21 This testimony can be divided into three parts:

A.      B.C. How life was Before knowing Christ--Acts 26:4-11

B.      M.C. The Moment Paul came to know Christ--Acts 26:12-18

C.      A.C. How life has been After knowing Christ--Acts 26:19-23

5.       Christians living in unity -- a powerful witness--John 17:21,23; 1 Cor 12:20,25

6.       The scope of our witness is seen in Jesus' last words known as the Great Commission--Mt 28:19,20.  The importance of these can be seen when we compare them to the first words he spoke to his disciples--Mt 4:19. Remember his command to pray--Mt 9:37,38. This witness starts at home and extends outward in ever larger circles to include the whole world--Acts 1:8

HOMEWORK:      Memorize 1 John 1:3                                                                     

Write your own personal testimony, using the three parts mentioned in section 4.2 as they apply    

Memorize the Plan of Salvation in 3.2                                        

Be able to explain the Bridge illustration (see p. 23)