Prayer 101

I'm beginning a new series this week on prayer. I'm calling it "Prayer 101." In our survey of the congregation last fall, many of you said you were dissatisfied with your current prayer life. We'll be looking at some of the many prayers that are listed in Scripture, and learning how to have a balanced prayer life.

Just a disclaimer: I am not a believer in the "Health and Wealth" Gospel. God is not a combination safe in the sky, who we can manipulate into giving us what we want if we pray the exact right words. Nor is He a capricious car salesman, who will give us a good deal if we haggle long enough to wear Him down. One of the best quotes I have ever read on the subject is this: "The point of prayer is not to bring about your will in Heaven, but to bring about God's will on Earth." Amen. So this series will not be about "How to get what you ask for." Instead, it will be, "How to experience the great things God has planned for us and the world around us by unleashing His power through prayer." Yeah, that's a long title. So I guess "Prayer 101" will have to do.

This week, we'll look at Jesus' words to His disciples when they asked Him, "Teach us to pray." It's found in Luke 11:1-3, if you want a sneak preview. The rest of the sermon titles are as follows:

May 31 Prayer That Transforms Us, Psalm 51.

June 7 How to Pray for Our Church Ephesians 3:14-21

June 14 When Your Prayer Isn’t Answered, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

June 21 Guest preacher, Mikado Hinson of University of Houston FCA

June 28 How to Pray For Those Who Don’t Believe, Romans 10:1

July 5 How To Pray For Our Nation, Psalm 46.