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Welcome. To The Services Of The Dunlap church of Christ Questions? Just Let Us Know!. Acts 20:26-27. “ Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. (27) For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God .”.

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  1. Welcome • To The Services • Of The • Dunlap church of Christ • Questions? Just Let Us Know!

  2. Acts 20:26-27 • “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.(27) For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”

  3. word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (12) Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.” • Acts 17:11-12 • “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the

  4. Is It Wrong To Use Repetition In Prayer? 1) to stammer 2) to repeat the same things over and over, to use many idle words, to babble, prate. Some suppose the word derived from Battus, a king of Cyrene, who is said to have stuttered; others from Battus, an author of tedious and wordy poems. Thayer • Vain repetition, yes (Matt.6:7,8) – “βαττολογέω.”

  5. Is It Wrong To Use Repetition In Prayer? • Vain repetition, yes (Matt.6:7,8) – “βαττολογέω.” • Paul repeated a request three times (II Cor.12:7,8). • Jesus repeated Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39-44). • Conclusion: Saying something more than one time in a single prayer or in multiple prayers is not wrong in and of itself. • But remember Jesus’ warning: “for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking (many words).” (Matthew 6:7)

  6. Is It Okay To Pray In Public? • Matthew 6:5,6 – Jesus said “when thou prayest, enter into thy closet” • Mark 6:39-42 – Jesus prayed when thousands of people were present. • Acts 16:25 – Paul and Silas prayed in prison. • I Cor.14:16 – speaks of saying “Amen” at the conclusion of a prayer offered in a worship assembly. • If we do pray in public, our attitude and motive are important. • We ought not to pray in order to draw attention to ourselves or impress others. • Praying in a worship assembly is not just a routine.”

  7. Who Should Lead Prayers? • We are not asking who should pray, but who should lead in prayer. In a group of saints, all pray as one leads the prayer. • Things are to be done decently and in order, so we have someone lead our thoughts as we come before the throne of the Almighty (I Corinthians 14:40). • We want someone leading us in prayer whose pray will be heard – righteous (I Peter 3:12).

  8. Who Should Lead Prayers? • If it is a mixed group of males and females, then brothers do the leading (I Timothy 2:8). • The ones who lead in prayer should be faithful brothers (I Tim. 2:8; James 5:16); not just a brother; not just a brother who is available; not just a brother who is willing to lead. It should be a faithful one (godly conduct, Lord first in his life, faithful in his attendance, etc.). • If it is a special situation, the one who leads in prayer should be a person who understands the special circumstances.

  9. What Can Hinder My Prayer Life? • Turmoil in relationships (I Pet.3:7; Matt.5:23,24). • Troubled relationships can cut into, disrupt, interrupt, short circuit our communication with God. • Lack of gratitude – if we are not thankful, then we do not express our thanks (Colossians 4:2). • Doubt/lack of faith (James 1:5-7) • Issues of the heart – “selfies”: • Self-reliant/sufficient: “I do not need God’s help, so I will not pray” (Heb. 4:16). • Self-centeredness – I, I, I, I, I, I. • Selfishness (James 4:2,3) • Self-righteous attitude (Luke 18:9-11)

  10. What Can Hinder My Prayer Life? • Too busy/lack of focus on the spiritual (Mk.4:18,19; Col.3:1,2); Bible study and prayer get neglected. • Sin (in general) • We know we have done wrong; feeling of guilt; ashamed to speak to God. • Like envy is rottenness to the bones (Prov. 14:30), so sin in general eats a Christian up inside and destroys his desire or spirit to pray. • If we have sin in our lives, we need to deal with it in the right way (Psa. 32:5; Prov. 28:13; I John 1:9). • Get rid of the sin! (Hebrews 12:1,2)

  11. How Can I Improve My Prayer Life? • We talk about growing in knowledge, growing in faith, and growing in love. • What about growing in our prayer life? • My prayer life improves when I grow in: • Appreciation/gratitude (I Th.5:16-18) • A sense of dependence on God (John 15:5) • Trust in God (Prov. 3:5,6)

  12. How Can I Improve My Prayer Life? • My prayer life improves when I grow in: • Familiarity with Bible prayers (Old Testament, Jesus, 1st-century saints) • Longing to go to heaven (Heb. 11:16; Phil. 1:23) • Love – we enjoy talking to those whom we love (III John 1,14). • Trials – drive us to our knees and bring on a sense of insufficiency. So, in a way, trials have the potential to bring on a better prayer life (I Pet. 4:12; 5:7).

  13. Conclusion • Many questions about prayer. • It is understandable because they want to know what the Lord says about prayer and how our prayer life can be acceptable. • When it comes to prayer, there is so much to learn and there is so much room for us to grow.

  14. God’s Simple Plan HEAR (Romans 10:17) BELIEVE (John 8:24) REPENT (Luke 13:3) CONFESS (Rom. 10:9-10) BAPTIZED (Gal. 3:27) ADDED TO THE CHURCH (Acts 2:41,47)

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