1. Intimacy is never accidental!
1.1. You will never be close to someone until you have spent LOTS of time with them.
1.1.1. Dove
1.2. What do I pray about?
1.2.1. Whatever you care about
1.3. Philippians 4:6 (NLT) 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
1.3.1. On your mind
1.3.1.1. It’s on God’s heart!
1.3.2. Talk to God
1.3.2.1. Like talking to close friend
1.3.3. Have questions
1.3.3.1. Ask Him
1.3.3.2. Mad or hurting
1.3.3.3. Tell Him.
1.4. TV dinner
1.4.1. Food has section
1.4.1.1. Food has sections
1.4.2. Work
1.4.2.1. Friends
1.4.2.2. Family
1.4.2.3. Church/God
1.4.2.4. Don’t overlap
1.5. God doesn’t want to be a part of your life
1.5.1. He wants to BE your life
1.5.1.1. He IS your life
1.5.1.2. Never leaves you
2. Prayer isn’t just an action you do—Way you live.
2.1. Induce prayer guilt
2.1.1. Perspective.
2.2. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Never stop praying. (NLT) Pray continually (NIV) Pray without ceasing )KJV)
2.2.1. Prayer is getting alone
2.2.2. Talking to God
2.2.3. So much more!
2.3. Prayer is living in God’s presence
2.3.1. Breathing in God’s grace
2.4. Hearing God’s whisper
2.4.1. Enjoying its power
2.4.2. Experiencing peace.
2.5. Prayer isn’t just getting God to do what we want - it is aligning our will to his
2.5.1. Conviction of sin
2.5.1.1. Comfort in trials
2.5.2. Knowing his direction
2.5.2.1. Hurting over what breaks His heart
2.5.2.2. Rejoicing in what He rejoices in
2.6. Prayer failure
2.6.1. Max Lucado
2.6.1.1. Waking
2.6.1.2. Waiting
2.6.1.3. Whispering
2.6.1.3.1. favorite
2.6.1.4. Waning
3. Never Stop Praying
3.1. 1 John 5:14–15 (NLT): 14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
3.2. Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT): 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
3.3. Prayer isn’t just an action you do—Prayer way you live
4. Do you believe in the power of prayer?
4.1. Don’t pray often?
4.1.1. Some you believe & pray
4.1.1.1. Yours don’t seem to work
4.1.2. Looking at the way Jesus lived!
5. To understand what prayer is
5.1. Start with what prayer is not
5.1.1. Not a formal presentation
5.1.2. Not a spiritual vending machine
5.1.3. Not giving God wish list
5.1.4. Not a spiritual negotiation
5.1.5. Not a performance to impress God
5.1.6. Not a show to impress others.
6. Constant
6.1. Jesus constantly sought His Father in Prayer
6.1.1. Prioritized the presence of God
7. If we want what Jesus had—Pray like Jesus prayed
7.1. So many of us don’t
7.1.1. Why?
7.2. Some of us lack focus
7.2.1. Distracted
7.2.2. Mind wanders
7.2.2.1. Bored
7.2.2.2. Fall asleep!
7.3. Some of us lack confidence
7.4. Some of us lack faith
7.4.1. "feel" like "either God isn't there, or He doesn't care"
7.4.2. Tried
7.4.3. Didn’t work!
7.4.4. Seems to work for other people
7.4.4.1. Marriage
7.4.4.2. Addiction!
7.4.4.3. Healing
7.4.4.4. Prayer might work for others
7.4.4.4.1. Doesn’t work for me
8. Jesus teaches us
8.1. Prayer isn’t just an action you do
8.2. Prayer is a way that you live
8.2.1. The Way of Jesus!
8.2.1.1. Prioritized Presence of God
8.2.1.2. Prayer
8.2.2. Left crowd
8.2.2.1. Early morning
8.2.2.2. By himself.
8.2.3. Alone mountain
8.2.3.1. Alone lake
8.2.3.2. Even when people were looking for Him
8.2.4. Look how Jesus prioritized prayer
8.2.4.1. When to pray?
9. Prayer isn’t just an action you do. Prayer is a way that you live
9.1. Don’t have time to pray
9.1.1. Too much going on
9.1.2. So much to do!
9.2. Don’t have time to pray
9.2.1. Don’t have time NOT TO pray!
9.3. Almost impossible be effective
9.3.1. Joy
9.3.2. Peace
9.3.3. Witness!
9.4. Division
9.4.1. Relational stress
9.4.2. Financial pressure
9.4.3. Temptations
9.4.4. Complicated decisions
9.4.4.1. Need God’s presence and power
10. To be effective IN this world, we have to disconnect FROM the world
10.1. Matthew 6:6 (The Message) 6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
10.2. Matthew 6:6 (NLT): 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
10.2.1. Get alone
10.2.1.1. Block out the noise
10.2.1.2. Eliminate the distractions
10.2.2. Phone aside
10.2.2.1. IG
10.2.2.2. Texts
10.2.2.3. Conspiracy theories!
10.2.2.4. Be Still