Lesson 3

KEY TEXT

“ ‘I do not pray for these

alone, but also for those who

will believe in Me through

their word; that they all may

be one, as You, Father, are in

Me, and I in You; that they

also may be one in Us, that

the world may believe that

You sent Me’ ” John 17:20, 21

“Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not

that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we

are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does

not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him”E.G.W. (Steps to Christ, pg. 93)

Prayer.

Jesus, our prayer example.

Intercessory prayer.

Daniel’s prayer.

Jesus’ prayer.

Discipleship and prayer.

Prayer miraculously bonds finite souls with their infinite Creator.

The sincere believer trusts in God’s ability to honor His promises. Never has anyone lodged a request that intimidates God.

Nevertheless, we must remember that:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7, 9, 11)

God is more willing to give us what we ask than our parents are (Mt. 7:7-11)

We must not use vain repetitions or verbiage (Mt. 6:7)

We don’t know “what we should pray for” (Rom. 8:26)

Our prayers must be subject to the divine will: “Your will be done” (Mt. 6:10)

Our forgiveness requests will only be listened if we are willing to forgive others (Mt. 6:12-15)

It’s good to pray together (Mt. 18:19)

“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went

out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35)

Jesus prayed every day, seeking quiet places to spend time with God in prayer (Lk. 5:16).

As well as praying every day, Jesus also prayed during the whole night in special moments (Lk. 6:12)

Jesus is our example. He needed much time of prayer to be in communion with His Father. How much time do I spend with my Father in prayer?

“To the consecrated worker there is wonderful consolation in the

knowledge that even Christ during His life on earth sought His

Father daily for fresh supplies of needed grace; and from this

communion with God He went forth to strengthen and bless others.

Behold the Son of God bowed in prayer to His Father! Though He is

the Son of God, He strengthens His faith by prayer, and by

communion with heaven gathers to Himself power to resist evil and

to minister to the needs of men. As the Elder Brother of our race He

knows the necessities of those who, compassed with infirmity and

living in a world of sin and temptation, still desire to serve

Him. He knows that the messengers whom He sees fit

to send are weak, erring men; but to all who give

themselves wholly to His service He promises divine

aid. His own example is an assurance that earnest,

persevering supplication to God in faith—faith that

leads to entire dependence upon God, and unreserved

consecration to His work—will avail to bring to men

the Holy Spirit’s aid in the battle against sin”

E.G.W. (The Acts of the Apostles, cp. 5, p. 56)

“we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments… O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate” (Daniel 9:5, 16-17)

Daniel was almost 90 years old, so he could not receive any benefit from the people coming back to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, he identified himself with the sins of his people and intensely interceded for his brothers and sisters.

Intercessory prayer helps us to forget about ourselves and to identify ourselves with those who we pray for. Then, we feel an increasing desire to see their souls saved.

1. Time-tested Compassion

Frequently, prayer assumes a self-centered posture. Believers present their wish lists before God, hoping to get that which they ask for. Though, of course, we are told to set our petitions before God, sometimes our motives are not pure. After all, are not our hearts corrupt, wicked, and deceitful? Might not our prayers, at times, simply reflect the sinfulness that lies within?

Intercessory prayer, however, focuses on another person’s needs, thus removing the likelihood of selfish motivation. Throughout history, intercessory prayers have represented the highest expressions of spiritual discourse. Untainted by the desire for personal gratification, these conversations demonstrate selflessness, compassion, and earnest longing for the salvation of others.

REFLECTION

Think about your prayer life:

what you pray for, why, and for

whom.

How much death to self is

involved in it?

How can you learn to be less

self-centered in your prayer

life?

That is, how can your prayers,

even the ones for yourself, be

less selfish?

“But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:32)

Disciple-making today requires more than tract distribution and airtight biblical argumentation. Praying in a sympathetic consciousness of another’s distress, and with a passionate desire to alleviate that distress, is still the standard of intercessory prayer in effective disciple-making.

“It is not enough to preach to

men. We must pray with them

and for them. We can not help

them while we hold ourselves

coldly aloof from them. We

must come close to them in

Christlike sympathy and love”E.G.W. (Review and Herald, March 24, 1903)

Jesus prayed for each of His disciples. He interceded for them before the Father.

The longest prayer of Jesus is found in John 17. He does not only intercede for His disciples, “but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (v. 20)

Jesus could effectively intercede on His disciples’ behalf because He was

actively engaged in their lives, thoroughly understood them, and

passionately desired their good. Effective intercession today demands

nothing less.

The twenty-first century disciple-maker will discard time-consuming

pursuits that interfere with his or her relationships with lost souls. Making

money, achieving fame, even educational excellence must become subservient to the greater goal of the

redemption of the lost.

This is an important truth that so easily slips from sight, because we are

so often caught in the daily grind of living.

The first disciples imitated Jesus and usually prayed for very diverse prayer requests.

For the coming of the Comforter

(Acts 1:14)

For release from difficulties

(Acts 12:6-12)

For our rulers and authorities

(1Tim. 2:1-2)

For the salvation of every person (1Tim. 2:3-4)

For the afflicted and the sick

(James 5:13-15)

For our growth and our perseverance in faith and love (Jud. 20-21)

“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7)

“Christ has urged that His people pray without

ceasing. This does not mean that we should

always be upon our knees, but that prayer is to

be as the breath of the soul. Our silent requests,

wherever we may be, are to be ascending unto

God, and Jesus, our advocate, pleads in our

behalf, bearing up with the incense of His

righteousness our requests to the Father”

E.G.W. (Ye Shall Receive

Power, October 23)

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