Pray First – A Life of Prayer

Access Church

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 // Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT) // Never stop praying. “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” ― Martin Luther King Jr “I never pray more than 20 minutes. But I never go more than 20 minutes without praying.” ― Smith Wigglesworth Luke 18:1 (NLT) // One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort. John 15:4-5 // Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 1. The Priority of prayer. Daniel 6:10 // Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 2. The Place of prayer. Mark 1:35 // Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Third Place 3. The Plan of prayer. Luke 11:1-2 (NLT) // Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus said, “This is how you should pray…” 4. The Persons of prayer. 2 Corinthians 13:14 (MSG) // The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. The amazing grace of Jesus. Hebrews 4:15-16 // For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 2 Corinthians 12:9 // My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. The extravagant love of the Father. How you see God affects how you relate to Him. Ephesians 3:14 // For this reason I kneel before the Father… Psalm 103:8-13 // The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. The intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17 // And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. Parakletos Amazing Grace Extravagant Love Intimate Friendship