- Pray in the Spirit. This means we should pray under the Spirit's influence and with his help. In Romans 8:15, Paul tells us that by the Spirit of sonship we cry out, "Abba, Father!" In in Romans 8:26, Paul informs us that in our weakness the Spirit intercedes for us with groans to deep for words.
- On all occasions. The believer is to pray in the good times and the bad. We are to pray when we are on the mountaintop with the same fervor as when we are in the valley.
- With all prayers and requests. The term prayer is generic for all types of prayer. This would include prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, praise, etc. The term requests refers to prayers of supplication or petition. These prayers are where we ask of God.
- Keep watch. Paul instructs us, as Jesus did his disciples in Gethsemane, to be vigilant and keep watch while praying. The believer must not let down his guard.
- Always continue to pray. Believers are to persevere in prayer. They must pray continually (see 1 Thes. 5:17).
- For all the saints. Believers are to pray for other believers. There are several places where we can find prayer needs: the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board, The Kentucky Baptist Convention, Voice of the Martyrs, etc.
- A personal prayer request. Paul asked for prayer for his ministry as well. He asked for two things: the ability to express the gospel with clarity, and the ability to express the gospel boldly. I ask you to pray that these to things would be a reality in my ministry as well.
Evening: We looked at Psalm 86, a prayer of David, and discussed prayer.
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