Prayer
February 26, 2023

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February 26, 2023
Dave Stephens



Week 1

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:4–9

Application Point:
Begin with gratitude for all God has done, and end with expressing confidence in his power and faithfulness to fulfill his promises in the Bible.


Prayer was never intended to be an escape hatch or emergency management system…though it’s not wrong to pray during emergencies, it’s not the only time we should talk with God. In fact…

God wants us (every church) to become a house of prayer.

    “…For My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
    Isaiah 56:7

Jesus referenced this scripture in the NT.
    Matthew: 21:13
    “‘It is written,’ he said to them,‘“My house shall be called the house of prayer…”’


There is a much greater reason we need prayer.
In Ephesians 6:12, Paul reminds us,
    “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places.”


Prayer is the weapon of mass destruction that demolishes Satan’s reign of terror and empowers the church to display the fullness of Christ’s glory in a world that desperately needs to see it.


David Butts, the author of Forgotten Power:
“He is the omnipotent God and could have devised any plan to bring about his purposes on this planet. In his sovereignty and wisdom, He chose prayer as his strategy. He chose to give mankind a role to play in accomplishing His purposes as a means of helping us grow to maturity.”


A house of prayer is a place for the presence of God to dwell in—not visit or look at but actually inhabit. As a result, God’s presence will spill over from the church into the community and we will see God’s power transform our churches, city, nation and world. When God’s people gather to pray, then Christ’s life, Christ’s desires, Christ’s affections flow through his body to a dying world.


Why is corporate prayer important?

  • We see it in (1 Tim. 2:1-2, 8; Col. 4:2-4, 12-13; Eph. 6:18-20; Mark 9:29)
    • 1 Tim 2:1-2
      “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

  • Christ it with his disciples (Luke 11:1-9 (the Lord’s Prayer) , 22:39-40, 45-46)


  • modeled it (Col. 1:9-10; Eph. 1:15-16)

    • Colossians 1:9
      “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.”

  • The early church it (Acts 1:14, 2:42, 4:23-24, 31, 12:5 13:1-3, 16:25-27, 20:36-37)

      Acts 1:14
      “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”


    Prayer can’t be just a church program…it must become incorporated into the daily spiritual discipline of every believer if a congregation is to experience the corporate bonfire that transforms lives and communities.


    A house of prayer does not delegate the prayer emphasis to a particular group in the church.

    Prayer is the

    and of the entire congregation and should be visible, powerful, and effectual in the worship setting.

      –it’s why we offer prayer every Sunday and encourage you to take hold of it.

    Prayer requests are publicly offered, and the miraculous answers to those prayers are celebrated constantly.



    Q: How comfortable are you with prayer?

    Paul was a man of prayer. His letters to the churches throughout the Roman Empire are filled with spontaneous and intentional prayers.

    1 Corinthians 1:4–9

      “I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”


    In this passage…there is a structure in this prayer that could be helpful for us to learn. Paul begins first by:

  • Expressing to God, and the gratitude is not vague but very specific.

  • He doesn’t then pray that something would happen, but rather,
      he expresses confidence in the power of to see His will through
      (“who will sustain you to the end,” v. 8)
    The prayer is filled with language about God and the power of God. Rather than focusing on the needs of the people or their weaknesses, Paul’s prayer is about the powerful and living God.


    Just as Jesus cleaned out all of the junk happening in the temple…Maybe you need to:

    1. Ask for a Clean Sweep

      -As Jesus evicted the moneychangers from the temple, so He will sweep clean the temple of your heart. His actions show us that we can’t become a house of prayer without throwing out the greed, bitterness, unforgiveness, lust, pride or other uncleanness that live within us. Invite Him to make a clean sweep of our souls.
    2. Make a Fresh Start
      -It’s likely that every good habit you have today—such as making your bed or locking up your house at night—was repeated many times before it became habitual. So why not make a fresh start today on something that will change your heart, soul and mind into a more prayerful place?


    What if we asked Him to grant me the grace of a praying heart and made that my first prayer of the day?


    Prayer helps us gain God’s heart in everything