18 January 2013

Spiritual Habits Pt. 2


     We continued our series on Spiritual Habits by taking a look at prayer. Asking students to pray can be almost a foolproof way to get them quiet and I think a lot of times it is because students are unsure or have misguided views on what prayer is. We used the night to talk a little bit about what prayer is and what it isn't as well as giving them a model that they can use during their own prayer time. Below you will find some notes of the evening as well as some follow up questions that you may want to use with your students throughout the week.

Prayer is not...
     1) Prayer is not a show. In Matthew 6:5-7 Jesus tells his disciples, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. And when you pray do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

     2) Prayer is not a vending machine. James 4:3 tells us, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Prayer is not a case of stepping us to this cosmic vending machine, putting in our quarter, pressing the buttons for what we want and then waiting as the coils turn and it falls down and we pick it up.


Prayer is...
     1) Prayer is talking with God. “Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.”1 Samuel 1:15

     2) It’s Supernatural. Revelation 5:8, “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”
 
     3) It’s connecting to God. Jeremiah 29:12-13; “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.”


The Model

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

A – Adoration     (Praising God For Who He Is)        
C – Confession   (Confessing our Sins)                     
T- Thanksgiving  (Praising God For What He Has Done)         
S – Supplication  (Asking God for our needs)

11 January 2013

Spiritual Habits


We kicked off the new year with a new series we are calling Spiritual Habits. Over the next four weeks we are going to be taking a look at four habits we can use on our journey with Christ to grow and experience what a relationship with Christ really is all about.

We started off taking a look at our T.A.W.G. (Time Away With God). We spent the evening looking at 10 steps that we can do to get the most out of our regular time with Him. Here is the list that we looked at.


1) Do them early in the day

2) Pray before you get in the Word
      - Confess any sin that you might have
       - Ask God to show you what it is that He wants you to learn
Psalm 119:18
            Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your law

 3) Read short amounts at a time

 4) Re-read what you just read

5) Try to figure out what the writer of the book was trying to get across
                        -Who?            -What?           -Where?          -When?           -Why?             -How?

 6) Meditate on how it could apply to your life specifically!
Psalm 119:27
          Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful miracles!

          Some things to ask yourself: Is there a…
                        a) Sin to confess?                                          
                        b) Promise to claim?                                    
                        c) Attitude to change?
                        d) Command to obey?
                        e) Example to follow?
                        f) Prayer to pray?
                        g) Error to avoid?
                        h) Truth to be believed?
                        i) Something to thank God for?

 7) Write down in a journal or notebook anything that you learn

 8) Memorize the key verse in the passage
Psalm 119:11
          I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you

 9) Pray that God would help you remember and apply what you have read
 Psalm 119:97
          Oh, how I love your law! I think about it all day long!
           
10) Share what you learned with at least one person every day

Psalm 119:13
          I have recited aloud all the laws you have given us.