Lesson 01 – Prayer: Untapped Power

Foundational Scripture:
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. — Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. — James 5:16b (NLT)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV)

Voices from the Past:
“Generally, if not uniformly, prayer is both starting-point and goal to every movement in which are the elements of permanent progress. Whenever the church is aroused and the world’s wickedness arrested, somebody [somewhere] has been praying.” — Dr. Arthur T. Pierson, Bible Scholar

“One day Christians will give themselves to a study of prayer, and when they do it will change the world.” — Charles Steinmetz, Scientist, Electrical Engineer

Prayer’s Threefold Potential

Potential One:
World _______________ and Prayer
(The capacity to change the __________)

Scripture:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. — Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. — Matthew 9:35-38 (KJV)

Potential Two:
Christian _________ and Prayer
(The capacity to change the __________)

Scripture:
While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence. The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind… They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. — Acts 4:31-33 (MSG)

Potential Three:
Personal __________ and Prayer
(The capacity to change the _______________)

Scripture:
But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love… This is the unending life, the real life! — Jude 20-21 (MSG)

Voices from the Past:
“I am better or worse as I pray more or less. It works for me with mathematical precision.” — E. Stanley Jones, Methodist Missionary

AFTERTHOUGHTS… PONDER AND PRAY

Ponder Points:
Ponder what impact prayer has had in your life. (Any specific or unique answers?) Why do you believe prayer is so vital a discipline for the follower of Jesus? Journal your thoughts in the space that follows.

Prayer Points:
Confess your need for a greater faithfulness in prayer, and ask God to truly teach you to pray as you go through The Change the World School of Prayer lessons.

Voices from the Past:
“The powers of the eternal world have been placed at [prayer’s] disposal. It is… the channel of all blessings, the secret of power and life… It is on prayer that the promises [of God] wait for their fulfillment, the Kingdom for its coming, and the glory of God for its full revelation.” — Andrew Murray, Author of With Christ in the School of Prayer

Definition One:
Prayer is entreating spiritual __________.
1. The Example of __________

Scripture:
When it was time for the sacrifice to be offered, Elijah the prophet came up and prayed… “Answer me, GOD; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are GOD, the true GOD…” Immediately the fire of GOD fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench. — 1 Kings 18:36a, 37a, 38 (MSG)

2. The Example of ____________________

Scripture:
Now the king of Aram had issued these orders to his charioteers: “Attack only the king of Israel!” So when the Aramean charioteers saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But Jehoshaphat cried out to the LORD to save him, and God helped him by turning the attack away from him. — 2 Chronicles 18:30-31 (NLT)

3. The Example of __________

Scripture:
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church… Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. — Acts 12:1, 5-7 (NKJV)

Summary: Prayer is __________ to God.

Definition Two:
Prayer is transacting spiritual ________________.

Scripture:
Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. — Matthew 18:18-19 (NKJV)

God’s Law of Spiritual Authority:
When we take _____________ on earth, we ___________ God’s power from the heavenlies.

To “Bind” (a legal definition):
“To __________ as by oath or ________ restraint”

Summary: Prayer is _________________ in God.

Definition Three:
Prayer is tapping spiritual ___________.

Scripture:
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things… — Daniel 2:20-22 (NKJV)

How Do We Tap God’s Secrets?

Scripture:
The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. — Psalm 25:14 (NKJV)

God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in. —
Psalm 25:14 (MSG)

The key to confiding is ____________!

Scripture:
Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. — Psalm 5:3 (NLT)

Summary: Prayer is ________________ in God.

AFTERTHOUGHTS… PONDER AND PRAY

Ponder Points:
Ponder which of the three definitions in this session you feel is most needed for you to understand and apply during this season of your life. Journal your thoughts in the space that follows.

Prayer Points:
Turn your desire to understand and apply this type of prayer into a prayer itself. Ask God to reveal to you in greater depth how to cultivate this aspect of prayer.

Definition Four:
Prayer is developing spiritual ______________.

Voices from the Past:
“Prayer is not casting a fishing line with a hook toward God to catch from Him a blessing, but to cast a line toward God so that He might pull ourselves closer to Him.” — Theodore Cuyler, Pastor, Expositor

Scripture:
…The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. — Daniel 11:32b (KJV)

The results of knowing God:
STRONG: Firm and _____________
EXPLOITS: Bold ________ and daring _______

The essence of knowing God:
“Know” in Hebrew: ________

Scripture:
…The people that do ________ their God shall be strong, and do exploits. —
Daniel 11:32b (KJV)

Now Adam knew [YADA] Eve his wife, and she conceived… — Genesis 4:1 (NKJV)

YADA defined:
“Life-giving ____________; direct ___________ contact”

Scripture:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. — Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

“Way” defined:
“A course affording passage from one place to another”

“Acknowledge” defined: _______
Personal paraphrase: “In all your days — YADA God through direct, intimate contact.”

The YADA Prayer Premise:
Just as ____________ (YADA) in marriage creates a deep and meaningful relationship leading to physical conception and human life, ___________ (YADA) with God, through prayer, creates a deep and meaningful spiritual relationship leading to divine conception and supernatural life (e.g., answers to prayer, dreams birthed, souls won to Christ, etc.).

A Life Verse for Passionate God-Seekers:
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. — Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

Summary: Prayer is _______________ with God.

AFTERTHOUGHTS… PONDER AND PRAY

Ponder Points:
Ponder how you see spiritual intimacy (YADA) as being the highest form of prayer. How do you view YADA as differing from other aspects of prayer? Journal your thoughts in the space that follows.

Prayer Points:
Turn Psalm 27:4 into a personal prayer for intimacy with God. In your own words, ask God to show you how to enter His presence daily to “gaze upon his beauty and to seek him in his temple.”