Embrace the Prayer
Life of Christ!
Jerry D. Porter
Church of the Nazarene
Intermountain District
May 10, 2012
Church of the
Nazarene
Core Values:
We are Christian
We are Holiness
We are Missional
The Mission of the
Church of the
Nazarene:
To make
Christlike disciples
in the nations
Embrace
the prayer
life of
Christ!
“History is silent about revivals that
did not begin with prayer.” Edwin Orr
>All
the time that Peter was under
heavy guard in the jailhouse, the
church prayed for him most
strenuously. Acts 12:5 (MSG)
>Ektenh” ektenes=stretch out
>Expect the crazy & the
impossible!
“All I know is that when I pray,
coincidences happen and
when I don’t pray, they don’t
happen.”
Dan Hayes
Since prayer is at the bottom of all
this, what I want mostly is for men
to pray— not shaking angry fists
at enemies but raising holy
hands to God. And I want women
to get in there with the men in
humility before God, not primping
before a mirror or chasing the
latest fashions but doing
something beautiful for God and
becoming beautiful doing it.
1 Tim 2:8-10 (MSG)
>Jehoshaphat
bowed with his
face to the ground, and all
the people of Judah and
Jerusalem fell down in
worship before the LORD.
Then some Levites . . . stood
up and praised the LORD, the
God of Israel, with very loud
voice.
2 Chron 20:18-19 (NIV)
>We do not know what to do!
>A
woman whose little daughter
was possessed by an evil spirit
came and fell at his feet.“ Even
the dogs under the table eat the
children‘s crumbs.” (Mk 7:25, 28 NIV)
>prospiptw prospipto
>to fall forwards, prostrate
one's self in homage or supplication: at one's feet
(Strong's)
>Desperate prayer!
PRAYER & FASTING
PENITENCE: The Israelites gathered
together, fasting and wearing sackcloth
and having dust on their heads… They
stood in their places and confessed their
sins and the wickedness of their fathers.
They stood where they were and read
from the Book of the Law of the LORD
their God for a quarter of the day, and
spent another quarter in confession and in
worshiping the LORD their God. (Neh 9:1-3)
PRAYER & FASTING
HUMILITY: When you fast, do not look
somber as the hypocrites do, for they
disfigure their faces to show men they
are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have
received their reward in full. But when
you fast, put oil on your head and wash
your face, so that it will not be obvious to
men that you are fasting, but only to your
Father, who is unseen; and your Father,
who sees what is done in secret, will
reward you.
(Matt 6:16-18 NIV)
PRAYER & FASTING
THE CHURCH PASSIONATELY
SEEKING GOD’S DIRECTION AND
BLESSING: While they were worshiping
the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for
the work to which I have called them."
So after they had fasted and prayed,
they placed their hands on them and
sent them off.
(Acts 13:2-3 NIV)
PRAYER & FASTING
fast – no food or drink
 Jesus’ fast – liquid only fast
 Daniel’s fast – eliminate
pleasurable food or activity
 Esther’s
 Purpose:
Not
to obtain what I want but to
be changed so God’s will may
be done
As Jesus and his disciples were
on their way, he came to a
village where a woman named
Martha opened her home to him.
She had a sister called Mary,
who sat at the Lord's feet
listening to what he said. But
Martha was distracted by all the
preparations that had to be
made. She came to him and
asked,
"Lord, don't you care that my
sister has left me to do the work
by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord
answered, "you are worried and
upset about many things, but
only one thing is needed. Mary
has chosen what is better, and it
will not be taken away from her."
(Luke 10:38-42 NIV)
 Martha
was distracted
(perispao) ”peri” = around, &
“spao” = to pull.
 Mary was sitting with Jesus
(parakathestheisa)
Kathezomai to seat oneself.
Para = near or by the side of.
Pros means that she sat very
near or close to Jesus.
Nkouen from akouo = she was
 In
verse 42 Jesus says there is
only “one needful thing and Mary
has chosen it.”
 Martha on the other hand is
diakonian which means she is
serving, waiting, or the act of
rendering friendly offices.
“The sin of prayerlessness is
one of the deepest roots of all
evil. In it are embedded all the
other sins of pride, arrogance,
independence, selfsufficiency, unbelief and
rebellion… And it is the one
sin to which we must all plead
guilty.”
Andrew Murray
Jim Cymbala accepted the
call to pastor a difficult church
in New York City. The Holy
Spirit told him, “If you and
your wife will teach the
church to pray, I will grant
you a great harvest.”
Cali, Colombia
House of Prayer
Church of the Nazarene
5,000 in weekly Prayer & Fasting
Christlike Disciples
The Prayer Life of Christ
Christlike Disciples
The Prayer Life of Christ
The heartbeat of a great
church is the personal
and collective prayer life
of its people!
“All you need to do to learn to
pray is to pray.” Wesley Duewel
Embrace the
prayer life of
Christ!
Embrace the Prayer
Life of Christ!
Concert of Prayer
Jerry D. Porter
Church of the Nazarene
Intermountain District - May 11,
2012
“All you need to do to learn to
pray is to pray.” Wesley Duewel
Embrace the
prayer life of
Christ!
Praise and Thanksgiving
 In
groups of three:
 Exalt and magnify the
Lord God!
 Express your gratitude for
the Father’s blessings in
your life!
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread. And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
(Matt 6:9-13 KJV)
Prayer for the Lost
I urge, then, first of all, that
requests, prayers, intercession
and thanksgiving be made for
everyone… This is good, and
pleases God our Savior, who
wants all men to be saved and to
come to a knowledge of the truth.
(1 Tim 2:1, 3-4 NIV)
Cry out for your Children
Arise, cry out in the night, as
the watches of the night begin;
pour out your heart like water in
the presence of the Lord. Lift up
your hands to him for the lives
of your children (Lam. 2:19 NIV)
Prayer for the Lost
 In
groups of three:
 Each person is invited to
share three or more
names of lost family and
friends.
 Pray by name for each
person who needs Christ.
Prayer Guide
•The Cross
•Marriage
•Children
•Family
•Lost family &
friends
•Health
•Your ministry
•Schools
•Government
•Finances
•Muslim
neighbors
•Peace and
Justice in the
world
Prayer for the World!
Africa Region
Eurasia
Region
USA/Canada Regions
Caribbean, Mexico, Central
& South America Regions
Asia Pacific
Region
Petitions and Needs
 In
groups of three:
 Each person is invited to
share one or two of the
most important or urgent
prayer requests
Prayer for Healing
Come forward and share your
request for
Physical healing (for
yourself or a loved one)
Emotional healing
Social healing
Spiritual healing
Embrace the
prayer life of
Christ!