1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
Never stop praying.
Luke 18:1 NLT
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort.
The Pray First Mentality
John 15:4-5
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
1. The priority of prayer.
Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
2. The place of prayer.
Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
3. The plan of prayer.
Luke 11:1-2 NLT
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus said, “This how you should pray…”
4. The Person of prayer.
2 Corinthians 13:14 Message
The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
The amazing grace of Jesus
Hebrews 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The extravagant love of the Father
Ephesians 3:14
For this reason I kneel before the Father…
Psalm 103:8-13
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he has removed our transgressions from us. As a father had compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
The intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit
John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.