4 FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS ABOUT PRAYER

1. GOD LOVES FOR ME TO TALK WITH HIM ABOUT ANYTHING

It doesn’t have to be a religious topic! If you are interested in something – God is too!
 
Why is God interested in anything you’re interested in?

1. He loves you! When you love someone you love talking with them.
2. He gave you those interests to you. Those hobbies, your favorite sports or things you like to do, God gave those to you.

      3.He enjoys talking with His children!  God is your Father if you have been bron into His family..

• Prayer is not a ritual to relieve guilt

 
Some of you grew up where you were taught if you sin and if it’s a really big sin, you have to say a certain number of prayers. That’s not in the Bible. Prayer is not punishment for your sins.
Jesus specifically told us NOT to repeat the same thing over & over.
Matt 6:7 says,” When you pray DO NOT use meaningless repetition thinking you will be heard for your many words.”
What I want to do   is  to demolish misconceptions with the truth. We are going to look at the basics, the foundation of prayer. You’re going to see that prayer is not as a duty but a delight, Not a burden but a blessing .

• Pray is not a tug of war with God

How many of you know what  tug of war is? I thought so. 
In other words you have to wear God down until He gives in and gives you what you want.
Beg- please, please, pretty please give me.
Bargain- God if you will do this for me, I’ll do this for you.
Lord if you will give me a promotion and I make more money I will begin to tithe.
Bribe- look Lord I will start going to church regularly, I will give more, I will work in the church nursery, etc.
It will not work!

• Pray is not a fire extinguisher

Where you can run over to the wall and take it and use it in case of an emergency. Only for desperate situation.
I find this often in peoples lives. They seldom pray but when a crisis comes boy do they pray.
Get bad news: Start praying
“God if you will get me out of this mess…!
Use prayer at the last resort.
It is meant to be your first choice. Before you buy that car, pray. Before you go looking for that job, pray. Before you accept a date or get married, pray. Before you eat , pray. Prayer should be your first choice. Is it?

The Third Fact About Prayer IS:
Our frustrations with prayer are caused by our misconceptions.
There are so many false ideas about prayer out there.
So what are some of these false ideas or misconceptions? There are at least four. They are on your outline.

• Pray is not a magic wand.
  

It’s not like the little stick Harry Potter has that he waves and all of a sudden all the circumstance change. Pray is not a wand where you go, POOM and all of sudden everything changes in your life.
God is not a genie where you can rub the magic bottle and suddenly God comes out and says,” Your wish is my command.”