RCCG Sunday School Student Manual 7th November 2021 – Dynamics Of Prayer (Lesson 10).
TOPIC: Dynamics of Prayer
MEMORY VERSE: James 5:16.
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
BIBLE PASSAGE: Philippians 4:6-7
[6]Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
[7]And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
Simply put, prayer is talking to God; it is our way of communicating our thoughts, needs, and desires to Him. Prayer is an avenue that God has provided for us as believers to make known the deepest feelings of our hearts to Him. The Bible has many things to say about the subject of prayer. For the purpose of this study, we shall group prayers into levels, types and categories.
OUTLINES
1. TYPES AND LEVELS OF PRAYER
2. CATEGORIES OF PRAYER
TYPES AND LEVELS OF PRAYER
From the biblical point of view, prayer can be of various types. That is, there can be prayers of: thanksgiving (Ps.104); praise (Ps.34:1); worship (Ps.18:1-2; John 4:23-24): supplications which is a prayer of pleading particularly by a sinner who is repenting (1 Kgs 8:46-50). Intercession that is, pleading for someone else (Num. 14:11-21).
The levels of prayer are: prayer of demand as found in Matthew 6:9-11; prayer of command (lsa. 45:11) and prayer of decree (Job 22:28) as demonstrated by Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1. A decree is a kind of prayer we say to challenge all those who are trying to block our ways (2 Kgs. 1:9-12; Acts 13:6-12).
All these prayers are useful to believers depending on their state of mind, situations being addressed, leading of the Spirit, etc. As Christians, we must put our faith in the God who answers prayers and not on our supposed ‘prayer skills’.
CATEGORIES OF PRAYER
Prayer can also be in categories. Casual prayers are those regular prayers we pray daily. These include the usual thanksgiving in the morning, blessing the name of the Lord (Ps.103:1-5), the prayer you pray when you want to eat, travel etc. A higher level is the prayer that control heavens (Josh 10:10-12). This is the kind of prayer you should be praying when age is dropping on you and you have not fulfilled your purpose. Another category is the prayer that brings angels down to do your bidding (Dan.6:20-22; Acts 12:5-1.
Another category is the prayer that can bring God Himself down (Dan. 3:16-1Z: 24-25). There is a kind of prayer that will cause you to fly (Gen 32:24-28; Gen.33:1-6). Jacob prayed and ‘flew’ from fear to peace, from death to life and from rejection to acceptance. He prayed and all of a sudden the storm in his life became permanently still.
The kind of prayer that will cause you to fly is the kind of prayer that cannot wait till tomorrow. If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, please do so now urgently so that you will be able to pray and God will hear you. Ask Him to save your soul, promise Him you will be committed to Him and Him alone. Then, your prayers can attract heavenly attention.
CONCLUSION:
To every believer who is wiling to pray, God is waiting to answer.
QUESTIONS:
1. What are the types and levels of prayer?
2. List the categories of prayer.
FURTHER READING:
MONDAY: Psalm 65:1-4.
TUESDAY: 1 Peter 3:12.
WEDNESDAY: 2 Kings 1:9-15.
THURSDAY: Psalm 114:1-8.
FRIDAY: 2 Kings. 20:1-6.
SATURDAY: Psalm 27:1- 14.
SUNDAY: Psalm126:1-6.
ASSIGNMENT:
Raise a prayer point under each of the five (5) categories of prayer.
