Ora et Labora! Men Must Pray and Work
Men’s Breakfast 11/6/2021
"Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom. If you may have everything by asking in His Name, and nothing without asking, I beg you to see how absolutely vital prayer is."—-C. H. Spurgeon
“Pray with all your might for the blessing in God, but work at the same time with all diligence, with all patience, with all perseverance. Pray, then, and work. Work and pray. And still again pray, and then work. And so on, all the days of your life. The result will surely be abundant blessing. Whether you see much fruit or little fruit, such kind of service will be blessed."—-George Muller
"When God is about to give His people the expected good, He pours out a Spirit of prayer, and it is a good sign that He is coming towards them in mercy. Then when you see the expected end approaching, then you shall call upon Me.."—-Matthew Henry
This year in the Gospel of Luke we will see Luke provides more examples of Jesus’ prayer life, than any other Gospel:
3:21 - Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
Luke 4:1-2 - Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
5:16 - But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
6:12 - It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.
9:18 - And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”
9:28f - Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.
Memory Verses on Prayer
John 15:7 - “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Philippians 4:6–7 - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Three Definitions about Prayer
1) Prayer is communication with the Triune God (Rom. 8:26; 1Th. 5:17; Eph. 6:18).
2) Prayer is the central act of worship (John 4:22-24; Prov. 15:8; Ps 17:0, 90:0, 72:20).
3) Prayer according to God’s revealed will is effective (James 5:17-18; Deut. 11:11, 17; John 15:7).
Three Devotions of Prayer
Prayer is from the heart and not from the lips; discipline your heart’s desire in prayer.
Prayer is a duty and does not depend upon your feelings or whims.
Prayer need not to be extemporaneous and we can benefit from well-thought-worded prayers.