The following is a 7 minute devotional on prayer, preceded by talk points.
The Necessity of Daily Prayer, by J. R. Miller, from Living Victoriously
Highlights of the devotional [Bracketed statements, underscoring and emboldening are mine]:
Matt 6:6 [ESV2011] But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
- Jesus modeled the ideal Christian life for us, also in His habit of prayer
- Praying is to speak to God and lay the burdens of our hearts upon Him [22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved Ps. 55:22]
- We must come in confidence, genuineness, and with the simplicity of a child, in this child-parent relationship
- Many only come with a list of requests, when they want something
- What would you think if a friend only came to visit when he wanted something?
- True friendship finds many of its sweetest moments when there is no request, only communion
- Jesus sought out His Father in prayer for shelter, rest, renewal, etc., examples given
- How does prayer help us? It holds us close to Christ; life in this sinful world is trying, we need to return again and again to Christ for renewed grace – yesterday’s grace is gone
- Our days should reveal an increased tendency to turn to Him
- Prayer brings God down into our lives
- True prayer always transfigures us, making us more like Him
For other devotionals in this blog, see CATEGORIES: Devotionals
This devotional came from the YouTube site: Christian Sermons and Audiobooks, the following link is to their devotional page; this site has many wonderful sermons by men that God used greatly in teaching and preaching to His church:
https://www.youtube.com/c/stack45ny/search?query=Devotionals