Prayer Part 1: Life of Worship Series
written by: Nathan LaGrange published on Oct 1st, 2008

Our pastor, Ron Bontrager, has a passion for developing a culture of prayer in our church. For the next two weeks, we wanted to share some of his practical points, as seen through the Lord's Prayer, that might help you grow in the worship that is your daily life. Prayer is an integral, yet often confused and misunderstood part of a worshipper's daily walk. We hope this simple model might shed some light on it.

Part 1: Praise
"Our Father in heaven, may Your Name be honored."
Praise is the first protocol of heaven. Psalms 100:4 says "Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise." Our approach to the Father is critical. Hearts full of gratitude and lives lived out in Thanksgiving will spill over into continuous praise. Don’t save your praise for the Sunday morning gathering. Make it the theme of your daily existence.

• Praise God for what He has already done in your life
• Praise Him for your spiritual growth
• Praise Him for His provision in your life
• Praise God for your relationships
• Praise God for the outpouring of His Spirit in your church
• Praise Him for everything you can think of!

Part 2: The Will of God
"May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven."
Just as Jesus prayed for the perfect will of the Father, we to must bring our own inherent motivations under Godly submission. As we do, we will begin to see that His plan is perfect and He only asks for our obedience.

Pray for God's will:

• In the spiritual life of your family and friends
• In the direction of your job
• In your community and the minds of your civic leaders
• In your church and the mind of your pastors and spiritual leaders
• In the lives of those under your influence (children, co-workers, friends, etc.)
• In your giftings and calling

Part #3: Provision
"Our Father in heaven, may Your Name be honored."
We need God's provision to sustain our daily lives. His supernatural economy is available for us if we follow Him in obedience. Our level of dependence upon Him is in direct relation to the amount of time we spend in intimacy. Trust develops over time and is sustained by His promise to never leave us.

• Pray for His blessing and wisdom in handling your finances
• Pray for God to provide you with solid support structures and relationships
• Pray for understanding in handling your daily affairs

Mark 11:23-24
I assure you that you can say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and your command will be obeyed. All that's required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.

We'll finish the rest next week...