1 Timothy 2:1-7 NIV

1. PRAY WITH BOLDNESS

1 Timothy 2:3-4 - "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

• God wants ALL people to be saved

• Your prayers matter more than you think

• Don't apologize for praying big prayers

• God's will is for everyone to know Him

• Free will/predestination debates 

• Who’s your one and prayer event

• "If it's worth praying about, it's worth praying boldly about."

• "Never pray small prayers to a big God."

Luke 11:9 - "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

• Jesus taught us to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking

Luke 18:1-8 - The Parable of the Persistent Widow

• Don't give up on people God hasn't given up on

Colossians 4:2 - "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

• Breakthrough often comes right before we want to quit

• "The devil's favorite time to attack is right before your breakthrough."

• "Quitting on prayer is quitting on people."

1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray continually"

• "Persistent prayer proves you really believe."

"Monica's 30-Year Prayer"

In the 4th century, there was a mother named Monica who had a son living a wild, rebellious life. He was brilliant but arrogant, involved in a cult-like religious group, living with a woman he wasn't married to, and wanted nothing to do with Christianity.

For 30 years, Monica prayed for her son. Every single day. Through tears. Through disappointment. When he moved to another city to get away from her nagging, she prayed. When he seemed to get worse instead of better, she prayed. Friends told her to give up. But she wouldn't quit.

One day, a bishop saw her weeping and praying again. He said, "Woman, go your way. It is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish."

That son's name was Augustine. He became one of the greatest Christian leaders in history—St. Augustine of Hippo. His writings have influenced Christianity for 1,600 years.

Application: "Don't you dare give up on your 'one.' Monica prayed for 30 years. How long have you been praying? 30 days? 30 weeks? Keep going. Your breakthrough may be closer than you think."

2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise... not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

• Pray for softened hearts, not just changed circumstances

• Pray for divine appointments and conversations

• Pray for Christians to cross their path

Acts 16:14 - "The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message"

• Pray that spiritual blindness would be lifted (lead to next bullet point)

2 Corinthians 4:4 - Pray that "the god of this age" won't blind their minds

Colossians 4:3-4 - "Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message"

• "Pray for the harvest, not just the weather."

Ezekiel 36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

• "Random prayers get random results."

• "Aim your prayers like arrows, not shotguns."

Mark 11:24 - "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

• Believe God is working even when you can't see it

2. PRAY WITH PERSISTENCE
3. PRAY WITH PURPOSE
4. PRAY WITH EXPECTATION