2 Corinthians 12:7-10 & Luke 22:39-46

Matthew 4:23-25

Matthew 4:18-22

Matthew 4:12-17

Matthew 4:1-11

Philippians 1:9-11

Pray on the Way … and Pray from your Heart!Prayer from the heart describes and prescribes a willingness to get real with God (he already knows everything you are thinking and feeling … but wants to hear from you!). Prayer from the heart is completely, unreservedly honest. It is making a connection with God from deep inside us, as much as we area able. The realism of this type of prayer is combined with God’s invitation to pray about our deepest longings --- even those things that seem impossible. Christian prayer has a Gospel (= Good News) orientation --- we pray for the priorities of the Kingdom of God to manifest. We pray for healing, for reconciliation, for rescue, for resources, for solutions, for strength, for resurrection!Read Philippians 1:3-8Who do we pray for?Pray for yourself. Practicing self-care is not self-ish (no matter what you’ve been told). We pray for (and thank God for!) a confirmation of our identity as “saints” (beloved by God and chosen to fulfill His beautiful purpose in this world) and “servants” (finding great significance in this calling to bless others). We also pray for the confidence to continue strong and fruitful in our faith. We take nothing for granted and know we are prone to wander … or give up.Pray for all of us. Follow the example of Paul’s compatriot Epaphras, “who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus … He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you …” (Colossians 4:12, 13). We are in this together and need to be in constant prayer for each other. We lift each other up. We carry each other to Christ. We pray for the powerful practice of communitas --- this dynamic expression of a community energized by our expanding sense of mission. Our love for each other moves us to pray … and our prayers empower our capacity to love each other with greater intentionality and intensity. We pray, as Paul does, with great affection --- the affection that reflects and reinforces the love of Christ for my brothers and sisters.Pray for our Mission in the World. Pray that the Gospel would be “confirmed.” That the good news of God’s love for sinners (the defeated, the discouraged, the despairing, the desperate) would claim the attention and allegiance of those we meet and befriend and serve and share our story with. Whether Paul is “in chains” (restrained, in prison) or roaming the Roman world, he is free to pursue and advance the mission of Christ. There is no limitation and no excuse! Pray!! “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly.” (Ephesians 6:18-20) Questions1. Do you pray “from the heart”? Do you believe God listens to you?2. Do you pray for yourself? Do you have any inhibitions about asking God for what you need? 3. When you pray for others, how does that affect your view of them and your relationship with them? Is there someone who is often praying for you?4. When you pray for God to intervene … what do you expect? What is a healthy expectation? Do you ever give up on prayer? (Are you ready to re-start?) Prepare for 30 Days of Prayer in February! Sign up for a Small Prayer Group experience … sign up this Sunday or on-line at www.grx.org.

Philippians 1:3-6

Getting StartedRead Philippians 1:1, 2 Commentary Prayer is so simple that even a child can do it ... and children do it best, because it is simply a heart-to-heart comnversation with God. Prayer is not a performance --- the less self-conscious we are, the better. Prayer does not require the acquisition of a special prayer-language or the affectation of a holy tone. How we pray (when we pray, where we pray) and even what we pray about is not nearly as important as the condition of the person who is praying --- and the quality of the relationship we intend and are cultivating with God. The opening of Paul's letter to the believers in Philippi (in first-century Greece) tells a lot about the person who is in touch with God. Customarily in that ancient world, a letter would begin something like this: "Paul, to the church at Philippi, greetings ..." The Apostle uses the same form but fills it with rich meaning --- picturing for us the person who gets the most out of this intimate/cosmic connection. Paul's "greeting" immediately reminds everyone of the essential gifts that God gives --- "grace and peace." Grace is God's free, spontaneous, unmerited favor. Grace bursts on the scene, a total shock with a powerful personal impact, claiming for God someone who is, in all honesty, undeserving. The alternative to grace (and the opposite of grace) is self-inflating achievement --- achievement that attains to perfection. Which is humanly impossible. The other gift is peace. Peace in the Bible is full restoration, harmony and wholeness. Grace paves the way for peace. Peace allows us to appreciate grace (the opposite peace/shalom is a grim fate --- whatever happens, happens, it's just good or bad luck). In the West, influenced by Greco-Roman culture, grace (charis) is sought-after. In the East, peace is treasured. In Christ, East and West are offered the fulfillment of their deepest longings, corresponding to the way God designed us. Remember that these most valuable gifts come "to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" ... not as a wish from the writer. That would be sweet and create a sentimental bond between author and audience. But this "greeting" is from God! These gifts generate an identity for us --- we are called "saints". And "all the saints in Christ Jesus" are mentioned before the leaders of the church ("the overseers and deacons"). There is no elite class in the early church. Saints are chosen by God and set apart for His own purposes. This is the most privileged status (by God's grace!). A new creation, a new race, a new community is created --- equally welcoming all who put their faith in Christ as Brothers and Sisters, as members of the forever Family of God. This primary identity issues a sacred calling --- to be "servants of Christ Jesus," along with Paul and Timothy. As servants, we have a new lifestyle orientation. We are captivated by Christ now and so we belong to him and are pledged to do his will. This identity and the orientation that emerges from it shapes our relationship with God and our way of praying --- our pattern of communication with him. Prayer is invitational (not an obligation), personal (not a ritual), and aligned with God's priorities (not self-centered --- though we pray for ourselves often, it is ultimately to conform ourselves to what God wants for us). This prayer is a kind of running narrative of our lives --- we are constatly aware of him and his involvement in every part of our lives. "Pray without ceasing" is actually a possibility. And the prayer of a "saint" who intends to "serve", as a reflection of the character of Christ, is audacious. This relationship with God will encourage us to ask boldly for God to accomplish far-reaching Kingdom goals. Questions1) How do the greatest gifts (grace and peace), our new identity (as people who belong to God), and the re-direction of our lives (to serve in the name of Christ) affect the way we pray ... the way your pray? Write down your thoughts before you respond.2) Read John 17, the prayer of Jesus for his disciples (and for us, explicitly!). How does our relationship with God (and God's relationship with us!) shape the way we pray?3) Are you a saint? 4) Do you want to be a servant? What does that look like in practical everyday terms? How does a servant pray?5) How good are you at praying? This is a trick question ...

Luke 11:1-4