Prayer Meeting                                     Notes 1999

Theme:  “Teach Us To Pray”                                                                   22 February 1999

Text: Luke 21:36; 22:31-34

Another Lesson On Prayer: Watching And Praying 

(Luke 21:36)

1.  The Context of the Need to Pray

     a)  The danger of being led astray by worldly ways

          (carousing, drunkenness, cares of this life    Luke 21:34)

     b)  This is the snare set by the world to draw people away from cultivating their spiritual life         Luke 21:35

     c)  The answer against all these things ensnaring us is to be found in practising the principle of “watching and praying”  

          Luke 21:36

2.  And important Combination

     a)      Watching...

          i)    Our responsibility

          ii)   A necessity to train ourselves to watch our own hearts

          iii) Having noted the tendencies of our sinful hearts, we practise the second principle

     b)  Praying...

          i)    We must rain ourselves to “pray always” Luke 21:36  (Cf. Luke 18:1)

          ii)   We must pray humbly that we may be counted worthy to escape the snares of the world/Satan         Luke 21:36 (Cf. Luke 11:4 “Deliver us from the evil one...”)

          iii)  We must seek to be able to stand approved before the Lord

                       Luke 21:36 (Cf. 2 Cor 5:9-10)

3.  An Example of Watching and Praying for People

     a)  The Lord Jesus notes Peter’s weakness... that he would deny Him one day Luke 22:32

     b)  He also notes that there is a spiritual battle raging around the soul of Peter Luke 22:31

     c)  These are examples of what it means “to watch”

     d)  The Lord Jesus went on to say that He has prayed for Peter - a clear example of what it means to combine “watching and praying”

4.  Practising Watching and Praying

     a)  It requires much maturity of faith

     b)  It requires much discernment

     c)  It requires depth of insight

     d)  It requires great strength of faith to pray for a difficult situation

     e)  It requires deep knowledge of the will of God

     f)  It requires great courage to inform/instruct the individual concerned

     g)  It requires a depth of friendship/relationship between intercessor and friend

     h)  It requires great spiritual power to battle against evil spiritual powers