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The Pattern of Prayer

The Pattern of Prayer
Words of Faith 2-27-17
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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John 17
[1] After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

As Jesus and the disciples finally departed from the Upper Room where they had eaten the Last Supper, He prayed. The prayer of Jesus deals with three concerns.
1) Prayer concerning himself (vv. 1-5)
2) Prayer for the disciples (vv. 6-19)
3) Prayer for all believers present and future (vv. 20-26)
Chapter 17 gives us a wonderful model prayer for a disciple of Jesus. By His example, Jesus teaches us a number of things.
First we learn that even in the most desperate of times, there is time for prayer. Jesus might have been rushed on to Gethsemene by the frantic urgency of the night but instead He paused one more time for prayer. The disciples may have been fidgety as they watched the door but for Jesus this danger was all the more reason to pray. When we feel we are too busy to pray perhaps we can remember John 17. Jesus was too busy NOT to pray.
We also learn from the example of Jesus something of the pattern of prayer. Jesus prayed for Himself. He then prayed for those disciples close to Him and finally for disciples that were far away even in time.
From time to time I meet a believer who refuse to pray for themselves. They readily pray for others but refuse to pray for themselves because it seems “selfish”. If this is the case, then Jesus was “selfish” and gave us a very bad example! Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
Jesus gave us a very good example by praying for Himself. Jesus first spoke to the Father about His own life. He conferred with the Father regarding the purpose and fulfillment of His mission and task. He wanted to glorify the Father. He offered His very life and that particular night to the Father that the Father might be glorified.
Later, in the Garden of Gethsemene, Jesus would petition the Father concerning the mission. He would ask that, if there were another way to accomplish the mission, that this cup be allowed to pass from Him. The prayer life of Jesus was real. It was human. He brought genuine life concerns to the Father. Is that selfish? By no means.
In fact, it is a great lie of the Enemy to suggest that it is “selfish” to pray for oneself. If the Enemy can persuade us not to submit our hurts, pains, difficulties, questions and doubts to God the Father, then most of the battle is over. We will waddle in the mire of defeat. By contrast, a healthy pattern of prayer submits ALL of our inmost concerns to the Lord so that we can be at peace and be available for God’s use.
The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philip. 4:6-7).
How is your prayer life? Are you spending some time with God concerning your life? Are you lifting your life purpose to Him? Are you bringing your questions, concerns, hurts and difficulties to the Father?

Lord, hear my prayer. Hear the concerns and the joys of my life as I commune with You. Hear my anxieties and petitions. Give me Your peace and order the events of my days such that my life may glorify You. In Jesus’ name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2017
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.