PRAYER PRESENTATION
Part 5 of 7 in Work of Honor devotional seriese
1 Peter 3:12-13
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
We’ve been learning the work of honor, applied prayer. Jesus gave us the “keys to the Kingdom of God!” This is why we partner with Him to bring God’s will “to earth as it is in heaven.” This is heavy lifting for kids—but don’t get a swelled head. Praying for others is spiritual warfare. Human beings—even holy saints—don’t get to dictate God’s timing. Our business is to pray, but the schedule is God’s. Human beings, even precious beloved kids of God, are servants.
We’re to learn and live as one of Jesus’ flock.
Prayer time is the foundation upon which we draw power from our account in heaven. (See The Big Picture devotion). This is when God’s kids build a relationship with our Father, through Jesus. Divine conversation is presented four ways. How do you Present Yourself? Psalm 100:4 says we’re to “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” Praise is the entry into God’s presence. Praise invites God to rule our lives, submitting to Him in child-like joy.
Psalm 139:23 is a great way to Present Your Heart. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me, and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” God is calling us to grow beyond our weakness. Prayer does not obligate God to anything, but we’re invited to pray (Matthew 22:14).
The third is to Present Your Day to the Lord. Proverbs 3:6-7 advises us, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” We show our dependence on God when we present our day to Him. He may change our plans! When we ask for His guidance, He’ll do just that. “Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5).
Take Home Nugget
Present Your Reach is about your influence. Everybody influences other people, whose lives are affected some way. Some prayer warriors lift up to God every person in their family, praying for each name individually. How about kids in your school? Your town? How about praying for the ruler of your country? Why stop there? There are people all over the world who need your prayers!
God writes opportunity on one side of the door, and responsibility on the other.
eJack Hayford with Rebecca Hayford Bauer, Penetrating the Darkness (Chosen, Michigan: a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2011), 26-47.
J.D. Griffith
A personal, private lesson experience with our staff
Written for www.BibleStudyForKids.com
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My background is a life time of worship, but seriously following Jesus came with age. Spiritual maturity is a leap of faith. Sometimes we don’t know what we’re missing until living on the edge of God’s leading. My life of self sufficiency ended abruptly when losing my job as an analytical chemist after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Now living on the edge of God’s leading has become a way of life that I wouldn’t trade for anything else.
Surrendering one’s will to the Lord can be scary. Why did I wait so long to do it? Diving into an intimate relation with the sovereign God of creation is the most secure position in the universe. Will you share your experience with me? Will you let me give you my testimony? May I introduce you to the Jesus I know?