Teach Us To Pray Part 1 by Apostle Joshua Selman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Importance of Learning

The commitment to never stop learning is essential for spiritual growth. When we become satisfied with where we are, we place a limit on our growth and tell God there is no need to take us higher. There must be a continual hunger that creates another hunger as we rise from glory to glory.

No one can be helped who hates or ignores the Word of God. When you ignore the Word of God, you ignore the creative dimension of God, and nothing will ever be made in your life.

The Teaching Ministry

Isaiah 2:3 - "He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths."

To teach means to bring to comprehension, to open your mind to understand the dynamics of an operation - not just awareness that it exists, but how it works.

The greatest blessing, second only to salvation, is the opportunity to belong to a spiritual family where there is accurate communication of the ways of God. When you receive truth and it becomes life, your life will inevitably be turned into a sign and a wonder.

Why Prayer Must Be Taught

Luke 11:1 - "And it came to pass, that as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."

The disciples' request reveals that:

- Prayer as a ministry must be taught to be effective

- The teaching on prayer is what makes prayer effective, not just praying

- The understanding that spawns or slows your action is where the victory is

The disciples were already praying - this was not about prayerlessness but about praying amiss with no results.

Three Things Jesus Addressed About Prayer

1. Hypocrisy in Prayer (Matthew 6:5-6)

Hypocrites love to pray publicly to be seen by men, not because they want their prayers answered. Their reward is the applause they receive from men.

The "secret place" is not just a physical location but a mindset - the purity of your motive. Whether praying publicly or privately, your focus should be on fellowship with God, not the accreditation of men.

2. Vain Repetitions (Matthew 6:7-8)

Jesus was not prohibiting repetition in prayer (He Himself prayed the same words three times in Gethsemane). He was addressing the heathen practice of using enchantments and magic rituals where power was in the volume of speech, not the truth of communication.

Prayer in this kingdom is not about magical formulas. The power is not in enchantments but in relationship with the living God who already knows what you need before you ask.

3. God Already Knows Your Needs (Matthew 6:8)

"Your heavenly Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him."

This reveals that:

- Prayer is not limited to petitions alone

- God wants fellowship, not just requests

- God gave man a will, and He respects that will by allowing us to ask

Six Reasons Why We Pray

1. Prayer is a Command

Luke 18:1 - "Men ought always to pray and not to faint"

1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray without ceasing"

2. Prayer is a Strategy for Fellowship

1 Corinthians 14:2 - "He that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God...in the spirit he speaks mysteries"

3. Prayer is a Platform for Growth and Transformation

• Luke 9:28-29 - Jesus was transfigured while praying

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• 1 Corinthians 14:4 - "He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself"
• Jude 1:20 - "Building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit"

When you pray, you build yourself up. Your faculties of spiritual perception are heightened and fine-tuned. One classic sign of prayerlessness is lack of discernment.

4. Prayer is a Platform for Warfare and Intercession

Acts 12:5 - "Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him."

The church prayed, and an angel was dispatched to deliver Peter from prison. Warfare is establishing the will of God in spite of the contentions of darkness.

Intercession is standing in the gap for someone else, making petitions to heaven on behalf of an individual or territory.

5. Prayer Keeps Your Faith Alive

Luke 22:31-32 - "Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not."

When Satan wants to sift you, he attacks your convictions. Prayer stops Satan from sifting you and maintains your faith.

6. Prayer is the Platform to Make Requests and Petitions

• Mark 11:24 - "What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them"
• Philippians 4:6 - "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God"
• James 4:2-3 - "You have not because you ask not. You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts"

God wants us to make our requests known. However, our requests must be kingdom-focused, not lust-driven. When everything about your life becomes about Him and His glory, you will see the hand of God in fearful ways.

Practical Assignment

Between now and next week:

• Find one complete day to wait upon the Lord (6am-6pm minimum for adults)
• Pray at least three hours total (combined)
• Focus on praying for stamina in the spirit and activation of spiritual perception
• Ask God to remove whatever blocks your organs of interaction with the realm of the Spirit
• Be sensitive to dreams, visions, and illumination during this time
• Suspend excessive entertainment and dedicate this time to seeking God