By
Adapted from the Brokenness to Beauty Bible Study
Jacqueline Wallace
Copyright © 2018 Jacqueline Wallace
Scriptures are taken from:
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers.
The Message (MSG), Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by
permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover Phot courtesy of DailyVerses.net
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Prayer: Realizing the Kingdom of God: Cooperating with God to accomplish his purposes in the world.
Oswald Chambers said prayer is not preparation for the work; prayer is the work. Prayer is the work of
and for God.
I’m sure he got that from Jesus, who said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also
do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14
If you ask
me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14 ESV).
Since prayer is the work of God, and the work for God through us his people, it must be mighty
important. Every Christian is called to pray and is supposed to know about and practice prayer. Yet,
many of us feel inadequate when it comes to praying.
Describe your feelings about prayer.
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The reality is, we aren’t born (or born again) with a complete understanding of prayer. For the most part,
we learn how to pray by:
observing other Christians pray,
reading the prayers in the Bible (Old and New Testaments),
reading what is taught about prayer in the New Testament, and ultimately
we learn to pray by praying.
Simply put, in prayer we communicate with God. He speaks to us in his Word and by his Spirit; we
speak to him in prayer. Prayer is conversation with God.
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Though words are important in the communication process, prayer is more than words.
1. Read John 4:23–24
What does Jesus teach us about God? (v. 24a)
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God doesn’t seek worshipers who give only lip service, that is, people who say the right words but don’t
live them or mean them from the heart. Jesus was quoting the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 29:13–14) to the
Pharisees when he told them,
“Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact:
These people make a big show of saying the right thing,
but their heart isn’t in it.
They act like they are worshiping me,
but they don’t mean it.
They just use me as a cover
for teaching whatever suits their fancy,
Ditching God’s command
and taking up the latest fads” (Mark 7:6–8 MSG, emphasis added)
In this passage in Mark, Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because, like the Israelites of old, they said
they loved God but they disobeyed his Word. Their hearts were not set to worship God in spirit and in
truth.
Our heart attitude is as important as, or more important than, our words.
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Regardless of how eloquent, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, how stumbling our words in prayer
are, the omniscient (all-knowing) God hears and responds to what is in our hearts and our spirits. It is
through our spirits that we communicate with God, who is spirit.
Prayer as Relationship with God
“Prayer is not about conjuring and magic. It is not about coercing God or persuading him to do
something we ask. Prayer is about relationship with our heavenly Father, the Everlasting God (Matthew
6:9). He is the God who is Lord and Master over all. He is sovereign. He has the final say, not us. He
knows … what will be best for us in the greater scheme of things, because he does have a greater
scheme of things! He acts out of who he is, for our good and to accomplish his greater purposes. In
prayer we seek his mind, his will, for how to pray about things and people.” (Brokenness to Beauty,77)
“Is ‘Thy will be done’ just a phrase tacked on to my prayer, devoid of meaning? We must choose the
best way and be convinced that God’s way is the best way, regardless of how scary or difficult it may
appear. We must trust God at this point.” (Brokenness to Beauty, 80).
Write the following verses in your own words.
Good and upright is the Lord. (Psalm 25:8, NIV)
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“Our faith in God is not just in what he can do, but in himself, in who he is. What God does comes out
of who he is. This is where our faith must take root—believing that God is who he says he is and that he
is working for our best and his glory.” (Brokenness to Beauty, 80).
Look up the following Scripture references:
Faith. Hebrews 11:1, 5–6; Mark 6:5–6; 9:14–22, 23–24, 25–27; John 14:1, 10–13
What do these verses teach us about prayer?
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How not to pray. James 1:5–8; 4:1-3; Isaiah 58:1–5
What do these verses teach us about prayer?
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How should we approach God and what do we ultimately seek in prayer?
2. Read Micah 6:8 and Matthew 18:4.
What is the appropriate approach to God in order to worship and pray in spirit and in truth (John 4:23–
24)?
3. Read Matthew 6:9–15.
In what way does the opening of the Lord’s prayer, “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your
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1 Hallowed means “holy or blessed.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, copyright © 2015 by Merriam-Webster,
Incorporated. All rights reserved. http://www.merriam-webster.com/.
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b) List the things we can learn about God from each of the phrases from this opening to prayer.
c) Our Father: ____________________________________________________________________
On earth as it is in heaven: ________________________________________________________
d) Whose will do we want to be done through our prayers? ________________________________
In prayer we:
a) approach God in humility,
b) worship him from our hearts as our heavenly Father and sovereign King,
c) seek only his will as the people of his Kingdom.
So how do we put these truths about God and prayer into practical use in our prayer lives ? The Lord’s
Prayer gives us a pattern. So too does a prayer tool called the ACTS in prayer, which I have found
helpful in praying. Note the elements that correspond to the Lord’s pattern for prayer. Like other prayer
tools, ACTS is designed simply to help us in our prayer lives. Use the tools that work for you.
On your own, read the verses following each component of the ACTS in prayer.
Adoration (Psalm 93:1-2; 99:1-3; Luke 11:2)
Confession (Psalm 19:12-13; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 59:2; Matthew 6:12, 14-15; 1 John 1:8-9)
Thanksgiving (Psalm 92:1-2; Psalm 50:14-15, 23; Hebrews 13:15; Philippians 4:6-7)
Supplication (Luke 11:9-10; John 14:11-15; Philippians 4:6) This is the “asking” part of prayer. It can
be for another person(s) or for yourself. This is where you present your request to the Father. You would
have already declared that you ultimately desire his will to be done, aligning your heart with his
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purposes. Now you make known your desire and let go of it, leaving it in the hands of your Father, who
can be trusted.
There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be
done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'
C. S. Lewis
Types of Prayer Intercession and Personal Petition
Jesus our Intercessor: 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–10; 7:24–25; 1 John 2:1
“Intercession is praying for another person or group of people. It is coming to God on behalf of another.
Jesus, as our Great High Priest in heaven, has the ministry of intercession for us now. He stands before
our heavenly Father, speaks on our behalf, and advocates for us (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14, 15;
Hebrews 7:24, 25; 1 John 2:1). He is our perfect Advocate, like the very best courtroom lawyer. He
lived here on Earth as a human and understands us perfectly, and because he always pleads for us
according to God’s will, he is always heard (Hebrews 4:14–16; Hebrews 5:7–10)” (Brokenness to
Beauty, 60).
Remember that Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will
do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to my Father. Whatever you ask in my
name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I
will do it” (John 14:12–14 ESV, emphases added).
Since Jesus ascended to the throne of God, we can go into the presence of God the Father because of
(and only because of) Jesus—“in his name”—in his authority, to ask of the Father those things that will
bring him glory through Jesus.
Holy Spirit our Intercessor: Romans 8:26–27; John 14:16–18, 26; 16:5–15
Jesus went away to heaven when he ascended but sent his Spirit to dwell in us. It is through the power of
the Spirit of God that we will accomplish the works that Jesus did and even those “greater works” (John
14:12–14). God will work through us in response to our prayers and our actions coming out of seeking
God’s mind and will.
“Jesus told his disciples that ‘the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He
will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you’” (John 14:26 ESV).
As we study the Bible, as we practice God’s presence, as we seek to understand God’s will generally
and specifically, we are informed by God’s Spirit of his will so that as we wrestle in prayer we are
reminded by his Spirit of his desires, plans, and purposes” (Brokenness to Beauty, 79).
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And Jesus promises to answer the “whatever” and “anything” we ask in his name that brings glory to the
Father through the Son. This is why it is crucial to seek God’s will in every matter for prayer.
Now to the work
Find a quiet place alone. Please, no talking. Focus your mind and heart on the Lord and spend the next
several minutes in prayer. This is the work of God you are engaging in.
First, Intercede for a person or group that is in need of prayer.
Second, go before the Lord in Personal Petition about a need for yourself.
Put into practice the things you learned about prayer
Approach God in humility, adoration, and worship.
Confess known sins to receive his cleansing so that there will be no blockage or separation between you
and God to hinder your prayers.
Offer thanksgiving to God by praying in an attitude of gratitude, with words of gratefulness.
Seek God’s will for the need at hand, remembering that prayer is doing the work of God. Ask him to do
his work and will both when you intercede for another person, and when you pray about your own need.
Leave the burdens at his feet in prayer. Trust him for the outcome.
As you go to prayer, spend some time in these passages, using them to guide your prayers.
James 5:13–16
Psalm 86
“You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can
never do more than pray until you have prayed."
A.J. Gordon