Scripture Readings:

1.      Mathew 6:7-8:  “For they suppose that they will be heard by their many words.  Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

2.      Ecclesiastes 5:2-3:  “God is heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”

Discussion Points:

     -     Being specific adds sincerity and indicates intent.

     -     For example, if you run into a friend at a store and say “Let’s get in touch with each other and maybe we can go to lunch one day” there is probably little chance that the offer will be taken seriously, and the offer will probably never be thought of again.  However, if you run into a friend and say “I’ll call you tomorrow at your work number, and maybe we can have lunch next Monday” this offer will probably been taken seriously by both people and followed up on at a later date.  In the same way being specific in our prayers adds sincerity and indicates intent.

     -     This forgotten rule applies to all aspects of our prayers:

·                    When we thank God, we should thank Him for specific things.

·                    When we ask for forgiveness, we should ask for forgiveness for specific sins (this is harder than it appears).

·                    When we praise God, we should praise Him for particular attributes.

·                    When we pray for others, we should pray for them by name and for specific reasons.

·                    Any additional aspects that should included specifics?

  -     In order to pray specifically, it is helpful to maintain a prayer journal to keep track of the details.

Point of Lesson:  The Bible clearly instructs that we are to be specific in our prayers.  This forgotten rule applies to all aspects of our prayers.  Being specific adds sincerity and indicates intent.  Keeping a prayer journal is a must in order to apply this rule.

Past Prayer That Worked:  In our 10th lesson, we will cover a “Past Prayer That Worked” from the Bible that illustrates this rule. This past prayer is Hannah’s prayer for a child and is found in 1 Samuel 1:1-19.  This week, review the Hannah’s prayer for a child and see if you can how this forgotten rule was applied.