Christian Religious Knowledge JSS1
Week 3
Topic: PRAYER – A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH GOD
LESSON 1
Prayer: Lord teach me to pray and strengthen me in prayer always.
Bible Reference: Matthew 6:9-13, Ephesians 6:18
PRAYER
Prayer can be defined as the process through which one communicates with God. It is also a way we make our requests known to God. Prayer (from the Latin precari “ask earnestly, beg, entreat”) is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with God through deliberate communication. Prayer may be either individual or communal and can take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words, song or complete silence. God, our Heavenly Father, loves us and knows our needs. He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. The Bible says we should pray without ceasing 1Thessalonians 5:17.
WAYS GOD TALK TO US
God uses our Parents as the first set of teacher to direct and lead us towards his way. Proverb 22: 6
God instructs us through his word: As a good Christian student, we should establish good relationship with God. We must hear from him everyday by reading and mediating on his word. Joshua 1:8
Our teachers in the school are the second parents we have: Our teachers are the instruments which God uses to also communicate with us outside our homes. Therefore, any student who disobeys his or her teacher disobeys God.
Priests and Elderly Ones are another set of instrument God uses to save and guide our dear souls. Man cannot fail physically until he fails spiritually.
TYPES OF PRAYERS
- Prayer of Praises
- Prayer of Adoration
- Prayer of Confession
- Prayer of Petition / Supplication
- Prayer of Intercessions
- Prayer of Thanksgiving.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
LESSON 2
FACTORS THAT HINDER OUR PRAYERS
- Sin
- Wrong motive
- Double mind
- Doubting the reality of God
- Lack of Faith and Believe in God
The attributes that make our prayers to reach God are:
- Right motive
- Believing that God has heard your prayer
- Reading your bible and practicing what is in it
- Confession of Sins
- Faith
When we establish good relationship with God, it is our duty to maintain it. If we fail to maintain our good relationship with God, our closeness to God will be affected.
What can we do then to maintain a good and cordial relationship with God.
- Praying and living holy life daily, we must live righteously and obey God (I John 5: 1-5)
- Worship God in spirit and in truth. A good Christian student is expected to worship God from his heart.
- Loving one another. The bible tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves (I John 4:7-8)
- Forgiving one another. This is a direct commandment from God.
- Reading our Bible everyday is one of the most important ways of maintaining good relationship with God. The Bible will tell us the mind of God and keep us away from sinning against God.
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