Spiritual Anatomy of a Disciple: Knees for Prayer

Submitted by Pastor Greg on Sun, 11/14/2010 - 10:30

Disciples Pray!

Disciple prayers often begin in cries for help, but mature toward thanksgiving, and eventually arrive at place where "life is prayer, and prayer is life." We continue with the fourth in our series of sermons on the marks and characteristics of discipleship with "Knees for Prayer."

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Sermon Notes

Pastor Greg's Challenge (based on Rev. McDonald's book): Do this with me, this week!

Grab a notebook, calendar, organizer, 3X5 cards, or other way of writing things down.
Write down the names of 10-12 people and/or concerns that you will bring to God every day this week in prayer. Make sure you include an “enemy” or two! Include a particular city, place, country, or group that God seems to have laid on your heart.
Set aside 15 minutes every day for prayer and for writing on your notebook (or whatever you are using). Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you during this time. After talking to God about the list, write down any thoughts that have come to you. Then, ask yourself, what sort of insights or discoveries am I making? What actions am I being led to take?
This sort of prayer works best together with a mind that is being renewed by the Word of God, so continue to make the reading of Scripture a part of this time, which will probably stretch it to 30 minutes or so.
Consider making this prayer journal a long-term part of following Jesus. Watch how your prayers change and your relationship with God changes over the weeks, months, and years.
And if you are truly ready for an adventure in discipleship, contact one other disciple at Southminster and ask them to meet you for coffee sometime in the next couple of weeks. Agree to bring your Bibles and your prayer journals, so you can check your compass together and ask God to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ and one another.

Series Summary

How do you know a disciple of Jesus when you see one? And how can I know that I am growing in healthy ways, spiritually speaking? What if we had a simple profile of a disciple? Could we help one another grow as disciples if we could see at a glance where our spiritual lives need improvement? The October-November sermon series, based on the book by Pastor Glenn McDonald, Zionsville Presbyterian, provides us 5 simple marks, or characteristics, of disciples. The result is a simple, practical, biblical picture of true discipleship. Join us as we learn together how to be authentic followers of Jesus!