LisaZ

Q9. (3:21) How can God receive more glory in your local congregation? How can you help this happen? Testimonies are often a powerful and encouraging way to glorify God. We could use more testimony sharing in my church and I could suggest this to the leadership. We could also be more loving and hospitable, as our pastor is encouraging us to be and to invite other members of the congregation to our homes to get to know one another better since we are a large church. As we love one another there will be more unity and deeper fellowship and when believers walk in love and unity it glorifies God.

Q8. (3:20) How should verse 3:20 of the doxology energize your prayers? It should encourage us and strengthen our faith and allow us to be able to pray "bigger" prayers with expectation, knowing we serve a big and mighty God. It has certainly encouraged me today and made me realize my prayers have been getting a lot smaller lately so I better meditate on this verse and get into the Bible! What happens when we limit God by our own ability to comprehend? We end up praying only for what we are able to see or imagine instead of using God's vision to pray for the things that are in His heart to fulfill. How can we get past this failing? We can pray for God to help us see things with His eyes and His heart, and ask for revelation. We can also read the Bible and remember all the mighty things God has done, things beyond our comprehension.

Q7. (3:19) Have you ever prayed for a fellow believer that he or she might be "filled with all the fullness of God"? I have prayed that before, but I did not have a full understanding of what I was really praying. This Bible study has really helped me gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for what you are asking in this prayer. What would you be praying for with that kind of prayer? You would be praying that God's presence would be visible in that person, that they would be so full of God that others could not help but see God in them. They would be full of God's power, love, wisdom, courage and strength and would be powerful and effective for God. How does this prayer relate to Ephesians 5:27 and Colossians 1:28? Eph. 5:27 "and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Col. 1:28 "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." These verses also are in line with what you are asking for the person when you pray for them to be filled with the fullness of God. If the church was filled with the fullness of God, we truly would be a glorious church, something beautiful and awesome to behold, and we would astound the world.

Q6. (3:17-19) Why does Paul pray that the believers grasp the fullest extent of Christ's love for them? If believers are deeply rooted in Christ's love for them and have a true understanding of that love, they can change the world around them through the powerful love and compassion they themselves will now transmit. How does comprehending this love change a person's spiritual life? A believer cannot TRULY comprehend Christ's love for them and remain unchanged. To truly comprehend is to be filled with God's love and to be filled means to be changed and continue growing and to share that love with others. There is a reason that Jesus said believers would be known by their love. If we truly were living in God's love, all believers around the world, we could change the world. Is there any end to Christ's love for a person? God's love is unending, immeasurable and impossible to fully comprehend. But even a partial understanding will change a person.

Q5 (3:16-17) Why does Paul pray for strengthening of the inner man? Paul prays for strengthening of the inner man because he wants believers to grow in the Holy Spirit and for the Holy Spirit to work powerfully through believers but they have to be willing and to be strong in the Holy Spirit and knowing God. How would we pray this prayer today? By praying for people to know God in a deeper way and to understand the immense power available to us through the Holy Spirit living in us. Why does he pray that Christ dwell in the believers' hearts? Isn't this already an established fact? This is already an established fact, but he prays so that Christ's presence and power will be more evident as believers grow in Jesus.

Q4. (1:18) Why is a revelation of "his incomparably great power for us who believe" essential to a vital faith? We have to know that God is all-powerful to have a vital and life-changing faith. We have to know that God is able to change circumstances and that He loves us unconditionally and is well able to protect, provide for, teach and change us and others. How do you develop this faith in yourself? In Romans 10:16-18 it states that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I develop my faith through reading the Bible and meditating on what passages mean and how to apply them. I also develop my faith through prayer and communion with God. How do you pray for it for others? By praying for revelation for others, a deeper walk with God and praying for them to desire and find the time to spend more time with God and in His Word.

Q3. (1:18) What is the result in prayer and faith if believers think that God is poverty-stricken? There would be no point in asking God for help in financial areas and it would be very difficult to believe Phil. 4:19 which states that all our needs will be met according to the riches of God's glory. If God was not able to meet His own needs, how could he possibly meet ours? How does knowledge of a "glorious inheritance" motivate our lives? Our prayers? It is encouraging to know that we have a glorious inheritance and I believe that inheritance is available to us now since an inheritance comes to someone while they are still living. Through the Holy Spirit and through Jesus' death and sacrifice on the cross we are able to do amazing things and to have all our needs met abundantly above all we ask or think or even dream of but the difficulty for me personally is really knowing that as truth in my heart all the time. It does motivate me to reach for more of God and to pray that I will truly know all that is available to me in God and how to reach others. How can you pray for others to glimpse this inheritance? Again, praying Paul's prayer for others, that they would know their glorious inheritance and that the eyes of their hearts would be opened.

Q2. (1:18) How has your Christian "hope" changed your way of living? It has given me purpose and a sense of belonging. I know I can turn to God at anytime and He is there for me. What is the result of Christians with only a meager or minute hope? They do not live in the full victory available to them through Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross. They do not live in freedom, they often live in fear and discouragement. How would you pray for hope to be borne in others? Paul's prayer is inspired by the Holy Spirit and praying that prayer for others, for them to be enlightened and to know the fulness of their inheritance would result in hope being borne in others.

Q1. (1:17-18). What do you learn from Paul's manner of prayer for the Ephesian believers? It is important to keep praying for other believers to continue to grow and receive more revelation of God and to give thanks for other believers. If Christians stopped praying for people to receive a revelation of God, would people come to know God on their own? I think some people would but the number of people who did would be greatly diminished. Would God work in them at all? How important is this kind of prayer?I think this kind of prayer is very important. God has chosen to work in partnership with him and prayer is one of our very important responsibilities. I have prayed this prayer in Ephesians fo a few other believers and have noticed changes in their relationship with God after praying but I have definitely not been consistent and persistent in prayer like Paul was. What a wonderful and amazing walk with God he had!

Q4. (22:43) Did Jesus get "special treatment" because he was the Son of God to have angels help and strengthen him in his spiritual struggle? Do we get that help, too? I don't believe Jesus got "special treatment", I believe ministering angels are available for all believers in Jesus and that whether we realize it or not, at different times they have assisted us. It is encouraging to me to think that we have angels assigned to help us. It sounds like the ministering angel that ministered to Jesus helped him greatly.

Q3. (22:42) When Jesus prayed "not my will, but yours be done," was the Father pleased? The Father was pleased with Jesus because his surrender showed his unfailing trust in the Father and his great love for the Father. Why is the Father not pleased when we are passive and uncaring and dispassionate in our prayers that his will be done? It shows that we are not passionate about the Father's will and are not in tune with God's heart. If we truly love Him, we are passionate about what He is passionate about and dedicated to serving God and working with Him to accomplish His purposes in all areas. What is required for us to pray the prayer of submission with authenticity? Humility, love and trusting God wholeheartedly are key to surrendering to God.

Q2. (22:42) Why did Jesus pray that the Father take the cup from him?According to Mark and Matthew, Jesus repeated this prayer three times. Why was he so intense about it? What did this mean?Jesus was asking if there was another way for man's redemption to be attained without the cross. Jesus knew what a terrible cup he was faced with, taking on the sins of the whole world and being separated from his loving Father and the Holy Spirit. His asking 3 times shows the severity and seriousness of the task ahead of him and the intensity of his feelings about it. Why was Jesus resisting the Father's will? Or was he? I don't believe he was resisting the Father's will, he was just asking if there was any other way for the Father's will to be accomplished. Ultimately though he prayed for the Father's willto be done,whatever it would take.

Q1. (22:40-41, 45-46) Why did he ask his disciples to pray? What temptation did Jesus know they would be facing? What was the content of their prayer to be? Jesus asked his disciples to pray so that they would not enter into temptation. He knew they would be facing circumstances that would cause fear and doubt and he wanted them to pray so that they would be courageous and faithful to Him and the truth of who Jesus is. Did they actually pray this prayer diligently? They did not pray this prayer diligently at all, they kept falling asleep. How does the Lord's Prayer word this kind of prayer? "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" Why do you think Jesus wanted to be alone during his own prayer? I think because Jesus was so anguished he wanted a bit of privacy with his Father, so that he could fully express his heartwrenching emotions, but he was not far from the disciples because he wanted the human contact as well.

Q4. (2:4) What danger is Nehemiah in? Nehemiah is in danger of losing his job, being imprisoned or even being killed if the king is offended by his sombre mood and by what he says. Why does he pray quickly and silently before he answers the king? Nehemiah knows how critical this interaction is and prays for help. How does this quick "arrow prayer" relate to the four months of prayer he has just finished? Nehemiah has already laid the groundwork for this interaction through his prayers of the last 4 months, this "arrow prayer" is just a continuation of his fervent prayers.

Q3. (1:11) In what way does Daniel's situation compared to Esther's. Both Esther, Daniel and also Nehemiah were in places and positions at critical times for helping the Israelites strategically. All three faced possible death for standing up for God and for their people. Why does God place his people in strategic positions today in the community, in business, in the military, in government? God's plans and purposes are carried out in all different areas and He needs people in strategic places who are obedient to Him, who can pray and who can influence others. What responsibilities do we have to God that can cause danger to our positions and our lives? We need to stand up for God and for what is right regardless of rejection or persecution. Has this ever happened to you? How do you pray in situations like this? I have not been in a situation where I face life-threatening persecution or anything as serious as that and I admire those that have stood up for Christ where their life was endangered For me it has been more saying things to stand up for unpopular moral issues with coworkers or not agreeing with what they are saying or doing when it is not in agreement with God's principles. I pray for God's wisdom in these situations and that I can speak in love but with boldness too.