• What is necessary for a prayer to be acceptible?
  • Belief/faith - Mark 11:24
  • Obedience - James 5:16
  • According to God’s will - I John 5:14
  • Humility - II Chronicles 7:14
  • Whole-heartedness - Jeremiah 29:13
  • With right motives - James 4:3
  • Ask in Jesus’ name - John 14:13
  • Pray with thanksgiving - Philippians 4:6
• What must be the characteristics of the one praying?
  • Faith - Mark 11:24
  • Humility - II Chronicles 7:14
  • Whole-heartedness - Jeremiah 29:13
  • Right motives - James 4:3
  • Righteous - James 5:16
  • Must ask according to God’s will - I John 5:14-15
  • Must be obedient to God - I John 3:22
  • Must forgive others - Matthew 18:21-35
  • Abide in Jesus - John 15:7
  • Pure - James 4:8
• What can hinder our prayers?
  • Sin - James 5:16
  • Pride - II Chronicles 7:14
  • Lack of faith - Mark 11:24
  • Wrong motives - James 4:3
  • Prayer is against God’s will - I John 5:14
  • Praying vainly or just for show - Matthew 6:7
  • Not treating your mate right - I Peter 3:7
  • Not hearing the cry of the poor - Proverbs 21:13
  • Hypocrisy - Matthew 6:5-6
• How can we know if a thing is appropriate to pray for?
  • If we have a command or example in the Bible (i.e. the principle is shown as being approved by God), it is okay to pray for it as long as we are praying according to God’s will.
• Can we pray for things that we want but don’t need?
  • Yes, to a certain extent, but we have to be careful of praying with wrong motives (James 4:3.

• Psalms 32:1-2
• What is forgiveness?
  • Hebrews 8:12
  • Mercy acting to remove the guilt of sins in one’s life.
• Who is forgiven?
  • Acts 2:38
  • Forgiveness occurs at the point of baptism.
  • Acts 8:9-13 - If we sin after baptism, we must repent and pray to be forgiven.
  • I John 1:8
• How and when are Christians forgiven?
  • Matthew 26:28
  • When we confess and repent of our sins and pray for forgiveness, we are forgiven.
  • Luke 17:3-4 - What about when one Christian sins against another?
    • The one sinned against should rebuke the one who sinned.
    • If the one who sinned repents, the one sinned against must forgive him.
  • What about when one sins against many people?
    • The one who sinned must repent, confess, and ask forgiveness of those sinned against.
• Why are Christians forgiven?
  • I John 4:9-11
  • We are forgiven because God loved us.

• “We speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent.”
• Nine scriptures deal with benevolence in the New Testament:
  • Acts 2:44-45
  • Acts 4:32-35
  • Acts 6:1-6
  • Acts 11:27-30
  • Romans 15:25-31
  • I Corinthians 16:1-3
  • II Corinthians 8:1-14
  • II Corinthians 9:1-14
  • I Timothy 5:16
• In all of these scriptures, it is a local church relieving needy saints.
• We must always be careful with what we do with the Lord’s money. It’s not wrong to help the secular poor. It’s just not the responsibility of the church to do so.

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

• Can we worship the Holy Spirit directly?
• All three persons of deity were involved in creation.
  • Genesis 1:2
  • The Holy Spirit adorned the heavens (Job 26:13.
  • Man was created in the image of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:26.
• The Holy Spirit directed mankind in the antediluvian (pre-flood) period by speaking directly to men.
• The premier work of the Holy spirit in the Old Testament was revealing God’s word to man. Genesis 41:16
• The Holy spirit moved men to speak the will of God (II Peter 1:20-21.
• What was the promise of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in Acts 2:33?
• The Holy Spirit empowered people to perform wondrous events. I Samuel 11:6
• The Old Testament reveals that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person of deity. Psalms 139:7-12
• Who is speaking in Psalms 95:7-11?
  • The Holy Spirit (Hebrews 3:7-11

• Christian graces, continued:
  • Brotherly kindness - Proverbs 31:26
  • Love - what should we love?
    • God - Matthew 22:37
    • Our spouse - Ephesians 5:25
    • Our brethren - Galatians 5:13
    • Our children - Titus 2:3-5
    • Our parents - Ephesians 6:1-2
    • Not the world - I John 2:15
    • Wisdom: Proverbs 4:6
    • Truth - Proverbs 23:23
    • Enemies: Matthew 5:44
    • Not money: I Timothy 6:10
• Prayer
  • What prayer is
  • How often to pray - Luke 18:1-8
  • Example of those who prayed
    • Abraham - Genesis 12:7-8
    • Jacob - Genesis 32:9-12
    • Moses - Exodus 32:11-13
    • Jesus - Matthew 14:23
    • Paul - Ephesians 3:14-21
    • Peter - Acts 9:40
    • Cornelius - Acts 10:1-2
  • Who should we pray for?
    • Elders
    • Enemies - Matthew 5:44
    • Civil authorities - I timothy 2:1-3
    • Those who preach the gospel - Acts 12:5
    • The church - James 5:16
  • What should we pray for?
    • Food/necessities - Matthew 6:11
    • Spiritual strength in others - Ephesians 3:14-19
    • Forgiveness of sins - Matthew 6:12
    • Deliverance from temptation - Matthew 6:13
    • To ease suffering - James 5:13
    • Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding - James 1:5-7
    • Unity
    • Peace - I Timothy 2:1-2
    • Laborers in God’s harvest - Matthew 9:38
  • To whom are we to pray?
    • God - John 16:23
  • To whom do we not pray?
    • Anyone else (Mary, angels, dead saints, etc.)!
    • We can pray to Jesus: Acts 7:59