Prayer
“The Source of Our Needs”
Luke 11:1-13; Psalm 73

Prayer is our best work!

To view prayer as a delight rather than a duty

Luke 11:1-13

How would you rate your prayer life?
60% - poor or not very good
0% - I am not interested in prayer 

“Lord, teach us to pray…” 

Why should we pray?
To know God better

Prayer is …
Responding to God – Gen 1:26-27; Gal. 4:5,6, 9; 1 Cor. 13:12
Continuing a conversation that God already started – Psalm 86:11-12; Job
Putting God back into the picture – Psalm 73:13-14, 16-17

“All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.” –Psalm 73:13-14

“But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.” –Psalm 73:16-17

Prayer …
1. Allowing God to be God in my life 
God is enough
God has the final say
Reordering the loves in my life
Level our hearts – “inner life” vs. “outer life”
Provide strength & perspective in suffering

2. Trusting God as the source of our needs
Prayer doesn’t begin with needs but God’s glory
“Daily bread” is a metaphor for all our needs (Material, Relational, Physical, Emotional, Spiritual)
	
“…give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” – Proverbs 30:8

2. Trusting God as the source of our needs
We come expectant, but satisfied in our trust of Him
Never confuse our “source” with the “resource” 

We don’t pray for our “daily bread” because it works for us, but because it resolves something in us! – Matthew 6