Thy Will be Done
Completing His Plan ~ the Purpose of Prayer

1. Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-19 and worship God along with David, "the man after God's own heart."

 a. Read David's words of praise, and ask God to make them your own.

"Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said:
“Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
11     Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;  Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
12     Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
13     “Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name.
14     But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this?
For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.
15     For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, as were all our fathers;
Our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope.
16     “O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own.
17     I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You.
18     O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You.
19     And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision."

b. What is your response to Him?

 

c. Examine the entire prayer and divide it into three sections. Give each part a title.

 

d. How How does David see Himself as he looks at God?

 

e. What seems to be the desire of David's heart?

 

f.  How does David's longing relate to God?

 

2. Read John 15:1-20

1     “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4     Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5     “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6.     If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8     By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
9     “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11     “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
12     This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15     No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17     These things I command you, that you love one another.
18     “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20     Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

 a. According to vs. 12-13, what does He desire for us?

 

 b. Prayerfully study vs. 14-20. Ponder the meaning of friendship, then describe the person who responds to Jesus and becomes His friend. (Is this you?

 

c. Explain how it is possible for you to be and live as His friend? (See verses 1-11)

 

3. Read John 13:34-35. When we live as God's faithful friends, what happens around us? Explain the process of fulfilling God's purpose.

34-35     "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

4. Read Colossians 1:27-29. Paul, one of His intimate friends, shows his identifcation with the purpose of God.

27-29  To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

a. What is his goal?

 b. How important is this goal to Paul?  (What actions prove his intentions?)

 

c. Which phrase indentifies Paul's source of genuine love?

d. (Personal) To what extent canyou indentify with Paul's purpose and longing?

     What actions in your life prove your sincerity?

 

5. Look at the natural exression of Paul's goal in ministry. From each passage write the words that show his love and committment to their growth.

What common elements do you see in the list of Scriptures below?  

What do they tell you about Paul's heart.  

How well do they line up with God's purpose for His people: their completion which leads to the expansion of His Kingdom here on earth? (Remember His longing: Psalm 40:8, Matthew 7:21,  2 Thessalonians 2:13)

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you." Romans 1:8-10

"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

  "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16     do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power..." Ephesians 1:15-19

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..." Philippians 1:2-4

"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,  knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God." 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4

"Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.  And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

"Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ." 2 Thessalonians 3:5

6. Having looked at Paul's purpose and prayer-life, what did you learn?

How will you apply what God showed you?

7. Consider some of the people in your life for whom God and you share a burden. Ask God to show you His desire for them, then write the prayer that flows from His heart through yours. Expect Him to answer -- knowing He might use you to be part of the answer.