First Baptist Church . 3 Hedge Street . Simpsonville, SC 29681 . phone: (864) 967-8591 . Class Location: Main 210
Our Prayer
Our Prayer
Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against You and that my sins separate me from You. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to You for forgiveness. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to convict me when I sin. I pledge to grow in grace and knowledge of You. My greatest purpose in life is to follow Your example and do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Luke 18:9–14 contrasts two men who went to
the temple to pray: a Pharisee confident in his own righteousness, and a tax
collector who could only cry out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus
says it is the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who went home justified. This
parable teaches that prayer is not a platform for self-congratulation but a
posture of humility. True repentance does not compare itself favorably to
others; it simply casts itself on the mercy of God.
Wayne’s notes from his sermon last Sunday:
Luke 18:9-14
Luke 18:9-14
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax
Collector
“He also told this parable to some who
trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with
contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the
other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I
thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I
get.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes
to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I
tell you; this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself
will be exalted.’”
Why do you think the Pharisee's prayer,
despite sounding religious, was not acceptable to God?
What made the tax collector's prayer
different, both in content and posture?
Why is it so easy to slip into comparing our
own righteousness to other people's, even unintentionally?
What is the difference between conviction
that leads to humble confession and shame that leads to hiding?
What would it look like for you to pray more
like the tax collector this week?
Closing Thoughts
The Pharisee’s prayer reminds us how easily
comparison and self-righteousness can creep into community, while the tax
collector’s prayer shows what genuine humility before God sounds like. As a
group, we can model honest confession with one another, refuse to compare our
sin against someone else’s, and remind each other that our standing before God
is never based on our performance but always on His mercy. A group marked by
humility becomes a safe place for real transformation to happen.
Luke 18:1–8 teaches that believers ought
“always to pray and not lose heart.” Jesus tells the parable of a persistent
widow who wears down an unjust judge through sheer perseverance, then makes a
“how much more” argument: if even an uninterested, unrighteous judge eventually
gives justice, how much more will a good and loving Father respond to His own
children who cry out to Him day and night? Persistent prayer is not about convincing
a reluctant God. It is the natural posture of faith that keeps trusting Him
even when the answer is delayed.
Luke 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
“And He told them a parable to the effect
that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city
there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a
widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against
my adversary.” For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself,
“Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps
bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her
continual coming.”’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He
delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?’”
Why do you think Jesus used an unjust judge,
rather than a good one, to make His point about God?
What is the difference between persistent
prayer that flows from faith and prayer that flows from doubt or anxiety?
Why do you think believers are tempted to
lose heart when prayers aren’t answered quickly?
How does Jesus’ closing question about
finding faith on earth connect persistence in prayer to the state of our faith?
What is a situation in your life right now
where you need to keep praying and not lose heart?
Closing Thoughts
Jesus told this parable precisely because
perseverance in prayer does not come naturally when circumstances are
discouraging. As a group, we can carry each other’s burdens by continuing to
pray for one another’s requests over time, refusing to give up on people or
situations too quickly, and reminding one another that God is not an unjust
judge who must be worn down, but a Father eager to act on behalf of His people.
A church that prays persistently becomes a people marked by hope rather than
discouragement.
END
Teacher Notes:
Click Play to Watch
What stands out to you about Chris and the
advice
he gives his son?
Perseverance is easy to talk about when you
know the story has a happy ending.
It's much harder to persevere when you're
still in the middle
of the struggle.
The widow in Jesus' parable today, is also in
the middle of a struggle. She doesn't know how her story is going to end. She
doesn't know if or when justice will come. She doesn't even have a sympathetic
person in authority on her side.
But she keeps coming.
Luke 18:1–8
“And He told them a parable to the effect
that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city
there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a
widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against
my adversary.” For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself,
“Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps
bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her
continual coming.”’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will
He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?’”
Jesus is addressing something that we all
experience:
What happens to our prayer life when God
doesn’t
seem to answer?
It's easy to pray when:
the diagnosis is good
job comes through
prodigal comes home
financial problem is resolved
relationship is restored
surgery goes well
or an answer comes quickly
But what causes us to lose heart when we've
been praying about something for a long time and nothing seems to change?
Prayer: Transaction vs. Relationship
Transactional Prayer says, God, give me this.
Relational Prayer says, God, I trust You with
this.
Persistent prayer isn’t always repeating the
same request. Sometimes it’s just continuing to say, Father, I don't
understand, but I still trust You.
The Christian isn't promised: If you persist
long enough, you'll get the outcome you want.
We're promised something deeper: God is
faithful, and therefore we can continue trusting Him even when
the outcome is uncertain.
Giving up says,
God isn't going to do anything.
Surrender says,
God, I don't know what You're going to do,
but I trust You.
Click Play to Watch
But sometimes our stories don't resolve as
quickly as Chris Gardner. Some prayers take months. Some take years. And some
we may not see answered this side of heaven.
This is where the words of Jesus become so important: “Pray and don't lose heart.”
The Bible gives this image an even deeper
meaning. The rainbow first appears in Scripture as a sign of God's covenant — a
reminder that God keeps His promises.
The rain represents what we see.
The rainbow reminds us of what we know: God
is faithful.
Jesus ends this parable by asking,
“When the Son of Man comes, will He find
faith on earth?”
The question isn't whether there will be
rain. There will be.
The question is, when the rain comes, will we
still believe
in the promise?
Perhaps one of the great gifts of growing
older is that we have enough history with God to know that He can be trusted —
even when we don't understand everything.
Conclusion
Faith says, I will keep praying — not because
I know what God is going to do, but because
I know who He is.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
New Series:Praythis way...
What if prayer isn't just something you do... but someone you draw near to?
Prayer is one of the greatest privileges God
has given His children, yet it's often one of the most misunderstood. It's more
than reciting words, checking a box, or bringing God a list of requests. Prayer
is an invitation into a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father.
You won't want to miss a single lesson in this brand-new series, Pray this way.
Together, we'll discover what Jesus taught
about prayer and how Scripture invites us to approach God with confidence,
humility, faith, and complete dependence upon Him. Along the way, we'll learn
how prayer transforms our hearts, aligns our lives with God's will, strengthens
our faith, and equips us to faithfully intercede for others.
Whether you've walked with Christ for decades
or simply desire a richer prayer life, this series will encourage and challenge
you to experience the joy of daily fellowship with God.
Because the greatest blessing of prayer isn't
simply getting answers... it's getting closer to the One who hears every
prayer.
"Lord, teach us to pray."
Luke
11:1
Our first lesson is from Mark 1:35 and John
15:5–7.
Sermon Recap
Mark 1:35 and John 15:5–7 reveal that prayer
is not a performance but a relationship to abide in. Jesus, in the middle of a
demanding ministry schedule, withdrew early in the morning to a solitary place
to be with the Father. His fruitfulness flowed out of His communion, not the
other way around. John 15 makes the connection explicit: apart from Christ we
can do nothing, but those who abide in Him bear fruit and find their prayers
shaped by His will. Time with God is not a task on the to-do list; it is the
root system that makes everything else possible.
Mark 1:35
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
And rising very early in the morning, while
it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He
prayed.
John 15:5–7
[5] I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart
from Me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown
away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the
fire, and burned. [7] If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (ESV)
Discussion Questions
What stands out to you most in Mark 1:35 and
John 15:5-7?
Why do you think Jesus prioritized prayer
even during His busiest seasons of ministry?
What does it look like practically to
"abide" in Christ throughout a normal day?
How does understanding prayer as relationship
rather than duty change the way you approach it?
What competes most for the time you would
otherwise give to prayer?
How might a life of consistent prayer change
the way you handle stress, decisions, or busyness?
Closing Thought
Jesus' example in Mark 1 shows that even the
busiest ministry calendar must be built on the foundation of communion with the
Father. As a class, we can ask one another honestly about our rhythms of
prayer, encourage each other when distraction and busyness crowd it out, and
remind one another that fruitfulness in life always flows from abiding, not
striving. A church that treasures time with God becomes a people who carry His
presence into every space they enter.
END
Teacher Notes:
Pray this way…”Our Father…Hallowed be Thy
Name”
We need to learn to Abide!
When you think about prayer, what’s the
first thing
that comes to mind?
For many, it’s giving grace…
Click Play to Watch
Transaction vs Relationship
1st Lesson in the series...
Mark 1:35
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
And rising very early in the morning, while
it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He
prayed.
John 15:5–7
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man
remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do
nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown
away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and
burned. If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it will be given you.
Mark 1:35
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.
This wasn’t a one-time event, but a pattern
we see throughout Luke's Gospel, where Jesus regularly withdrew to pray,
sometimes for an entire night.
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man
remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do
nothing.
John 15:7
If you remain in Me, and My words remain in
you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
Series: The Fight of Your Life - A Study of Ephesians
(Last Lesson)
Sermon Recap
Ephesians 6:17–18 teaches that the sword of
the Spirit is the powerful and precise application of God’s Word against the
lies of the enemy. Satan attacks by distorting God’s character and truth, but
believers are not defenseless. Through prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit
and faithful application of Scripture, believers can confront deception, stand
firm in truth, and walk in obedience to God.
Ephesians 6:17-24
The Whole Armor of God
“and take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, praying at all times in the
Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all
perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that
words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of
the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it
boldly, as I ought to speak.
So that you also may know how I am and what I
am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will
tell you everything, I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may
know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
Peace be to the brother, and love with faith,
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our
Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
Why do you think Paul describes God’s Word as
a sword?
How does Satan commonly distort God’s
character or truth today?
Why is the accurate application of Scripture
important in spiritual warfare?
What is the difference between simply knowing
Scripture and actually wielding it?
How do prayer and dependence on the Spirit
help believers use the Word effectively?
Closing Thoughts
Ephesians 6 reminds believers that spiritual
warfare is often fought in the mind and heart through distorted views of God
and His purposes. As a group, we sharpen one another by studying Scripture
together, praying together, and speaking truth into one another’s lives. A
church that knows and applies God’s Word becomes a people equipped to stand
firm against deception and point others toward the truth and goodness of God.
