VOLUME 2

ISSUE # 2

WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT:
ENGAGED 1.9.2011
...In Prayer
PROVERBS 15:8

The sacrifice of Luke 19:13

the wicked
is an abomination
to the Lord,
but the prayer of
the upright is
His delight.
Proverbs 15:8 Day 1
Sacrifice is not too popular of a word nowadays. It has a negative Personal
connotation to it. We think of deprivation, self-control and even high-cost
Prayer is powerful! We know this stakes. That makes this a tough verse. The comparison is clear between the
because of our Scripture reading. wicked (rasha`= guilty) and the upright (yashar = correct/straight). If we are
We long for our prayers to not careful we will forget to evaluate which we truly are. No sane one wishes to classify
themselves as wicked, but indeed we are guilty. The only way we qualify as upright is
effectively turn God’s ear and to because of Jesus’ finished work. Today, simply focus on who you are with and without
be satisfied. Unfortunately, most Christ. Honestly, the result of our mediation should drive us to our knees.
Christ Followers are dissatisfied
with their prayer lives. As we Relational
study Scripture though, we realize This week’s verse is about removing barriers to prayer in your heart and
that our discontent comes from conduct. Can you honestly say that there is nothing standing between you
misunderstanding the depth, and someone else that will prevent your prayers from being accepted by
height, width and purpose of God?
prayer. We have become
disillusioned to believe that God’s
chief end in our lives is for us to Generational
be happy. Through this study you Parents have a lot of “right and wrong” conversations with their children, no
will be equipped to understand matter what age. One of the ways that we can tell that children are growing up
the real nature of is when they begin making the right decision for the right reasons. As this verse
prayer and implies, you can make a sacrifice (right thing) for the wrong reasons
(Solomon calls them wicked) and God is not under obligation to hear the
incorporate ways prayer. But anyone who prays with the right motives (righteousness)
your prayers can be When we pray to pleases the Father.
God we must be
effectual and seeking nothing -
fervent… To believe nothing. In what ways can the family work, not just on right or wrong issues, but on
praying makes a ~ Francis of Assisi good, better and best issues? What are the “doing right with the
difference, we must right motive” things that the family can do this week?
24/7 Relational Faith
faith Generational Faith

A 24/7 faith is the only faith that is authentic. It
is unselfish and God-centered. This type of
faith is personal and real. It is not produced by
community, but community enhances it. This
section is for the individual believer.
Relationships define who we are. God has
placed us in community with others with whom
we must relate. Whether it is marriage,
employment, social, civic, worship, etc., we must
learn to relate to others as Christ.
God expects us to pass on our faith to the
next generation. Scripture is full of commands
to leave a legacy of faith. However, it is not for
the faint of heart. This section will provide
fodder for you to talk about faith at home...
Day 2
Personal
Read Romans 7:18: There is
nothing good in any of us apart
from Jesus and yet, we still try to impress
Him with our sacrifices. Try to journal
the following things: List the things we
do trying to make God happy; List the
things we sacrifice because we are
supposed to.
Do you think that God is pleased when
our hope is that He will love us because
of the things we do rather than trusting
that Christ is enough?
Are you truly trusting only Christ or do
you trust Him and the good things, even
the sacrificial things, you do?
Relational
This verse seems almost old
fashioned to some; that God
would actually consider our prayers an
affront if our relationships (with God or
others) are out of tune. Place this verse
back in your belief system as you relate
to others, and God, this week.
Horace Bushnell,
from Christian Nurture - 1847
The house…should become the
church of childhood, the table and
hearth; a holy rite.
Day 3
In this verse we see the Personal
vanity and worthlessness of
religious exercises: the best
efforts are still hateful in
God’s sight because they flow
from a heart in rebellion against the
Lord. How can that be? Isn’t religious
duty/obligation a good thing? A
resounding “NO”!
You can do good things without an
engaged heart. God does not want our
stuff. He wants our hearts. This is why
human works can never bring about
salvation, though they may be done
sacrificially; they are wicked and an
abomination to God because they are
done as a substitute for, and in
contempt of, the work of Christ, being
an evidence that one thinks he can
serve God acceptably in his own
wisdom and strength, and for other
reasons.
Relational
Read I Peter 3:7-8, as a
corollary to this week’s verse.
What does a strained relationship
in your marriage do to your spiritual life
and prayers? Make the removal of this
kind of prayer barrier today’s goal.
Prayer does not change
God, but it changes him who
prays. ~Søren Kierkegaard
Day 4
Personal
On the other hand, the upright
finds not only acceptance but
even delight with the Lord,
though he make no sacrifice, but only
prays. The Bible cuts all ground for self-
trust from under man’s feet. This does not
mean that sacrifice is not important. It is.
Sacrifice teaches us that God is in control.
It teaches us that He is our provider. It
reminds us that right priorities in this life
are important. So you see… sacrifice
causes us to love Him more. Sacrifice
never causes Him to love us more. He
loves us unconditionally and perfectly. It is
impossible for God to love you more than
He already does!
How does the current sacrifices of your
life show that you are developing a deeper
love for God?
Relational
Read Mark 11:25. The
evidence is piling up. If
you do not have a heart
clear of all animosity, grudges,
and unresolved conflicts, you are
asking for trouble in your prayer life.
Take time to search your heart today.
Generational
As a family:
What are you sacrificing?
Time, money, trips, recreation,
service to others. These things
can really help you invest in eternity
rather than in the day to day rat race.
Today, talk about what sacrifice might
look like in your family. You might be
surprised...
Trouble and perplexity drive me to
prayer and prayer drives away
perplexity and trouble.
~Philip Melanchthen
Who is Philip Melanchthen?

Day 5 So, what does it take for us to please God? Well, it seems, to please God we need to only be
upright. Since we are not upright on our own, we must be in Christ. He makes us upright. It is
only then we truly bring pleasure to God and He hears our prayer. Trusting in good works is an
abomination to God, simply because it removes the need for Jesus. As I process the truth of verses like
that I cannot help but feel vulnerable and very fragile. I am reminded of my desperation to trust Christ and
my complete dependancy upon Him. Are you trusting anything other than Christ? If you are, remove
these abominations from your life. This truth should set us free and drive us to a satisfied prayer life.
Take a moment and ask yourself these questions. Have I ever, REALLY, had a prayer life unfettered by
relational conflict? Do I really know what a heart connected to God is like? Does God take delight in
my prayers? Do not misread this verse. Do not downplay its significance to your spiritual life. Do not
disbelieve this week’s verse. Make things right with others, so that you may be right with God.
Communion with God is closely tied to communion with others.

How are you teaching the next generation that only Jesus counts? We teach them to be good, kind,
considerate, polite, mannerly, proper and generous but do we teach them that these only count when
done in/for Christ’s name. We can only do them for God’s glory and pleasure when we are in Christ.
Otherwise, we may be liked in this world but be practicing abomination in the next.
No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than
the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it.
NEXT WEEK: Romans 8:26