About the Series

August 2016

Observation is often the best teacher. Toddlers learn to put one mini Chuck Taylor in front of another by watching older siblings run through the house. A child learns to ride her Huffy by trying to keep up with the older Schwinns in the neighborhood. An aspiring basketball protégé mimics the theatrics of heroes like LeBron James and Steph Curry. College freshmen imitate seniors, and junior partners often emulate their seasoned colleagues.

Will Rogers accurately perceived, “People’s minds are changed through observation and not through argument.” “If we make listening and observation our occupation,” Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell advised, “we will gain much more by listening and observing than we can by talking.”

The school of prayer teaches us the same way. As we observe how Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) and Jesus (Matthew 6:9-13) prayed, the Spirit will transform us into a virtuous, praying people. For the four Sundays in August, let’s quiet our hearts to watch, listen, learn, and pray with Jabez and Jesus.

Series Resources

Recommended Books

August 28 –
Sermon: Pardon & Purity Play an Important Part in Prayer
Book: Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall

August 21 –
Sermon: Why Pray for Daily Bread?
Book: Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer by Eugene Peterson

August 14 –
Sermon: Praying with Faith & Flexibility
Book: Beyond Jabez: Expanding Your Borders by Bruce Wilkinson