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Personal Prayer Outline - by C. Matthew McMahon

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As much as prayer is simple, it is also complicated. Prayer is the Christian’s security about which he should be “always praying.” Prayer is the word of God formed into an argument and retorted back to God again. Practically, prayer is the soul breathing itself into the heart of its heavenly Father. It is a duty performed to God by sensible and believing souls, in which they ask for things according to his will, in the name of Christ, by the power of the Spirit, with thanksgiving for what already has been received. Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

The following chart is a simple outline of the Lord’s Prayer, with some notes to aid the praying Christian in that ordinance and duty before God. It is taken from the Westminster Larger Catechism, and expanded.

Lord, I am your servant, take all the faculties of my soul, and the members of my body, improve it all, lay out everything to your own praise to the uttermost, to bring glory to your great Name. 1 John 5:14; Matt. 6:2-13; Luke 11:2-4
After this manner pray ye The model and pattern of all our prayers.
Our Father In what sense is God a Father?
By creation Mal. 2:10
By election Eph. 1:4
By grace 1 John 3:9
We are to pray for:
Whole Church of Christ Upon the Earth Eph. 6:18; Psa. 28:9
Magistrates 1 Tim. 2:1-2
Minister Col. 4:3
Ourselves Gen. 32:11
Our Brethren James 5:16
Our Enemies Matt. 5:44
All Sorts of Men Living 1 Tim. 2:1-2
Hallowed be thy name. Matt 6: 9 (1 Peter 1:15-16)
That God would by his grace enable and incline us and others to know, to acknowledge, and highly to esteem him. Adoration of his titles,[4] attributes,[5] ordinances, word,[6] works, and whatsoever he is pleased to make himself known by;[7] and to glorify him in thought, word,[8] and deed:[9] that he would prevent and remove atheism,[10] ignorance,[11] idolatry,[12] profaneness,[13] and: whatsoever is dishonorable to him;[14] and, by his overruling providence, direct and dispose of all things to his own glory.[15] [4.] Psa. 83:18; [5.] Psa. 86:10-13, 15; [6.] 2 Thess. 3:1; Psa. 138:1-3; 147:19-20; 2 Cor. 2:14-15; [7.] Psa. ch. 8; ch. 145; [8.] Psa. 19:14; 103:1; [9.] Phil. 1:9, 11; [10.] Psa. 67:1-4; [11.] Eph. 1:17-18; [12.] Psa. 97:7; [13.] Psa. 74:18, 22-23; [14.] 2 Kings 19:15-16; [15.] 2 Chr. 20:6, 10-12; Psa. ch. 83; 140:4, 8.
Personal Holiness A good steward over holiness
1 Peter 1:15-16 Holiness and the reflection of your holiness.
High Thoughts of God’s Holiness
Cultivating the desire to be more holy.
Have a Constraint in Holiness
Being Constant in Holiness
Having High Thoughts of God Considering His Attributes Trinity, Holy, Simplicity, Faithful, Independent, Immutable, Infinite, Immense, Eternal, All knowing, Everywhere Present, Spirit, captivated by your attributes, Incarnation, Atonement
Thy kingdom come. Matt 6: 10
The Expansion of the Kingdom What is my Role in Expansion of the Kingdom?
Inward (Col. 3:1-4) and Outward (Acts 13:47) Inward in the Mind Outward in Ministry
Acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan,[2] [2.] Eph. 2:2-3;
We pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed,[3] [3.] Psa. 68:1, 18; Rev. 12:10-11;
The gospel propagated throughout the world,[4] the Jews called,[5] the fulness of the Gentiles brought in;[6] the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances,[7] purged from corruption,[8] countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate:[9] that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted:[10] that Christ would rule in our hearts here,[11] and hasten the time of his second coming, and our reigning with him forever:[12] and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.[13]  [4.] 2 Thess. 3:1; [5.] Rom. 10:1; [6.] John 17:9, 20; Rom. 11:25-26; Psa. ch. 67; [7.] Matt. 9:38; 2 Thess. 3:1; [8.] Mal. 1:11; Zeph. 3:9; [9.] 1 Tim. 2:1-2; [10.] Acts 4:29-30; Eph. 6:18-20; Rom. 15:29-30, 32; 2 Thess. 1:11; 2:16-17; [11.] Eph. 3:14-20; [12.] Rev. 22:20; [13.] Isa. 64:1-2; Rev. 4:8-11
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  Matt 6: 10
The Will of God Ezekiel 10:13 God Commands the Wheels
Acknowledging, that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and do the will of God,[2] but prone to rebel against his word,[3] to repine and murmur against his providence,[4] and wholly inclined to do the will of the flesh, and of the devil:[5] we pray, that God would by his Spirit take away from ourselves and others all blindness,[6] weakness,[7] indisposedness,[8] and perverseness of heart;[9] and by his grace make us able and willing to know, do, and submit to his will in all things,[10] with the like humility,[11] cheerfulness,[12] faithfulness,[13] diligence,[14] zeal,[15] sincerity,[16] and constancy,[17] as the angels do in heaven.[18] [2.] Rom. 7:18; Job 21:14; 1 Cor. 2:14; [3.] Rom. 8:7; [4.] Exod. 17:7; Num. 14:2; [5.] Eph. 2:2; [6.] Eph. 1:17-18; [7.] Eph. 3:16; [8.] Matt. 26:40-41; [9.] Jer. 31:18-19; [10.] Psa. 119:1, 8, 35-36; Acts 21:14 ;[11.] Micah 6:8; [12.] Psa. 100:2; Job 1:21; 2 Sam. 15:25-26; [13.] Isa. 38:3; [14.] Psa. 119:4-5; [15.] Rom. 12:11; [16.] Psa. 119:80; [17.] Psa. 119:112; [18.] Isa. 6:2-3; Psa. 103:20-21; Matt. 18:10.
Providence Ezekiel 10:13
What is God’s will in the future? Redeeming the Time
God’s Will in All Things Psalm 119:60
What is God’s will in my life?
Health, jobs, family matters, etc. Personal Requests
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt 6:11
Provisions of all Kinds
acknowledging, that in Adam, and by our own sin, we have forfeited our right to all the outward blessings of this life, and deserve to be wholly deprived of them by God, and to have them cursed to us in the use of them;[2] and that neither they of themselves are able to sustain us,[3] nor we to merit,[4] or by our own industry to procure them;[5] but prone to desire,[6] get,[7] and use them unlawfully:[8] we pray for ourselves and others, that both they and we, waiting upon the providence of God from day to day in the use of lawful means, may, of his free gift, and as to his fatherly wisdom shall seem best, enjoy a competent portion of them;[9] and have the same continued and blessed unto us in our holy and comfortable use of them,[10] and contentment in them;[11] and be kept from all things that are contrary to our temporal support and comfort.[12] [2.] Gen. 2:17, 3:17; Rom. 8:20-22; Jer. 5:25; Deut. 28:15-68; [3.] Deut. 8:3; [4.] Gen. 32:10; [5.] Deut. 8:17-18; [6.] Jer. 6:13; Mark 7:21-22; [7.] Hosea 12:7; [8.] James 4:3; [9.] Gen. 28:20; 43:12-14; Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3:11-12; Phil. 4:6; [10.] 1 Tim. 4:3-5; [11.] 1 Tim. 6:6-8; 12. Prov. 30:8-9
Daily Bread Proverbs 30:8-9
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors Matt. 6:12
Forgiveness Psalm 119:94
Justification, Imputation Titus 3:7
acknowledging, that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt:[2] we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin,[3] accept us in his Beloved;[4] continue his favor and grace to us,[5] pardon our daily failings,[6] and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness;[7] which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses.[8] [2.] Rom. 3:9-22; Matt. 18:24-25; Psa. 130:3-4; [3.] Rom. 3:24-26; Heb. 9:22; [4.] Eph. 1:6-7; [5.] 2 Peter 1:2; [6.] Hosea 14:2; Jer. 14:7; [7.] Rom. 15:13; Psa. 51:7-10, 12; [8.] Luke 11:4; Matt. 6:14-15; 18:35
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil Matt. 6:13
acknowledging, that the most wise, righteous, and gracious God, for divers holy and just ends, may so order things, that we may be assaulted, foiled, and for a time led captive by temptations;[2] that Satan,[3] the world,[4] and the flesh, are ready powerfully to draw us aside, and ensnare us;[5] and that we, even after the pardon of our sins, by reason of our corruption,[6] weakness, and want of watchfulness,[7] are not only subject to be tempted, and forward to expose ourselves unto temptations,[8] but also of ourselves unable and unwilling to resist them, to recover out of them, and to improve them;[9] and worthy to be left under the power of them:[10] we pray, that God would so overrule the world and all in it,[11] subdue the flesh,[12] and restrain Satan,[13] order all things,[14] bestow and bless all means of grace,[15] and quicken us to watchfulness in the use of them, that we and all his people may by his providence be kept from being tempted to sin;[16] or, if tempted, that by his Spirit we may be powerfully supported and enabled to stand in the hour of temptation;[17] or when fallen, raised again and recovered out of it,[18] and have a sanctified use and improvement thereof:[19] that our sanctification and salvation may be perfected,[20] Satan trodden under our feet,[21] and we fully freed from sin, temptation, and all evil, forever.[22] [2.] 2 Chr. 32:31; [3.] 1 Chr. 21:1; [4.] Luke 21:34; Mark 4:19; [5.] James 1:14; [6.] Gal. 5:17; [7.] Matt. 26:41; [8.] Matt. 26:69-72; Gal. 2:11-14; 2 Chr. 18:3; 19:2; [9.] Rom. 7:23-24; 1 Chr. 21:1-4; 2 Chr. 16:7-10; [10.] Psa. 81:11-12; [11.] John 17:15; [12.] Psa. 51:10; 119:133; [13.] 2 Cor. 12:7-8; [14.] 1 Cor. 10:12-13; [15.] Heb. 13:20-21; [16.] Matt. 26:41; Psa. 19:13; [17.] Eph. 3:14-17; 1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 1:24; [18.] Psa. 51:12; [19.] 1 Peter 5:8-10; [20.] 2 Cor. 13:7, 9; [21.] Rom. 16:20; Zech. 3:2; Luke 22:31-32; [22.] John 17:15; 1 Thess. 5:23
Temptation James 1:12
Spiritual Combat Gal. 5:17
A Continued Strategy
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Matt. 6:13
teaches us to enforce our petitions with arguments,[2] which are to be taken, not from any worthiness in ourselves, or in any other creature, but from God;[3] and with our prayers to join praises,[4] ascribing to God alone eternal sovereignty, omnipotency, and glorious excellency;[5] in regard whereof, as he is able and willing to help us,[6] so we by faith are emboldened to plead with him that he would,[7] and quietly to rely upon him, that he will fulfil our requests.[8] And, to testify this our desire and assurance, we say, Amen.[9] [2.]Rom. 15:30; [3.] Dan. 9:4, 7-9, 16-19; [4.] Phil. 4:6; [5.] 1 Chr. 29:10-13; [6.] Eph. 3:20-21; Luke 11:13; [7.] 2 Chr. 20:6, 11; [8.] 2 Chr. 14:11; [9.] 1 Cor. 14:16; Rev. 22:20-21
Petitions for Others NAMES NEEDS
NEEDS
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NAMES NEEDS
NEEDS
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NAMES NEEDS
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NAMES NEEDS
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