Lesson 1. The Abiding Presence

lgparkhurst

International Prayer Lessons Personal Notebook

Lesson 1. The Abiding Presence

As you pray through The Believer’s Secret of the Abiding Presence, your new ideas, applications, and prayer topics will be different from mine posted below. As we study and discuss these “International Lessons on Prayer” here at the IPL Forum, what I have discovered and have written below for discussion may help you and others. I have sometimes just paraphrased some sentences from Andrew Murray and Brother Lawrence to help me meditate upon their meaning as I pray, review, and write more in my prayer notebook during the week. In order for your prayer study to be your own as the Holy Spirit leads you, you will probably want to print out and complete the Personal Notebook page available at the International Prayer Lessons website at TheIPLC.com before reading my notebook study below.

Though we begin with Lesson 1, The Abiding Presence for the week of February 4-10, 2018, you may begin your study on any lesson at any time and post questions for discussion, prayer requests, and answers to prayer at any time and we will respond to your posts and pray with and for you.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to impress upon your mind and heart what Christ wants you to learn about prayer from this lesson and how you can draw closer to Him and grow in His grace through Bible study and prayer.

New Ideas and Applications

Ideas. Christ’s presence abides (remains) with me always! After Jesus Christ gave His disciples the Holy Spirit after His death and resurrection, they had Christ himself in His heavenly presence in a sense far deeper and more intimate than they had ever known on earth. They then lived in unbroken fellowship with Him and He gave them secret power. This principle remains valid for all His servants.

Applications. Since Jesus Christ is close to me through the Holy Spirit who indwells me, I need to walk daily and moment-by-moment with that truth in my heart and mind. Jesus is present with and within me. As I read the Bible to learn more about and from Jesus, I need to pray that I will draw closer to Him as I understand more of the truth from Him and follow Him moment-by-moment.

New Topics for My Prayers

Consciously draw closer to Christ and when doing so pray for Christ to help me have a transparent relationship with Him, so no sin or sinful practices will cloud my relationship with Him, that I might repent of and turn from any behaviors that distort my fellowship with Him, that I might consciously abide (remain) in His presence and remember when tempted that He is present with me to help me.

Practice what Brother Andrew advised: “Establish a sense of God’s presence in your life by continually conversing with Him.”

Conclusion

Register and pray with others in the IPL Forum. Post what you are learning about prayer below, post your questions or answer questions. Post your prayer requests and answers to prayer below so we can pray for you and praise God with you!

Listen again to the free audio lesson of Chapter 1, The Abiding Presence, and take additional notes as you listen. Go to: International Prayer Lessons at TheIPLC.com for more free audio lessons on prayer.

May God bless you and your praying as you draw closer to Jesus!
L.G.