Strengthening Your Grip
Teachers
Lesson Summary
In this class on strengthening one's grip on prayer, Larry Johnson addressed fundamental questions about why Christians should pray and how prayer impacts their spiritual lives. He established that despite living in an aimless and chaotic world with unprecedented prosperity and technology, believers still struggle to know their purpose and find lasting hope—prayer provides the essential connection to ground believers in God's sovereignty. Johnson taught that prayer is good for believers for two primary reasons: it strengthens faith and trust in God, and it compels cooperation with God's work. Every answered prayer confirms the foundational truths of faith found in Hebrews 11:6—that God exists and rewards those who seek Him. Prayer is essential to spiritual transformation into the image of Christ. The teacher explored three biblical patterns of how God bestows blessings: unconditionally (as seen in Matthew 5:44-45 where God sends rain on the just and unjust), through the intercession of others (illustrated in Job 42:8 where God promised to bless Eliphaz only through Job's prayers), and in response to personal requests (demonstrated in James 1:5 and Luke 11:9-10, where asking is required to receive certain blessings). Johnson emphasized that without asking, believers miss blessings God intends specifically for them, and that unanswered prayers often result from not asking at all. He challenged the audience to consider what blessings God is waiting to give them and others if they would only ask.
Key Scriptures
Without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.