Prayers from the Pit
Pain. We all suffer from it in various degrees and forms at one time or another in our lives. Sometimes it threatens to overwhelm and consume us, and then we wonder what we should do. How will we ever find our way out of the pit into which we have fallen?
But the real question is, how did Jesus handle the pain he encountered in his life, especially on the cross? The answer is simple - Jesus prayed. And we can too.
Whether you find yourself in a pit of pain or on a peak of joy, study the ten prayers of Jesus. Find comfort, strength, and guidance for the road ahead as you learn how to pray inward prayers of complaint, upward prayers of confidence, and outward prayers of compassion. Develop a closer relationship with the Father as you spend forty days following the prayer steps of the Son.
Table of Contents
Resource 1. The Ten Prayers of Jesus
Chapter 1. Prayers from the Pit: Discovering the Importance of the Prayers of Jesus
Chapter 2. An Inward Prayer of Complaint: I Am Despondent (Matthew 26)
Chapter 3. An Inward Prayer of Complaint: I Am Deserted (Mark 15)
Chapter 4. An Inward Prayer of Complaint: I Am Deprived (John 19)
Chapter 5. An Upward Prayer of Confidence: You Still Rule (Matthew 11)
Chapter 6. An Upward Prayer of Confidence: You Still Listen (John 11)
Chapter 7. An Upward Prayer of Confidence: You Still Reveal (John 12, 17)
Chapter 8. An Upward Prayer of Confidence: You Still Matter (Matthew 26)
Chapter 9. An Upward Prayer of Confidence: You Still Hold (Luke 23)
Chapter 10. An Upward Prayer of Confidence: You Still Stop (John 19:30)
Chapter 11. An Outward Prayer of Compassion: Mind Their Mission (John 17)
Chapter 12. An Outward Prayer of Compassion: Concentrate Their Community (John 17)
Chapter 13. An Outward Prayer of Compassion: Forgive Their Faults (Luke 23)
Resource 2. 40 Days Following the Prayer Steps of Jesus
Resource 3. Bible Class and Small Group Guides
About the Author
Chris Altrock serves as the Preaching Minister for the Highland Church of Christ in Cordova, TN. He taught classes as an adjunct instructor at Oklahoma Christian University and the Harding University Graduate School of Religion, from which he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2001. In recent years, he has been involved in urban ministry, serving as a partner to Memphis Urban Ministry, a member of the Joint Urban Ministry Partners (Memphis, TN) and the Faith in Memphis Panel of Religious Leaders, and a board member of Mission Alive in Dallas. The author of several books and book reviews, Chris and his wife Kendra have two children.