
Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Nina Atchesonn, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson.
Closer To Heaven
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Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Nina Atchesonn, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson.
By admin
View an in-depth discussion of Practical Prayer in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:
With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.
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Daily Lesson for Wednesday 13th of May 2026
In the same way that Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6:5-15, we can follow this simple model when we come to God privately, with our families, or as a church, remembering that prayer is speaking to God as a friend. Too often our prayers are full of requests when Jesus has taught us to pray for so much more!
Consider how you might include the following components in your prayers:
Praise: Praise is expressed adoration for who God is and what He is like. Read Psalms 100:1-5, the beautiful praise song to God. Consider God’s many names and His magnificent character. Praise Him for being your Redeemer, Savior, Comforter, Healer, Good Shepherd, Alpha and Omega, and Rock, to mention just a few.
Confession and Forgiveness: When we find ourselves talking with and abiding in God, we can’t help letting go of whatever might be holding us back or separating us from Him. The closer we are to Him, the more we see our unworthiness and wretchedness. This makes us beg Him to remove our sins and shape our character in His likeness. If we expect God to forgive us, we need to be ready to forgive others as well. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16, NKJV).
Requests: What challenges are you facing, perhaps with your family, friends, health, finances, work, or study? Where, specifically, do you need God’s leading hand to guide? Who needs your support, and how can you best give it? Pray specifically about these areas and people, asking for God’s will to be done.
Thanksgiving: Read Philippians 4:6 and think about the blessings in your life. Significant things might come to mind, but what about the small things that we so often take for granted? We are the constant recipients of God’s mercies; yet, how little gratitude we express, how little we praise Him for what He has done for us.
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What things do you need to praise God for, confess to Him, request from Him, and to thank Him for? Why not do it right now? |
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Daily Lesson for Tuesday 12th of May 2026
In the time of Jesus, prayers that were long and carefully crafted like a performance—using complex words and often memorized—were highly esteemed. Jesus had nothing good to say about these kinds of prayers (see Matthew 6:5-8). He revealed them to be what they were: ostentatious shows of “piety.”
The disciples saw Jesus pray, and they knew that prayer was a vital part of His life (see Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:18, Luke 22:41, Luke 24:30, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:46). As they watched Jesus, they saw a contrast from the religious leaders and realized that there was so much more to prayer than they had ever considered. So, the disciples came to Jesus, asking, “ ‘Lord, teach us to pray’ ” (Luke 11:1).
Jesus modeled to His disciples (and to us) that we can pray simply in everyday language. He showed us that our prayers should be sincere and from our hearts.
Read Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6:5-15 and notice the following aspects of the prayer Jesus taught:
• Our Father in heaven: acknowledging your personal relationship with the Father of all.
• Hallowed be Your name: recognizing God’s holiness makes us come in reverence and respect.
• Your kingdom come: longing for God’s return and an indwelling of the Holy Spirit until He does so.
• Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven: surrendering and praying for God’s will to be done in our lives, trusting that He knows best, rather than merely praying for what we want.
• Give us this day our daily bread: asking for what we need to live, both physically (food and water) and spiritually (Jesus and His living Word).
• Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us: repenting, seeking forgiveness, and remembering to pardon those who have hurt us as freely as God forgives us.
• Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: asking for protection and shelter from the evil in this world (Psalms 91:1-16).
• For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen: acknowledging that all we are, all we have, and all we do belongs to God. He alone deserves our glory and praise_ (1 Chronicles 29:11)_.
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Why not pray more and turn your face to God each morning to talk to the One who loves you more than any other? What is stopping you from doing this as you know you should? Pray right now, as Jesus has invited us to. |
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Growing in a Relationship With God has many wonderful steps in it. There are several beautiful hymns from which to choose as a theme due to all the changes that come along when we grow in our relationship with God. On page 31 we see that “the most powerful weapon is prayer” to help us through our growing times. Therefore, we will wish to sing
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus – Hymn 290 to keep learning every minute of the day in our journey. To help with
this journey, Lord,
Give Me The Bible – Hymn 272 to instruct even more with the Holy Spirit encouraging along the way:
Hover O’er Me, Holy Spirit – Hymn 260.
To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/
Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
