Sermon Tone Analysis

Prayer: to Know and Be Known

Hungering to Know and Be Known

2022-10-02

Scripture Reading: Psalm 42

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Introduction

The first and most famous question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism is, “What is the chief end of man?”

The answer is this, “Man's chief end (purpose) is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

I like the answer.

Glorifying God is an amazing purpose.

We were created by him, in his image, and if we live that image correctly, it brings glory to God.

That makes sense to me.

However, the second part of the answer in the catechism is harder for me to understand.

“Enjoy him forever”.

(blank) How do you enjoy God forever?

What does that look like?

The forever part makes me think of being in heaven or the new earth and being in his presence.

I think then I will know how to enjoy God, but I struggle to understand what it means to enjoy God in the here and now.

And here and now are part of my forever.

What does it mean to enjoy God?

I enjoy eating my favourite foods.

I can savour each flavour and ultimately enjoy the feeling of being full.

Is that what enjoying God is like?

I think there are some similarities, Psalm 19:10 and 119:103 both speak of God’s law, his instruction, as sweeter than honey and Jesus said unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we will have no life.

So we do need to ‘eat’ God to live, but is God just something we consume?

Does enjoying God mean we enjoy what he does for us?

The blessings he gives us?

That doesn’t seem quite right.

When I think of enjoying my kids, I don’t think simply of what they do for me.

Does it mean we enjoy serving him?

Again, when I think of my children, I do enjoy serving them, but that’s not what comes to mind when I think of enjoying them.

Enjoying God would seem to be a lot like enjoying people.

When I enjoy people, I don’t consume them.

When I enjoy people it’s not just because of what they do for me.

When I enjoy people it’s not just because I enjoy serving them.

I enjoy my family by being with them.

Doing things together.

Appreciating beauty together, hanging out, playing games, enjoying the conversation.

Enjoying the companionship of people is what I think of when I think of enjoying God.

Lack of Companionship Style Prayer

Do you enjoy companionship with God? Do you enjoy hanging out with him?

Brennan Manning once told Larry Crabb that he was going to a weeklong prayer retreat.

Larry Crabb asked him, “What does a week like that do for you?

How does God respond to your praying for a week?”

I don’t know about you, but that is exactly the kind of questions I would have asked.

I find Brennan’s response both wonderful and refreshing but also a rebuke.

After looking at Larry Crabb quizzically he said, “I’ve never thought about what I get out of it.

I just figure God likes it when I show up.”

For most of us, a weeklong prayer retreat isn’t a possibility but if it was, would you want to?

What emotions come up inside of you when you think of spending a week in prayer with God? Elation?

Joy? Longing?

Or is it more like apprehension?

Fear?

Okay, forget about a week.

What about just one day.

Is that any better?

Do you think you would know how to enjoy hanging out with God for a day or a week?

I think if we’re honest, most of us would struggle with a few hours or even for ten minutes.

Right?

When we think of prayer, most of us think of asking God for things, praising him, confessing sin, etc.

All legitimate aspects of prayer.

But how often do you think of prayer as a real conversation with God like you would have with your friend?

If I picked you up for lunch, how would you respond if I began our time together by saying, “I need you to come by our house tonight, Corrina and I need your advice about something.

And could you run by the drugstore and pick up our prescription?

Then, when we sit down for lunch, I tell you about how our kids are doing and how I’d like you to help them, and oh, by the way, I’m struggling financially right now, could you give me a little money to tide us over until the next paycheque?

To be honest with you, I kind of hope you’d pick up the tab for the meal I’m about to order.”

And that would be it.

How would you feel if my entire conversation with you was like that?

And yet, that’s how many of us talk to God.

And that’s it.

I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like much of a relationship.

Not that it’s wrong in and of itself to ask for things from God, in fact, Jesus taught us to ask for our daily bread and in Philippians 4:6 Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” God wants us to come to him like a little child with our requests and ask them.

He is our Father.

But what little child only asks for things from their parents?

My children have also wanted to spend time with me and do things with me.

They still do.

The asks come out of a trusting, loving relationship.

How do we do that with God?

The reality is that even though God is a person, he’s unlike any other person we have a relationship with.

For starters, he’s invisible to us.

We can’t see him when we talk to him.

Everyone else we talk to we can see, unless we’re on the phone, or in another room.

But this points out another difference.

When I’m on the phone, I can hear the other person audibly talking to me.

I’ve never heard God audibly talk to me.

I know I’ve experienced his leading, I know I’ve sensed the Spirit directing me, but audibly, no.

I have not experienced what Moses and Elijah did.

How do you have a conversation with someone who doesn’t talk back?

It’s hard.

I’ve talked to people when they’ve been unconscious or in an induced coma.

I quickly run out of words to say.

There’s a reason that most radio hosts find it easier if there are two people hosting together and they can have a conversation with each other.

And yet, I hunger for relational prayer with God.

I want more than just giving him a list of requests, or rote prayer, like reciting the Lord’s prayer.

I want to know God and be known by him.

And the crazy thing is, I need it more than I even want it.

What about you?

Larry Crabb’s Book

For our current sermon series on Hungering to Know and be Known, I planned to have a sermon this week on prayer.

So on Monday I went to my bookshelf and took off 9 or 10 books either on prayer of that have a section on prayer.

They’re good books.