Movements of Prayer

Introduction

We are beginning day 8 of our 21 Days of Prayer for 2023.

You may find that prayer is work—hard work.

Its because life can be hard.

This morning I have a message of reality and hope as we continue our journey through prayer.

As we look at prayer, I want you to think about a river with swift currents. Those currents begin to move you. It is those movements of prayer that we will focus on this morning.

Text

Philippians 4:4–7 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Verses 4, 5, and 6 give me a thought about the challenges we face in our lives.

The call to prayer in Scripture is a call to face the challenges with God.

1. Movement through the Struggles.

Why does God’s Word instruct us to rejoice, to be reasonable, and to not be anxious?

Because, instead of joy, many find themselves in despair.

Instead of reasonableness, many find themselves reacting negatively to people and to their circumstances.

Anxiety, worry, and fear stops us in our tracks. We are prevented from moving forward.

Joy is an emotion, but it is also a decision.

A person who chooses to be joyful is a person who recognizes that God is in control.

This “joy” is a deep contentment bases on trust in the sovereign, living God. (ESV Study Bible)

No matter the circumstances we find in our life, choosing joy demonstrates a sincere confidence of God’s grace.

Reasonableness demonstrates action with wisdom, understanding, and Spirit-driven confidence.

Reasonable speaks of trustworthiness.

Instead of running around in a panic, the follower of Christ is steady and mature.

A spiritually-reasonable people does not look out for themselves only, but these people are compassionate and helpful to others.

A reasonable person also recognizes that God is at hand—God is present and aware of how he or she handles life with self-control.

Anxiety can lead toward bad decision-making.

The Scripture admonishes the follower of Christ to “not be anxious about anything.”

Anxiety monopolizes our thoughts. It causes us to be frozen in fear and doubt.

Instead of having a mind centered on Christ, our minds center on the problem (and the problem appears to keep growing).

Abandoning anxious and fearful thoughts can be difficult. So God give us a way to move forward.

Instead of anxiousness about anything, we bring “everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

We ask for help! Letting go of our need, we hold onto the God who can help!

Application

In this passage of Scripture, we can identify four essential attributes of a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ:

Joyful

Reasonable

Prayerful

Thankful

These four attributes, when practiced, draw us toward God.

2. Movement toward God.

Choosing joy and being reasonable, embracing prayer with a thankful heart—all this wrapped up in faith—pulls you toward the presence of God.

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus in the Way, Truth, and Life—bringing us to our Heavenly Father.

According to Hebrews 4, we need to do two things—essential things—in our movement toward God and His invitation to pray.

First, we need to “hold fast [to] our confession.”

What confession?

Our confession that Jesus died for our sins and resurrected for our justification.

Jesus saved us! That is our confession!

Second we need to “draw near to the throne of grace.”

Drawing near speaks of personal, sincere, real relationship and fellowship with God.

In that relationship with God, we “find grace to help in time of need.”

It is through our relationship with God that our needs are met.

What is the result to our confession of God and relationship to God?

The result is the peace of God!

It is the peace of God in our live that describes one other movement in prayer:

3. Movement in Christ Jesus.

We are not doing life alone. Jesus is with us!

Choosing joy, reasonableness, prayer, and thankfulness—all expressions in living by faith in God—causes peace with God.

Look what happens when we live that way:

Philippians 4:7 ESV

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

All the problems and struggles with life can make us very vulnerable.

Our emotions can lead in in the wrong direction.

People can hurt us and make us feel small.

Circumstances can be difficult, if not impossible to go through.

But the peace of God “will guard your hearts and your minds.”

There is security and confidence through the peace of God.

And, what makes the peace of God a reality in our lives? It is Christ Jesus!

Ephesians 2:14 ESV

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

In Christ we have the peace of God—and that peace guards our hearts and minds.

This is the movement of prayer!

Conclusion

Struggles, problems, and discouragements do not need to define you.

When you choose joy, reasonableness, prayer, and thankfulness you choose a life confident in the person and power of God in Christ Jesus—and that choice invites the peace of God!