Prayer as Petition or "The Big Ask"
Notes
Transcript
“Give us today our daily bread.” –Matthew 6:11
Have you ever heard it said that timing is everything? Sometimes it certainly seems true. Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to ask your parents to get you something big—I mean, really big? You planned, schemed, thought it out, talked to your best friend, maybe even kids that weren’t your friends at all about what you wanted and finally concluded that you needed to ask for whatever it was at just the right moment. You also learned during the numerous discussions that you needed to butter your parents up. Get them feeling just right about things, maybe even ask just one of them. The big ask had to be just right. Do you ever remember doing this?
If you’ve ever watched the movie the Christmas Story about a young boy named Ralph you would understand the idea. Ralph or Ralphie wanted a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. He knew he had to subtle about asking - if he just asked he would be blocked by a you’ll shoot your eye out response. So he dreams up multiple ways of asking to include hiding an advertisement from his kids magazine into his mother’s Look magazine. After all the fuss he went through he never came out and honestly asked for the Red Rider BB gun. But his father still got him one. I bet your’e wondering where I am going with this?
Well, it brings up the question, is this what we need to do when petitioning God? Do we need to bribe Him to get Him to give us the answer we want? Do we need to demand or coax? Today, we are going to look at prayer as petition and some of the principles behind the Big Ask.
Look for these points.
The Bible teaches us to petition God boldly.
The Bible teaches us to petition God humbly.
The Big Idea: Thankfulness grounds our boldness with humility.
The Take Home: How can I seek God’s goodness in prayer?
I. The Bible teaches us to petition God boldly.
A. In His life, death, and Resurrection, Jesus showed Himself to be a loving and sympathetic Savior who genuinely cares about our needs. Heb. 4:14–15
14 Therefore, since 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 cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
The High Priest - he was the one who was supposed to be a go between sinful man and God. He was supposed to help people with their problems and tell everyone what the word of God meant. It didn’t work out so well - the High Priest probably didn’t have a good idea about the people he was supposed to serve and so he couldn’t sympathize with the broken and lowly. He hadn’t gone through the things in his life that would help him do it. He also hadn’t gone through his own issues without sinning.
However, Jesus is our Great High Priest. He was tempted in the same ways and didn’t sin. He hung and bleed on the cross, died and returned to life to sit at the right hand of the Father. This makes him completely capable of sympathizing with our troubles and with the difficulties that we face every day.
B. The writer of Hebrews concludes from Christ’s example that we can boldly pray to Jesus and expect Him to help us in our time of need. Heb. 4:16
16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Draw near with confidence. The Greek word used here for confidence is parrasea - which means a boldness that you might not other wise have. The idea of drawing near to the King of Kings should invoke a bit of hesitancy. A hesitancy based on fear and doubt. But here we are told to get close to Him, climb up on the stairs the throne is sitting on and sit at His feet the Mary did when Jesus visited her, Martha and Lazarus. Get as close as you can and then be bold in asking. When we draw close with confidence we will find the mercy and grace that we need in a time of need.
C. A bold prayer of petition seeks to alter God’s will (as we understand it) to fit our hope for the current situation.
A good example of a bold prayer is Abraham reasoning with the Lord over Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:20–33). This passage shows Abraham in a discussion with the Lord about what will happen to all the inhabitants of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord is going to destroy the two cities but Abraham convinces the Lord to spare the cities if He finds 10 righteous people living there.
Abraham had compassion for the people living in those two cities and the Lord was going to destroy them. Abraham was bold, he didn’t want to see them destroyed even though he knew there was a lot of evil living there. The Lord knew how many righteous people lived there and knew what would happen but Abraham took the opportunity to try and alter God’s will in this situation as he knew it. We need to be willing to seek to alter God’s will in a situation when necessary.
This shows us that we can be bold when we intercede for others. Don’t quit until you have a final answer.
II. The Bible teaches us to petition God humbly.
A. God alone is all-powerful. He has complete authority over our lives, our judgement, and our salvation. 2 Kings 17:36
36 “But the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice.
The idea of fearing the Lord or the hand of the government doesn’t seem to be very prevalent in our modern society. But in the days before Christ Kings held sovereign rule. God still holds sovereign rule. We need to remember to be humble in our praying. We can’t tell God what He has to do.
Think of it this way, if one of your children came up to you and told you that you had to get something for them would you do it? Some parents would because they don’t want to deal with the temper tantrum that comes when they demand is refused. But a parent who is willing to say no will say no when it is appropriate.
God doesn’t care how much when rant and fuss when we don’t get our way. He knows what is best for us and will answer requests in accordance with His will. However, a humble request will always be looked upon more favorable than an angry arrogant one. I would say no just on the principle of how the request was made. I don’t know if God works that way or not but...
B. Continuing with this idea the apostle James teaches us to pray to God in humility, recognizing that His authority and position is so much greater than our own. James 4:10
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
What is one of the most humbling things that you can do before someone? Getting down on your knees and bow. It was a common thing back then. If you didn’t do it you would lose your head. But now - who is going to go bowing before someone? Talk about humiliating. But this is the idea behind this. Get down on your knees or even all the way on your face before the Lord. Humble yourself, show Him that you know your standing in the big scheme of things. He is everything and we are a mist in the wind.
The attitude of our body shows humility but we also have to have our hearts in the right place. If we are getting down on our knees and don’t really mean it what good does that do? So when it comes down to it the position of our body isn’t necessarily important, but the attitude in our heart is. A heart that is dark and angry, arrogant or unrepentant is not humble. So humble yourself before the Lord that He might exalt you.
C. A humble prayer of petition seeks to make known our desires to God while submitting ourselves to His will no matter what.
In other words we can make “The Big Ask”. We can do it in a meek and kindly manner (on your knees with your face on the floor in a whisper), we can speak our minds in a tone as though we are talking to our buddy (sitting in a chair as though God is on the other side of the table) or we can flat out rant and rave (storming around the room yelling at the top of our lungs). However, we can’t expect God to bow to our every whim. We have to submit to His will, we can’t expect Him to submit to our will. We can’t expect Him to do everything we ask of Him and then act as if He doesn’t exist. “His will be done”
Paul’s passionate plea for healing is a good biblical example of making our desires known to God but accepting His will. 2 Cor. 12:7–10
7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!
8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
The big question about the big ask: How can we pray boldly and humbly at the same time? Don’t they contradict each other?
III. The Big Idea: Thankfulness grounds our boldness with humility.
A. Prayers of thankfulness flow from one who has come to know God’s heart. Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Thankfulness and thanksgiving. An attitude of the heart and an expression of that attitude through word and deed. Always give the Father thanks for what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do. But don’t just give it lip service, mean it in from the very bottom of your heart. The thanksgiving chases away the anxiety and brings that wonderful peace. The peace that can only come from the Lord, knowing that His will be done.
B. Why should we be thankful?
1. Because God is our sustainer. Acts 17:28
28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
In Him we live and move and exist. That says it all, it is all about Jesus.
2. Because Jesus has saved us from our pasts. 1 Tim. 1:13–14
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;
14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
Some of us have a train wreck behind us, some of us not so much. Either way Jesus saves us from all of that, He calls us out of our past and gives us a new future. I am certainly thankful that I was saved from my past, I don’t know where I would be, but I am sure it wouldn’t be here.
3. Because of God’s timing. 1 Tim. 6:15–16
15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
This is the hardest thing about prayer and the hardest to be thankful about. I want it now. Actually I wanted it yesterday, or last year. But here I am still waiting. I know God will make it happen but I don’t want to wait on His timing. Unfortunately my timing isn’t always the best. But His is. He sees and knows the things of the past, present and future. So, His time will be the right time, His time will bring more than one thing together for His glory and honor. My timing, it might make me feel good for a short time but would probably wind up being a mess. Wait upon the Lord and be thankful while you are doing it.
C. When we petition God with a thankful heart, we are able to do two things simultaneously:
1. We can submit to God’s will even as we ask Him for help. This means that we are willing to accept the fact that His help may not be in the form we expect it. We may ask for money to take care of our bills, but God gives us a job so He can provide for us through our productivity. We may ask for help for someone else so they can get out of trouble, but God says “you help them.” We may ask for God to bring salvation to someone and He says “tell them about my Son.” His will may lead each of us into something beyond our comfort zone, or even something way scary, but if we submit to His will we need to be willing to go to those places. Ask boldly but submit to His will thankfully.
2. We can accept God’s timing as we ask Him for help. This means that we are willing to accept the fact that His help may not come when we want it. The money you need may come exactly when you need it even though you prayed about it a year ago or you start praying about it a year before you need it. Keeping a peaceful thankful heart in that case can be kind of tough. God’s timing will always be better than ours, so trust Him to do what is best. The hardest thing about timing is that we may never see the answer to the prayer. My grandfather sed to pray that his children and grandchildren would be used by God in ministry. He died a long time ago - He gets to see this the answer to that prayer in me from the other side of life - eternal life. Ask boldly but wait upon the Lord, wait for His perfect timing.
IV. Take home: How can I seek God’s goodness in prayer?
A. Make sure of you really ask God. James 4:2
2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.
If you don’t ask you don’t get. He knows what we need, He knows what we want for that matter, but if we never ask for what we want, we may never get it. He wants us to talk to Him and let Him know the things we want. That will help us bring our wants and desires into alignment with His wants and desires. I have wants and desires - but, are those wants and desires the right thing for me? Will the things I want bring glory to God? When I bring what I want into alignment with His wants for me, that’s when we have a win win situation. Seek first God’s kingdom and all these things will give you. May His will be done.
B. Investigate your motives. James 4:3
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
What’s your motive. Why are you asking for something? Is it for your own use? Will it be used for the glory of God? Even things that seem like they are for God’s benefit may just be a way of puffing up our own ego. For God’s glory and honor, not ours.
C. Remember that faith is a condition for answered prayer. Mark 11:24
24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
This verse is in the center of a passage about prayer. Jesus tells us in verse 23 to ask without doubt - even though it is a mountain. And then here in verse 24 He tells us to believe that we have received that which we ask for. But then He adds a condition in verses 25 and 26 - forgive those who have wronged you.
How many of you can believe that you have already received the thing you are praying for? This is one of the aspect of healing through prayer. Believing that the healing has been granted and then acting like it. For example - If you are in a wheel chair and receive the prayer but never get out of the chair how do you know if you were healed? This might be an over simplification but the same thing could be said of a lot of prayer. We pray but don’t believe so we never act like we received.
D. Don’t be afraid to keep asking until you gain a response from God. In the gospel of Luke Jesus tells a parable about a judge who won’t give a widow legal protection because he just didn’t care. However, she kept coming to him and asking, until finally the judge broke down and said Luke 18:5
5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ”
Keep taking your petition to God. The answer will come, but remember, have faith and believe that you have already received it.
E. Submit yourself to God’s priorities, not your own priorities. This is quite often the hardest part. Submission. Who wants to do that. I want it done my way. God will ask me go somewhere I don’t want to go or ask me do something I don’t want to do. I want to stay in my comfort zone and God won’t want me too. So, remember, His will, will be the best way.
Exit: So when we pray we should be bold. Our Lord Jesus Christ is our High Priest and the mediator of the new covenant between us and God. He is able to do far more than we imagine. He is willing to do far more than we can imagine. So let us go boldly before the King. We should be tearing down the gates of hell in this battle with the spiritual powers of this dark place through prayer.
So when we pray we should be humble. The attitude of our heart is the key to humility with God. We can rant and rave, we can kneel, sit or stand, but if we have dark angry hearts we will put a wall between us and God that will keep us separated from Him. That’s why forgiveness is so important. Un-forgiveness creates dark ugly hearts. Not the kind of heart God wants His children to have.
When we pray we should be thankful. Thankfulness grounds our boldness. Thankfulness chases away arrogant attitudes. If we maintain an attitude of gratitude towards God we won’t think that we deserve everything or want everything for ourselves. Our prayers will be about God and His kingdom. Thankfulness will help us say God’s will be done.
When we pray we need to make sure our motives are correct. Our prayers aren’t about our kingdom but His. When we pray we need to believe, believe that what we have asked for has already been given to us. We simply need to wait and receive. When we pray we need to remember to keep on asking. Believe that it will be granted but be like the widow who wore the judge down to the point where he provided protection sooner than later.
And when we pray we need submit ourselves to God’s priorities. Be thankful that God’s will is being done even when the answer to the pray isn’t the one we were wanting.
Be bold, humble and thankful with our prayers as we ask for our daily needs to be met.
Pray.