The Secret

SLIDE 1 I’m sure I’ve told this story before and I can assure you this will not be the last time I tell it. In my first ministry, the preacher was taking the congregation through the Book of Psalms on Wednesday nights. I have no idea how long it took him but it was a long time. I remember filling in for him one week. They were supposed to start on Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the book of Psalms and the longest chapter in the Bible. I had no idea how I was going to cover that much material in only one sermon. One commentary I looked at noted how the psalmist used six different words to refer to God’s commands: commands, laws, decrees, etc. I covered those six words giving examples with verses from the psalm. I thought it was great idea. When the preacher returned the next week he recovered Psalm 119 again taking at least six weeks. I guess I missed some things.

Even though I thought that was a lot of time to spend in the psalms I now find myself in a similar series and enjoying it. However, I don’t want to get bogged down in Psalms. We’ve have taken a couple of short breaks so far and I want to start another one this evening. Tonight we’ll start a new five week series titled SLIDE 2-3 “Praying Like Jesus.”

I want to preach this series for two reasons. First, as I said, I don’t want us to get bogged down in Psalms. I’m enjoying that series and I hope you are too, but occasionally we need a break from it. The second reason is that I for one need to constantly be reminded on the importance of prayer. I hope this series will encourage us (you and me) on the importance of prayer in our lives. God speaks to us through his word and through his Spirit. We reply through prayer. But prayer is more than just making requests. Prayer also includes jubilant praise, cries for help, heartfelt thanks, confession of sin, and appeals for God to help grow our faith. There is so much to prayer and prayer is so important to our growing faith.

Prayer includes speaking to God but it also includes listening to him. Prayer can be done in any number of postures. You can stand, you can sit, or you can kneel. You can even lay face down on the ground in a posture of humility. I have an uncle who prays this way often – sometimes even in the middle of a church service.

Bob Russell tells the story of talking to an associate about proper attire when preaching. Bob always preached in a suit but this young man didn’t feel the need to dress so formerly. Bob, always thinking we should wear our best asked, “Would you wear a suit if you were going to see the president?” “Yes,” the man replied. Bob was sure he’d won this discussion. Then the man continued, “But not if he were my father.”

God is our father. It doesn’t matter how you pray. Nor does it matter where or when you pray. All that matters is that you pray believing that God will hear and answer. What’s most important is that we go to God and build our relationship with him. God is our father and prayer is talking to, listening to, and connecting with your father. And God is always happy to listen to you.

When it comes to talking about prayer though, how many of you immediately feel guilty? Even non-Christians think they should pray. Even irreligious people sense they should pray. However, there are very few people who would say they feel like they’re doing amazing in their prayer life. And I’ve never heard anyone say that they have no room for improvement. The point I’m making is that no one has arrived at the perfect prayer life and this side of I heaven I’m not sure anyone will. Therefore, we all need encouragement in this area.

Before we get started, I want you to know that my goal is not to make you feel guilty. Prayer is not something we have to do but something we get to do. Talking to a parent who loves you is not something you have to do but something you get to do. Prayer should not a burden but a delight. It should be where you bring your burdens and hand them to God.

Did you know that God doesn’t need our prayers? We need them. Prayer is not you telling God something he doesn’t already know. Instead, prayer is you inviting God into every part of your life. God already knows what’s happening but he wants you make him a part of it. How many of you parents know what your children are doing but you also want to be a part of it? You want to be involved in your children’s lives because you want to have strong relationships with them. Our heavenly father knows everything. He sees everything. Therefore, praying is not informing him but inviting him to be a part of what’s going on.

We should also understand that prayer is less about moving God’s hand and more about God moving our heart. One preacher observed that God wasn’t very good at customer service. He doesn’t take orders. God will take humble requests but he’s not looking to be your assistant. He’s looking to be your Lord. God wants us to tell him our desires but his goal is to change our heart so we can have a healthy relationship with him. And I think that’s the biggest secret to prayer. We must understand that God is our father and desires a relationship with his children. John wrote: SLIDE 4

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. SLIDE 5 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:11-12)

SLIDE 6 God grants us the privilege to be his children. As such, he desires a relationship with us. Think about it this way, if your children had the same kind of relationship with you that you have with God would you be happy with it? If your children talked to you as often as you talk to God would it be enough? Or, if they treated you the way you treat God would you be pleased?

Taking this idea even further, Jesus instructed us to be like children. SLIDE 7

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” SLIDE 8 2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. SLIDE 9 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-3)

SLIDE 10That question was crazy. Who asks that? At least, who asks that out loud? The disciples did. They were thinking it so they asked it. “Who is the greatest?” They wanted to know who would be the important people in God’s kingdom. They certainly weren’t the important ones in the Roman kingdom. What did they need to do to get that changed in the next one? What does Jesus say? Be like a child.

Jesus doesn’t want us to be childish, but he does want us to be like children in our relationship with God. As children were being brought to Jesus, the disciples were trying to keep the children away from Jesus. They thought the children were an inconvenience, but held them us as an example. SLIDE 11

15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. SLIDE 12 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. SLIDE 13 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:15-17)

SLIDE 14 Mothers were bringing their children to Jesus that he might bless them. That’s what we’re doing when we pray for our children. We’re seeking God’s blessing for them. We’re seeking God’s best for them. We don’t want what the world thinks is best. The world is bust messing children up. We want what God wants because we know God knows what’s best. So, we pray for our children and these mothers were bringing their children to Jesus. But the disciples thought the children were distracting. There was more important stuff going on and the mothers with their children were just getting in the way. However, Jesus not only allows the children to come, he says the kingdom belongs of God to them.

And then Jesus makes the astonishing comment that if we do not receive the kingdom of God like a child that we will not enter it. The Bible instructs adults to teach children but here Jesus says that children have something to teach the adults. Again, we’re not to be childish, but we are to have a childlike faith. A childish faith is immature but a child like faith is innocent and trusting.

I tend to be very skeptical when people tell me something. I want to be able to prove it. But children tend to believe you. When Jesus says, “You’re going to raise from the dead,” children believe. That’s a childlike faith. It believes what God says. Jesus wants us to come to him with a childlike faith. So, if you want to learn to pray sometimes the worst place to look is at how religious people pray. Instead, listen to children. Listen their absolute trust and faith.

Do you have to teach your children how to ask for things? No, they just let you know what they want. When children are loved they assume that they’re a priority and just run to make their requests known. They don’t hold anything back. So, if you want to learn to pray look to children. Jesus came that we become the children of God –adopted into his family. We’re told in Romans:

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)

Therefore, we should come to God as the children we are. We are his children and we need to pray.

There are several places in the gospels where we’re told that Jesus prayed. One place is in Luke 11. SLIDE 15

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)

SLIDE 16 Jesus had gone off to be alone and pray. There are times when we just need to get alone with God. We can pray in public. Jesus talked about praying with others and agreeing with them in prayer. We need to pray in public. He also warned about how we pray in public. SLIDE 17

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)

SLIDE 18Jesus is warning against praying in public just to be seen and heard so that others would think well of us. Then he said: SLIDE 19

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. SLIDE 20 Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. (Matthew 6:5)

There were set times of the day when they would pray. Some though, would make sure they were conspicuous places so when they stopped to pray they would be seen by the most people. Don’t do that. What should we do? SLIDE 21

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)

SLIDE 22Now, the focus isn’t on one’s reputation by on one’s relationship with God. Back to the verse in Luke 11: SLIDE 23

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)

SLIDE 24Jesus goes off to pray and when the disciples found him they asked Jesus to teach them to pray. It seems that John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray. They wanted Jesus to teach them. The relationship Jesus had with his heavenly father was obvious. They desired that same relationship. They wanted Jesus to teach them to pray.

That’s the attitude we need to have. We need to have a desire to learn to pray. If Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray?

And what did Jesus teach them? He gave them the model prayer which we also find in Matthew 6 in the Sermon on the Mount. Notice how the prayer begins. The first word is “Father.” Jesus is teaching us to pray to God as our father. When you know God as father, prayer happens naturally. However, if you don’t know God as father prayer will be completely unnatural.

Your children will talk to you in a way no one else will or can. Because of their relationship with you they are able to talk to you in an intimate way that others can’t know. That kind of relationship can’t be taught. It just is. If we want to grow in our relationship with God and improve our prayer lives we need to see God as our Father. Here are a few verses that talk about God being our Father.

· SLIDE 26 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. (Psalm 68:5)

· SLIDE 27 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.(Isaiah 64:8)

· SLIDE 28 Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? (Malachi 2:10a)

· SLIDE 29 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; SLIDE 30 rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)

· SLIDE 31 “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:18)

SLIDE 32 Your heavenly father loves you and is present in your life. You need to focus less on prayer and more on him and you’ll find yourself just talking to him. That’s why that first word in the model prayer is so important.

In Matthew 6, the second word in the prayer is “hallowed” or “holy.” We need to know that God is our heavenly father who loves us but we also need to remember that he is still God. Therefore, he deserves our respect and reverence. In that way, prayer is like two pedals on a bike. It is a matter of knowing who God is and knowing who we are in Christ Jesus. Once you know who God is and who you are, then that relationship starts to gain progress and momentum.

Sixty-five times in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus refers to God as father. In John’s gospel Jesus refers to God as his father over a hundred times. That means in the first four books of the new Testament Jesus refers to God as father 165 times. And then he tells us when you pray to pray like he does and call God our father. Jesus can pray to God as father because he is the son of God. We can pray to God as our father because Jesus has made us God’s children.

I’ll close with one last verse. SLIDE 33

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

SLIDE 34 Does God care about your health? Yes. Does he care about your house payment? Yes. Does he care about your grades at school? Does he care about how you get along in your family? Does he care about whether you’re a success or failure in life? Does it even matter to Him? The answer is, “Yes.” The answer is yes because you are his child and he is your father.