WHY BOTHER TO PRAY

Luke 18:1-8 (KJV) 1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

WHY PRAY IF GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING ALREADY

WHY TELL HIM WHAT HE ALREADY KNOWS?

…HEREIN LIES ONE OF OUR BASIC MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT PRAYER…

WE THINK THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS TO GIVE GOD INFORMATION.

REAL PRAYER IS SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS NOT TO INFORM GOD ABOUT THE NEEDS IN OUR LIVES.

THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS TO CONFORM US TO HIS WILL FOR OUR LIVES.

…PRAYER DOES NOT CHANGE GOD…

IT CHANGES US

IT WILL CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE FROM COMPLAINING TO PRAISING

METAPHORS AND COMPARISONS CREATE WORD PICTURE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND SOMETHING.

BUTCONTRAST CAN ALSO TELL US WHAT SOMETHING IS BY TELLING US WHAT SOMETHING ISN’T.

OUR LORD USES CONTRASTS TO TEACH US ABOUT PRAYER.

AND IN THE TEXT THERE ARE STRONG CONTRASTS TO FOCUS OUR THINKING ON PRAYER.

CONTRAST OF PRINCIPLES

THE PURPOSE OF THE PARABLE WAS EXPLICIT.

JESUS’ DISCIPLES WERE TO CONTINUE TO PRAY UNTIL HE COMES.

WE, HIS PEOPLE ARE NOT TO GIVE UP ON PRAYER.

EVEN WHEN THE ANSWER DOES NOT ARRIVE WE ARE STILL TO PRAY.

…HE CONFRONTS US WITH A VIVID CONTRAST AN A INESCAPABLE CHOICE…

WE WILL EITHER PRAY OR WE WILL GIVE UP…

MOVE CLOSER TO GOD OR FAINT.

WE WILL EITHER DO ONE OR THE OTHER.

…YOU WILL NOT PRAY AND FAINT…

…YOU WILL NOT PRAY AND QUIT…

PRAYING PEOPLE WON’T QUIT…

QUITTING PEOPLE WON’T PRAY….

SOME PEOPLE SEEM LIKE THEY GET ALONG GOOD THAT DON’T PRAY. BUT WE ARE SURPRISED IN THOSE PEOPLE WHEN THERE IS A HIIDEN UNDERSIDE.

WHEN MARRIAGES BREAK UP

WHEN SUICIDE OCCURS

WHEN THE ARREST COMES

WHEN VICES BEGIN.

WITHOUT CONNECTION TO GOD IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL SOMEONE SEEMS, THERE IS NO REAL JOY.

GOD KNOWS WHAT WE NEED BECAUSE HE CARES FOR US.

BUT IF WE DON’T PRAY, WE WILL SOONER OR LATER GIVE UP. AND THE BAD THING ABOUT QUITTING IS OFTIMES PEOPLE QUIT JUST BEFORE GOD COMES TO HELP THEM.

JUST BECAUSE THE ANSWER IS DELAYED DOES NOT MEAN ITS DENIED.

TWO CHOICES: PRAY OR GIVE UP

IF YOU PRAY YOU WILL NOT GIVE UP

IF YOU GIVE UP YOU WILL NOT PRAY

IF YOU FAINT IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY IT’S BECAUSE YOUR STRENGTH IS SMALL.

(SCHOOL THERE WAS ELECTIVES DON’T HAVE TO TAKE AND THE THERE WERE REQUIRED)

PEOPLE WILL HURT YOU…PRAY REQUIRED COURSE

PEOPLE WILL LIE ON YOU…PRAY REQUIRED COURSE

PEOPLE WILL DESPITEFULLY USE YOU…PRAY

GOD SAYS PRAY AND YOU WON’T FAINT WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN.

CONTRAST OF PERSONS

JESUS TOLD A PARABLE THAT PRESENTS A CONTRAST BETWEEN A WIDOW AND A JUDGE.

AND THE CONTRAST COULD NOT BE ANY MORE STARK…

NO ONE ANY WEAKER AND DEFENCELESS IN THAT DAY IN THAT CULTURE THAN A WIDOW.

WIDOWS WERE FREQUENTLY EXPLOITED, ABUSED, IN THE HEBREW SOCIETY.

…OFTEN OPPRESSED AND TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF…

IN ISRAEL A WOMANS LINK TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD DEPENDED LARGELY ON A MALE FAMILY MEMBER.

THE STORY OF RUTH AND NAOMI.

THE STORY OF ESTHER AND MORDECAI.

NOW EQUAL JUSTICE OF THE LAW IN THE SCRIPTURE, THE ONLY WAY TO GET A FAVORABLE SHAKE WAS THROUGH A BRIBE.

BUT SHE HAD NOTHING TO GIVE…SHE IS BEING PURSUED BY HER ADVERSERY.

THE JUDGE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT HER…SHE HAS NOTHING TO GIVE.

BUT SHE DECIDES TO NEVER GIVE UP…

WHEN HE WOKE UP, SHE WAS THERE

WHEN HE WENT TO WORK, SHE WAS THERE

WHEN HE WENT TO LUNCH SHE WAS THERE

WHEN HE WOULD GO OUT SHE WAS THERE.

SHE SAID I AM GOING TO WEAR YOU OUT BY MY CONTINUAL COMING.

I AM GOING TO KEEP COMING UNTIL YOU HEAR MY CASE.

NOW HERE THE PARABLE HAS BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD BECAUSE IT IS A CONTRAST.

…MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT IMPORTUNITY IN PRAYER IS A VIRTUE THE PARABLE IS TRYING TO GET OVER.

BUT THE MIS READING IS TO THINK THAT OUR IMPORTUNITY WILL PRESSURE GOD INTO DOING WHAT WE WANT HIM TO.

…BUT GOD DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERSUADED NOR PRESSURED…HE RESPONDS AT THE PROPER TIME.

YOU CAN HOLLER, SCREAM, BANG YOUR HEAD, AND GOD WILL NOT RESPOND UNTIL HE GETS READY.

WE DON’T INTIMADATE GOD WITH LONG PRAYERS…SOME PRAYER DO NOT REQUIRE MANY WORDS.

ILL. PETER BEGINNING TO SINK…LORD SAVE ME

GOD DOES NOT RESPOND TO PRESSURE

HE RESPONDS TO PRAYER.

WE ARE PRESISTENT IN PRAYER NOT BECAUSE GOD IS IGNORANT AND NEEDS INFORMATION.

NOT BECAUSE GOD IS UNCONCERNED AND NEEDS TO BE ARROUSED FROM SLEEP.

WE PRESIST IN PRAYER BECAUSE WE KNOW GOD CARES FOR US.

AND HE WILL HEAR US…

THE JUDGE DELAYED THROUGH INDIFFERENCE…

GOD ALSO DELAYS OR SEEMS TO DELAY IN ORDER TO TRY OUR FAITH AND PERFECT HIS PURPOSE IN OUR LIVES.

PAUL PRAYED THREE TIMES:

2 Corinthians 12:7 (KJV) 7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

2 Corinthians 12:8 (KJV) 8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

GOD GAVE PAUL AN ANSWER…NO

…THAT BOTHERS US BECAUSE WE DON’T GET OUR WAY…

WE STOMP OUR FEET…

THROW UP OUR HANDS…

AND STOP PRAYING…

AND SAY WHY BOTHER TO PRAY…

GOD ISN’T GOING TO ANSWER…

DON’T MISUNDERSTAND THE TEXT…

GOD SAYS NO TO PAUL…BUT I WILL DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN REMOVING IT.

I WILL GIVE YOU MORE GRACE…

I WILL GIVE YOU MORE OF ME…

AND I WOULD RATHER HAVE MORE OF GRACE

MORE OF GOD THAN MY THORN REMOVED AND LESS OF GRACE.

THAT IS WHY PAULS SAYS….

2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) 9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:10 (KJV) 10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

PAUL SAYS I WILL GLORY IN THESE BECAUSE I HAVE RECEIVED MORE OF GOD, MORE GRACE.

GIVE ME MORE POWER TO PREACH

GIVE ME MORE POWER TO PRAY

GIVE ME MORE GRACE…

WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO SIN…PRAY

Romans 5:20 (KJV) 20  …But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

SAY NO TO SIN THROUGH PRAYER AND GET MORE GRACE, MORE OF GOD.

Hebrews 4:16 (KJV) 16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

THE KEY TO THE UNJUST JUDGE (HARDENED HEART) WAS PRESISTENT, PERPETUAL, PRESSURE.

THE KEY TO THE HEART OF A LOVING GOD IS PRESISTENT, PERPETUAL, PRAYER.

VS. 8 SPEEDILY DOESN’T NECESSARY MEAN JUST TIME BUT HE HAS NOT FORGOTTNE YOU.

ILL. IN 1988 ARMENIA WAS HIT BY A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE WHERE THOUSANDS DIED. A MAN RAN TO THE SCHOOL WHERE HIS SON ATTENDED AND BEGAN DIGGING THROUGH THE RUBBLE WITH HIS HANDS. AFTER DAY 2 THE EMERGENCY PERSONAL CALLED OFF THE RESCUE AND BEGAN THE RECOVERY FOR THEIR DEAD. MANY TRIED TO COMFORT THE FATHER AS HE DUGGED DAY AFTER DAY LOOKING FOR HIS SON. DAY 3, DAY 4, DAY 5 NOTHING BUT ON DAY 6 AS HE DUG HE HEARD A FAINT CRY. HE BEGAN TO DIG HARDER AND HE BEGAN TO SAY THATS MY SON. HOW CAN YOU TELL THERE WERE NUMEROUS KIDS IN THE SCHOOL. I KNOW THAT’S MY SON BY HIS CRY… WHEN HE FINAALY PULLED HIM FROM THE RUBBLE HIS SON SAID I KNEW IF ANYBODY FOUND ME IT WOULD BE MY DAD.

WHEN LIFE CRUMBLES ON TOP OF US…GOD IS NOT GIVING UP ON US. I KNOW GOD WILL FIND ME AND RESCUE ME.

I AM GOING TO PRAY…HE KNOWS MY CRY…

HE SAID I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE NOR FORSAKE THEE…