Prayer (Part 6) - Christian Principles of Prayer

We're Continuing Our Study on Prayer

We’re Breaking this Series Up into 3 Sub-Series:

“Lord, Teach Us to Pray”

Learning about Prayer from Jesus

“Christian Principles of Prayer”

What Do the Scriptures Teach Us about Prayer

The Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How’s of Prayer?

“Unconventional Methods of Prayer”

Discussing Unconventional…

Methods/Topics/Thoughts/Questions Concerning Prayer

“Christian Principles of Prayer”

We’ve Been Focused on What We can Learn about Prayer…

From Jesus Himself

Now, We’re Going to Take a More General Look…

At Prayer in the Scriptures (Primarily NT)

When Looking at a Very Broad Topic Like Prayer…

It can Be Difficult to Know the Best Way to Go about Studying it

My Favorite Way of Tackling Broad Topics…

Is by Asking These 6 Basic Questions:

Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How

So, that’s What We’re Going to Do in Our Study of Prayer

But, Doing Our Study this Way…

May Encroach Upon the 3rd Sub-Series…

Where We Plan on Looking at Some Things Concerning Prayer…

That We Normally Don’t Think, Discuss, or Ask Questions about

But, if We Talk about All of Those Questions in this 2nd Sub-Series…

That’ll Be Just Fine

Let’s Begin with the “Who?” of Prayer

There are 2 Primary Questions We can Ask with the Word “Who”:

“Who is to Pray?”

“To Whom Do We Pray?”

Let’s Start with that 1st Question:

1. “Who is to Pray?”

Anyone can Pray, in the Sense that…

Anyone can Speak to God

And God is Capable of Hearing All People When They Pray

But There’s an Argument to Be Made…

That Only Those Who are Faithful to God:

Have Access to Him

Have the Right to Speak to/Make Requests of Him

Have Their Prayers Listened to & Answered By Him

One of the Most Quoted Verses on this Topic is John 9:31

This Verse is Used to Prove…

That God Does Not Hear a Sinner’s Prayer

Contextually, this Verse isn’t a Great Parallel to Our Topic

John 9:31 (NASB95)

31 “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

These Words were Spoken By a Formerly Blind Man…

Whom Jesus had Healed

The Pharisees were Claiming that Jesus Sinned…

By Healing this Man on the Sabbath Day

But this Man was Claiming that God…

Wouldn’t Work Such a Miracle Through a Sinner

This Man isn’t Referring to Prayer in General

He’s Referring to God Miraculously Working Through a Man

So, this Verse Doesn’t Really Prove…

That God Doesn’t Hear/Listen to/Answer a Sinner’s Prayer

But, There are Plenty of OT Passages…

That Seem to Make that Point

Psalm 66:16–20 (NIV Gets the Verb Tenses for Accurately)

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. 17 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; 19 but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. 20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

The Psalmist Makes the Point that…

God will Not Listen to the Prayers…

Of Those Who have Wickedness in Their Heart

We Find the Same Thing Taught in Proverbs:

Proverbs 15:29 (NASB95)

29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 28:9 (NASB95)

9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

God Considers the Prayer of a Wicked/Rebellious Person…

An Abomination

God Hates the Prayers…

Of Those Who Refuse to Obey His Law

Isaiah 1:10–17 (NASB95)

10 Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah. 11 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.

12 “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? 13 “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14 “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.

15 “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.

The Israelite People were Practicing the Rituals…

But They weren’t Living Righteously

Because of Their Rebellion…

Against God’s Standard of Righteousness…

God Refused to Listen to Their Prayers

We See Over & Over Again…

That God Doesn’t Listen to the Prayers…

Of Those Who Live in Rebellious Sin

But, What about Those Who aren’t Living in Rebellious Sin…

But Who aren’t Citizens of God’s Kingdom?

Does God Hear Their Prayers?

Does He Listen to the Prayers of Those…

Who aren’t Purposely Rebelling Against Him?

Does He Listen to the Prayers of Those…

Who are Lost, But are Trying/Seeking?

The Most Famous Example is Probably Cornelius

He was a Devout Man Who Feared God…

And He Prayed to God Regularly

But He was Neither a Jew Nor a Christian

Acts 10:4 (NASB95)

4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.

Even Though Cornelius Wasn’t One of God’s People…

God Still Heard & Remembered His Prayers

That Doesn’t Mean that He was Saved Through Prayer

That Doesn’t Mean that God Answered His Prayers

It Simply Means that this Man Believed in God…

And Tried to Live a Godly Life

And God Recognized that & Appreciated His Prayers

Then God Sent a Messenger of the Gospel to Him…

So that He could Become a Child of God…

Who has Perfect/Complete Access to God Through Prayer

Only Through Jesus Do We have Access to God

The Book of Hebrews is All about that Fact

Hebrews 4:14–16 (NASB95)

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. 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.

Without the Sacrificial Death, Resurrection, & Heavenly High Priesthood of Jesus…

We would have No Remedy for the Sin that Separates Us from God

But Now We’re Able to Approach God By Jesus’ Name/Authority

He Grants Us Access to God

So, Who is to Pray?

All Those Who are Faithful Followers of Jesus

But that Doesn’t Mean God is Unable to Hear/Listen to…

The Prayers of Humble, Honest-Hearted People

Now, Let’s Move to Our 2nd Question:

2. “To Whom Do We Pray?”

Who are Faithful Followers of Jesus Supposed to Pray to?

We Serve/Worship a Triune God

One God - 3 Persons

When We Pray to God, Do We Pray to 1 of the 3 Persons?

Or Do We Pray to All of Them Under the General Nature of God?

I’ve Actually Changed My Mind on this a Few Times in My Life

At the Moment, I Believe it’s Unnecessary to Be Dogmatic about this

Throughout the OT…

They Primarily Addressed Their Prayers to the LORD (“Yahweh”)

But When Jesus Arrived, He Always Talked about & Prayed to “the Father”

And When He Taught His Disciples to Pray…

He Taught Them to Pray to “the Father” as Well

“Our Father Who is in Heaven”

So Jesus, While on Earth, Taught His Followers to Pray to the Father

Jesus Also, on Multiple Occasions…

Tells Us that He Received His Authority from the Father

John 17:1–2 (NASB95)

1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.

The Father, Son, & Holy Spirit are All Equally God

But They Do Seem to Work on a Hierarchical System

The One Who Sends is Greater Than the One Who is Sent

Not Necessarily in Power or Nature…

But According to the Hierarchical System

John 14:24–26 (NASB95)

24 “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

The Father Sent Jesus

And Then After Jesus Ascends to the Right Hand of the Father…

The Father Sent the Holy Spirit

We Often Refer to the Father as the 1st Person of God…

Jesus, the Son, as the 2nd Person of God…

And the Holy Spirit as the 3rd Person of God

The Reason I Bring All this Deeper Stuff Up is Because…

We See Jesus Looking to the Father as the Ultimate Authority

And We See Jesus Praying to & Teaching His Followers to Pray to the Father

I Think that Alone Ought to Tell Us…

That Our Default Setting When it Comes to Prayer Ought to Be:

“We Pray to God the Father”

But, Does that Mean that We Can’t Pray to Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

I’ve Heard it Taught as an Absolute…

That We Shouldn’t Pray to Jesus

I Think that’s a Silly Thing to Be Dogmatic about

Especially When We See Inspired People Do that Very Thing

Stephen was a Man Who was Said to Be “Full of the Holy Spirit”

And with His Last Words, He Prayed to Jesus

Acts 7:59–60 (NASB95)

59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.

Was Stephen Wrong for Praying to Jesus…

Instead of Praying to the Father Who was on the Throne Right Beside Him?

Of Course Not!

A Helpful Bit of Information to Know When Studying the NT is that:

Almost Every Time You See the Word “Lord” in the NT…

The Author/Speaker is Referring to Jesus, Not the Father

Many Times You’ll See the Phrase:

“God the Father & Our Lord Jesus Christ”

“God” Most of the Times is Referring to the Father

And “Lord” Most of the Times is Referring to Jesus

That’s Helpful to Know When We Read 2 Corinthians 12

When Paul was Praying for the Removal of His Thorn in the Flesh…

He was Praying to “the Lord”

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 (NASB95)

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.

Was Paul Wrong for Praying to Jesus about this Weakness…

Instead of Praying to the Father Who was on the Throne Right Beside Him?

Of Course Not!

But Just Because Paul Prayed to Jesus on this Occasion…

Doesn’t Mean He Always Did

It Seems that He Refers to Himself Praying to the Father Most of the Time

But, Even Still, Jesus was Involved in Prayers to the Father

Romans 1:8 (NASB95)

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

He Prayed TO God THROUGH Jesus

That Goes Back to What We Already Discussed:

We Only have Access to God Through Jesus

Ephesians 5:20 (NASB95)

20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

The Prayer of Thanks is Directed to the Father…

But it is Given in Jesus’ Name

That is, We’ve Been Given the Authority to Pray to God By Jesus

Jesus is Highly Involved in Our Prayers to the Father

Without Him Granting Us Access to God…

We would have No Right/Connection to Him

The Holy Spirit is Also Highly Involved in Our Prayers to the Father

The Holy Spirit’s Presence Within Us is Our Seal of Adoption

Romans 8:14–17 (NASB95)

14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

If You have the Holy Spirit Living Within You…

Then You have Been Adopted into the Family of God…

And God has Become Your Father

Only God’s Children have Access to Him in Prayer

But that’s Not the Only Way in Which the Holy Spirit is Involved in Our Prayers

Romans 8:26–27 (NASB95)

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

The Holy Spirit Intercedes for Us

He Pleads Our Case to God

In Our Suffering, the Spirit Communicates to God for Us

He Groans Within Us on Our Behalf

When We Don’t Know What to Say…

The Spirit Communicates to God for Us

So, To Whom Do We Pray?

The Easy Answer is “God”

To Get More Specific…

The Default Recipient of Our Prayers is God the Father…

Our Ultimate Authority

But, There’s Also Plenty of Scriptural Evidence…

For Praying to Jesus as Well

The Books of 1 Corinthians & Revelation End with a Prayer to Jesus:

“Come, Lord Jesus”

The Thing is, God is One - Perfectly United

We Completely Misunderstand His Divine Nature…

If We Think We can Speak to One Person of the Trinity…

Without Simultaneously Speaking to All 3

Invitation

How Do We End Pretty Much Every Prayer We Pray?

“In Jesus’ Name”

Do We have to End All of Our Prayers like that?

Was that What Jesus Meant When He Mentioned Praying “In His Name”?

Is it a Formula that Must Be Repeated Every Time We Pray…

In Order for God to Listen?

No, Jesus Didn’t Mean that We have to Literally Say “In Jesus’ Name”

He Meant that Our Prayers Must Be Said…

By His Authority & Will

In Class We Talked about How We Only have Access to God Through Jesus

Without His Death, Resurrection, and Ascension to Heaven…

Where He Now Rules as King…

And Serves as Our High Priest…

We would have No Access to God

Now, as Faithful Followers of Jesus…

Whenever We Pray to God the Father…

We Do So By the Authority of Jesus

He has Given Us the Authority/Right to Approach God in Prayer

Prayer Challenge:

Whenever You Pray this Week…

Whether You Say, “In Jesus’ Name” or Not…

Think about the Significance of Those Words

You are Able to Speak Directly to the Creator of the Universe…

Because Jesus has Given You that Right

In Your Prayers, Honor Jesus By Appreciating that Fact

Don’t Just Say, “In Jesus’ Name”

Mean it

“Father, I Am Speaking to You By the Authority/Permission…”

“Of Your Son, and My King, Jesus”

Be Thankful & Joyful that God Established a Way for Us to have Access to Him

Be Thankful & Joyful in the Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of King Jesus

And How Through/In Him, God has Become Your Father…

And the Hearer of Your Prayers