The Place & Purpose of Prayer
Growing in Prayer • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsWhat is Prayer? The Place of Prayer. The Purpose of Prayer
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Coco Gauff after winning US open
https://x.com/sportscenter/status/1700648869514609065?s=46&t=oIAvo3BOlML5Pd3iGy1Epg
Comment from news…
.@CocoGauff took a moment to soak it all in after winning her first Grand Slam title ❤️
Prayer is ...
Prayer is ...
Speaking to God.
It is our part of a conversation with God… communication… He speaks to us through his Word, we speak to him in prayer. It is an expression of our faith in God… but more on that shortly.
John Bunyan writes that
Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.'
John Bunyan, Praying in the Spirit.
Real prayer is 'sincere' (i.e. honest and genuine), for otherwise ...
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
By contrast, prayer that insults our Father and receives nothing is dishonest (mindless or proud).
Real prayer is 'sensible' (i.e. fervent and passionate), because ...
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
By contrast, prayer that insults our Father and receives nothing is passionless (apathetic or careless),
Real prayer is 'affectionate' (i.e. confident in God's goodness) …
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
By contrast, prayer that insults our Father and receives nothing is doubtful (sceptical or cynical).
Real prayer is 'through Christ in the strength and assistance of the Spirit' (i.e. empowered and conveyed to the Father by the Holy Spirit), for ...
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
By contrast, prayer that insults our Father and receives nothing is superficial (disengaged or repetitive).
Real prayer is 'for such things as God has promised' (i.e. holding on to what God has offered in his Word), for ...
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
By contrast, prayer that insults our Father and receives nothing is unspiritual (unbiblical or unconverted).
Real prayer is 'for the good of the church' (i.e. not selfish but for all God's people), for ...
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
By contrast, prayer that insults our Father and receives nothing is selfish (love-less or self-indulgent).
Real prayer is 'with submission in faith to the will of God' (i.e. surrendering to God's will rather than asserting our own), for ...
11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
By contrast, prayer that insults our Father and receives nothing is demanding (proud or manipulative).
What is the place of prayer in a believers life?
What is the place of prayer in a believers life?
Relationship with God! About relating to our God who has saved us.
1 John 3:1 “1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
Loved by God… saved by God… reconciled to God… eternally relating to God in the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.
If we trust in God, we will speak to him… he commands it, and it flows from our affection and love toward him… Prayer is central and crucial to the Christian life...
If, in relationship with God… as Christians, we are to know the truth and live by the truth… godly lives of obedience to Jesus, then prayer does a couple of things for us.
Our knowledge of the truth will remain intellectual and theoretical unless we relate with God in prayer. The Holy Spirit teaches, inspires, and illumines God's Word to us. He mediates the Word of God and assists us in responding to the Father in prayer.
Prayer prompts and nurtures obedience, putting the heart into the proper "frame of mind" to desire obedience. Obedience unlocks the riches of the Christian experience.
Simply put, prayer has a vital place in the life of the Christian.
People might pray and not be a Christian, but you would have to say, “you cannot be a Christian and not pray.”
Romans 8:15 tells us that the spiritual adoption that has made us sons of God causes us to cry out in verbal expressions:
15 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.”
Prayer is so central and so crucial to the Christian life, yet neglected above and beyond many other things Jesus calls us to.
We are invited, even commanded, to pray.
Prayer is both a privilege and a duty, and any duty can become laborious. Prayer, like any means of growth for the Christian, requires work. It rarely comes naturally.
Prayer is crucial to living holy lives… yet we don’t pray. We ought to pray without ceasing… John Wesley thought 4 hours of prayer a day was good for ministers. I wonder how many people in church would like the minister spending 4 hours a day in prayer? Martin Luther prayed for an hour a day, and when things got extra busy he prayed for two hours.
How is prayer a reflection of the depth of your relationship with God? Are you praying regularly, without ceasing, or are you rarely praying, and finding it difficult to bring yourself before God? Now is the time for a bit of an audit… maybe a 28 day devotion will help you overcome some hindrances?
What is the purpose of prayer?
What is the purpose of prayer?
Why pray?
Often we come before God in prayer with a list of needs and wants… like a shopping list that we take to the counter and we ask God to take care of them for us.
Verse like this...
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
And we may even read verses like this and think if we get more people praying we will sway God … to do our will
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
… to do our will.
But God ...
1 Samuel 15:29 (NIV)
29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”
and ...
Matthew 6:7–8 (NIV)
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
So, why pray at all?
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
and Jesus… “when you pray!”
We are commanded to pray...
John Calvin … in Institutes of Christian Religion, book 3 Ch 20 section
It will be enough for us to note the single example of Elijah who, sure of God's purpose, after he has deliberately promised rain to King Ahab, still anxiously prays with his head between his knees, and sends his servant seven times to look [1 Kings 18:42], not because he would discredit his prophecy, but because he knew it was his duty, lest his faith be sleepy or sluggish, to lay his desires before God.
"Therefore, even though, while we grow dull and stupid toward our miseries, he watches and keeps guard on our behalf, and sometimes even helps us unasked, still it is very important for us to call upon him: First, that our hearts may be fired with a zealous and burning desire ever to seek, love, and serve him, while we become accustomed in every need to flee to him as to a sacred anchor. Secondly, that there may enter our hearts no desire and no wish at all of which we should be ashamed to make him a wit-ness, while we learn to set all our wishes before his eyes, and even to pour out our whole hearts. Thirdly, that we be prepared to receive his benefits with true gratitude of heart and thanksgiving, benefits that our prayer reminds us come from his hand [cf. Ps. 145:15-16]. Fourthly, moreover, that, having obtained what we were seeking, and being convinced that he has answered our prayers, we should be led to meditate upon his kindness more ardently. And fifthly, that at the same time we embrace with greater delight those things which we acknowledge to have been obtained by prayers. Finally, that use and experience may, according to the measure of our feebleness, confirm his cprovi-dence, while we understand not only that he promises never to fail us, and of his own will opens the way to call upon him at the very point of necessity, *but also that he ever extends his hand to help his own, not wet-nursing them with words but defending them with present help.
… summarised 6 reasons for praying:
Dependence - so that our hearts become inflamed with a burning desire to seek, love and serve him ... and become accustomed in every need to flee to him as to a sacred anchor; in other words, learning to depend upon him;
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Purity - so that our hearts don't nurture desires and longings of which 'we should be ashamed to make him a witness; in other words, purifying the desires of our hearts; James 4:3 “3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 5:16 “16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Gratitude/Contentment - so that we learn to 'receive his benefits with true gratitude', which means learning contentment with what our Father provides; Philippians 4:11–12 “11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
Appreciation/Thankfulness - so that we meditate upon his kindness more ardently, leading us to appreciate more deeply his generosity and faithfulness; Colossians 3:17 “17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Enjoyment - so that we may 'embrace with greater delight' the things we receive from praying, namely to enjoy without inhibition the many good gifts that God provides for our happiness; Philippians 4:4 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Trust - so that we learn to 'confirm his providence', which means we learn to trust God to provide our daily needs and never to let us down. Matthew 6:11 “11 Give us today our daily bread.”
A loving parent will withhold things, good things, necessary things, from their children until ask properly, so that they might teach them to be humble, depending on those who care for them. So, with God, he teaches us to pray in dependence, purity, gratitude, appreciation, enjoyment and trust, by withholding things until we learn to talk to him properly.
On account of these things, our most merciful Father, although he never either sleeps or idles, still very often gives the impression of one sleeping or idling in order that he may thus train us, otherwise idle and lazy, to seek, ask, and entreat him to our great good.
John Bunyan writes that
Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.'
John Bunyan, Praying in the Spirit.