Prayer In the New Year

Introduction

Good morning please turn in your Bibles to Luke 11:5-13. It is resolution season. And I want to take advantage of this time for the sake of our church. I want us to resolve to be a praying church this year. That we would be committed to seeing the house of the Lord be a house of prayer. As we gather on the last week of the month in community groups to pray, as we pray throughout the week for one another, as we pray during our Sunday morning worship. I pray that we are committed to prayer in our personal and corporate life as a church.

Why is prayer so important? Why ought we pray. Today we will look at three reasons. Prayer marks a person, prayer is modeled for us, and Prayer is desired by God.

Prayer Marks a Person v. 1

Jesus is praying in a certain place and the disciples see him praying. And this for some reason seems to prompt them to ask him to to teach them how to pray like John taught his disciples. During this time Rabbis would often teach their disciples specific prayers and these prayers would be unique to their cohort of disciples. People would know you were a disciple of John because you prayed like him. So, the same way the disciples for Jesus wanted to marked as Jesus’ disciples. They wanted to pray like Jesus and therefore be associated as disciples of Jesus. The early church continued this tradition in that the Lord’s Prayer would be prayed by a convert for the first time immediately after their baptism and first participation in the Lord’s Supper. To pray the Lord’s prayer was to mark yourself as being a disciple of Jesus. The way early Christians prayed put on display who they followed.

Tim Keller in his book “Prayer” points out that prayer is a global phenomena. Jews pray three times a day, Muslims 5 times, Buddhist create prayer wheels, Hindus pray and mediate to connect with Brahman, the ultimate divine source. In fact, a 2004 study showed that even 30% Atheists pray “sometimes” and another 17% of nonbelievers in God pray “regularly”. And while not every individual prays, no one has ever discovered a culture that doesn’t have a religion that has some form of prayer, even in the most remote and isolated parts of the world. “Prayer” in the sense of a humans attempting to interact with the divine is a global phenomena. And how you pray, puts on display what you believe about the divine.

Whether you think you pray through strict rigorous prayers that need to happen at exact times of the day, reciting specific words and with your body in a certain position or you just need to “pray” in order to look deeper into yourself and become more mindful, more conscious and aware of your own thoughts and attitudes. Prayer speaks to what you believe about God. The first puts on display a distant and strict God that needs to be appeased by piety. The latter refers to those who don’t believe in God at all. But rather believe they are god and must control their own destiny.

Prayer marks a person. How we pray or don’t pray is consistent with what we believe about God. The disciples wanted to be marked as followers Jesus, so they wanted to learn to pray as he prayed. They saw Jesus’ relationship with God and wanted to be like him. If we claim to believe in Jesus as the Christ and we long to have a relationship with the Father like he had, then we must pray as he prayed.

And we are blessed, because the disciple asked “Lord teach us to pray”… … Jesus answered. He told them [Read 2-4]

Prayer Is Modeled for us v. 2-4

Luke 11:2-4 Now, the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:5-13. Which we read this morning is probably the Lord’s prayer we are most familiar with. It is the Lord’s prayer that many of us may even have memorized. But the fact, that Luke records the same basic prayer though not word for word I believe points to the reality the Jesus’ aim wasn’t for us to just recite the words of the pray, but to follow the model of the prayer. To relate to God as he did and to pray in the same manner as he prayed.

Now does this mean memorizing the Lord’s Prayer isn’t helpful? Of course not! It is very helpful, but it does depend on how you intend to use this memorized information. In the 7th grade I was required to memorize Robert Frost’ poem The Road Not Taken and recite it in front of my literature class. As most 7th grade boys do, I did all I could to not do my homework at home. Rather than waste valuable cartoon time memorizing poetry I printed off the poem and put in my pre-algebra book. You see pre-algebra was before Mrs. Giagardoni’s 7th grade literature class. I jammed the poem into my short memory and went to literature ready to recite it. Mrs. Giagardoni asked for volunteers and my hand shot up! It looked good, being the first volunteer. But the truth is that my short memory could only hold the poem for so long. I went forward recited the poem and got an A. To the outside world I knew the poem. However, to this day I can only tell you that two roads diverged in a yellow wood… I have no idea what happens next. The poem has little to no value to me.

You might have more than that memorized of the Lord’s prayer. But if you simply recite without knowing what it says I would suggest you’re not much different than the gentiles in Matthew 6:7–8 ““And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Memorize the prayer. But it is imperative that we know what it means and pray like Jesus prayed.

I recently finished a pastor’s cohort where we were taught how to pray and lead others in prayer. There are many models that attempt to help us pray like the Jesus such as ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). We have used this in our community groups at the end of month. But I want to teach you this one I just learned that is based off the Lord’s prayer.

It is easy to remember because it is four movements and they all start with R. The man who coined the model, Daniel Henderson, calls it the 4x4 prayer. He’s a musician and uses the strokes that a conductor of an orchestra makes when leading in 4x4 time to help him remember it. It is first up, Reverence, down, Response, In Request, Out Readiness.

These movements and words that start with R are simply a way to remember the how of the Lord’s prayer. Father, hallowed be your name- Reverence. God is our Father because as christians we have been born again and made to be children of God. And while he is close and loves us his name, his reputation and character, is to be hallowed or honored. When Jesus prayed he first prayed that God’s name would be reverenced and made holy. He is to be worshiped. Before jumping into your requests I want to encourage you to take a moment and just adore and worship God as you pray this week.

Your kingdom come, - Response. You must recognize who sets the agenda for our prayers. It’s not about our wants, but rather that we would respond to the greatness of God. Would you in your prayer align your will with the will of God. Strive to pray God’s desires for this world and not just yours. Pray that his kingdom would come. A helpful phrase during this movement of prepare is to say Lord, You are worthy and I am needy.

Luke 11:3–4 “Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Requests. We can asks our heavenly father for what we need each day. He does care about our physical needs, though we often confuse needs with wants now don’t we. I feel like our prayers are pendulum from not asking our Father for any physical needs to asking being convinced that our wants are needs. The best place to sort that out…the prayer closet. See response- align your will to the will of God. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God will show you what you truly need.

And don’t sell the Lord short and only ask for physical things. No, we must ask him for spiritual things as well. We need forgiveness and we need help to be committed to forgiving others as well. I want to challenge you to take a look at Paul’s prayers in the New Testament. A simple google search our just read the first chapter of his letters in the Bible and you will notice that Paul prayed more frequently for the spiritual needs of people that their physical ones. God is so rich in mercy and grace. Don’t miss out on the treasure that is yours by asking for God’s help to make you more holy, more forgiving, more patient, kind, lovingly, compassionate. Ask that you live out the fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

And finally And lead not into temptation- Readiness. Consider your day, week, struggles that are coming as you go into the work place, school, home with the kids. Where do you foresee temptation. Are you asking God for help?

Reverence, Response, Requests, Readiness. Take a passage of Scripture read through it and worship God from the truth you see in it, respond and submit your will to his, make your requests known before God, and then ready yourself by yielding to God’s kingdom and not your own. Pray as Jesus prayed

Why should we pray? Because Prayer is desired by God

Prayer is Desired by God v. 5-13

Luke 11:5-8 Jesus is telling us in these parables that God wants us to pray to Him persistently and with the expectation that God will give us exactly what we need. Pray believing God will answer your prayers. He begins telling of a friend who comes asking for 3 loaves of bread to feed a hungry traveler. The traveler has arrived at midnight so your friend has nothing to feed him. The man inside the house sleeping says, “Go away, me and my children are asleep.” But because of the man’s impudence, shamelessness, or persistence, not just because they are friends. He will rise and give him want he wants. If you came to our house at midnight and we going to wake our kids we probably give you the car just to go away.

But Jesus isn’t saying that God will only answer if we annoy him, nor are we to be rude to the Lord. But are to ask shamelessly. We are to ask God for His help like a child asks his parents for all that he wants. My kids will often ask me things like Daddy why don’t just buy a new car or a house with a bigger basement. As if I should have no problem with such things. They have no concept of money, but they also just assume their parents can get whatever they want. How big is your God? Will you ask him boldly for your needs both physical and spiritual. I get asked all of the time about a building for the church by outside folks.

I can’t do much about that, but God can. He will give us exactly what we need when we need it. But it is His kingdom come, not our kingdom. Jesus continues and tells them ask and it will be given, seek you will find, knock it will opened to you. Luke 11:10–13 “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!””

God is a good Father who will give us all that we need. If we ask fish we will not get a serpent of an egg we will not be given a scorpion. He will not harm us. He will help us, he will answer our prayers as a good Father does.

Now, we all are sitting here and we are wondering, what about my prayers he hasn’t answered? I have asked for things and they just aren’t coming my way. I think this passage helps us in two ways. One, perhaps you just need to keep asking. And in the asking continue to learn about fervent prayer. And ask doing the other three R’s we talked about. Let you need drive you to greater intimacy with God as you Reverence him, Respond to Him, and Ready your heart.

Two, maybe God isn’t answering your prayer because it isn’t what you need. The Father in heaven gives something better than a fish or an egg. He gives us the Holy Spirit. He gives us himself! Will you choose to believe Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” even when your prayers aren’t being answered? God says he will not withhold anything that will work for your good.

On Christmas, Judah looked at his Christmas gifts and said, “Daddy, maybe I got a BB gun.” I looked at him and with absolute confidence told him, “You are not getting a BB gun.” Now, I didn’t know what was in all those packages at his grandparents, but my 5 year old was not about to get a BB gun. Why? Its what he wanted, and he convinced that he can handle it.

But I know things he doesn’t. I can see things that a 5 year old boy just can’t see. Your thinking, but not asking for a BB gun or anything that could hurt me. I just want a better job, physical healing, less worry and anxiety, my family and friends to become Christians, my kids to behave, my spouse to more godly, etc. Those are good things… not like a BB gun.

And all I can tell you is that God will not withhold any good gift from you. He has given you his Spirit. He has given you all you need. Your daily bread and the forgiveness of sins, the ability to forgive others. And that is enough. He is a good Father.

Conclusion

Prayer that marks us as Christians, that is modeled by Jesus, and is desired by God is ultimately prayer that flows from the truth that we are forgiven of sin and made children of God. The Gospel, the good news that Jesus has saved us from sin by being punished in our place by God on the cross and rose from the dead directly shapes our prayer life. We go to God in worship and reverance because he saved us from sin, we respond because we know we are needy and he is worthy, we request things of God because he has proven that he will not withhold any good gift even his own son, and we ready ourselves for his service because he is the risen king. If prayer isn’t enough, if daily bread and forgiveness of sin isn’t enough, then its because we have a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel. There is something missing. If that’s you today, seek help from a mature Christian. Figure out what missing and where there is a gap in your understanding of the gospel.

If you know Jesus and long to know him more. And you want to be a praying christian in a praying church please join us this year. Stay connected may we encourage one another to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”