Patterns of Prayer Pt. 3
Patterns of Prayer • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Recap:
So far, Jonah has been called to a people he hates,
he runs from that call,
gets on a boat in Joppa with the intent to flee to Tarshish…
But God hurls a storm onto the sea he was sailing on that was so intense the ship began to break apart.
They try everything they can to make it work, but they could not fight the will of God.
So they pray: Jonah 1:14–15 “14 Then they called on the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased.” 15 So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.”
So they throw Jonah overboard and the bible says: Jonah 1:17 “17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.”
It was in this second chapter where we find the second prayer: A prayer intended to be a confession
Last week we talked about confession and Jonah’s intent to share his struggles in chapter 2 as a psalm or a poem.
At the end of his confession in Jonah 2:10:
10 Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.
As if that wasn’t a miracle enough, the beginning of chapter three begins with a profound statement:
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,
The second time… After Jonah’s confession God spoke and gave him a second chance.
There are some in this room that listened last week, who really thought over the idea of confession to God and confession to one another, but missed your first chance because you were afraid or embarrassed or flat didn’t want to.
God will give you a second chance to get this right.
If you’re here, it’s because God is offering you a second chance.
You may think you’ve gone too far,
that you’re only hear because someone invited you,
or because it’s what you’ve always done,
but God is in the second chance business:
Even after a warning of death, Adam and Eve doomed all mankind, but God gave us a second chance…
David committed adultery and murder, but God gave him another chance.
Hezekiah had a death sentence, but God gave him another chance…
Jeremiah tried to stop preaching, but God gave him another chance…
Peter denied Christ three times, but Jesus gave him another chance…
Paul was a Christian killer, but Jesus showed up with another chance…
Eythan was lost and undone, but God showed up with another chance…
You may have missed it the first time, but God is here to give you a second chance…
What is it that you think you missed out on or messed up so bad it can’t be fixed?
God will give you a second chance.
He will give you another chance on that relationship with your child.
He’ll give you another chance to fix your marriage.
He’ll give you another chance!
The fact that you’re here this morning is evidence that God wants to give you another chance.
He could’ve thrown you out, left you lost, but here you are and God is offering another chance…
Jonah was given another chance…
At this second chance, Jonah decides to follow what God was saying to him and it’s in this chapter where we find the third prayer:
The Prayer of Repentance
The Prayer of Repentance
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.”
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.
Nineveh was a massive city - 3 days journey across
Oldest and most populous city in the Assyrian Empire
At this time the total area of Nineveh comprised about 1,800 acres
15 great gates penetrated its walls
The wall was about 7.5 miles (12 km) long and in places up to 148 feet (45 meters) wide
An elaborate system of 18 canals brought water from the hills to Nineveh.
Not only largest, but most technologically advanced in the world
120,000 people lived here (that’s 4x ardmore)
And Jonah hated them…
The Assyrians were responsible for the first exile…
They were known for their barbarism…
They were cruel taskmasters with a reputation for torture and fear...
Jonah hated them… So you can imagine how much he enjoyed his sermon: 40 days...
4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
40 days…
I wonder if he used illustrations from earlier events:
Flood of Noah
Sodom and Gomorrah
plagues on Egypt
Pillar of fire in the wilderness
The earth opening up and swallowing the disobedient in the camp of Israel
the walls of Jericho falling down flat
David and Goliath
He must’ve been some kind of preacher…
Jonah 3:5-10 - The Third Prayer
Jonah 3:5 - THEN.. The people believed in God.
5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
THEY Called a fast…
Fasting is a physical reminder of a Spiritual need
Fasting reminds you how desperate your Spirit is for the refreshing of God’s presence and the sustenance of His word…
6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes.
V. 6 - When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his ROBE (garment of glory word also translated glory), covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes…
Humility… Desperation…
Jonah 3:10 (NASB95)
10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.
That they turned from their wicked way…
This is the picture of repentance… TURNED FROM THIER WICKED WAY…
Repentance is turning from one direction to another…
The prayer of humility puts our heart in the right position for confession and confession is the first step toward repentance…
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NASB95)
14 If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
As we continue into this season of prayer, each of these elements must have its rightful place in our life: humility, confession, repentance.
V. 10 - When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.
Last week we talked about confession. This week we are talking about repentance.
many people think they are the same thing that confession is repentance.
But confession is just the doorway to repentance.
Confession is the opening where you verbally declare your intent to repent, but notice what God sees in the response of the people of nineveh:
Jonah 3:10 (NASB95)
10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.
Confession is admitting, verbally expressing, telling, repentance requires action!
Saved vs. Born again discussion
There should be a change!
There should be some fruit!
If you came to an altar, prayed a prayer of confession, but went back out and lived the same way, you didn’t repent, you apologized.
Repentance isn’t saying you’re sorry. Repentance is a turnaround.
Confession isn’t an end all be all, it is the first step toward repentance and repentance is proven through your fruit.
8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;
There should be evidence of your turnaround! There should be fruit of repentance!
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Look at verse 21: Matthew 7:21 “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”
Not everyone who says… There’s confession. You may say it, but do you follow through with it and repent?
And it is more than just doing good:
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
They will say, Lord I’ve done all the good things… I did good, but look what Jesus calls them:
You who practice lawlessness…
So it’s not enough just to add good things to your to do list.
It’s not enough just to go to church.
It’s not enough just to volunteer.
It’s not enough just to do good.
You must also repent, walk away, turn from, abandon the old ways of life!
You once practiced lawlessness… But now you must repent of those ways and turn from them!
The greek word for repentance is metanioa which is where we get the root of our word metamorphosis… It’s a change!
It’s a change of mind, a change of heart…
10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.
Let me ask you, did this prayer change God?
God is unchanging, everlasting, and never ending. It was not God who changed… it was those who were praying that were changed…
Prayer will change YOU… The closer you get to God, the more you will find yourself becoming LIKE GOD.
Prayer involves humility, confession, and repentance.
Call Mary or Queue Music
In Luke 11, the disciples come to Jesus after watching him feed 5000, be transfigured on the mountain, many miracles of healing, demons cast out, a storm stilled by the word of His mouth, and their own commission to go out in power, they ask this question:
Lord, teach us to pray…
Not teach us to raise the dead, not teach us to live rightly, not teach us to heal the sick, not teach us to cast out demons…
TEACH US TO PRAY!
Prayer aligns our heart with His.
Fasting provides us with a physical reminder of the need for that alignment.
The two put together prepares us for the working of the Spirit in our lives.
As the music begins to play, please find a place to pray…
Pray standing up or on your knees, pray laying down or walking the isles
Pray for your family, pray for yourself
Pray for the church, pray for revival
Pray for the country, pray for the military
Pray for your own needs, your own hurts, your own pains,
Pray for someone else! Pray for their burdens to be lifted,
BUT PRAY!!
Revival only comes by prayer. Miracles only come by prayer.
Don’t face life on your own, when you have the limitless power of the omnipotent God of the universe standing behind you… PRAY!
Pray in humility
Confess in prayer
Confess to one another
Pray for souls to be saved, lives to be changed
Pray for repentance to sweep this city...
Bring yourself into alignment with God’s will in prayer!
God, your kingdom come, Your WILL be done....
Not my will, but thine…
God make us thirst again for Your presence!
As the deer pants for the water God, so my soul thirsts for you…
Increase our hunger for Your Word!
SEND REVIVAL GOD!
Pray for Healing in the congregation