Prayer that Prepares For Tribulation
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
ALL OF us have spare tires in our car—just in case there’s a flat or a slow leak of air. Most of the time, we don’t even think about it until something goes wrong. But when something goes wrong, we go back to the trunk and we get out the spare to get us out of a bad situation. For most of us, prayer is like that. It’s a spare tire. It’s just in case. It’s easy to forget about it until you really need it to get you out of a jam; it’s something you are glad to have when you’re caught in a dilemma you can’t fix.705
And then when we go to put the spare on we look awkward because we aint use to it
we get stressed and aggravated because the spare is flat and is not gonna get us where we want to get to
Prayer is not about getting you to where you want to go but to where God wants you
We need to learn to pray regular before the storm not just when one hits
Last time I was here we discussed going through tough trials, the question that comes to mind is how do we get faith to walk into pain, to even thank God for the pain.
Something to keep in mind this morning is why did Jesus pray, He is God, he prayed for our benefit so that we may learn from his example.
Let us stand and read Matthew 26:36–46
Prioritizing Time (v. 36)
Prioritizing Time (v. 36)
Jesus went to Gethsemane and then got alone to pray
Jesus getting alone to pray is not a first here, we see him do this several times
Priority of time shows worth
You prioritize something that has worth to you
Worship is worth-ship
So does your prayer life show your relationship with God has value?
If you are not meeting with him regular, you are not showing you trust in him very much and when trials and tribulation come your faith is going to be weak and shaken
Your prayers will be more that of a foxhole atheist
Your only praying because things are bad and you start making promises trying to make wagers to wage your way out of the situation
God does not owe us anything even when we are walking true with him, your wagers are pointless
The situation is not for you to dictate, what you dictate is rather or not your soul is in a place where it can truly say, father not my will but yours
You say God matters, but how does your communication look with him, Let me give you an example:
If I was always eating with and talking to another woman and then come home and never talk to my wife besides occasionally, but I never cross sexual lines with the other woman, am I good faithful husband?
by no means
Yet that is what we so often do with God, we spend time feasting over entertainment, technology, hobbies, and in all this never commit any physical sins, but we have given our hearts to other things besides our true love and have sinned in our hearts
fail to be good faithful Christians
Where do your priorities lay? You carve out time for the things and ones you love
How are you making time?
Jesus Mood (v. 37)
Jesus Mood (v. 37)
Jesus became sorrowful, His soul was heavy. Where did he run to? to the Father
to set an example for us
Jesus shows us emotions are not a bad thing, but what is important is how do we cope with them
Jesus sweated blood, a sign of great stress
When chaos squeezes you how do you cope?
Does it drive you to sinful habits or does it drive you to God
When life squeezes, it reveals what you prioritize and what controls your life
If Christ:
Peace
despite all the other emotions going on people will realize their is a calmness about you
their will be a spiritual wisdom that will help you navigate
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The way you navigate will be dictated by a transformed mind
worship
You will continue to praise God, despite your circumstances
Our circumstances don’t dictate the value of God, circumstances don’t dictate faith. Faith should impact circumstances
While on the topic of worship, let me talk a second on why I lift my hands
If Not Christ:
Fear
anxiety ruled decisions
chaos
Your life will spiral further into a lack of order
blaming and running from God
in your mind the problem will lie everywhere else besides the brokenness inside of you
Strong Prayer Life Does Not Mean Having it All Together
Strong Prayer Life Does Not Mean Having it All Together
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
What we can take from this prayer:
We are not always going to be smiling, Jesus wasn’t high-fiving smiling, jumping around all pumped, about the ministry he had to do. In fact he was burdened
We all are not going to have a ministry where 3,000 gets saved like Peter did, some of us will have a ministry like Stephens, instead souls getting saved, stones get thrown. And what do we say about the faith of both of them?
You will have supernatural strength to walk through the pain, you will be able to persevere for the Gospel
you will be able to use the pain, and not waste the pain
The path you go down is not necessarily the one you want
Strong prayer life results in sacrifices, you give up things
Strong prayer life may result in you walking in tough situations you could have ran from
Strong prayer life does not mean you are free from internal conflict
you are going to wrestle with thoughts
Prayer: Arming Ourselves Against Sin
Prayer: Arming Ourselves Against Sin
Jesus takes a break from prayer to check in on the disciples and finds them sleeping and gives them this scolding
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Don’t underestimate the enemy, the devil is very crafty
Think back to Adam and Eve, perfect, in a perfect world, no trauma in their life, no sinful habits around and the devil was able to tempt them into sin
Prayer helps tune our mind to God’s voice
God knows our every thought, prayer is not for his benefit, but ours
if we are praying often and rightly our minds are meditating on the things of God
pray without ceasing,
Want to flip off someone off, take it to God
Made it stress free and safely to your destination, praise God
Big decision, take it to God
Little decision, take it to God
Old habits trying to come out, bury them with prayer
Got food on the table, thank God
Monday morning going to work thank God
This scolding also reminds us that we will always be in a struggle in this world. Spirit is willing, but flesh is weak. The question is which one are you nurturing more
The Launch Pad of Prayer (v.45-46)
The Launch Pad of Prayer (v.45-46)
in the solitude of prayer is where we are prepared for the chaos of the storm
We are not meant to stay hid, we are not meant to play it safe
Jesus could have stayed hid, he could have snuck out a different way, but he choose to walk back to where Judas would betray him, because he knew that was where the center of God’s will was.
The fruits of your prayer life will be reaped during the storms of life
Outroduction: Sleeping on God
Outroduction: Sleeping on God
Peter was sleeping and when the storm came instead of godliness coming forth rage came, Peter added to the chaos rather than speaking peace into it