When You Pray

Prayer

Introduction

Show of hands: Who would like to grow closer to God and feel closer to God in your life?

What is the single most important thing you need to grow closer to God? Actually, that’s a trick question. It’s not one thing but three.

Be filled with the Spirit

Live by the Word

Belong to the church

Prayer is your personal connection with God. There’s a difference between saying prayers and praying.

Why do a whole sermon about prayer?

Even Jesus needed to pray.

Luke 3:21 — Jesus prayed during his baptism.

Luke 5:16 — Jesus often withdrew to solitary places to pray.

Luke 6:12 — Jesus prayed all night before choosing his Apostles.

Luke 9:18 — Jesus prayed with his disciples.

Luke 9:29 — Jesus prayed before his transfiguration.

Luke 10:21 — Jesus prayed when his disciples were doing ministry.

Luke 11:1-4 — Jesus prayed as an example to teach us how to pray.

Luke 22:31-32 — Jesus prayed for Peter before Peter denied him three times.

Luke 23:34, 46 — Jesus prayed as he hung on the cross dying.

Luke 24:50-51 — Jesus prayed before he ascended into heaven.

Prayer is the key to a church’s success. 10 days, 10 minutes, 3000 people joke…

Subject: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).

Body

Come to God as your Father. Relate to God as a child to a parent.

Exposition (Luke 11:1-4)

Jesus’s entire lesson on prayer can be summed up in the first word he prays: Father.

Love — “hallowed be your name”

Respect — “your kingdom come”

From our problems to our Father

From our wants to his will

From our agenda to his Kingdom (see also Matt 6:31-33… Seek first God’s kingdom.)

Dependency

For our physical needs — “Give us each day our daily bread”

For our spiritual needs — “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us”

For our protection — “And lead us not into temptation”

The primary purpose of prayer is NOT to fix our problems but to grow in a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Illustration: For most of my life I hated prayer… I thought it was about fixing my problems… it felt impersonal and transactional… Most of my problems weren’t fixed… But prayer is more about changing me than changing my situation… Relationship, dependency… Pray to spend time with God.

Application: Prayer isn’t about saying the right words, or using the right method; it’s about our relationship with God. How is your relationship with God? Do you see him as your Father?

Ask with the shameless audacity of a child. Nag God with your requests.

Exposition (Luke 11:5-8): Two key elements of prayer: desperation and persistence.

Illustration: Mae Cat, “Ice cream!”

Application

God never gets annoyed by our persistent asking. He is a loving Father who adores you and delights in answering your prayers!

Luke 11:9-10… ask, seek, knock

Have the faith to accept what God gives. Trust that God’s answer is the best answer.

Exposition (Luke 11:11-13): God is a good Father, not an evil one. He always gives us what we need. It’s not always what we want, but we can trust that it is what we need.

Illustration: I’ve learned to talk to God about everything. He already knows my thoughts and my wants and my needs.

Application

Luke 11:13… What does Jesus say God will give? The Holy Spirit. God gives us himself, and that’s what really need.

Ask God whatever you want, and trust God in whatever he gives.

Conclusion

How should we pray?

Come to God as your Father.

Ask with the shameless audacity of a child.

Have the faith to accept what God gives.

Prayer isn’t about the process but the relationship. It’s not about the words or the method but the attitude and the heart. Prayer isn’t about fixing our problems but growing in our relationship with our Father in Heaven.

Here’s my challenge: Spend 10 minutes with God each day for the next 10 days. It’s not about the method but sometimes methods can help. See the handout.