Father, Hear the Prayer We Offer #777

INTRODUCTION:

1. "Father, Hear the Prayer We Offer"

A. This touches on something we take for granted.

B. We have the ability to talk to the Almighty.

1. Questions we must ask ourselves about our prayer life:

A. Do we neglect our prayer life?

B. Do we ask for the right things?

C. Do we pray for the things that God would want and not our own selfish desires?

D. When do we pray?

E. Do we ask that God's will be done and not our own?

F. Do we ask for wisdom?

G. Do we ask God to hear our prayers?

H. Do we ask for forgiveness?

I. Do we ask God to help us?

J. Do we ask for daily bread, both physical and spiritual?

K. Do we give glory to God in our prayers?

James 4:2–3 NKJV

2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV

17 pray without ceasing,

Luke 22:42 NKJV

42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

James 1:5 NKJV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Psalm 27:7 NKJV

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

Matthew 6:9–13 NKJV

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Psalm 9:1–2 NKJV

1 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

C. This is not an exhaustive list.

1. As we look at this song, let us endeavor to make our prayer life what it should be.

2. The answers to the above questions will help us in that endeavor.

3. These questions are not going to be answered in the lesson but are for personal evaluation of one's own prayer life.

2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV

5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

BODY:

1. "FATHER, HEAR THE PRAYER WE OFFER"

A. This statement brings up a question.

1. Does God hear all prayer?

A. The answer to this question is both yes and no.

B. Yes, God both hears and knows everything about us.

Psalm 139:1–4 NKJV

1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

1. It is not possible to hide anything from God.

Psalm 139:7–12 NKJV

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

2. He hears every idle word.

Matthew 12:36–37 NKJV

36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

3. He knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Luke 12:7 NKJV

7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

4. He knows how many stars are in the sky.

Psalm 147:4 NKJV

4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.

5. There is nothing that God does not know.

Psalm 147:5 NKJV

5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.

Isaiah 40:28 NKJV

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

C. No, God does not hear the prayer of the ungodly.

John 9:31 NKJV

31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.

1. The difference is the type of hearing.

A. In this song, we are asking for God to hear and respond favorably, much like David prayed.

Psalm 39:12 NKJV

12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

Psalm 17:1 NKJV

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord, Attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

B. Sin separates us from this type of hearing.

Isaiah 59:1–2 NKJV

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

C. Our prayers can be hindered.

1 Peter 3:7 NKJV

7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

D. This song is a request for God to hear our prayer.

1. If we are godly, then He will hear our prayer and answer.

James 5:16–17 NKJV

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

Matthew 7:7–8 NKJV

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

1 John 5:14–15 NKJV

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

2. "NOR FOR EASE THAT PRAYER SHALL BE"

A. We should not continually find ourselves praying for ease or comfort of living.

2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV

12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

B. Paul prayed three times to have the thorn in his flesh removed.

2 Corinthians 12:8 NKJV

8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

1. Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble.

2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV

7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

2. The answer given to Paul:

2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

C. Jesus prayed that the cup might pass three times.

Matthew 26:39 NKJV

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

D. There is nothing wrong with praying for ease, but we must accept God's answer.

1. God's answer to us is the same as the answer given to Paul.

James 1:2–4 NKJV

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

3. "BUT FOR STRENGTH, THAT WE MAY EVER LIVE OUR LIVES COURAGEOUSLY"

A. We should pray for strength from God.

Psalm 28:7–8 NKJV

7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. 8 The Lord is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.

Ephesians 6:10 NKJV

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

1 Chronicles 16:11 NKJV

11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

Philippians 4:13 NKJV

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV

6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua 1:9 NKJV

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

CONCLUSION:

1. Does God hear your prayers?