Parking Space PRAYERS

PRAYER

Prayer is holding the tension of what passive and active prayer looks like. It’s not a complete, “God, control me like a robot and force me to do your will,” nor is it a, “God, give me $1 million dollars.” There is a middle ground of prayer. A place of prayer that involves the listening and stillness of God along with partnering with Him on the revelation give.

Always begin prayer with faith, believing for God to move for the glorification of His name. Once we engage in prayer, we slowly begin to be revealed things from Him over the next hours, days, weeks, or months of praying for the same thing. Why do you think scriptures states to “neve cease praying.” God wants us to operate in faith, learn more from His wisdom and goodness, and then partner with him to pray a modified version of what we initially began to pray, only with God’s revealed purpose, will, and how it brings Him glory.

Prayer isn’t formulaic. It’s not, “If I do x, y, and z…God will hear and answer my prayer to my favor.” — “If I pray so hard and I’m pushing and crying and snot is coming out, and I’m forciblly grunting and moaning…God will hear me for sure.”

Tension

Story 1:

More often than not, when I go to HEB or Wal Mart, I find myself being annoyed with how packed places like these end up being. I drive all through the lanes and can’t seem to find a parking an available parking space. It’s in those moments where I begin to pray for what appears to be an open parking spots. You never know because sometimes it looks empty but a motorcycle ends up being parked there or a tiny car. I pray, “Lord please please please please let that parking space be available. Then with relief, I feel a surge of relief and victory.

>>How is it that prayer can be as deep as praying for a dying loved one to what seemingly is surface level and simple as a parking space? Prayer is not formulaic and should not be entered into as you would a peter piper prize booth. It’s not the, “the more tickets, the higher quality of prize you get.” NOR should prayer be treated as a lottery system where your prayer will randomly be given attention to by the Lord.

>>Prayer is more than receiving a desired outcome, but instead is hinged on the communion you have with God. God desires relational depth with us and prayer is a vehicle that creates a pathway from heaven to earth; an opportunity to bridge the two realities together and re-align our hearts to that of the Father.

>>Prayer is an activity most Christians struggle with. It has been taught with so many variations that we begin to lose the comprehension of prayer. We don’t know how to do it, why we do it, what we should pray for, where prayer is done, and what time of the day

Overview

We will:

Look at what Jesus taught about prayer verse by verse

What physical practices can be utilized for prayer

Jesus and Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 (CSB)

9“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.

10Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us today our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored Jesus opens and directs our first words to be words of adoration; words that identify and acknowledge who God truly is.

Don’t we seem to forget who God is? It’s strange isn’t it? We know that God is God and He can do what He wills, but have you ever stopped and meditated on that very fact? Have you given a deep thought on what that actually looks like? He creates out of nothing. He provides from His infinite riches. He is present amongst all believers through the Holy Spirit. He has no contender. He champions the weak and shames the wicked. He judges justly. He is all knowing (being outside of the constraints of time and space. <<< This is a big deal. This means He knows the beginning and end. He sees our final day of ultimate victory and resurrection before we even experience it.

Who better to pray and petition to than a God who reigns over all of reality?

The Israelites prayed consistently a prayer twice a day. It can be found in Deut :4-9

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (NET)4Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. 6These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up. 8You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead. 9Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates.

May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Jesus now leads us into where the work of heaven is done. This is part of the prayer that shows our participation and empowerment to co-rule along side Him. We pray for God’s will and work be done here on earth as it is in heaven. We pray for light to fill the darkness.

Have you ever seen those satellite images of the United States during the night? Imagine that as what it looks like to pray “your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.”

(SHOW IMAGE SATELLITE OF CITY LIGHTS)

Jesus also prays to the Lord and commissions believers to take upon the work that Jesus was doing on this earth

John 17:18 (NET)18Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.

We are to continue the work Jesus began; to establish His kingdom on the Earth and spread the good news of His coming

Give us this day our daily bread

Jesus guides us next into prayer of supplication or prayer of provision. This is where we can hold the most tension when it comes to prayer.

What are our needs? Do you think we can clearly state ALL our needs? Sometimes, the turmoil of life can muddy the waters and we cant seem to see clearly on what is actually our needs.

It’s like a fish that darts quickly in shallow water — it picks up soil and heavily suspends it in the water causing a temporary smoke screen of sorts.

Before Jesus showed us how to pray, He said this:

Matthew 6:8 (NIV)8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This is where our parking spaces prayers can come in. Prayer may seem trivial, urgent, not important, selfish, and etc.

What God is encouraging is for us to pray it all. Pray to Him. We may not know what we need in the moment, but the Lord does. He will guide your prayers and your heart if you are consistent about it.

how do we know what we need? Start off by praying with what is drawn up from your heart. Pray what you perceive you need to walk the faith Christ set you on to glorify His name.

List of Scriptures:

Romans 8:26 (NET)26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

Philippians 4:6 (NET)6Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.

Matthew 6:33 (CSB)33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Praying for our needs requires our understanding of God, His Kingdom and Righteousness

This is why we are told to pray unceasingly (1 Thess 5:17)

Unceasing = Consistency

If we praying consistency of what we think we need, His spirit will reveal Himself to us and will guide our prayers. God will shift our prayers, realign our focus on what we truly need

Forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.

Jesus now points to the confession of our sins.

Look at what follows after the “Lord’s Prayer.”

Matthew 6:14–15 (NET)14“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

Our prayers should be laced with humbleness; understanding that we are being sanctified and becoming more and more like Christ.

Realizing our faults and struggles and praying the Lord to continually cover us with His blood and asking for forgiveness

Jesus also includes what we must do in return…forgive others.

We reciprocate God’s love through His people by forgiving each other’s flaws and walking in grace with one another

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

To supplement the previous thought, Jesus concludes by praying for an empowerment to do something that we ourselves are incapable of

Ephesians 6:10–11 (NET)10Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

This part of a prayer to help us as believers, realize what has already been given to us

It is a Revelatory prayer for the Spirit that lives in us to reveal the truth

What can we do to practice this?

What you can pray for?

Where can you pray?

When can you pray?

How can you pray? Unceasingly