Can We Talk?

We have dealt with standing on the Word as our foundation, we shared the bad news of our desperate need for a savior but we also shared the good news that Jesus took care of that need for us.

The natural outflow of WHO Jesus is and WHAT Jesus has done forms our worship

Last week we talked about living in biblical community

Today, we are taking that a step further…

Luke 11:1 CSB

1 He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

Matthew 6:5–15 CSB

5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. 9 “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.

Luke 11:5–13 CSB

5 He also said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ 7 Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

First, let’s acknowledge something Jesus modeled - prayer. Jesus devoted much of HIs time to being with the Father and having a conversation with Him

The disciples noticed how prayer marked Jesus’ life and they wanted to know how to pray like He did

But before Jesus got into the mechanics of prayer He addressed an important issue…

God hears the heart, not just words.

Jesus says, “Don’t be like the hypocrites” - originally, hypocrite referred to an actor on stage - someone who wears a mask and play a part that isn’t really them

In Jesus’ day it became associated with the Pharisees - they performed their faith publically to be admired but that was a mask because their private life often didn’t match

It is not that their prayer was fake - their motive was

For them the audience was the crowd listening NOT God.

We cannot wear a mask with God, He knows our heart and all the acting in the world will not fool HIm

Jesus isn’t banning public prayer - He is telling us that the starting place of our prayers is in the hidden room of our hearts

Our prayers need to flow FROM something and not BE the something

It isn’t about where you are physically to pray the question is - where is you heart at when you pray?

Jesus also warns us about praying like the Gentiles, using a bunch of words over and over like the prophets of Baal crying out from morning to noon, thinking that volume and repetition would get their gods attention

The Gentiles thought more words meant more access - quantity over quality and technique over relationship

Jesus says God already knows what we need so we don’t need to find the secret formula to talk to Him

We don’t and can’t manipulate God into listening

All we need is a relationship with Him because He desires to hear from us and speak to us.

Remember Who you are talking to.

Jesus does something that would have virtually been unheard of in Jewish culture…

He teaches us to address God as Father (pater in Greek and abba in Aramaic) He is using a very intimate term for God - almost equivalent our word “daddy”

This does two things - it reinforces our posture when coming to God because who is more humble or vulnerable than a child coming to their father

Later Jesus will remind the disciples that they are to come “like little children” - children coming expecting their father to love them to protect them, and to do all he can to meet their needs

This is how we should enter our prayer life…

But, we cannot get too comfortable because Jesus reminds us that God my be our loving abba, He is still the sovereign and majestic God of heaven

Isaiah gives us a glimpse of who one should respond when coming into the presence of Almighty God - Isaiah 6:5 “5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.” - you become utterly aware of who you are in comparison to Who HE is.

His name is to be “holy” or set apart and honored because He is utter perfection and goodness.

Many of us lean one way or the other - some treat God like a buddy - too casual and lacking awe in Who He is

Others treat Him like a distant king - too afraid to come close

Jesus shows us God is both - He is King with absolute authority and power who demands and deserves honor BUT He is also our loving Father with the desire to have a deep relationship with us and truly wants the best for us… there is a balance

FYI - Jesus is giving us the proper order - we start with God before we get to the other things - you wouldn’t start a letter or even a phone call without addressing the person you want to talk to

We must align to God’s will not try to align Him to ours.

If our posture before God is correct and we are clear on Who He is then why would we ask Him and not follow the answer?

Jesus said we should pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done…”

We are essentially saying “God, I want what You want more than what I want.” - that’s aligning to His will

When we are aligned to His will then we will trust for His provision - we are trusting God to provide our needs daily which gives us peace for tomorrow

We also understand that forgiveness is essential for our survival and Jesus has already paid that debt on our behalf.

Because of the forgiveness given us we are to also forgive others

Aligning to God’s will helps to realize we cannot do this on our own and need God to keep us on the right path

Come humbly, persistently and expectantly.

We have nothing to bring except ourselves - when we acknowledge our need then we are positioned properly

The friend didn’t have his need met because he was such a good guy - it was because he was persistent

It was because of his shameless, persistence that was without regard to time, place or person

God’s not being difficult but think about it like this… remember when you were a child and you wanted something from you parents - you asked, you asked in creative ways (Jessica presentation for guinnea pig), you wouldn’t stop asking - James 4:2 “2 …You do not have because you do not ask.”

You also wouldn’t hesitate to call your parents no matter the time of day if you needed them - you would run right to them even if they were talking with someone else and it didn’t matter where you were either, if you needed them you asked…

Why? Because we learn as children that out parents love us and want the best for us and are willing to do whatever they can within their ability to help us. There was a time my kids thought I could fix anything (I couldn’t of course)

There is a massive difference between God and our human parents - God is perfect, all-knowing and all powerful - sadly we are not

There is no reason to fear going to God and it is not a lack of faith to ask more than once and if we believe God can and will answers us then why wouldn’t we ask?

The past few weeks we have been talking about the church as a whole

Today seems like a more personal moment and while our personal and private prayer life is the foundation it should extend into our corporate prayer life

If you look in the prayer Jesus modeled you will see - “OUR Father… give US… forgive US… as WE… bring US… deliver US.

The use of the first-person plural pronouns throughout the prayer reminds us that our praying ought to reflect the corporate unity, desires, and needs of the entire church.

Let me leave you with a bold promise - God answers prayer. We must have the faith to bring our prayers before His throne, trusting that He loves us so much, and He wants to have that intimate father, child relationship with us. Understanding that because He loves us and desires the best for us we can know that whatever the answer it will be for our ultimate good.

What is stopping you this morning? Bring it to the Lord. God is waiting and is lovingly asking, “can we talk?”