How to Talk to God

I want us all to walk out this building today ready to start a new habit. If you talk to God daily, I want to help you improve your talk with God. If you don’t talk with God daily, I want you to not only start, but also begin a habit that will last for the rest of your life.

This is no small task that I have set out to accomplish… (In less than an hour nonetheless).

Let’s start with opening to and see the disciples of Jesus, who saw Jesus pray often and prayed with Him, asking the same question.

How do you talk to an immeasurably Great and Awesome being that you have never met and struggle to understand more fully.

Parable 1

Luke 11:1–4 ESV

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

Now, I could spend a whole hour talking about the prayer that Jesus gives to His disciples, but instead I want to focus on a couple of things and move on to make sure that we get all the help we need.

I want us to recognize that God isn’t looking for some long prayer that lets Him know that we are great and can think up a lot of things to say. This whole prayer is not about me. If you talk to someone about you all the time, what are they going to think? You aren’t really interested in me, you only care about you! That may be true, but God isn’t exactly wanting to tell me about His day is He? God wants us to to make requests of Him in prayer that recognize the God that He is. He doesn’t want someone to show up who has no clue who He is and what He has to say.

If you talk to someone about you all the time, what are they going to think?

The words of Jesus here are simple and they carry a sense of humility and reliance on the God who truly does hear every word we utter to Him so we ought to use our time praying without taking His grace for granted.

“Please continue to help me,” not “it would be great if you can do something for me.”

“Please find favor in us and forgive us,” not “I’m forgiven because I haven’t done anything that bad, no need to ask for that.”

“Please help me stay away from the thorns and desires that entrap me,” not “We all sin, I guess temptations are always going to be a big part of life.”

This is describing an attitude toward God when we pray. He gives a parable that illustrates our attitude issues when talking to God.

Luke 11:

Luke 11:5–13 ESV

And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 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!”

God is not some man asleep and not wanting to hear from a friend because it’s this big inconvenience. God is hoping that we will come to Him with a recognition of His steadfast love and His ability to do everything that we ask, but also the wisdom to refrain from those things that are not in our best interest.

The words of this parable are striking. They tell us not to take on the attitude of one who doesn’t know the creator. He is not some man that ignores your pleading. He not only hears, but He also wishes to provide us with the love that we need. The more faith we have the more He is glorified.

Give the Holy Spirit?

Why would Jesus tell us that God will surely give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Do you have Him? Have you asked? Is that really how it works? Does the Holy Spirit come and dwell inside of us? How would the disciples not be completely confused right now?

You should know that God promised throughout the OT to send His Spirit to reveal the great truth about a new kingdom.

That’s the kind of God He is. After the generations of man have gotten so bad that He repented of making them, God found favor in Noah and Abraham.

Eventually, we see Israel get so bad that He takes them in judgment but still gives them a promise to one day resurrect them as a new kingdom. Attached to that promise is a promise to put a new spirit within them a spirit much like the one Jesus is teaching in His parable.

We needed the work of the Holy Spirit in order to learn how to talk to God. This question that the disciples ask was never asked before in all of scriptures, but it is a fundamental question for those who want the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. His sanctifying, revealing, and at one time miraculous work was experienced in the first century. That is the reason Jesus concludes with the promise. You want to know how to pray? Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’s sanctification and you will know the gratuitous life of one who can’t stop praying. One who prays without ceasing.

He regenerates us when we are washed. Never forget that event.

Parable 2

Luke 17:20–25 ESV

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Luke 17:20-25

When will the kingdom come? He responds with words that make us think about God and how we talk to Him. We desire to see Him, but we do not see Him. The evidence is pointed out in verses 26-37 as He talks about the destruction of Jerusalem.

He follows up this news with an explanation to His disciples of how they ought to pray. Why? The kingdom is in our midst. God is here. Jesus is here. They know everything that is going on.

Luke 18:1–8 ESV

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Jesus’ second parable on this topic looks at the judgment of an unjust judge after talking about judging Jerusalem. He is hoping to make it clear that God knows what He is doing. He is not ignorant of any of Satan’s devices. He has every intention to provide the justice we need with impartiality and purity.

Many times I’ve taken this parable out of context to only say what the last parable said, “God is willing and able to give us what we need.” However, the point Jesus is making here to His disciples is that God has always been the just and righteous king of the earth. Any suffering we are enduring He knows and will use it to help us . It would be so sad to have judges set up who refuse to do what is just, but if you remove God from the picture, there is room for any form of injustice.

It ends with these amazing words. Will Jesus find faith on the earth when He returns? Can you imagine Jesus returning after what He has done and not finding a soul that believes. That is the goal of many today. “No more religion. It just causes problems.”

God is real. He hears the injustice that takes place on the earth and will move to make everything right. If it happens on earth, justice may take place in heaven. So it’s best to give the justice to God and let Him pour heaping coals on your enemies head. You focus on being a loving your neighbor.

Prayer

Whether that happens or not is

So, we read these parables encouraging us to pray and not lose heart, we do that with the attitude that God is willing and able to hear and act. What if we don’t see Him act? It specifically says that He will give to those who ask.

Why aren’t we receiving everything we ask?

1. We ask with wrong motives.

James 4:3 ESV

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James

What we ask for should be in line with the written will of God whether explicitly stated or implied. We ought to want the same things that God has stated He wants. When we approach the throne of a king, we have to know the types of work He is most interested in improving.

Growth of His kingdom and the spread of His glorious name are more important than anything. If you can’t develop a desire for the kingdom to grow and for God to be given the praise He deserves, you aren’t focused on God’s grace toward you that allows you to breathe in the air you breathe.

2. We ask in view of our limited timeline.

Matthew 26:36–46 ESV

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 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.” 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.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Jesus went into the garden and prayed 3 times to let this cup pass from me. It doesn’t seem like He was heard, but actually He was...

Heb

Hebrews 5:7 ESV

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

His desires were met with the ultimate answer, but He had to walk through the fire to get there.

3. God’s will

If you were about to go through with some spiritual work that you are scared to work on for fear of repercussions you need to pray and not lose heart about it.

The Plan

When you and I leave this place today, we will have an understanding of the right attitude to have about prayer. The only question will be can we set up the right cue to enter into a routine of praying fervently to the Lord.

Ask for wisdom

Let your request be made known without anxiety, but with an understanding that if it’s God’s will He will handle it in His time. We have to have faith in His willingness to do what is good. No anxiety, only peace knowing His nature.

Focus our lives and our prayers on

Philippians 4:8 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

4. If you want it to happen ASK!

Luke 10:2 ESV

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

James 5:16 ESV

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Be grateful for your breakfast every morning and think... How would you speak to God if you were standing right before Him? What would you say?

Does it cross your mind every day that you can speak to the ruler of the universe. How big of a deal is that to us?

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