Essentials of Prayer Part 3
The Essentials of Prayer
Selected Scriptures
Wednesday Evening 12/6/06
Introductory Verses
Colossians 4:2 states, Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
And
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, pray without ceasing;
Introduction
These Scriptures and many others like them make it clear that God’s people are to be a praying people so again tonight I want to speak with you on the subject of prayer.
As I mentioned to you when I spoke on Wednesday night about a month ago, the Pastor has said that from time to time he would like for me to share with you on Wednesday nights in order to add details to the outline on the Essentials of Prayer that I first shared with you back in August.
Remember, we can not overemphasize the importance of prayer, as John Calvin said, “Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable. Surely, with good reason the Heavenly Father affirms that the only stronghold of safety is in calling upon His name. By so doing we invoke the presence both of His providence, through which He watches over and guards our affairs, and of His power, through which He sustains us, weak as we are and well-nigh overcome, and of His goodness, through which He receives us, miserably burdened with sins, unto grace; and, in short, its by prayer that we call Him to reveal Himself as wholly present to us. Hence comes an extraordinary peace and repose to our consciences.”
Calvin’s comment highlights the grave importance of our understanding and practicing the essential spiritual discipline of prayer. Prayer is the hand by which believers reach out to take hold of the gifts, promises, power, and provision of our God.
As that great Puritan John Bunyan said, “you can do more than pray once you’ve prayed, but you can’t do more than pray until you’ve prayed”.
As we consider this important subject the outline I have been working from is: The Reasons for Prayer; The Requirements of Prayer; The Rudiments of Prayer; A Restraint to Prayer.
The Reasons for Prayer
By way of review, when I shared with you about a month ago, we noted in detail 5 good and important reasons why we should pray. Remember we should pray because:
It is the Example of Christ
If prayer marked the earthly life of Jesus, how much more should it mark our lives.
It is the Exhortation of Scripture
In Scripture we are both commanded to pray, and we are told that it is a sin if we do not pray.
Prayer Exhibits God’s Glory
When we pray and God answers, it puts God on display and magnifies His name.
Prayer Enlists Us in God’s Plans & Purposes
Prayer brings us into line with God’s will.
Prayer is an Effective Activity
Pragmatically speaking, prayer works. So, previously we considered in detail these reasons for prayer and then next I want us to look at:
The Requirements for Prayer
Under this heading we want to consider two main points: The Principles of Answered Prayer; and The Problems Resulting in Unanswered Prayer. First note:
The Principles of Answered Prayer
Ask in God’s Will
Romans 8:26-27 26 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (Expound – God answers prayers that are consistent with His will. He is not going to do something against His will).
Ask in Christ’s Name
John 14:13-14 13 “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
Remember in Scripture your name was who you were. (Expound). To ask in Christ’s name means to ask consistent with the person and character of Christ. (Expound).
Ask in Faith
Matthew 21:22 “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.
(Expound – this is not positive thinking or positive confession, but truly believing that God answers prayer and that you are confident that you are asking in God’s will). We must not be the double-minded man of James 1:6-8 6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.7 For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (Expound and ask, “how often do we pray without really expecting God to answer?”).
Ask with Earnestness
Luke 11:5-10 5 And He said to them, “Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he shall answer and say, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 “And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 10 “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.
The point of this parable is that we are to be steadfast, persistent and serious in prayer. The tense of the Greek verbs in verse 10 where Jesus states, “everyone who asks, receives” are in the present tense which indicates linear or continuous action. A more literal translation of the Greek in this phrase would be “everyone who asks and keeps on asking will receive and keep on receiving”. (Expound – we need to be serious and constant in prayer, to really care, and do more than just shoot off one liners when we think of it).
Ask in Awareness – we need to pay attention to what is going on around us.
Matthew 26:41 “Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Luke 21:36 “But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Ephesians 6:18-19 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.
Colossians 4:2-4 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
(Expound – we need to see beyond ourselves and be aware of the needs of others as well as events, problems, trouble, souls, ministries and other things needing to be brought before God in prayer. We should be like those standing guard).
Ask with a Clean Heart
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Proverbs 28:9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
(Expound – we must come before God with an attitude of obedience and known sin dealt with if we expect God to hear us). This last principle of answered prayer points us logically and directly to our second point:
The Problems Resulting in Unanswered Prayer
Overall—The overall answer to this question is Sin. Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: KJV
Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
(Expound – sin blocks the prayer channel). The overall hindrance to prayer is sin, but the Bible also identifies some specific sins that particularly hinder prayer. Note:
Specifically
· Self-centeredness & Selfishness – James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. (Expound).
· Indifference – Proverbs 21:13 He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered. (Expound).
· An Unforgiving Spirit – Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. (Expound).
· Marital Troubles – 1 Peter 3:7 You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (Expound).
· Doubt – James 1:5-7 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord. (Expound).
This brings us then to our third major point:
The Rudiments of Prayer
What I am referring to here are the elements or content of our prayers. Let me suggest 3 things that the Scriptures indicate ought to be included in our praying. First:
Confession
Daniel 9:3-6 3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. 6 “Moreover, we have not listened to Thy servants the prophets, who spoke in Thy name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Expound – we need to confess our sins—clear the pathway so to speak). The second element of prayer I would suggest is:
Praise
Psalm 50:23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(Expound – reciting the attributes of God is a good way to praise Him and of course thanking Him is a form of praise). The final element I would suggest to you is:
Petition
Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
(Expound – there is nothing wrong with asking God to meet our needs as long as it is done with a right heart and motive).
The final point I would like us to consider this evening is:
A Restraint to Prayer
In this matter I am not interested in discussing the hindrances to prayer that we all battle like sin, laziness, business, lack of commitment, etc.. What I want us to consider is a restraint to praying when our hearts are right and we want to pray earnestly and still we fail to pray as we should. So why do we fail to pray even when our hearts are right and we are properly motivated? I think the answer is boredom! (Expound – we pray the same things over and over until we get to the point that we feel like our praying is just vain repetition).
Let me suggest a cure for this problem—pray Scripture. (Expound and give an example using a few verses from Proverbs 21).
Proverbs 21:1-9 1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes. 2 Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts. 3 To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the Lord rather than sacrifice. 4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin. 5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. 6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death. 7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away, Because they refuse to act with justice. 8 The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright. 9 It is better to live in a corner of a roof, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.