Good Question: Prayer

Intro:

Someone asked a great question at the beginning of this series: How do I pray? Which is not an easy question to answer. It’s kind of like asking someone how to love someone? You could probably teach someone how to “Act” like they love someone, but all that is in an outward expression. In the same way, we often think of prayer as an external act rather than an internal desire of the heart. In order for someone to have a successful prayer life, they must have a “need”. This need takes on many forms as we mature as Christ followers, but a need non the less. The question that we have to ask ourselves is are we okay with being needy?

I remember a time when I was first married, Talor and I were in a little bit of a financial bind, and we had no idea how we were going to get the money to pay a specific bill. I remember filling like a failure as a husband and a provider for my family. So finally, I ran out of ideas and had to go to my dad for money, and it was humiliating, I was ashamed. I remember thanking him for helping and I told him that I would pay him back as soon as I could and his words stopped me in my tracks.

He said, “Cody, don’t you ever hesitate to ask me for help. You are my son and I will always be here to help you.”

I had a need and I worried myself sick trying to make it okay all by myself. The source was there the entire time, I just had to realize that it was okay to need it.

Transition:

For us to understand how to pray, we must understand why we need to pray.

1. Realize the Source of Prayer

The source of our prayer must be an outpouring of the heart, which means that prayer comes from our intimacy with God.

Cup analogy.

Prayer becomes more and more important as we grow in our relationship with God the Father.

The real life that we have always been meant to live, the life that God intends us to have, starts at the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior, Which leads to baptism.

Luke

Luke 3:21–22 HCSB

When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As He was praying, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son. I take delight in You!

Prayer becomes a natural part of our life when we come to understand

I am a child of God.

You are so adored.

“I am his beloved Son, with me He is well pleased”

When we question any of those things, our prayers come from responsibility rather than relationships.

With that says, we all have a relationship with Christ, and we all have a responsibility to live our faith out. Sometimes we become so consumed with that, that we forget, that yes, God loves everyone, but God loves me.

God cares more about your intimacy with Him than your productivity for Him.

2. Locate your Place of Prayer

Sometimes life gets so insanely busy that we forget to do obvious things.

This morning I was in a hurry to get Titus to my father-in-law’s house. So I grab Titus, run out the door, go to open up the door to the mom van and… Locked! The keys were inside the house, which was also locked. So I had to teach my son a valuable lesson this morning; How to get in to someone’s house using a credit card.

Luke 5:

Luke 5:15–16 HCSB

But the news about Him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.

Take a lesson from Jesus; quiet places equip you for public spaces.

You have to take time away from everyone and everything so that you can call on the name of the Lord to replenish your power. To fill up your cup.

Cup Illustration

We have to learn as believers to be aggressively selfish with our intimacy with Jesus.

3. We have to Believe in Prayer

I heard a quote that almost made my jaw hit the floor.

“Prayer is wither the biggest lie in your life, or the biggest for of peace”

We have a huge misconception about prayer in regards to our faith today. We wait until we are in the middle of a situation where we are in need of God before we call on his name, rather than getting on face beforehand.

Look at the power that when Samuel prays for God’s people and they overcome the mighty Philistine army.

Look at the power of Prayer that brought down the mighty walls of Jericho.

But most of all, look at the prayers that brought 3,000 people together to establish God’s church in Jerusalem. God’s people were united in prayer, but more than that, They believed that God’s power and presence was obtainable through prayer.

Acts 1:12–14 HCSB

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

Response

But Cody, how do I pray.

P - Praise

R - Repent

A - Ask

Y- Yield

Luke 11:

Luke 11:2–4 HCSB

He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say: Father, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation.”

Seasons of Life

Fall: Season of Change

Winter: Dark, Cold, things are not okay, but you act like they are.

Spring: God is doing a new thing in your life.

Summer: Things are good.