PRAYER ON PURPOSE

PRAYER ON PURPOSE With grateful acknowledgement of these sources of direction and inspiration: the Holy Spirit; the Word of God; Intercession, Thrilling and Fulfilling by Joy Dawson; Perspectives on the World Christian Movement 3rd ed., Ralph Winter and Steven Hawthorne editors, articles: Prayer: Rebelling Against the Status Quo by David Wells; Strategic Prayer by John D. Robb; Prayer Evangelism by Ed Silvoso December 28, 2003 [Additional Notes] Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introductory After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said: "Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their waking moments with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits. You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons, and raise their self-esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job. I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and scholarships, and encourage respect for cultural diversity. My contract requires me to work on my own time grading papers after school, evenings and weekends. And on my own time you want me to attend committee and faculty meetings, PTA meetings, and participate in staff development training. I am to be a paragon of virtue, larger than life, such that my very presence will awe my students into being obedient and respectful of authority. You want me to incorporate technology into the learning experience, monitor web sites, and relate personally with each student. I am to make sure all students pass the mandatory state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete their assignments. Plus, I am to make sure all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. And I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, website and report card. All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps! You want me to do all of this and you expect me NOT TO PRAY?" I want to preach a few minutes this morning on the subject of prayer. I have three reasons for wanting to do so. First, I believe that we Christians are too lax in our approach to prayer (and I definitely include myself in that indictment). Secondly, as I have been reflecting and praying about the turn of the calendar year and what we as a church should be prioritizing for the year 2004, prayer is one of two or three very clear answers. And thirdly, I simply feel led to preach on prayer. One of the most stimulating analyses of what prayer is I re-read recently in an article by David Wells. He says that prayer is, in essence, REBELLION. It is "…rebellion against the world in its fallenness, the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is pervasively abnormal. It is, in this its negative aspect, the refusal of every agenda, every scheme, every interpretation that is at odds with the norm as originally established by God. As such, it is itself an expression of the unbridgeable chasm that separates God from Evil, the declaration that Evil is not a variation on Good but its antithesis." In other words, it is our insistence that all in the world is not as we want it to be and, more importantly, it is not all as God wants it to be. And to pray is to rebel against the status quo, crying out for God's unity to come and heal our fractured existence, for God's righteousness to arrive and bring judgment to this world's injustice, for God's peace to reign and settle all our anxiety and insecurities, for God's salvation to belong to every man, woman and child, cleansing them of the guilt of their sin and filling their lives with His precious Spirit. I would like to incite that kind of rebellion this morning. I believe God wants an uprising from His church in which we admit our need and pray for His visitation in our lives. I think that we are suffering from a jaded complacency. Things are pretty much okay in my life, thank you. I have pretty much all I want in life at this point. Once in awhile I get a little concerned about ultimate things, but for the most part I'm fairly happy. I hope that statement sounded distasteful to you. I hope you heard and felt the self-centeredness and lack of Christian charity in it. That deadly kind of complacency robs us of our motivation to pray. What kinds of things does the Christian pray for? The answer is simple: more of God's will in this world. We pray for change. Jesus started His model prayer with this request: "…Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-10) We are called to work alongside God's purposes in this world, bringing about His purposes. Let's quickly review His purposes in this world: Ephesians 1:10 - "…to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ…" Ephesians 3:10 - "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…" How many of you would agree with me this morning that everything in this world is not unified as God intends for it to be? Would you agree that things are still pretty much still in disarray because of sin and its evil consequences? In a world that is never free of war, we're not where God would want us to be. In communities divided by social, racial and economic tension, we're not where God wants us to be. Our families, plagued by abuse, divorce and all manner of dysfunctionality, we're not where God wants us to be. In our very lives, wounded by hurts, broken by sin and burdened by guilt, we're not where God wants us to be. But God is at work, bringing about His purposes, one life at a time. And He is using His church. We are co-laborers with Christ; we are in fact "Christ's ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20) in this world. And the most important thing we can do in our ambassadorial role is to PRAY. We are intercessors, strategically placed between God and His lost world. There are at least three reasons why our prayer is so important. 1. Our prayers are important because God said they are important We already looked at Matthew 6 where Jesus told us to pray and how to pray. Luke 18:1 - "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." Matthew 9:38 - "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." John 15:7-8 - "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit…" Prayer is modeled by Jesus and His apostles throughout the pages of the New Testament. In itself, these models teach us the importance of prayer. If Jesus, the very Son of God, prayed while in His earthly ministry-if the apostles prayed, then it certainly behooves believers to continue praying. Ephesians 6:18 - "…pray in the Spirit on all occasions…" 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray continually" Prayer is the single most emphasized discipline of the Christian life. What is that saying to us? God wants us to understand it is important to Him that we pray. He says our prayers are important. 2. Prayer is also important because it releases God's power and His answers We know from the scriptures that prayer moves God. James teaches, "You do not have, because you do not ask God…" (James 4:2) The prayers of Abraham moved God to mercy toward Sodom. The prayers of Moses moved God to mercy toward the idolatrous Israelites. The prayers of the prophets brought God's mercy and forgiveness toward His people. The prayers of the apostles, elders and deacons of the church brought healing, power and miracles from the hand of God. A few first century disciples got together in a house to pray for two of their leaders who had been arrested for preaching the gospel. Inexplicably, the Sanhedrin who were determined to put an end to their preaching and miracles by putting them in prison, just let them go. Why? God answered prayer. When Peter and John joined them at the house for prayer, they all prayed again for the gospel to continue to go forth in power, and the house shook. And the believers were emboldened to speak the Word of God even more. And by the way that is the reason we pray-that God's purposes be accomplished and His name glorified. In the 1990's a movement of prayer was born. Christians from around the globe were invited to pray during a one month period for the people who lived between the 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator in a belt that extends from West Africa across Asia. 55 of the 62 nations in this region are among the least evangelized in the world and constitute 95% of the 1.5 billion who had not heard the gospel. That movement grew and continued year after year (this church has prayed in cooperation with the effort). In 1996, over 35 million believers world wide agreed to pray and fast for the unreached. The effort was called "Praying Through the Window". The numbers have grown every year to where it is safe to say that upwards of 100 million Christians are praying. There are now reports coming out of that area of the globe that thousands of Hindus and Moslems are coming to faith in Christ. God is answering the faithful intercession of the church. Daily reports are being filed of people receiving visions of Jesus Christ, literally, and coming to saving faith. Bob and Jan have ministered to some in Jericho and Jordan who have had such experiences. One particular area in India is being turned upside down with Christian conversions, hundreds and hundreds a week. Christianity Today, a conservative Christian journal not given to "charismatic hype", but dedicated to careful research and journalism, recently carried the story. CT also published the account of one young lady: On November 9, 2003, a 19-year-old woman was baptized in my church and gave the following testimony: I choose this day to love and serve Jesus Christ as the Lord, the Messiah, the rest of my life. My name is Humaira Kahn Kabir (not her real name). I became a Christian 5 months ago. When I was 7 years old, I moved to Pakistan. I was injured, and I was in a coma. After 8 months, I came out of the coma. I was in a wheelchair, my eyes were open, but I couldn't move, and I couldn't talk to people at all. At this time in my life, I saw my 18-year-old brother die in front of me. Every Friday, I went to the mosque and slept there because I didn't have any hope from the doctors that I could walk again or talk. One night I was really upset. I went straight to the picture of Jesus [who is recognized as a prophet in Islam] and started talking to him: "Why did you keep me alive? Why didn't you just kill me? Why did you keep me alive so I could see my 18-year-old brother dying in front of me?" My head was on the floor, and I was crying. Suddenly somebody squeezed my shoulder and said, "I kept you for something special." I looked back, and it was the same person who was in the picture. I fainted. In the morning I woke up-my grandpa woke me-and he said, "You fell asleep all night on the floor." I looked at him and said, "He was here. He was right here." My grandpa said, "Who?" Then he said, "Oh my gosh, you're talking again." I said, "He was right here. Where is he now?" My grandpa said, "Who?" "This guy [pointing at the picture of Jesus]. He told me he kept me for something special." "Sweetie, that's not true, because he died a long time ago. Remember, I told you that story." I said, "No, I saw what I saw," and I stood up. My grandpa had a hard time believing me, but there was a part of him that wondered because he saw me talking and walking again. I kept that memory in my heart, just a vision, and no one believed me at all. Everyone kept laughing at me. So that's why I chose to get baptized in the name of Jesus… Other documented testimonies are pouring out of Egypt, West Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, Syria and Jordan. God is visiting people in answer to your prayers, church! Keep praying. Keep believing that God is faithful to answer. He said, "Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance." (Psalm 2:8) Originally a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah, it is also being fulfilled through the prayers of those He commissioned as intercessors in this dying world. We who are God's children through faith in Jesus Christ, are privileged to SHAPE HISTORY! 2 Chronicles 7:14 - "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." Two years ago next Sunday, we followed a leading from God's Spirit to put the names of individuals whom we know and who need Christ and to pray over those names weekly in our Sunday morning Celebration services. We have faithfully prayed, 104 Sundays. Today, 21 of them have come to faith in Christ. Only a cynic of the highest order would insinuate that it is all a coincidence. Many of you have witnessed God's healing in your lives as a direct result of prayer. Some of you cautiously, skeptically came to the front for prayer one Sunday and asked a couple of believers to pray with you about a need. And that need was met gloriously by the God who delights in answering the prayers of His people and releasing His power in direct response to intercession. Sometimes we think that a problem or concern is too small to talk to God about. If He's busy with the bigger things-war, international terrorism, etc.-should I bother Him with my little stuff or just go to Him when something big comes up? The truth is NONE of our problems are really big to God. Real prayer is a serious concern, for we are speaking to the sovereign Lord of all the universe, who is willing to move heaven and earth in answer to sincere and reasonable prayer. Prayer is not a mechanical duty, but a wonderful opportunity to develop a loving and caring relationship with the most important Person in our lives. (Paul Bunyan, Pilgrim's Prayer Book) I'd like to mention a third reason that prayer is important. 3. Prayer is important because it draws us who pray closer to God. Prayer is surrender--surrender to the will of God and it is surrendered cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boat-hook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God. (Illustration from E. Stanley Jones, Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, p. 73) Martin Luther told of one evening when his puppy came to sit by the table while he was eating, hoping to beg some scraps. The dog watched him eat with open mouth and eyes that were fixed. Later he wrote, "Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope." God is quite interested in having a close relationship with you through prayer. He wants that relationship to be so close that we focus intently in our prayers on His perfect will. He wants His children to pray in intimate conversation with Him about what matters to Him-and what ought to then matter to us. So much so that He will even allow you to go through desperate situations just to get you to pray. Prayer is, fundamentally, an exercise in trust. Dale A. Matthews, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and senior fellow at the National Institute for Healthcare Research, writes in his latest book, The Faith Factor, "Our prayers, of course, may not be answered in the ways we would prefer. Theologians have written volumes on how to understand this reality, and I will not attempt to summarize their findings. For me, it is helpful to remember what C.S. Lewis wrote about unanswered prayer in a letter to a friend: 'If God had granted all the silly prayers I've made in my life, where should I be now?'" Spiritual maturity involves trusting that God will answer our prayers according to our real needs as he sees them, and not as we, with limited vision, see them .... After all, the ultimate goal of prayer is not to get our needs met or to get what we want; it is to draw us nearer to God." From Dale A. Matthews, The Faith Factor (New York: Viking, 1998), 219. Conclusion Here is the bottom line: As we enter 2004 as a church, and as believers each of us, we can do so without meaningful prayer and face everything we will face this year in our own strength, devoid of God's power and leading and without growing any closer to Him. Or, we can commit to being a praying church, and praying people, and enter 2004 with the confidence that we are doing God's will in God's way, drawing on His leading and His power and growing closer to Him every day. Will you go through the year 2004 satisfied with the status quo, or will you rebel against all that is not God's will on earth? Prayer is the difference. Practically speaking, here are some suggestions: 1. Pray every day, giving God worship, and asking that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Pray for government leaders, pray for lost people God has brought to your attention, pray for your church leaders, your cell leaders, your family, your personal walk with God. Don't give in to the status quo and let what you say is a busy schedule crowd out time to read your Bible and pray. Don' cave to the pressures of less important things and give prayer only a couple of minutes. Be a rebel, and make your personal devotional time a high priority. 2. Pray in advance. Resolve never to come to Sunday Celebration with a "who cares" attitude. Pray in advance that your worship experience will be a dynamic encounter with God; pray in advance that other worshipers will likewise find a life-changing connection with the Lord. Pray in advance that God will use His Word like a sword to penetrate your heart and bring you new revelations and inspiration for living for Him. Be a rebel, and insist in prayer that your life will be changed by your meeting with brothers and sisters in Worship and Word. 3. Pray for your cell group and fellow cell members. Ask God to grant you that level of genuine fellowship that fulfills and satisfies the soul. Ask Him to give you genuinely spiritual friends who will help lift you to new levels of maturity in Christ-friends you can help and encourage as well. Pray that you will corporately reach others with the saving message of Christ, and nurture them to maturity in the secure confines of a loving group of caring Christians. 4. Pray for your personal ministry, whatever it is, to be fruitful. First, pray to know His will for your life, His gifts vested in you and the good works He prepared in advance for you to do. Then pray for His leading and power in all that you do, whether it is in a ministry team directly connected with this church family or some other calling outside this church's confines. By the way, I challenge the Team leaders and members of each ministry team at MECF again to dedicate a full third of any meeting just to prayer. See what God will do with the other two thirds. Be a rebel. Never be satisfied with what always has been. Be consumed with what can be through the presence, leading and power of God. Pray, pray, pray.   [Back to Top]