Prayer
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THE DEVIL LAUGHS AS HE LOOKS AT THE CHURCH TODAY AND SAYS TO HIMSELF, “YOU CAN HAVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOLS AND YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE’S SOCIETIES, YOUR YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS AND YOUR WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNIONS, YOUR INSTITUTIONAL CHURCHES AND YOUR INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS, AND YOUR BOYS’ BRIGADES, YOUR GRAND CHOIRS AND YOUR FINE ORGANS, YOUR BRILLIANT PREACHERS AND YOUR REVIVAL EFFORTS TOO, IF YOU DON’T BRING THE POWER OF ALMIGHTY GOD INTO THEM BY EARNEST, PERSISTENT, BELIEVING MIGHTY PRAYER.” —R. A. Torrey, How to Pray
St. Augustine. Moody Classics Complete Set: Includes 19 Classics of the Faith in a Single Volume . Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
A prayerless age will have but scant models of divine power. Prayerless hearts will never rise to these Alpine heights. The age may be a better age than the past, but there is an infinite distance between the betterment of an age by the force of an advancing civilization and its betterment by the increase of holiness and Christ-likeness by the energy of prayer. E.M. Bounds
St. Augustine. Moody Classics Complete Set: Includes 19 Classics of the Faith in a Single Volume . Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Neglect of private prayer is the locust which devours the strength of the church. -Spurgeon
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.”
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!”
Jesus shared with them a model prayer and then taught on prayer through this parable.
Vrs 1. Jesus prayed. It was a habit and discipline. It was something Jesus did frequently.
Vrs 1. Jesus prayed. It was a habit and discipline. It was something Jesus did frequently.
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
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!”
But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:
It may seem like a minor detail, but it is important and very telling. If there was one person who woudn’t need to pray, you would think it’d be Jesus. He is God. He is perfect. Yet Jesus prays, and he doesn’t casually pray, or even just pray for emergencies..but he prays all the time!
Even now, you know what Jesus is doing for his followers...
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans *;34
And yet..we do not pray.
My aim is not to make you feel guilty, we all know we should pray more than we do. My aim today, is to help you see the importance..and the neccesity for prayer in all that we do.
Vrs 2: “Lord teach us to pray.” Second thing to note is that prayer is only thing recorded in scripture that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to do. Not preach, not teach, not miracles, not walk on water, or raise the dead..but how to pray. And the fact that they ask to be taught tells me that it is not something which comes natural..but is something which we need help with. Its something which must be learned.
Tim Keller in a sermon on prayer, says it is easier for him to preach a 30 minute sermon than to pray for 30 minutes. You can have good sermons, not so good sermons, ramble..go on and on..but you know I have never preached and then forgot I was preaching. He says, I’m not that bad..but you know with prayer, what happens is you can be sitting talking to God, and all of a sudden a thought, a sound distract you..you start thinking about something else..and you have to remind yourself, wait..i’m praying.
Vrs 2-4: Lord’s prayer.
The Lord’s prayer is an example of the way that we should pray, and a model for our prayers. It is not God saying, pray this prayer at all times. It begins with a recognition of who God is, praising Him! if your prayers begin with your needs, what you want..and not with who He is, we need to reorient ourselves. If we only pray when we want or need something and never just to acknowledge or thank Him..we need to reorient ourselves. There is a prayer for needs in the Lord’s prayer, there is a confession, acknowledgment of your own sin. Theres prayer for others, your debtors, theres prayer for your own growth (Lead us not into spiritual temptation), There is thanks, and then ending again with who God is…thine is the kingdom, the power the glory!
This isn’t the focus of my sermon, but I think it is important for me to say this..There should be praise in your prayers, confession in your prayers, intercession in your prayers, prayer for yours own needs, thanksgiving to God in your prayers, prayer for spiritual renewal..and your prayers should begin and end with praise and thanks for God! Our prayers generally begin and end with us. We need to be taught to pray!
Spurgeon says again that he would rather teach one man to pray, than 10 to preach.
Then Jesus goes into a parable to better explain how we pray! This is what I want to look at today!
This parable is the focus of my sermon today!
The Relationship
The Relationship
“Which of you who has a friend..” He goes to his friends house. He could’ve asked someone else, but he goes to someone he knows, someone he trusts, he goes to a friend. And it must be some friend indeed if he would go to him at midnight.
He goes to his friends house.
Our relationship with God will be revealed by and determined by our prayer life. How often you go to God in prayer reveals the closeness of that relationship. A strong prayer life reflects someone who has a strong relationship with God. The closeness of the relationship with God can be measured by our prayer life.
Spurgeon: I know of no better thermometer to your spiritual temperature than this, the measure of the intensity of your prayer.
One reason we don’t pray is because many of us do not consider God a friend. We may know who God is..quote scripture and sing songs..but your prayer life reveals how much we truly value our relationship with God. Your relationship with God is not only revealed by your prayer life, but determined by it!
The strength of your relationship with God is determined by your prayer life. The closeness of your walk with God will be determined by your prayer life. A man who prays very little knows God very little.
St. Augustine. Moody Classics Complete Set: Includes 19 Classics of the Faith in a Single Volume . Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Preachers are not sermon-makers, but men-makers and saint-makers and he only is well trained for this business who has made himself a man and a saint. It is not great talents or great learning or great preachers that God needs, but men great in holiness, great in faith, great in love, great in fidelity, great for God—men always preaching by holy sermons in the pulpit, by holy lives out of it. These can mold a generation for God. -E.M. Bounds
The real sermon is made in the closet. The man—God’s man—is made in the closet.
The real sermon is made in the closet. The man—God’s man—is made in the closet.
St. Augustine. Moody Classics Complete Set: Includes 19 Classics of the Faith in a Single Volume . Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
I was convicted, that I can not lead, or even preach if I do not pray! To know God more deeply, to grow in your relationship with him..begins with prayer..and will continue in prayer for eternity.
St. Augustine. Moody Classics Complete Set: Includes 19 Classics of the Faith in a Single Volume . Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
The Time
The Time
He goes at midnight. What would make a man go and knock on a door a midnight? This would, you would think, would be the worst time to come. I have a hard enough time calling people late, let alone going to their house and knocking on their door.
There is no inconvenient time to pray. We should go anytime, all the time. Its never too late, never too early, never too much..always pray!
God is never inconvenienced by your request. God is not sleeping. God does not say wait untill morning..prayer is needed all the time.
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous rules.
We should pray all the time! This would have been the worst time to come for bread..but Jesus’ point is that there is no better time, there is no bad time! Come, pray!
If it was me, bread or no bread..I don’t know if I could or would go at midnight to a friends house. Wait till the morning, don’t worry about it. The man could not afford to wait unitll the morning..and you and I cannot afford to wait untill some other time to pray! Whether you feel like it or not.
We should pray when we are in a praying mood, for it would be sinful to neglect so fair an opportunity. We should pray when we are not in a proper mood, for it would be dangerous to remain in so unhealthy a condition. -Spurgeon
Prayer is something we must make time for. Not just to give spare time to, or even simply to say well I pray throughout the day..you should have a time set apart every day to God!
The Request
The Request
“3 loaves of bread. A friend of mine has come to me on a journey and I have nothing to offer him.” The friend arriving at midnight, and his being unprepared points to the fact it was likely a surprise. It was an unexpected visit. But nonetheless, whatever the time, being hospitable to a friend was a cultural value. It was expected and would have been inhospitable to not offer something. 3 loaves of bread is seen to be enough for a man, and so he goes to his friend to ask him. It was a serious need, there would have been some sense of moral obligation as well, not to mention feeding a hungry, traveling friend was expected..and to not have food or anything to offer, a problem.
His friend had likely walked a long way, was hungry, and needed something. He cared too much about him to let him go hungry.
A lack of a prayer life generally also means we care too little about the needs of others. We don’t pray because we don’t care. We say an off hand prayer, we smile and say, we will pray for you..but we don’t really pray.
Needs will arise, but we have to care more for people. For the lost. What the man needed wasn’t inappropriate or unnecessiary..it was a good request. It was a genuine need.
And he cared enough to go out and do something about it! Pray for the physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs of your community! Your family! Pray!
Genuinely pray for the needs of others, and not just your own wants! I hope you all are praying for me! As a matter of fact, let me know when you stop praying for me so I can stop preaching.
Care enough for people to pray! You love no one that you are not praying for!
St. Augustine. Moody Classics Complete Set: Includes 19 Classics of the Faith in a Single Volume . Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
The Persistence
The Persistence
He keeps asking, even if he’s going to wake up the whole family.
The friend responds..not even because they are friends..but because of the persistence. Because he wasn’t leaving!
Man who would come at 2-3 A.M…and I didn’t help him becuase we were the closest friends, but because it was late. Because I wanted him to go.
The point is not to say we can bug God untill he gives us what we want..its that if even friends will respond to bold persistent requests..how much more will our father? Who is never sleeping..who is always watching and waiting for us! If a friend will do it even at an inconvenience, how much more will God do it when it is a joy!
Prayer pulls the rope below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly. Others give but an occasional pluck at the rope. But he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously, with all his might.
Charles Spurgeon
Pray..and keep praying church! We will go nowhere as people, as a community, until we begin to intentionally, boldly, persistently, pray!
The men who have most fully illustrated Christ in their character, and have most powerfully affected the world for Him, have been men who spent so much time with God as to make it a notable feature of their lives. Charles Simeon devoted the hours from four till eight in the morning to God. Mr. Wesley spent two hours daily in prayer. He began at four in the morning. Of him, one who knew him well wrote: “He thought prayer to be more his business than anything else, and I have seen him come out of his closet with a serenity of face next to shining.” John Fletcher stained the walls of his room by the breath of his prayers. Sometimes he would pray all night; always, frequently, and with great earnestness. His whole life was a life of prayer. “I would not rise from my seat,” he said, “without lifting my heart to God.” His greeting to a friend was always: “Do I meet you praying?” Luther said: “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” He had a motto: “He that has prayed well has studied well.” -E.M. Bounds
St. Augustine. Moody Classics Complete Set: Includes 19 Classics of the Faith in a Single Volume . Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Now my point in bringing up these men is not to make you feel guilty..I read this and was convicted myself. My point in all this is for us to look at the example of Jesus, David, apostles, great preachers, men and women who God have used..it is of no accident! It is always on the wings of prayer!
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Many a Christian is asking, “Why is it I make so little progress in my Christian life?” “Neglect of prayer,” God answers. “You have not because you ask not.” Many a minister is asking, “Why is it I see so little fruit from my labors?” Again God answers, “Neglect of prayer. You have not because you ask not.” Many a Sunday school teacher is asking, “Why is it that I see so few converted in my Sunday school class?” Still God answers, “Neglect of prayer. You have not because you ask not.” Both ministers and churches are asking, “Why is it that the church of Christ makes so little headway against unbelief and error and sin and worldliness?” Once more we hear God answering, “Neglect of prayer. You have not because you ask not.”
The One Who Answers
The One Who Answers
His friend gets up, not because their fiends, but because he keeps knocking!
One of the primary reasons you would keep knocking..is becuase he had to know his friend had some bread!
Jesus ends himself..look if you who are evil know how to give good gifts..how much more will God?
Is God less generous than you? Less kind than you?
We knock, we pray, we persist, we come, all day, everyday..making time..becuase we know who our Savior is! Becuase we know He is Lord! Because of what He has done for us!
She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
What we need from God is not hard for Him! All we ever need can be found in but a crumb from his table..in but the hem of his robe..in but the sound of his voice!
Come and pray! And pray with confidence!
May we become prayer people!
And ultimately we pray not because God just has what we need, because HE is what we need! He is the bread broken for us..he is the way the truth and the life! He is God!