Untitled Sermon

INTRODUCTION

What is the best vending machine snack?

Ever paid for something and it gets stuck? Just hanging there no matter how hard you shake the machine.

There’s nothing worse than holding up your end of the deal, but then not getting the thing that you expect in return.

TENSION

Have you ever prayed and gotten nothing?

Maybe you’ve prayed for . . .

A passing grade in a class that’s really hard for you, but you still didn’t pass.

A prom date. Or any date. To anything. But it still hasn’t happened.

Making the team. Varsity would’ve been great, but you didn’t even make JV.

A friend. Maybe you’ve been praying for a good, solid group of friends and it just hasn’t happened.

A sick family member to get better, but she got worse.

When you put yourself out there and pray about them—but the prayer isn’t answered—it leaves you with a question that we’ve probably all asked:

Does prayer even work?

This question almost always leads to more questions like:

Am I doing it wrong?

Is God mad at me?

Does God hear me at all?

Does He care?

What’s the point of prayer?

These questions are legit.

It may seem strange to you, but I want you to imagine God as a friend.

Chances are none of your other friendships function like a vending machine.

So if none of our other friendships are like vending machines, why do we think our relationship with God should work that way?

What if there’s more to prayer than just asking and expecting to get something like a vending machine?

TRUTH

He made some good choices in his life, and some really bad ones, too. But...when it came to God, David knew Him.

He made some good choices in his life, and some really bad ones, too. But when it came to God, David knew Him.

when it came to God, David knew Him.

David says that the Lord is near to all who call on him.

David says that the Lord is near to all who call on him.

Psalm 145:18 LEB

18 Yahweh is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Psalm 145:18 NLT

18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.

That means any time you talk to God, you’re close to God—because He’s close to you.

See, prayer draws us near to God.

While we do want our prayers answered, we also want to know that God hasn’t left us.

Nobody wants to feel left out or alone. And God has told us that he is near those who call on His name.

Thousands of years after David’s life, we get some insight into how the apostle Paul talked to God.

Paul mentions giving thanks, remembering people he cared about, and asking for God’s help.

Conversations with friends happen in a lot of different ways, depending on the circumstances. And that’s how Paul prayed—in lots of different ways.

Paul knew that the best thing was to know God better so that no matter the answer to our prayers, we could believe that God had our best in mind all the time.

Prayer helps us know God better.

Whatever the outcome, developing the habit of praying will help you know God better, which will help you trust His heart more.

APPLICATION

Taking a cue from the way Paul prayed, here are a few things we can try:

Say thanks

Be honest

Give praise.

Ask

No matter what you do, the goal should be the same: connecting with God and knowing Him better.

LANDING

The truth is, you want more than a vending machine God. You and I need a God who’s bigger than us.