Prayer Conversations: #1Speaking to God About People

Opening Illustration

Rebecca Pippert and husband Richard were about to leave Holywood (Northern Ireland) and fly back to Michigan. Becky decided to go to a manicurist she knew, a young girl called Heather. Heather loved FASHION and BEAUTY. Becky had had conversations with Heather but nothing seemed to rouse her curiosity about ETERNAL THINGS.

As Becky walked into the salon she prayed “Lord .. if there’s a way to reach Heather and talk to her about the gospel, you’ll have to do it because I can’t”

Rebecca goes to the stack of magazines .. starts to pick up the top one but then feels compelled to take a magazine in the middle of the pile .. as if it had an arrow pointing to it .. “pick me.. pick me!” .. and then went to Heather’s table for her manicure

Becky was flicking through the pages and stopped .. staring at this one page

It was a photo of a very eligant beautiful woman .. gorgeous hat and coat

Heather notices and says .. “Why do you keep staring at this photo ?”

“Well .. I know who she is .. her name is Jenny Guinness”

Heather in impressed .. and shouts out to everyone in the salon .. “Hey everyone, Becky knows the VOGUE fashion model that is on the cover of some magazines!”

Becky asked Heather if she was interested in Jenny Guinness’ story .. Heather listened with rapt attention .. Jenny knew the emptiness of the modelling industry .. fashion .. beauty and her seach for meaning led her to the gospel which made so much sense. Jenny married a bloke called Oz Guinness .. well known Christian author and apologist.

Rebecca had been at the wedding!

Asking God .. a conversation with the Father .. and it leads to an opening to talk to people about Him

That’s where we want to go today: Talking to God About People

We’re going to be thinking about Conversations With God in light of this account from Rebecca Pippert and thinking through Colossians 4:2-6 .. and draw in some other scriptures

Speaking to God About People

Now .. the worst outcome after listening to Becky’s story would be to think that the next time you go to have a manicure you choose a magazine from the middle of the pile

So .. imagine .. Elton rocks up for a manicure .. chooses a fashion mag from the middle .. flicks through .. of course he’ll find someone he knows and get into a conversation about Jesus!

No ..no.. no

What we need to see are some principles that apply to EVERY DISCIPLE of Jesus .. these are principles that are foundational in the Bible .. we’ll pick some of those up as we interact with Colossians 4 and a few other places

DEVOTED TO PRAYER

There is a given in all this .. we need to be people who PRAY. It’s fundamental to being a disciple of Jesus.

We are in a personal relationship with Jesus. We have not just given mental assent to a bunch of theological propositions .. we’re not just adopting a worldview that’s the best of a bad bunch .. which isn’t to say the Bible is not a rational and convincing explanation of the world around us.

As disciples we have fallen in love with the one we, as disciples, are proclaiming.

That’s not difficult if we have fully understood the depth and horror of our sin .. our rebellion COMPARED with the grace and love of God .. the innocent Son of God who steps in OUR place to receive the punishment WE deserve. The horror of hell absorbed by the King of glory

We’ve come to Him in repentance and faith .. we come as disciples who deny ourselves .. take up the cross .. and follow Him

We humble ourselves and know that without Him we are nothing.. we know that everyday we have to remain grafted into our Father’s power to bear fruit .. and so we pray .. we talk to him

Friends .. we have to start there!

Confident .. effectual prayer starts with the strength of the relationship we have with Him. More than that .. the INTIMACY of the relationship we have with Him

Firm friends are LOYAL TO EACH OTHER … strong FAMILY and MARRIAGE relationships are reflected in the members of the family .. spouses .. that are DEVOTED TO EACH OTHER

There are no special forumlas .. there is no secret book to effective prayer .. prayer is not some talisman or special incantation .. effective prayer stems from a genuinely humble relationship with the Lord Himself .. we recognise it’s HIS POWER that moves all things and so it is no surprise to hear Paul’s instruction .. Col.4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer …

There’s a tenacity - dedication and that’s what Christ wants from us - a continuous devoted prayer life .. rain hail or shine ... prayer is the very oxygen of our relationship with Christ

We know what devotion looks like .. nothing will keep you from it

Devoted parents will stay up all night if needs be with their sick children

Devoted spouses will look after each other when their bodies are deteriotating

Devoted fishermen go out in all weather

When we are devoted to prayer .. we make prayer happen some how / some time in our day .. we can’t be prayerless .. we want to speak to the one we love

It’s a HABIT .. we PERSEVERVE .. “We should always pray and not give up” Lk.18:1 “Pray steadfastly” .. “Pray without ceasing”

NB .. being watchful .. a sense of being alert .. awake .. expectant .. and thankful .. every true believer has constant deep appreciation that once we were dead but now are alive

HOWEVER .. you and I know that prayer is a struggle .. we long for what we know in our HEADS to flow through to our HEARTS

Relationships grow stale and superficial when we don’t invest in them

We need to encourage each other to be praying

We need to be purposeful as we pray - not rambling

I wonder if the reason we don’t feel like praying is because we tend to say the same old things about the same old things .. do that a thousand times and .. do you feel like saying them again? Is this prayer life boring?

How can talking to the most fascinating person in the universe about the most important things in the world and in our lives be boring?

As one person observed “Some people’s prayers need to be cut short at both ends and set on fire in the middle”

Now .. it can be that you don’t want to pray because .. well .. to be honest .. you’re just not interested.

Why would I need to pray? I’ve got things worked out .. and “God helps those who help themselves” Prayer is just something you’re interested in when YOU need HELP.

Nothing will get you excited to PRAY if you don’t have the SPIRIT of God .. the Spirit gives a HUNGER for God’s WORD and a DESIRE to talk with Him .. and a COMMITMENT to be HOLY .. that’s the spiritual heartbeat .. however imperfect! We cry ABBA .. Father .. dad

YET .. You might be thinking .. yeah .. I want to pray but I do ramble and wander .. and get repetitive .. and to be honest I get bored .. 6 mins of prayer seems like an eternity .. saying the SAME things the SAME way for years and years .. I feel like I could just have a recording and just press PLAY. .. THEREFORE .. I must be a second rate Christian .. my love for God is so shallow .. well if you are BORN of God .. you HAVE the Holy Spirit .. it’s not YOU .. it might well be your METHOD

Prayer has to be simple .. no matter what your IQ.. or AGE .. EDUCATION .etc .. God invites ALL his children to PRAY

Of course we DO pray covering the same things .. Jesus taught His disciples who wanted to LEARN how to pray .. and I take it there was a constant heart-felt prayer for the KINGDOM .. pray for DAILY NEEDS … for FORGIVENESS etc

Y’see .. our prayer has to be intelligent - informed .. we all have trouble keeping our minds on the job at times we can drift away thinking about a hundred DISTRACTIONS as we pray … that is mindless

There are a number of ways to get serious about praying .. I’ve mentioned these before

write out your prayers - ie keep a journal

use a diary - use the directory

verbalise prayers

walk and pray

Sometimes .. we just have to PRAY until we PRAY

BUT .. I think the NUMBER ONE help for us .. in saying the same things in a fresh way is to pray through the Scriptures .. The Bible has magnificent prayers - look at the prayer points that are raised in Paul’s letters - AND look at the material in the letters themselves .. plenty of food for thought

SIGNIFICANTLY the book of Psalms are prayers in song - they are designed to be prayed … take them and use them … meditate on them and make them your own prayers .. takes a bit thought and practise but deepens our PRAYER LIFE ..

Make it a feature of this week .. some will have more time than others .. set aside the time to MEDITATE .. maybe a Psalm .. Psalm 118 or Ps 121 .. a section of the NT .. in an UNHURRIED way just think and pray .. write it in your own words .. write out some words of praise ..

Y’see .. the emphasis is that if we are going to SPEAK to people we need to PRAY.. we have to be DEVOTED to prayer .. IF IT ISN’T WORKING we need to address that .. why are we content to be PRAYERLESS ?

Is it HOW TO? Is it MOTIVATION ? Something else?

Notice in the opening introduction Becky’s first thought is to PRAY .. it’s part of life .. speaking to God about people

Straight forward .. plain language .. “Lord .. if there’s a way to reach Heather and talk to her about the gospel, you’ll have to do it because I can’t”

It’s a prayer that comes from a conviction that ONLY God can speak to Heather’s heart .. prayer that is part of the relationship Becky has with her heavenly Father .. comes NATURALLY .. it’s her FIRST THOUGHT

The other thing to UNDERSCORE is that Becky is praying for someone that she has a relationship with .. Heather is in her sphere of INFLUENCE .. a “yet to be a Christian” that she connects with from time to time .. it’s not as if Becky is asking for a whole new set of people to gossip the gospel with

That says a lot for keeping a regular personal relationship with people .. hairdresser/barber .. mechanic .. lawn-mower person .. neighbour .. fishing buddy .. soccer / netball etc team .. hobby/club members

They could well be people we are friendly with ..and maybe you’ve had conversations with let’s be purposely praying for them .. for open doors of opportunity .. loving them enough to share something of our faith

That’s what Paul encourages ...

3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains

God opened the door for Becky to talk to Heather

Becky had tried to talk to Heather on a number of occassions .. I’m sure she has been praying for Heather over those years as well .. we need to be persistent .. wait for God’s timing

That’s why we need to PRAY .. we need to talk to God about people

NB Paul is in PRISON and this is what he is writing to other Christians in churches all around Asia-minor ..

For Paul there were no devastating circumstances just unique opportunities .. his prayer wasn’t to be relieved of suffering .. keep me in the comfort zone .. rather he says .. in my suffering and pain pray that I’ll keep seeing the opportunities and discern the OPEN DOOR

Press pause .. and note what Paul is asking .. “Please God .. open up the opportunities .. open up people to the truth” .. we forget sometimes how tightly shut and bolted people’s hearts and minds are ... some people have had really bad experiences of church .. Christians ..

We must be EXPECTANT .. yep difficult days, the CHRISTIAN CHURCH has had a fair bit of bad press but COVID19 gives us some opportunities

Let’s be courageous.. yep you probably feel a bit like me .. what do I say / how do I say it so we know we need God to work in us and through us .. and .. GOD MUST OPEN HEARTS

CONCLUSION

Friends .. we’ll leave it there today .. to be continued!

The first step in talking to God about people is to keep working on .. talking to God

Our interactions with people will develop as we maintain an intimacy with the Lord Himself

Are we devoted to God .. and therefore to PRAYER?

Do we really want to see people coming into the KINGDOM?

We all have some contacts .. people around us who are not yet Christians

Do we really see that people coming to faith is a product of GOD opening their hearts .. not in how clever I answer their questions .. not how polished the GOSPEL presentation

Y’see, as Rebecca Pippert says, people can tell if we are just reciting a set of beliefs or if we have fallen in love with the one we are proclaiming

May the Lord give us ALL such love for others that we are more than willing to introduce them the Jesus we love .. pleading for God to open their hearts