October 15 Sermon - Prayer & Purpose
Praying Aligns Your Self With God's Will
Prayer (Matt 6:5-15)
6 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.a’
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
I. Main Idea - Prayer Aligns Us With God's Will
Dilemma: How can God hear my prayer, let alone grant it, if I'm a sinner?
Answer:
1st The question assumes God has to do what we want …
God is reduced to a wimpy parent with spoiled kids
However - God uses prayer to turn sinners into saints who do God's will
A. Background: Christian Morality = Virtue + Purpose + Ethics
Today ... Virtue & Purpose; Next Week ... Virtue & Ethics
B. Me ... Selfish praying
1. I was praying for myself ...
2. Illustration - Kristin's cancer & prayer
C. We ... Is your prayer life an attempt to manipulate God?
D. God - Scripture (Matt 6:5-8)
E. You - (Application) Prayer Aligns Us With God
1. When we pray what God desires, our prayers are answered
2. Compass Illustration
F. Us - Inspiration/Reiteration
1. Prayer Beads Remind Me To Pray
2. Electronics May Remind You to Pray
II. Sketch
Me (Orientation)
The Main Idea ... in the form of a dilemma
We (Identification)
Common ground w/ church over the dilemma
God (Illumination)
God's Word about the idea/dilemma
You (Application)
Challenge to act on what God says
Us (Inspiration)
Vision of life with God's truth embraced/applied
Bruce What do You want me to do?
God I want you to pray, son.
Go ahead, use them (prayer beads).
Bruce Um ...
Lord, feed the hungry.
and bring peace to ... all of mankind.
How's that?
God Great ... If you wanna be Miss America.
Now come on. What do you really care about?
Bruce Grace (his girlfriend).
God Grace. You want her back?
Bruce (pauses & ponders) ...
No. I want her to be happy.
No matter what that means.
I want her to find someone ...
Who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me.
I want her to meet someone who will see her always ...
as I do now - through Your eyes.
God Now that's a prayer!