The Theology of Prayer
Notes
Transcript
The Theology of Prayer
Text: Matthew 15:21–28 (KJV 1900)
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Introduction:
* Why Pray?- And not just that, but why pray about the same things over and over?
* Does praying really make a difference, or do things just happen the way they do weather you pray or don’t pray?
* As a teenage I used to reason with myself about prayer like this- If God can do anything, and he can, and if God hears me every time I pray, and He does, then why should I have to pray about the same thing over and over again? It didn’t make any sense to me.
* Jesus told a parable about prayer that helps explain why God wants His people to pray:
Luke 18:1–8 (KJV 1900)
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
* I want you to understand with me, that God wants those who trust in Him to be in a continuous attitude of prayer.
2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
* The point Jesus is trying to make, is that sometimes, and for His own good reasons, God will bear long with us. In other words we might not receive what we ask for right away, but keep asking.
* Now the next verse reveals why it is that God is so interested in His people praying to Him.- The reason God wants His people to pray is faith! God desires to find faith on the earth!
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
* I Thessalonians 5:17 says to “pray without ceasing.”
* The reason God wants his people to pray without ceasing is that prayer is rooted in faith and our faith glorifies God.
* Hebrews chapter 11:6 says that we cannot please God without the expression of our faith in him.
Hebrews 11:–6 (KJV 1900)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
* Hebrews 11 says that God is a rewarded of those that diligently seek Him. How do we seek God?- By praying to God diligently.
* God has promised in his word to reward diligent praying.
James 5:16–18 (KJV 1900)
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
* Prayer is the inward expression of our faith in God.
* Prayer is what makes our faith alive!
* Prayer is to the person who puts his trust in God, as breathing is to a living creature.
* For one who’s trust in in God, a lack of prayer is like not being able to breathe.
* Some of us pray so little that we are about to suffocate spiritually.
* You wonder why your spiritual life seems so lifeless and dying; you feel like you are at the end of our rope and just can’t go on anymore! Your soul is a dry as dirt. My friend it’s because you need to pray!
* The prayer of faith is the only thing in the universe that will move the heart of God.
* You might say preacher, what do you mean that prayer moves the heart of God? Well, let me show you an example of how prayer moves the heart of God.
* Now look with me at our text this morning in Matthew 15. Look at verse 22:
Matthew 15:22–28 (KJV 1900)
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word.
* This woman came praying and pleading with Jesus to heal her daughter but Jesus did the strangest thing- He didn’t answer her prayer!
* Sometimes we, like this poor woman, come to God with a broken heart and agony of soul in prayer, and it seems our prayers only make it just over our head and then drop to the floor!
* It seems, like in the story before us, that God answers us “not a word.”
* Most of the time this causes us to give up on praying, and we simply give up!
* This woman didn’t give up! She knew Jesus, and she had already seen that He had compassion on the people who came to him for help, and he loved them and healed them. This woman had developed a faith in Jesus!
And his disciples came and besought him, saying,
Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
* I want you to notice that Jesus did not say to this woman “O woman you are a great prayer warrior,”
* He didn’t say to her “your pleading has convinced me to help you!”
* He said “O woman great is thy faith!”
* Great praying and answered prayer comes from a heart of faith!
* Why does God desire that you pray to Him? Because he desires to hear you tell Him you have faith in Him!
* This poor woman by watching Jesus had learned what God was like- his personality. She knew that He was one who could be trusted to help her.
* Prayer expresses faith in who God is- the attributes of God:
* As I was contemplating what prayer is and why God wants us to pray, the Holy Spirit revealed to me something that helped me to understand why God wants his people to pray.
* As I began to examine prayer in the Bible, I began to see a special relationship between prayer and the personality, or the “attributes” of God.
* When we begin to really know God, I mean really know the attributes of God’s personality, like we would know a close friend, then we will understand what prayer really is.
* To pray well we need to learn to appeal to the unchangeable personality of God- His attributes.
* I would like to share with you, by examples from the Bible, the kind of prayers that move God to answer.
I. Prayer is appealing to God’s sovereignty.
* In praying to God, Job asked a tremendous question of God. Listen to the question in Job 17:17:
Job 7:16–18 (KJV 1900)
17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? And that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment?
* Job asks God why is so important for you look down from your great throne in heaven and pay attention to something as insignificant as a man? Why are you constantly dealing with men and trying the hearts of men?
* Wow what a question to ask God! But David asked the same question in Psalms chapter 8:
Psalm 8:1–9 (KJV 1900)
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
* And again the Psalmist said in Psalms 144:2:
Psalm 144:2–4 (KJV 1900)
3 Lord, what is man, that thou Takest knowledge of him! Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! 4 Man is like to vanity: His days are as a shadow that passeth away.
* The idea I want you to see here is that when Job and David prayed they appealed to the Sovereignty of God. What is the sovereignty of God? What does that mean?
* Sovereignty is the theological term we use when we talk about God being in control.
* Sovereignty means that God is the creator and ruler of the Universe, has the right to do whatever he wants. God is in complete control over everything that happens in the entire universe.
- That term means that God is subject to no one, influenced by no
one, and absolutely independent and free in His own being.
- God does as He pleases—only, always, wherever, and forever as
He pleases.
- No one can hinder God; no one can compel God to stop.
- God is sovereign and in control of the universe He created.
* God’s sovereignty means that since God is the highest authority in the universe. He does what He wills in heaven and on earth.
* No one can question God and say, “Why are You doing what You are
doing?”
Psalm 115:2–3 (KJV 1900)
3 But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
* God is the governor over all the nations, King over all kings, and true
Lord over all would-be lords.
* There are over forty passages of Scripture that declare the truth of
God’s sovereignty. Here is just a few of them:
• Psalm 22:28 “For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations.”
• Psalm 33:11 “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.”
• Psalm 50:11–12 “I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness.”
• Psalm 99:1 “The Lord reigns. Let the peoples tremble.”
• Psalm 103:19 “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”
• Psalm 115:3 “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.”
• Psalm 135:6 “Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.”
* Prayer is an act of appealing to the supreme ruler of the universe for help!
* The prayer of faith says “I’m going straight to the top for help!”
Hebrews 4:16 (KJV 1900)
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
II. Prayer is appealing to God’s strength.
* As I was reading about prayer this week I came across the greatest illustration of appealing to God’s strength that I have ever heard.
* I read this illustration from a book written by E.M. Bounds called the ‘Necessity of Prayer.’
* E. M. Bounds has written a series of books about prayer that I consider the greatest books on prayer ever written. I highly recommend that you find these books and put them in your Bible study library.
* The illustration goes like this:
* A man went outside early one morning to hear the sound of deer hounds running a deer in the fields.
* As he looked out into the field, he saw a young fawn running across the field toward himself.
* As the deer ran across the field he was showing signs that the chase was almost over. The deer was exhausted to the point of death.
* As the sound of the dogs got closer the exhausted dear leaped over the fence and stood in front of the man.
* For a moment the man looked at the sweating, panting deer, so exhausted from the chase that he was at the end of his strength.
* As the two stood there looking at each other two of the dogs reached the fence and leaped over to attack the deer.
* With no other place to run the suffering deer came to the man and put his head between his legs.
* The deer had appealed to the strength of the man.
* The man picked the deer up in his arms and fought the hounds off and carried him to the safety of his house.
* As I read this story my heart broke and I was moved to tears as I remembered the times that I have been without strength and ran to the refuge of the throne of God into the arms of my savior in prayer.
* My friends I believe the heart of God is moved when we in our weakness appeal to his strength.
2 Corinthians 12:8–10 (KJV 1900)
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
* My friend, you will never be so strong as when you, in distress of soul, in weakness and in fear, run to the rock of the throne of God and appeal the Rock Ages, “the rock that is higher than I.”
Psalm 61:1–4 (KJV 1900)
1 Hear my cry, O God; Attend unto my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, And a strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings.
Psalm 40:–4 (KJV 1900)
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust…
Psalm 27:4–5 (KJV 1900)
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.
Psalm 28:1–3 (KJV 1900)
1 Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: Lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, When I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. 3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, Which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.
6 Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in him, and I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; And with my song will I praise him. 8 The Lord is their strength, And he is the saving strength of his anointed.
Psalm 31:title–3 (KJV 1900)
1 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed: Deliver me in thy righteousness.
2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: Be thou my strong rock, For an house of defence to save me. 3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; Therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalm 18:1–50 (KJV 1900)
1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. 4 The sorrows of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: The snares of death prevented me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry came before him, even into his ears.
* I think back this morning to the time before I came to Jesus and placed my faith in him.
* Like all men, I was born a sinner, under the condemnation of sin, and the wrath of God against sin, I found myself helpless against the condemnation of sin!
* I deserved to die and go to Hell because of my sin, but I ran to the Rock and Jesus saved me from the reality of the guilt of my sin!
* My friend, if you come to Jesus the Rock of our Salvation this morning he will deliver you from the condemnation of your sin too!
* Jesus will give you the power to become a son of God if you will come to Him believe on his name!
* Jesus, the Rock of our Salvation, has the power to forgiveness of all your sins!
* I like all men was under the power of sin. I could not control the urge to sin.
* You may find yourself under the power of sin this morning. It may be the power of alcohol, it may be the power of sex, it may be the power of cocaine, meth, or even prescription drugs.
* It may be greed or rebellion that has power over you. You know that sin has the power over you, and it is out of control. You know that sin is destroying your life.
* My friend I urge you to bow your head like that defeated deer, who was about to perish, at the end of his strength, and pray to the Rock of Deliverance this morning! His name is Jesus! He has the power to deliver you from the power of sin this morning!
* Not only does Jesus the rock of our salvation deliver us from the condemnation of sin, and the power of sin, but Jesus, the Rock of our salvation, has the power to deliver us from the presence of sin!
* Jesus said in John 14:1
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
* Jesus has promised to prepare a place for me that will be free from the very presence of sin a place where the consequences of sin will never be felt again!
* That promise also includes a new body that is free from the effects of sin. A place of no more sickness, no more pain, no more dying, no more urges of the body to tempt me to sin!
Romans 8:22–23 (KJV 1900)
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
* After Jesus promised to make me a place free from sin, he promised to come and get me! He said in John 14:3:
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
* My friend Jesus is coming back to get us and the time is at hand! I could be any minute! Will you be ready?
* I want you to understand that you will never be ready to meet God until you pray!
* Did you know that just because you believe the Bible doesn’t mean you are saved!
* You must like the dear humble yourself before God and come to God and appeal to his strength! Only God has the power to forgive your sins.
* The Holy Spirit invites you to come to Jesus right now this very moment.
III. Prayer is appealing to God’s goodness.
Text: Hebrews 11:5–6 (KJV 1900)
Hebrews 11:5–6 (KJV 1900)
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
* Last Sunday I proposed to you that when we pray to God, we should approach God appealing to each of his attributes.
* Last Sunday we discussed praying appealing to the Sovereignty of God, and then we had a lengthy discussion about praying appealing to the Strength of God, or the Omnipotence of God- that is a fancy word meaning that God is Omni-powerful or “all powerful”- meaning that God has the power to do anything.
* Today we want to look a praying appealing to another attribute of God, the Goodness of God.
* The book of Genesis opens up with God waking with Adam and Eve in the garden.
* Then, there was no sin to keep us from seeing God face to face. After Adam and Eve sinned, we have no record of them talking to God face to face.
* The only way we can walk with God, and talk with God today is in prayer. I believe Enoch walked with God in prayer.
* We find now, here in Hebrews 11:6 the association of Enoch with the fact that God is pleased with those who believe that God is a “rewarder."
Text: Hebrews 11:5–6 (KJV 1900)
Hebrews 11:5–6 (KJV 1900)
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Genesis 5:22–24 (KJV 1900)
22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
* Let me phrase this thought another way; Enoch was a person appealed to the goodness of God when he prayed to God.
* Now let’s read our text again with that thought in mind, but we do that I want you to underline a phrase in verse 5 and then one in verse 6.
* In verse 5 underline the phrase “that he pleased God.” And then in verse 6 underline the phrase “must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. “
* Now let’s read Hebrew verses 5 and 6 again, this time with the emphasis on the underlined phrases:
Hebrews 11:5–6 (KJV 1900)
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
* I believe the Holy Spirit made the connection for me as I studied this week that Enoch walked with God and pleased God because he really believed in the Goodness of God, and when he prayed he counted on that.
* Jesus had something to say about appealing to the Goodness of God when he taught his disciples how to pray in Luke 11. Turn with me to Luke chapter 1 and let’s take a look at it.
Luke 11:1–13 (KJV 1900)
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place,
* I think that we should imitate the habits of Jesus when it comes to prayer. The text here says that Jesus was praying in “a certain place.” I believe that it would be good for each one of us to have a place set aside where we go to pray.
* That place may be somewhere in our house, or even out in the woods, but if we don’t make a private place to pray, we will never pray like we should.
* Jesus, not having a house of his own, would walk out into the wilderness, and sometimes even sent his disciples away in order to be alone and pray.
* It is necessary to get away from people to pray.
Matthew 6:6 (KJV 1900)
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say,
* Now the disciples of Jesus had asked Jesus to pray, and he proceeds to give them what we call the Lord’s Prayer. In reality this should be called “Disciples prayer.”
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Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
* Now Jesus proceeds to give them a parable about prayer that teaches that we should keep on praying and not be discouraged:
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
* Now we come to the part that I really would like to see. Jesus explains to them that it is God’s desire to give them good things:
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
* The book of Psalms tells us the God desires to give us good things:
Psalm 84:11 (KJV 1900)
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
* The apostle Paul also tells us that if God spared not his own Son, then why would He withhold any other good thing from us?
Romans 8:31–32 (KJV 1900)
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
* A little further down from our text in Hebrews chapter 11 Abraham is mentiond. Notice how God introduces himself to Abraham in Genesis 15:
Genesis 15:1 (KJV 1900)
After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
* Another time when Jesus was teaching he taught that we should trust in the goodness of God toward us in Luke chapter 12. Jesus told his disciples, don’t worry about anything, just trust in the goodness of God:
Luke 12:22–32 (KJV 1900)
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
* We go through life with our minds filled with thoughts and doubts as to what is going to happen to us. We unconsciously worry- “What if I lose my job? What am I going to do?” Or “What if I get sick” or “What if I run out of money?”
* These are the things that occupy our thoughts. Jesus want’s us to trust in the goodness of God this morning. Jesus want’s to free us of this continual internal dialog.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
* Where does this doubting dialog come from?
* The best way for me to explain where these doubts and fears come from is to take you to where it started in the first place.
* The first attempt Satan made to tempt Eve was to doubt God’s Word. He wanted to interpret that God had said for her.
Genesis 3:1 (KJV 1900)
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
* Now the second attempt made to temp Eve, and the one that had the most effect on Eve, was to cause her to doubt the Goodnesss of God.
Genesis 3:4–8 (KJV 1900)
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
* Satan slanders God’s goodness. He implies, “Do you know why God gave you that command?
* He wants to spoil your fun. He wants to hold you on a tight leash. He doesn’t want you to be free and experience the good life.
* He is out to deny you pleasures. He desires to keep you down. He wants to forbid you the excitement that life offers.
* He knows very well that when you eat that fruit, you’ll be like him and will know good and evil.
* Then you’ll enjoy experiences beyond your wildest dreams. God has an ulterior motive, a hidden agenda, and it’s an evil one.”
* Because Satan was able to convince Eve that God’s intentions were not good toward her, Eve doubted God’s goodness, and she fell to temptation.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened,
and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
* If you question God’s Word because you doubt God’s goodness, then Satan has done his work.
* How easily we succumb to the doubts of the Devil.
* Before we were saved, we lived in the kingdom of Satan.
* When we enter the kingdom of God’s Son, we carry our doubts and suspicions that the Devil taught us with us.
* If something painful happens in our lives, we ask “why?” and the question mark is like a dagger pointed at the heart of God.
* How easily we suspect that when some seemingly bad thing happens in our lives, God has lined up against us.
* We suffer such a twisted doubtful mind that even when good things happen to us we doubt God’s goodness.
* If something marvelous comes into our life, something completely unexpected, at first we’re delighted. Then all at once a shadow crosses our mind that it will soon be snatched away.
* We thing in our subconscious mind “God doesn’t really want me to enjoy this expression of his goodness; just as I start to enjoy it, he’ll pull it back like a sadistic parent.”
* By doubting God’s good intentions toward us, we hammer a steak in the heart of God.
* When we doubt God’s goodness, we will doubt his Word. If we believe God wants to hold us back from enjoying a full life, then the work of the tempter is complete in our lives. Satan has defeated us.
* Disobedience to God’s Word comes from an ugly suspicion of God’s character.
* Eating the forbidden fruit is not the focus of the account of the first sin in the book of Genesis; the issue of doubting the goodness of God is the sin that dooms Eve, then Adam, and the entire human race.
* Like Eve, whenever you come to doubt or deny the goodness of God, then it’s not long until you’ll come to point that you will reject his Word.
* If Satan had come to Eve that early morning and said, “Look, sign this paper. Say that you are through with God,” she would never have signed it.
* When Satan approaches us, he doesn’t dragging the chains that will enslave us. He comes bringing a crown that will ennoble us.
* He comes offering us pleasure, expansiveness, money, popularity, freedom, and joy.
* The Devil never hints about the consequences; he only promises we will fill all the desires of our hearts.
* That is how we are destroyed. That’s the lesson: the temptations that destroy us strike at the heart of God, at God’s integrity and God’s goodness.
* As we deny God’s goodness, we reject his Word. When we reject his Word, we do so at our peril.
* The essence of sin lies in doubting God’s goodness and then rejecting his Word.
* Life belongs to you as a gift from his hand. Enjoy it. Trust him.
Conclusion:
* When we fail to appeal to the goodness of God in our praying, then our praying ceases to please God.
* What did our text say?
Text: Hebrews 11:5–6 (KJV 1900)
Hebrews 11:5–6 (KJV 1900)
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
IV. Prayer is appealing to God’s wisdom.
James 1:5–8 (KJV 1900)
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering
. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
(If any man lacks wisdom)
V. Prayer is appealing God’s faithfulness.
VI. Prayer is appealing to the God’s justice.
VII. Prayer is appealing to the God’s mercy.
Thirty Days of Praying the Names and Attributes of God
Use the following list of God’s names and attributes to guide your time set apart with Him. Read the daily description about God and the accompanying passage. Worship God, focusing on Him and His qualities. God is Jehovah. The name of independent being—“I AM WHO I AM”—only belongs to Jehovah God. As we consider His greatness, we fall down in fear and awe of this One who possesses all authority. Exodus 3:13-15 God is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh. This name means “the God who sanctifies.” A God separate from all that is evil requires that the people who follow Him be cleansed from all evil. Leviticus 20:7,8 God is infinite. We cannot speak of measure, amount, size, or weight and at the same time be speaking of God, for He is beyond measurement. God has no beginning, no end, and no limits. Romans 11:33 God is omnipotent. God has power. Since God is also infinite, whatever He has must be without limit; therefore, God has limitless power. Jeremiah 32:17,18, 26,27 God is good. The goodness of God is what disposes Him to be kind, benevolent, and full of good will toward all creation. Psalm 119:65-72 God is love. God’s love is so great that He gave His only Son to bring us into fellowship with Him. God’s love not only encompasses the world, but embraces each of us personally and intimately. 1 John 4:7-10 God is Jehovah-jireh. This name means “the God who provides.” Just as He provided yesterday, He will provide tomorrow. He grants deliverance from sin, the oil of joy for the ashes of sorrow, and eternal citizenship in His Kingdom. Genesis 22:9-14 God is Jehovah-shalom. This name means “the God of peace.” God could never give to others a peace that exceeds understanding if He Himself were not perfect, unfailing peace. Judges 6:16-24 God is immutable. All that God is, He has always been. All that He has been and is, He will ever be. He cannot change because He is perfect and will remain perfect. Psalm 102:25-28 God is transcendent. We must not think of God as highest in an order of beings. This would be to grant Him eminence, even pre-eminence, but this is not enough. He is transcendent—existing beyond the created universe. Psalm 113:4,5 God is just. God rules with absolute justice. Not fooled by appearances, God is fair, equitable, and impartial in all of His judgments. Psalm 75:1-7 God is holy. God’s holiness is not simply the best we know made infinitely better. God is absolutely untainted. His holiness stands apart—unique and incomprehensible. Revelation 4:8-11 God is Jehovah-rophe. This name means “Jehovah heals.” God alone has the remedy for the healing of mankind. The Gospel is concerned with the physical, moral, and spiritual healing of all people. Exodus 15:22-26 God is self-sufficient. He is the One who contains all, who gives all that is given, but who Himself can receive nothing that He has not first given. Acts 17:24-28 God is omniscient. God knows all that can be known. His knowledge includes every possible thing that exists, has ever existed, or will ever exist. Psalm 139:1-6 God is omnipresent. God is everywhere—close to everything, next to everyone. “‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.” Psalm 139:7-12 God is merciful. God’s compassion is infinite and inexhaustible. In the mercy of His provision in Christ, He took upon Himself the judgment that was due us. He waits and works now for all people everywhere to turn to Him, not wanting any to be lost. Deuteronomy 4:29-31
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God is sovereign. God is in control of our lives. His sovereignty is the attribute by which He rules His entire
creation. To be sovereign, God must be all-knowing and all-powerful. 1 Chronicles 29:11-13
God is Jehovah-nissi. This name means “God our banner.” We may go from triumph to triumph and say,
“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). Exodus
17:8-15
God is wise. All God’s acts are done in infinite wisdom. He always acts for our good, which is to conform us to
Christ. Our good and His glory are inextricably bound together. Proverbs 3:19,20
God is faithful. Our hope for the future rests upon God’s faithfulness. Because He is faithful, His covenants will
stand and His promises will be honored. Psalm 89:1-8
God is wrathful. God’s wrath is never capricious, self-indulgent, or irritable, as human anger often is. Instead, it
is a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil. Nahum 1:2-8
God is full of grace. Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to grant merit where it is undeserved
and to forgive debt that cannot be repaid. Ephesians 1:5-8
God is our Comforter. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Comforter.” Paul writes that the Lord is “the God of all
comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3,4
God is El-Shaddai. This name means “God Almighty.” It is best understood as God who is all-sufficient and
all-bountiful—the source of all blessings, fullness, and fruitfulness. Genesis 49:22-26
God is Father. The Creator of the universe cares for each one of us as if we are the only child He has. Jesus
taught us to pray, “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9). The Spirit of God taught us to cry, “Abba, Father,” as in the
intimacy of the family. Romans 8:15-17
God is the Church’s head. God the Son, Jesus, is the head of the Church. The head—as the part of the body
that sees, hears, thinks, and decides—gives the orders that the rest of the body lives by. Ephesians 1:22,23
God is our intercessor. Knowing our temptations, God the Son intercedes for us. He opens the doors for us to
boldly ask Him for mercy. Thus, God is both the starting point and ending point of true prayer. Hebrews 4:14-16
God is Adonai. This name means “Master” or “Lord.” God as Adonai calls all God’s people to acknowledge
themselves as His servants, recognizing His right to command them as the Lord of their lives. 2 Samuel 7:18-20
God is Elohim. This name means “Strength” or “Power.” He is transcendent, mighty, and strong. Elohim is the
great name of God, signifying supreme power, sovereignty, and a covenant relationship that He is ever faithful
to keep. Genesis 17:7,8
* Prayer is to the person who puts his trust in God, as breathing is to a living creature.
* For one who’s trust in in God, a lack of prayer is like not being able to breathe.
* Some of us pray so little that we are about to suffocate spiritually.
* You wonder why your spiritual life seems so lifeless and dying; you feel like you are at the end of our rope and just can’t go on anymore! Your soul is a dry as … My friend it’s because you need to pray!