Hard Praying

Jeremiah 33:1–3 KJV 1900

1 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 2 Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name; 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Proposition:

God commands you to call upon Him even when it is hard

I. The Command to Call Upon God from the Hard Places

Jeremiah’s hard place

Jeremiah 32:1–3 (KJV 1900) — 1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. 2 For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house. 3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

physically

emotionally

spiritually

“No confinement (physically, emotionally, or spiritually) can deprive God’s people of his presence; no locks nor bars can shut out his gracious visits”

God is the creator of the Hard Place

Jeremiah 33:2 (KJV 1900) — 2 Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

The situation that Jeremiah found himself in was of the Lord’s doing

He was chastening Judah and Jeremiah’s faithfulness to God put him in prison

Our hard places are the creation of God

They can be His guiding providence

They can be His chastening hand

They can be His refining fire

Regardless of the reason of the Hard Place God commands us to Call Upon Him

II. The Command to Call Upon God for the Hard Answers

Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV 1900) — 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee.....

God’s promise to give a hard answer

This is one of those blessed promises in Scripture where God assures of His response to our actions

promised response - when you call, I will answer

illus: when you can’t just get someone to give a decisive answer — “no matter the answer, just give me an answer”

We can have confidence that God always answers…even his silence is an answer to preserver in prayer

And here is repeated the oft repeated theme of Scripture that while God has no need for us to Ask he commands that we do so.

While as Jesus taught us that “our Father knows that we hath need” He still commands us to Ask.

Matthew 7:7 (KJV 1900) — 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

God takes pleasure when His children ask

Psalm 2:7–8 (KJV 1900) — 7 I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

God will give the hard answer

Notice He says “I will answer”

Grab ahold of this

“God answers according to His will not our wish”

God never tells you what you want to hear but always what you need to hear.....even if it is hard

III. The Command to Call Upon God for the Hard Things

Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV 1900) — 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.