The Best Prayers (2)

“Trying Differently Rather than Harder” Diane Malbin

Pray for unity in the Church

We are going to spend a few weeks in 2021 looking at Jesus’ High Priestly prayer in John 17, but for today listen to these 2 verses, 20-21

““I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Jesus was concerned with the unity of the church; that tells me we should probably be concerned with it too. In all of the years that I have been in ministry I have heard my share of complaints about church divisions, denominations, and splits. I wonder, do we spend as much energy praying for the unity of the people of God as we do complaining and critiquing the divisions?

What if we prayed for unity before the conflict, division, and fighting happened? What if we kept the unity of not just this church, but the Church universal constantly uplifted in prayer? Because I can tell you one thing for sure, it is always easier to keep the bonds of peace and unity than it is to find and experience reconciliation. Because reconciliation means that there is hurt that needs to be addressed for the beginning.

Notice 2 things that Jesus asks for in his prayer in terms of unity. First, he asks that we would be ONE. This is more than just in the same room, or the same gathering. The request is rooted in deep relationship and peace. Remember, there can be union with our unity. You can created a union by tying 2 cats tails together, but they sure are not going to be happy about it!

Jesus is hoping and praying for us to be established in unity, not only that we stay together, but that the togetherness we share would be a blessing to us and the world around us, that we would be an illustration of God’s peace.

Second, Jesus wants our unity to be established in HIM. The source of our communion as Christians should always be Jesus. Too often we try and unify around causes, interests, and social platforms. Jesus was fully aware that the Kingdom of God needs the unique perspectives and gifts of different kinds of humans. Look at his disciples- he had fisherman, tax collectors, a doctor, some were hot heads like Peter, others were critical thinkers like James, and others were compassionate like John; it is also believed that the disciples varied in age from around 13 to 30. The thing that tied all these men together was Jesus- that is what made them Christians. Too often we are quicker to make sure that the church we are a part of plays the music we like, or has people in our age group, or dresses how we want to dress, instead of asking “are these people following Jesus? Preaching truth? Is there theology sound? That is how so many false preachers and teachers obtain so much influence and get these huge followings- they focus on what makes people happy more than the truth of Jesus.

I am a big believer that many churches are worshipping the false God of hospitality…

Pray that you do not fall into Temptation

There is a reason that Jesus’ included “lead us not into temptation” in the script when he taught the Disciples to pray- he knew our tendency is sin; that we are fallible, we are human, and that oftentimes we chase our own desires over the desires of God. He wanted us to pray to avoid temptation, because he knew how attractive sin can be to us.

Like many of you all, we have livestock at our house. Currently our fields are occupied by 4 goats and a cow. Also, like many of you, we have a series of gates, wire, and other methods of allowing us access into our fields, while keeping the animals in. Often the boy venture in the fields to play, sleigh ride, ride the four wheeler, or build a fort; or we have to drive through the fields to make a repair or dump brush in our pile- throughout the years the boys probably wish they had a dollar for every time they have heard me say “don’t forget to shut the gates” Why? Because I do not want to spend my afternoon herding goats back in the barn yard or chasing a cow down RT 11. I do not trust that “the cow knows better” or “the goats learned their lesson last time” and leave the gate standing open, because I know /that if it is open the chances are high that we are going to have an issue. It is always less effort to check the gate than to wrangle the escapees.

As Christians we should all be aware that it is not IF temptation comes; but when it comes. If we are honest with ourselves we know that temptation comes every single day. As an old proverb goes- opportunity may only knock once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.”

Jesus asked his disciples to do this very thing on the night before his death.

Mark 14:32–39 ESV

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.

He asked them to stay awake and pray so that they would not enter into temptation. Friends, one sure fire way to beat temptation is to keep connected and in conversation with Jesus.

So do not wait for the moment of temptation to pray- pray early and pray often for the Spirit to steer you away from it.

Pray That You Would Do Good Works

In Colossians 1:10 Paul assured the people of Colossae that “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

As Christians our lives following Jesus are not merely about running away from temptation; they are also about running TOWARD good works. If the life of a Christian is merely avoiding evil- that is a really depressing life. But it is more than that- it is a life of embracing the goodness of God and spreading it to all we can.

What if we began each day praying that God would lead us into good works, and then allowed that prayer to sit in our hearts all day? That we intentionally asked and looked for good things?

Martin Luther once wrote that “Good works do not make a man good; but a good man will do good works” As followers of Jesus we are to be more than just buckets for God’s goodness- that our only goal is to hold it and receive good things. No, we are to be sponges that are filled with the goodness of God and then release that goodness on the world around us. Or as James puts is “Faith without Works is Dead”

One of the phrases that I say the most as a pastor is “Can I do anything for you?” or “What can I do to help you” because as the shepherd of this congregation one of my primary tasks is to help and empower my flock. In fact, I have said that very phrase to some of you this week. We also use phrases like this around funerals and hospital stays- asking the effected family what we can do, or saying “if you need me, please call” Our prayer life can use this kind of motivation too, rather than just letting God know all of the things that he can do for us- we can in turn ask God- what good works do you want me to be about today, Lord?

But then, we need to respond...

Listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 7

“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

So, when we pray that we would do good things, then we also need to trust God and respond when the chance to do something in the name of Jesus comes.

A few years ago convicted me about the redundancy of my prayers. I would pray for opportunities to be the light of Jesus in the world, or to do something for Jesus; and then when those chances came along I would then say “I need to pray about this” and often the opportunity would slip away in the meantime. Then, one day in prayer God laid the burden on my heart that when I prayed for a chance to be the hands in feet of Jesus- embrace it when it comes!

Pray for awareness and forgiveness of sin

“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” another telling line of Jesus’ prayer model. He does not say “forgive us our debts if we have them” Nope, he just lays it out- sin is real, and sin is in your life, and all that sin needs to be forgiven.

Don’t assume you are sinless when you approach God.

1 John 1:8-10 is a reminder for us:

1 John 1:8–10 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We don’t need to dwell on our sin, but we do need to be aware of it.

Many people get part of this kind of prayer right- they will pray “God, forgive my sins” Many people pray this every day. And that is awesome. However we should also pray to be aware of that sin, so that we can stop making the same pitfalls over and over again.

In other words, not only should I be praying that God will forgive my pride; but that God would also bring it to my attention through the work of the Holy Spirit so that I can resist the temptation- remember that prayer?

Too much of the mainstream theology is based in “feel good” Christianity. There is little to no space to become aware of sin and our need for a savior. All sin is rooted in the Devil- almost displacing it as sin is the Devil’s business; not mine. but that’s dangerous. The sin in my life is not just a Devil thing- its a me thing.

The definition of Spiritual insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results- sometimes we suffer from spiritual insanity. A good friend of mine said to me a few years ago- I am leery of anything that goes around in circles that does not have a stop button. We need prayers to install this stop button in our sin, something to break the cycle.

James 1 puts it this way

James 1:14–15 ESV

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

We need to pray for awareness and forgiveness of our sins to keep the little things to turning into big things. Because the big things can be catastrophic, but many times the big things started out as small things. You know what seems small? A little oil leak in your car- till all the oil runs out over time and your engines seizes. You know what else may seem small? A little cut on your finger, until you don’t care for it in the right way and it gets infected and inflamed; Or how about a little rock in your shoe? No big deal until you walk on it and get a blister so bad you cant walk straight.