What is Prayer?
Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know • Sermon • Submitted
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You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
Our lack of prayer is one reason for the things that go on around us in both positive and negative ways. We see answered prayers and are amazed but often we do not see answers because we did not even ask. Not asking reveals a lack of trust. Trust in God, Trust in the goodness of God and Trust that God really even hears us.
One of the ways God allows his creation to stay involved with him is through prayer.
Prayer, which is personal communication from us to God, not only helps us know about God but also helps us truly know God.
Prayer, which is personal communication from us to God, not only helps us know about God but also helps us truly know God.
Through prayer we can communicate our requests to God, confess our sins to God, and give adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to God.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
The Reason for Prayer
The Reason for Prayer
God does not want us to pray so that he can find out what we need, for Jesus said,
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Instead, God wants us to pray so that our dependence on him can increase. When we come to him in prayer about something, we express a trust in him, a trust that he will hear and answer our prayers.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Why would it be important for our dependence on Him to grow?
When we truly pray, we pray with the wholeness of our character, relating to the wholeness of his character.
When we truly pray, we pray with the wholeness of our character, relating to the wholeness of his character.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
What we think and feel about God will come through in our prayers.
What we think and feel about God will come through in our prayers.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
God wants us to pray because it allows us to be a part of a story that is greater than our own.
God wants us to pray because it allows us to be a part of a story that is greater than our own.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
The Effectiveness of Prayer
The Effectiveness of Prayer
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
The Scriptures give many examples of God responding, even changing the way he acts, in response to the prayers of individuals.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Can you name an example?
Here are two from the book
Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Our Faith in Jesus is the reason our prayers are effective. Man, cannot achieve any result on his own.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
God is under no obligation to answer prayers of those who reject Him.
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
This does not mean to tack “in Jesus name” to the end of the prayers, it means that if we are in Jesus, our faith is in Jesus, he will answer.
Our Attitude in Prayer
Our Attitude in Prayer
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
This is not name it and claim. It is simply belief verses skepticism.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
Concern for His will needs to be an important part of our attitude.
Concern for His will needs to be an important part of our attitude.
Praying according to God’s will often requires humility on our part, for it requires that we pray not simply for what we desire but instead for what God desires.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Our belief must be real. Not forced or contrived.
This “assurance of things hoped for” and “conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1) comes from a belief that God exists and “that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6).
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Anything in our lives that displeases God will hinder our prayers.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
However, we do not need to be completely free from sin in order for God to hear our prayers.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
If God only answered the prayers of perfect, sinless people, then God would only answer the prayers of Jesus.
If God only answered the prayers of perfect, sinless people, then God would only answer the prayers of Jesus.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
When we do sin, God urges us to use his gift of prayer to seek his forgiveness.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Finally, in light of God’s work on our behalf, we should ask for things with a humble attitude, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
“Three times,” Paul “pleaded with the Lord” to take away his affliction; the Lord did not do so, but instead told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:8 – 9).
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Questions for Review and Application
Questions for Review and Application
1. Why does God want us to pray? How have you recently experienced these benefits of prayer? Take a moment to pray, thanking God for how he has blessed you through prayer.
1. Why does God want us to pray? How have you recently experienced these benefits of prayer? Take a moment to pray, thanking God for how he has blessed you through prayer.
2. Is God required to give us what we ask for in prayer? Why or why not?
2. Is God required to give us what we ask for in prayer? Why or why not?
3. Is there anything in your life right now that might be hindering your prayers? If so, take a moment to pray, asking God to forgive you of those things that hinder your prayers.
3. Is there anything in your life right now that might be hindering your prayers? If so, take a moment to pray, asking God to forgive you of those things that hinder your prayers.
Grudem, Wayne A.; Grudem, Wayne A.. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.