The Direction of Prayer

Intro:

2 Samuel 7:4-5

Today, the title of my message is, [The Direction of Prayer].

Direction is defined as the course in which something moves.

Today, I want to look at an aspect of direction that deals with authority.

In the 1980s the Cold War came to a head. Two world-superpowers nearly came to blows as one country tried to beat the other in an arms race.

One major difference between the countries was the direction of authority.

In 1922 the socialists took over Russia and they remained in power until 1991. One party had all of the authority. The directed their nation what they were and were not ALLOWED to do.

However, from 1922 on, the balance of power would shift between two different parties. We don’t like it when THEY tell us what we CAN or CANNOT do. That steps on our promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

President Reagan told the joke that an American and a Soviet discussed the differences between the two countries. The American said, if I do not like something, I can go to the White House, hit the president’s desk and announce, I do not like the way you’re running this country.

The Soviet responded, I can do that as well. The American was shocked, really? Yes, I can go to the Kremlin, walk into the President Gorbachev’s office and declare, I do not like the way President Reagan is running his country!

Fortunately we live in the United States. We have the freedom to worship, vote, and live our lives. We could call our nation a bottom-up society.

Since our beginning, we’ve stood against tyranny and let our leaders know what WE want! Whenever a new party comes into power, they will announce, we have a mandate from our constituents.

I would not want to live in a place where the nations like China or North Korea where the lives of people are controlled. Others decide how much money or children someone can have.

That is a top-down society. A dictator makes a decision and people have to follow!

But what about God’s government? Remember, Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom.

Whenever we come to Jesus, we enter the Kingdom of God. How then does the Kingdom of God function? Its borders extend to every nation on earth.

The Kingdom of God has outlasted dictators, evil empires, naysayers, and unbelievers.

When the communists kicked out the missionaries of China in 1953, hope seemed lost for the flourishing church. However, upon reentry in 1979, missionaries were shocked at how a government could not stop the Kingdom of God.

The church grew, and the Kingdom of God continues to extend its borders.

So in our world, governmental structures often come from bottom up, the people vote and voice their opinion, or top-down, the government informs the nation what they can and cannot do.

Is the Kingdom of God bottom up or top down? Today, I want us to see how it is both in God’s government:

He is in charge

He uses us to accomplish His will

How then do we communicate in God’s government? How do we speak in the Kingdom of God?

We pray! And today, I want us to see that God desires the direction of our prayer life to be TOP DOWN to BOTTOM UP!

Our prayer life and requests should begin and end with God! Sometimes we will go to God in prayer with what WE want and hope it will align with God’s will.

But in this year of prayer, God wants us to see that He ALWAYS knows what is best for us. so the direction of our prayer should come from seeking what God wants from and for us, then we respond.

Isaiah 55:8–9 NKJV

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

When a situation comes, we can seek God and explain, God I have this need and this burden, what do YOU want me to do?

Even the most selfless prayers do not always align with God’s will. I want us to see this through a conversation between King David, the Prophet Nathan.

I have three points about the direction of prayer, [Listing what I Want], [Listening to what God wants], [Living in What God Wants].

Let’s begin

1. Listing What I Want

2 Samuel 7:1-2

David lived through what every king or leaders wants, peace and prosperity. He subdued his enemies and everyone was happy with his leadership.

He retrieved the Ark of the Covenant, and it sat peacefully in Jerusalem under a tent known as the Tabernacle of David.

Not only was life great nationally, he also experienced personal success. He recently built a beautiful home and his family continued to grow.

Everything in David’s life was perfect. Now many kings would have thought, this is great, I will coast on my accomplishments and hope that everything stays smooth.

Others would have tried to start a war to extend their borders and continue to build a name for themselves. Not David. He was a man of action, but also a man after God’s own heart.

Therefore, he looked around and wondered, what can I do for God? Then it hit him:

I have a nice house

I want God to have a nice house

What a noble idea, a temple for the God of Israel. David wanted to give God a house grander and greater than anyone could ever imagine.

He wanted the ONE TRUE God to have a place where people could come and sacrifice, pray, and worship Him.

I can imagine David beginning to list everything he wanted to do for God. As this went on, David shared his list with his friend Nathan.

Nathan was not just any friend, he was a prophet. A prophet would speak to people for God. For David, much of the plan hinged on Nathan, would God approve of what David wanted?

2 Samuel 7:3

Nathan gave his approval. He told David, go and do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you!

I want us to notice the direction of prayer in this part of the passage. David and Nathan showed BOTTOM-UP prayer. David a noble list of what he wanted to do for God and what he wanted from God.

His list was sincere and honest. There are many times when we pray and we come to God with a desire on hearts that we feel He would want and that will help His Kingdom.

The question we have to ask is, does our list of WANTS align with what God wants?

Is the direction of our prayers focused on us telling God everything we need or want?

As we read on, we will see that the direction of prayer is less about our list of what WE want, but about...

2. Listening to What God Wants

2 Samuel 7:4-6

The day ends and Nathan goes home. As he gets ready for bed, he hears from God. However, God’s message was not what he expected.

God instructed him to return to David the next day and inform him that what David wanted was not what God wants for David.

Nathan probably thought that he spoke what God wanted. Then he heard the word that is universally disliked, NO.

God told Nathan to go and tell David NO. First, let’s notice that God was not angry with David. I do not read this part of the chapter and hear frustration from God.

He merely explained, tell David that I never asked for someone to build me a house. From the time I led Israel out of Egypt and I gave Moses the Law, I have never dwelt in a house.

I have stayed in tents and tabernacles. Never once did I ask My leaders, why haven’t you built me a house?

Then He told Nathan to remind David of God’s plan for David’s life. God hand-selected David from tending his father’s sheep. He wanted David to be the leader Israel needed.

Everywhere David went, God led him, made a way, subdued his enemies, and made his name famous.

Furthermore, God wanted David as a warrior, not as a builder. There were many evil nations that wanted to stop Israel, and God needed David to remain vigilant and ready to defend Israel.

Therefore, God did not want David to build Him a house. David was sincere and humble, but the direction of his prayer was bottom-up. God here is the list of what I WANT.

God spoke from top-down to say, where here is what I want.

But remember, God is not a dictator. A no from God always leads to a better yes. If does not permit us to do something, it is because He has something better in mind.

What did God have in mind for David?

2 Samuel 7:11

David wanted to build God a house, but God wanted David to listen. You have building me a house on your list, but I want to build you a house!

David now had a decision to make. He went bottom-up, telling God what HE wanted. Then God came top-down telling David what HE wanted.

David now had to decide would he stick with his list or begin...

3. Living In What God Wants

2 Samuel 7:12-17

Within twelve hours, God gave David a clear message, what you want is not what I want. God told David no. What would he do with this answer?

When God tells us no, we have to be careful not to become resentful, rebellious, or feel rejected.

David could have resented God’s answer. He could have compared himself with others, thinking, here I am trying to do something good for God and He doesn’t care.

He could have become rebellious. He could have stuck with his list of wants and ignored God. He could have proceeded building God a house.

He could have felt rejected, like God didn’t care for Him, living the rest of his days with a woe-is-me attitude.

Instead, David shows the secret of living in what God wants. Had he rebelled against God, the Lord would not have explained HIs plan for David’s life.

But David humble listened to what the prophet explained. Nathan told David that God would allow David’s son to build the Temple. Through his son, God would continue to extend His mercy.

And notice the promise— You and your king will continue forever and your throne will last forever.

This meant a lot to David. To hear that his throne would last forever meant that David’s descendants would continue to rule and lead Israel.

When David heard what the Prophet Nathan had to say, he burst forth in praise. He gave God thanks and committed himself and his family to the Lord.

Then notice how the direction of prayer changed for David.

2 Samuel 7:27-29

David prayed in a new way. Originally, it was a bottom-up prayer. He directed his prayer with what HE wanted. But he listened to God.

From the top-down, God told him, I do not want what you want. What I want is so much better than you could ever imagine.

Now, David prayed the proper direction of prayer. His prayers for the Kingdom started and ended with God.

God, from top-down showed David, I want your throne to last forever.

David, prayed from bottom-up. But now, it was not HIS wants, he prayed that would do what HE wanted to do in and through David.

He prayed, if it pleases YOU God to bless me, then let it happen.

Grant YOUR blessing to your servant o God.

Close:

David threw away HIS list and listened to what God wanted. When he heard God’s no, he continued to listen. He discovered that God’s WANTS were better than David could ever imagine.

Then, he moved forward living with this understanding, what God WANTS is much better than I could ever imagine.

In our prayer lives, we need to rethink our direction in prayer. Is our prayer life consumed with what WE want? Or do we see God for His will in our lives?

God works wonderfully in and threw His people when we relinquish our will for His wants.

And the beauty of giving God permission to do what He wants in us is that He makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

What did God want for David?

He wanted David’s throne to last forever. And guess what? It has! Though David’s descendents were not perfect, God had a king in mind who would come an establish the Kingdom of Heaven.

The King God had in mind was His son, Jesus. However, Jesus is a direct descendant of David, giving Him legal authority to rule and reign on earth.

However, even Jesus, while on earth, had to direct His prayer to what God wanted. Jesus came with a top-down assignment. He prayed to the Father, that He would glorify that Father and reveal to the Father’s plans on earth.

Therefore, everything Jesus prayed about was not HIS list to God. He listened to God, who revealed His wants, and Jesus lived in the will of God.

We see this pronounced when Jesus prayed in the garden the night of His arrest.

Mark 14:32-36

Notice Jesus’s prayer. He knew what awaited Him. He knew the gruesome death that awaited him. He also knew that He would soon take on the sins of humanity.

Perfection would take on imperfection. The agony of this was too great. So He went to God and explained, I have a heavy burden. I know what you want from me, but if it is possible, let this hour of my crucifixion pass.

But Jesus waited on the Father and relinquished what He wanted for what the Father wants.

The Father loved the world so much that He gave Jesus, His only Son, to die for us so that we might inherit eternal life.

Top-down— God sent Jesus

Bottom-up— Jesus submitted to what the Father wanted

Now, because Jesus submitted to the Father, we get to LIVE in what GOD WANTS!

He wants us saved, Spirit-baptized, healed, prosperous, blessed, and in touch with Him!

Therefore, when we pray, we MUST follow Jesus’s pattern, it is not what I want, but what God wants!

On May 24, I prayed in our sanctuary. As I called out to God, this thought hit me, it is not about what I want, but what God wants to do.

SO as I pray, I need to direct my prayers correctly. It is not about me bringing my list to God saying, God do this, touch that, help here, fix over there.

No, it is coming to God and saying, Lord, what do you want? Your ways are higher than mine. Your plans are perfect, you know what you want to do in my life, my family, and my church.

So now, in this year of prayer, we wait on God, we listen to what He wants. Then when He gives clear direction, we pray God help us fulfill what He wants in and through us.

What is the direction of prayer?

Is God’s government bottom-up or top-down?

Both. We come to God and listen to what He wants. He speaks, top-down. Then once we’ve heard from Him, we begin to pray, bottom-up, releasing our needs and prayers to Him.

God help the direction of our prayer life!

If we are genuinely saved and have a relationship with God, we will WANT to do something for Him. The question is, God what do YOU want from my life?

When I graduated High School, I was dead-set on going to Waxahachie, Texas to Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

I just “knew” it was what God wanted. I would pray about it, believe for a miracle, and do everything I could to make it happen. And by the end, God said no.

I was devastated. I try not to wallow in self-pity for more than an hour. So I cleaned my wounds, and chose to believe God had a better plan, even though it did not seem like it at the time.

Within a year, God moved me to Missouri. Within two years, I met Bekah. Within five years, I became pastor of Vulcan Assembly of God. Within twelve years, I became a father.

Thank God He taught me to listen, now I am living in what God wants for my life. And it all started when I had to stop listing what I wanted, and start listening to what God wants for me!

Our prayer life cannot begin bottom-up, but top-down. The direction of our prayers should begin and end with God!

He knows what He wants for us, and it is much better than we can imagine or comprehend!

God show us what YOU want and help us prayer what YOU want us to pray so that we can live in what YOU have for us.