Why Do We Pray?

No really, If God knows everything then why do we pray?

Jesus modelled prayer for us. He prayed at different times for different things.

In 3:21 at His baptism As he was praying the heavens opened up, "This is my dearly loved Son. You bring me great joy." In this situation Jesus listened.

In 6:12 Jesus prayed all night and then called all his disciples together and choose the 12 apostles. He prayed for wisdom, discernment, He sought God for guidance.

In 9:28 at the transfiguration Peter, John and James and Jesus up the mountain praying. The disciples fall asleep, Jesus becomes all aglow and then Elijah and Mosses appears to talk about the departure of Jesus soon. Prayer affects the heavenly's.

Jesus 11:1 is in a certain place praying - I wonder if the disciple felt prompted to go over to where Jesus was and ask him the question, Teach us to pray.

We know this first part of the story to be the Lord's prayer. We normally recite the one in Matthew because it has more meat to it and I was tempted to go there but the Lord said, No Look at this one.

We can break the Lords prayer down and it shows us things that should be an element of our EVERYDAY prayer life.

Let's go through them,

Father May your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. He encouraged them to look to the Heavens, Exult the Lord. Pray for His Kingdom to come soon. The sooner God's Kingdom comes in full, the sooner there will be peace.

Give us each day the food we need or grant to us our daily provisions. This is a concept known to them because of their history being passed down. They knew the story of God providing in the wildreness of Manna and Quail. Their shoes and tunics never ruined. The Lord provided everyday. Each day was a new crop. You could not take the days manna into the next day.

Forgive us our sins, - Examine yourself, each day or often. Whether it is five minutes or the end of the day, what did I do today? Who did I see? Who didn't I see? Did I treat them as Christ would? Did I see them as Christ would? Did I serve them as Christ would? Did I miss something Lord?

As we forgive those who trespass against us - This may be hard for some people to come to terms with at this particular moment in history but there will come a day with the strength of the Lord that forgiveness will be a natural expression of the healing that has taken place. This takes time. and it is a process. Don't fight the process and don't rush it because God is in it.

Don't let us yield to Temptation - Each day we are tempted and what I like about this, when I am saying don't let me yield to temptation, I first need to be able to see it.

This prayer is made to make us dependent on Jesus. So dependent on Jesus that this kind of prayer is not satisfying.

Jesus goes on to say etc.

There is a teaching about prayer that Jesus does not want his disciples to miss. To only follow the example of Father, may your name be kept holy part and not fully grasp that there is follow through and a persistency in our prayer life that needs to happen.

Look at the language Jesus uses, Keep knocking, keep seeking. He uses an example to teach them in their custom. It was so disrespectful to go to someones house and not let them in and not give what they ask for, if you are able. It was actually very shameful for company to arrive at your door and you not let them in and provide but even more than that Jesus ties it all together right at the very end, if you sinful people know how to give good gifts how much more does your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

Every physical need is a forerunner to a spiritual need. Hungry people don't hear you say Jesus loves them while their stomach is rumbling, but like Jesus, once we have met that need we can tell them that Jesus loves them. Now there is a bit of a relationship and a bit of trust.

So I title this sermon, "Why Do We Pray. No, Really If God Knows Everything Then Why Do We Pray?

Today we looked at a few things that happen when we pray, It takes the focus off of us and on to God. When we seek God daily it makes us dependent on Him and as we become dependent on Him, he grants us the desires of our hearts because his desires become our desires. When we pray it can impact the heavenlies. We are told we not fighting against flesh and blood but against princapailities in the unseen world.

We can tell alot by his words, Teach us to pray like John taught his. They too lived in a day and age of comparisons. One group over another. Equality at the foot of the cross...

On the cross Jesus prayed, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do." And the soliders went on to cast lots for his clothes. They hung him on the cross and there he died like a criminal for your sins and mine.

I wonder this morning if there is something that you need to work out with God. Something that perhaps you have been holding on to that he is saying today is the day.