Battling in Prayer
John 15:1-11
Battling in Prayer
Intro.
Kaye White's husband, Con, had a grape arbor that was his living reminder of John 15. "Just be a branch". On Con's tombstone is a cluster of grapes and the inscription - John 15.
Central truth in Con's fruitful life. A great tribute to a life.
May his example become our pattern.
comparing and contrasting the prayer promises in John's writings:
Promises are red hot!
Someone described one facet of faith as that which turns the promises of God into the practices of our lives. These promises glow with supernatural power.
And we are not in the dark as to how God wants to lead us in developing a life that turns these prayer promises into a practice of prayer.
7 times Christ exhorted His disciples to an effective prayer life that night in the Upper Room.
(Jn. 14:13,14; 15:7,16; 16:23,24,26)
Five essentials to effective praying
1. In Jesus' Name
(John 14:13, 14; John 15:7, 16; John 16:23, 24, 26- all relate effectiveness to praying in His name. Only John 15:7 is an exception)
"An entirely new ground and manner of prayer was introduced in the Upper Room."-L.S. Chafer
-in O.T. the closest to "in His Name" was for His Name's Sake- Psalm 25:11, 31:1
Jn. 16:23-27 "And in that day (Pent. to 2nd coming) you shall ask (erotao) me nothing,(Jesus will be gone) Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask (aiteo) the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name:(new ground of praying) ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day, you shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God."
14:13, 14
"And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that (purpose) the Father may be glorified in the Son. If (3rd class probability) you ask anything in My name, I (emphatic!) will (certainty) do it."
Context
Christ would no longer be initiating the ministry but they were to continue that ministry themselves. There must be a dependency upon Christ.- prayer would be a primary means of sustaining this dependence.
"To pray in the Name of Christ is to pray as one who is at one with Christ, whose mind is the mind of Christ, whose desires are the desires of Christ, and whose purpose is one with that of Christ... Prayers offered in the Name of Christ are scrutinized and sanctified by His nature, His purpose, and His will. Prayer is endorsed by the Name, when it is in harmony with the character, mind, desire and purpose of the Name."
-Samuel Chadwick, The Path of Prayer
"In His Name..."
a. Builds on Assurance from Christ's promises (Jn. 14:13,14)-When Christ is gone, He will be in heaven and will personally do that which is asked. They would
"I myself will do it..."
b. Builds on the Purposes of God- God is glorified by supplying requests of others (14:13)"...so that..."
c. Builds on the power of selflessness.
Jesus acted in Father's name (Jn. 5:43; 10:25)
He acted as though the Father was the one acting
Jesus said that greater works could be accomplished by praying in His name- John 14:12, 13
I John 3:22
ask... present tense- i.e. habit
receives
"Is it not a staggering thought that our unique and glorious Lord has authorized us to make use of His mighty name? There is obviously infinitely greater significance in this than merely appending the formula "in Jesus' name" to our prayers, for His name enshrines not only His love but also His power."
-Sanders, Prayer Power Unlimited, p.57)
"in union with Christ"
-close to Pauline concept of being "in Christ"
legal union- believers are partners by new birth
life union- believers are Sons of God
love union- believers are bride of Christ (His name)
2nd essential to effective praying
2. Abiding (Jn. 15:7)
to remain, continue, persevere
denotes inward, enduring, personal Communion
John 15:7,10a
essential requirement for answered prayer- (not two conditions- describing same thing) "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you..."
"if you abide in me..."- 3rd class- high probability
by His teaching and commands Christ abides in His people
His words are the medium by which a spiritual connectedness takes place.
Total yielding to God's Word will bring praying for God's will i.e. that which promotes God's glory and good pleasure.
"Words abiding in You"
Effective prayer is nurtured in the Word of God.
The Word informs us of specific things for which we can pray.
ill. prayer for me... grandma, others
pray for ministers, enemies,
The word cleanses the desires and ambitions from the impurities that would hinder effective prayer.
involves submission to ,and living in harmony with the Word of God
3rd essential
3. Keeping His Commandments (Jn. 15:7,10a I Jn. 3:24)
(Next week: importance of obedience)
ill. Dan and Judy Smith, missionary to Brazil, the Amazon River tribal groups, told of an experience that recently happened in the Amazon basin. The Christians were meeting in the church building, having a Bible study, worship and prayer meeting. Part way through the service, they noticed that the church had been surrounded by armed men. They acknowledged that they might be in serious trouble, but the Pastor encouraged the congregation to continue on with their study of God's word. The armed men entered the building and demanded that they close their Bibles, throw them on the floor and stomp on them. About 60% of the congregation did. 40% refused. The gunmen asked the 60% who had stomped on the Scriptures to come outside. They then shot to death the 60% who had shown disregard for God's Word. They came back inside and informed the remaining 40% that those other people had been "Phonies!" and encouraged them to continue on.
obedience is not a meritorious cause, but an indispensable condition of the life that sees God answer prayer.
Not a bartering or a trading with God. i.e. obedience for answers to prayer. I'll obey no matter what...yields a life that God delights to bless with answered prayer.
I Jn. 3:22 "....we keep His commandments..."
present tense- habit of life
Prayer is conformity to the will of God in purpose and desire
A fourth essential for effectiveness in prayer
4. According to His will. (I Jn. 5:14)
5 main words for prayer (there are others):
1. (deasis, deomai) supplication - petition, stresses sense of one's own personal need
2. (prosuche, proseuchomai) - prayer in general; in NT used toward God
3. (enteuchis; aiteo is a synonym) - intercession; petition for others; expresses confiding access to God...childlike confidence... the heart's converse with God (Thayer)
4. (erotao) - maintains its intimate flavor
5. (eucharistia) - the giving of thanks
In Jn. 15:7, we are told to "ask" - aiteo - a word used of an inferior making request to a superior - this was never used of Jesus. It is used of us.
True believers will not come face to face with God and ask for that which is against His will. We pray with the proviso "if it be Thy will."
We don't bend God's will to ours. We seek His will.
Christ did not teach prayer as demanding things from God, but as the request a child makes of its parents, trusting superior wisdom.
Ours is not the bold audacity of those who would seek to force God's hand in prayer. Child to a parent or a servant to a king.
The Bible does not say don't pray until you know God's will.
Conversions, healings, success in a business venture are not specifically promised. We are told to let our requests be made known unto God. Our requests, like our faith, need to be tried by fire. The impurities need to be burned away.
(5th essential to effective praying)
5. Faith (I Jn. 5:15)
If you are down-hearted thinking that: praying in His name is out of reach, praying according to His will is not knowable, that abiding in Him is not doable and that Keeping His Word alludes your grasp, we have missed the thrust of the Scriptures.
I Jn. 5:14,15
When we have labored and agonized in prayer we can have confidence in God's purposes in prayer. By this is the Father glorified.
Augustine: "When faith fails, prayer dies. In order to pray, then, we must have faith; and that our faith fail not, we must pray. Faith pours forth prayer; and the pouring forth of the heart in prayer gives steadfastness to faith."
The Bible develops our faith by giving us insight into the spiritual conflict that can take place in the spiritual realm.
Conflict in prayer:
Daniel 10:1-13
1. Daniel prayed earnestly, with mourning and fasting, for three weeks.(1-3)
2. At the end of the three weeks, he was a vision of a glorious heavenly messenger. (4-10)
3. The explanation of the angel was that at the beginning of Daniel's prayer (three weeks ago) he was sent with the answer, but was hindered for twenty-one days by "the prince of the kingdom of Persia" (11-13)
The prince is obviously not the earthly prince of Persia but is one of the "rulers of the darkness of this world" as mentioned in Eph. 6:12. He is the demonic, evil power behind the king of Persia.
Angelic Beings at Creation:
1. archangels (I Thes. 4:16; Jude 9)
2. principalities (rulers) (Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16)
3. powers (Eph. 1:21; Col. 1 :16)
4. thrones (Col. 1:16)
5. dominions (Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16)
6. mights (Eph. 1:21)
7. cherubim (Gen. 3:24; II Kings 19:15; Ezek. 10; 28:14-17)
8. seraphim (Isa. 6:2-6)
So powerful was this demonic prince that he was able to hinder the heavenly messenger until help came from Michael, one of the chief angels.
Thus, satanic activity hindered the answer to Daniel's prayer for three weeks.
Other glimpses into the conflict in prayer:
Romans 15:30 "...strive together with me in your prayers..." (strive= intense effort; wrestling; agonizing)
Col. 4:12 "...always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers..." (the same word) (Col. 4:2)Be devoted
In prayer, ultimately the opposition we face is satanic. He will use people, circumstances, human weakness, etc., but he is the enemy.
Prayer is one of God's ordained ways of getting His work accomplished on earth. Therefore, we must persevere in learning to pray, in praying and in being "prayer warriors". We must not throw that phrase around thoughtlessly, but meaningfully.
In understanding effective prayer, we must exercise mustard seed faith. The point of the mustard is that it is not necessarily how large the faith is but what the faith has as its object. God is sovereignly in control and He begs our participation in prayer.
Schuller's outline:
If the request is wrong, God will say no . He is still sovereign.
If the timing is wrong, God will say slow. Delays are not necessarily denials.
If you are wrong, God will say grow.
If the request is right, timing is right, I am right, God will say go.