"Giving Ourselves to Prayer"

Last week we began our new series addressing the fact that as we approach Easter we need to take time beforehand to remember the sacrifice, suffering, and resurrection of Christ. We do that by mourning over our sin and realizing that because of our sin Christ had to come and die for our sin.

So, when we convince ourselves that our sin is not really that bad, or that it really doesn’t hurt others too much, what we are doing is convincing ourselves that we don’t need God’s help. We don’t need God’s forgiveness. We don’t need him to rescue us. So, we never run to Him in prayer. Today I want to talk to you about the importance of prayer in the life of a believer. Let me begin today by addressing some things that we know about prayer.

Prayer is a gift: One of the most amazing gifts that we have been given is the gift of prayer. Why? Because we get to talk to the Creator of the Universe anytime we want. In fact, Prayer is much more than just a gift, because the command to pray is a very loving and caring thing that God gives to us. Prayer is where God welcomes us as His children to talk, commune and abide with Him. What is so amazing about prayer is that it is where worship really begins and we can tell Christ our deepest needs and confess to Him our most difficult things. Let me ask you today is prayer happening in your life?

What Prayer is not: Now I also want to say this briefly about prayer. Prayer is not this invitation to bring to God all of our selfish wants and desires as if God is our personal genie to do whatever we wanted Him to do. No! In fact, at the very center of prayer is a submission to God, which produces in us gratitude, humility, and willingness in us. Without adoration and submission, prayer is reduced to a set of demands that we give to God and act as if we are little gods and God is to submit to what ever we want. Some of us can treat prayer this very way.

Prayer is spiritual warfare: Here is what I mean by that. Paul David Tripp says it this way, “Prayer is abandoning my righteousness, admitting my need for forgiveness, and resting in the grace of the cross of Jesus.” We desperately need God’s rescuing grace to free us from our own selfish hearts. It’s hard for us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done God.” Why, because so often we want to pray for our will to be done. It’s also hard to confess that we need God and we need His redeeming grace. So prayer is a daily fight. Prayer takes a lot of work. Prayer calls us to go to places we don’t want to go to. It is no wonder when people are living in sin and shame that it is hard for them to pray and come to the Father. Satan will do everything he can to distract us from coming to the Father.

So, we need to take time everyday to pray. Prayer is the powerful weapon that we as believers have in this spiritual war. As we are taking time before Easter during this season of Lent we should examine, consider and lean into God to see the importance of prayer. Today I want to give you four categories that can help you with your prayer life. So, let’s start with Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

* Just a quick note here. This prayer here is a model and not a liturgy or the perfect thing to pray every time we pray. Of the six petitions here, there are directed to God, and the other three toward human needs.

1. Adoration:

Dr. Jonas King once went to visit some children in an orphanage in California. The children were seated in a large school room and Dr. King stood on a platform in front of them. As he began his talk with the children he said, “How many of you children would tell me that you have no father or mother, if I were to ask you?” “Yes sir,” said many of the small children. “How many of you would say that you have no father? Hold up your hands.” Most of the kids raised their hands. So, you are saying that you have no father? That is right said the children. Now, said Dr. King, do you ever say the Lord’s Prayer? Let me here you say it. The Children began: “Our Father who is in heaven.” Dr. King had them all stop right there. What did you say? Did I hear you right? Then you do have a Father he said. A good rich, kind, and loving Father. Don’t ever forget that you have a Father!

Church we have many reasons today to go to the Father. God is worthy of our worship, He is majestic, He is all powerful, He is sovereign, He is patient, He is ever so wise, He is merciful, and He is Holy. Are we thankful for any of these characteristics about our God? As we take time to prepare for adoring prayer, we should take time to read God’s word and let our hearts be captured by His glory. Take time to praise the name of God. Take time to thank God for His forgiveness and His grace once again. Adoration helps us to begin to have a kind of worship that is more than just words and a short prayer to God, but more of a life change that is truly thankful for who God is and what He does for us.

2. Confession:

Matthew 6:12 ESV

and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Confession should follow adoration, because the more we study God’s Word and gaze upon Him the more we see who we are and who God is. When Isaiah in his vision stood before God his first words were not, I am so amazing and awesome. No, his first words were this.

Isaiah 6:5 ESV

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

It takes a vision of God to have a true and reliable picture of who we are. So often, we are blinded by our own righteousness that it takes the unblemished righteousness of God for us to see who we are. Confession is about humble self-examination, honest confession, and grief over sin that causes us to seek and celebrate the grace Jesus was willing to suffer and die for. Because this is a season of mournful personal confession, it can also be for all of us a season of spiritual renewal and rejoicing. Renewal happens because confession causes us to see things as they really are, and in doing so, to begin to confess and address things that have long needed to be confessed and addressed. The more we see our sin, the more we will respond tenderly to other sinners and want for them the same grace we have received. I want to encourage all of us today to come in confession, because the cross assures us of our Lord’s willingness to forgive.

When we come to Jesus, he meets us with mercy and grace fit for our moment of need. Because of Jesus’s understanding, sympathy, and victory, we can rest assured that when we come to him, we will get just the help we need, in just the way we need it, and at just the right time. This means that no matter what you are dealing with, no matter what you need to confess, no matter how hard it may seem, no matter how weak you may feel, and no matter how many times you may have failed, you are never without help or hope, because you have a high priest, and Jesus is his name.

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

I want to encourage you to commit this verse to memory. Keep reminding yourself that you don’t have to be afraid. Why??? Because our Savior is tenderhearted. And we don’t have to be discouraged, because he has what it takes to defeat the things that so easily discourage us.

3. Submission:

Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Not my will, but yours be done is the heart of true prayer. Prayer is submitting the desires of our heart to the Lord. Prayer is submitting our requests to God’s plan that is so much better than the one that we have for ourselves even though we can’t see it at the time. Prayer is surrendering our gifts to the glory of someone else. Prayer is much more than coming to God and asking Him for all our needs and wants, because at the center of everything we are submitting to Him. So, we ask for God’s grace to submit because, as we have already confessed, we do not have the desire, willingness, or power to do so on our own.

When we take a look around our world today and our society there is a power struggle. People today more than ever have a tough time submitting to authority. People who have been in authority can abuse their power or use it to manipulate others. But, for us as believers we submit to our Heavenly Father because He has a good plan for our lives and we can trust in His authority.

4. Supplication:

1 Timothy 2:1–4 ESV

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Prayer is where we as God’s children (weak, discouraged, struggling sheep) bring our needs before the God of the universe knowing that He is delighted to meet our needs. Because we have already submitted ourselves to His kingship, we can now bring before our God prayers that are consistent with that heart of submission. And because we have confessed our sin and submitted our lives to the Lord, we don’t pray for ourselves but also for others. Our prayers and supplications are not individual and narrow, but are as wide and as huge as his kingdom is.

Closing:

I want to encourage you today to take time to meet with God as we prepare now leading up to Easter. As you take time each day to meet with God know that God is tender, gracious, and understanding. God knows your thoughts and heart before you even utter a word but he wants you to come to Him still. He receives our messy prayers. He hears our brief prayers.