A Journey with Jesus: Pray
A Journey with Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsIn prayer, we have communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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03/27/22
Dominant Thought: In prayer, we have communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Objectives:
I want my listeners to view prayer as communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I want my listeners to pray for the Father’s Kingdom to advance.
I want my listeners to choose one prayer practices we’ve experienced today to try this week.
Today’s message will take place throughout the worship gathering in three parts to connect our relationship of prayer with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In addition, we plan to dismiss the children to encore after our time of communion. All that to say today’s gathering will feel a little different than our normal service order. My hope is to not just talk about prayer, but to pray today. So, we’ve intentionally woven parts of our gathering to highlight our prayer relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As I was reflecting on prayer, Skye Jethani’s book, With, highlights prayer as communion with God. If you look even deeper at the word, you find union in “communion.” In prayer, we have communion with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
First, Prayer ignites communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer ignites communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as we look at the Father’s Kingdom (Luke 11.1-4).
Something, I’ve found helpful at times when I spend some time praying with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to light a candle. Candles create an environment and have roots to the worship of the Hebrews with the lampstand in the tabernacle and the altar of incense which represented our prayers ascending to God (Luke 1.10). [Light first candle.]
Jesus taught his disciple to pray these five types of prayers:
Father, may your name be holy. Who we address in prayer is the key. Jesus instructs us to pray to our Father. In Luke 10.21-22, Jesus talks about our Father five times in two verses.
The prophet Isaiah gives us a picture of our Father, as well.
I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.
He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior.
In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.
Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people— where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them,
who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown,
who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble;
like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.
Look down from heaven and see, from your lofty throne, holy and glorious. Where are your zeal and your might? Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us.
But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.
Let your Kingdom come. Our Father is a king. We heard that in Isaiah, “from your lofty throne.” We pray for God’s Kingdom to come.
I was visiting one of our widows this week and I asked her about her prayer requests. She replied, “Pray for the world situation for peace on earth.” Another way to say it is, “Let your kingdom come.”
Pray for the nursing home facility where I live. Ask God to help me through this day.
My friend, Fred Hansen, teaches in Europe for TCM. In his latest ministry update, he asks for prayers for Ukraine. He then added, “please pray for those Christians in Russia and Belarus who are also paying the price for their governments' decisions regarding Ukraine. As citizens of heaven, we are all united under the government of Christ, and this war has the potential to cause separation, anger, and even bloodshed between brothers and sisters in Christ. May God forbid it.”
If you have a globe, you could look at the globe and choose a country and pray, “Let your kingdom come!
Give us our daily needs. In other words, give us the bread for today.
Forgive us our sins because we forgive all owing to us. The word for “forgive” means to “send away.”
Lead us not into temptation. Temptation could also be testing. Jesus lived this out in the Garden of Gethsemane that we will read later on. Throughout his life, Jesus addressed His prayers to the Father.
Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
As we continue our time of worship and think about the Son committed His life to His Father, let us prepare for communion. Some of the final words of Jesus were to His Father. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit and then He breathed His last. I want you to have some time to think about your relationship with your heavenly Father. He loves you. His love is unending. Take a moment now as we play some music to reflect on your Father’s love for you, this church, our community, this world. I’ll pray and then you are free to take communion when you are ready.
Let’s pray. Father, we are not holy, but we come to you our Holy Father. We want your reign and rule to advance. Please give us the bread we need for today. Forgive our sins since we forgive others their debts against us. Lead us not into temptation. We celebrate your love and loyalty in this meal, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Second, Prayer sustains communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer sustains communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as we follow the example of Jesus on Mission (Luke 11.1-2; several examples of Jesus praying in Luke). [Light second candle.]
Christ is represented as praying 15 times in the four gospels, 11 of which are found in Luke (Paul Butler, The Gospel of Luke, p. 3). We will read several several of those eleven passages from Luke that show Jesus praying.
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
The following passages, I’d like to read with you as a responsive reading where we will take turns reading. I’ll read the verses in white and you can read the verses in yellow/bold.
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 6:12 (NIV)
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
Luke 9:28–29 (NIV)
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
Luke 22:39–46 (NIV)
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
As prayer sustained Christ for His mission to rescue mankind, so prayer sustains our communion with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I want to spend time praying for our schools. (Show Pics of Pleasant Plains and New Berlin Schools). Here are some of the requests I’ve received this week from children and parents to help guide our prayers for our schools.
safety
sickness unrelated to COVID is knocking kids out in larger numbers.
Pray for rejuvenation (emotional/physical/mental) across student body, faculty, and staff.
Wisdom for administration.
Schools need more bus drivers.
As we think about the mission of Christ, I want to invite Joe McCann to lead us in prayer for one of our missions, Lake Springfield Christian Assembly and pray for our offering.
Third, Prayer revives communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer revives communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as we receive the Holy Spirit’s gifts (Luke 11.5-13). [Light third candle.]
I love the story that Jesus tells about the persistent neighbor. In Luke 11.8, Jesus says, “because of his shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.” The neighbor is persistent in asking and knocking which leads to the next few verses, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Then, Jesus talks to the fathers. If your son asks for a fish, do you give him a snake? If your son asks for an egg, do you give him a scorpion? No. So, if you though you are evil know how to give good gifts, then how much will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. In Luke 4 and Luke 10, Luke highlights the power of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of Jesus.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
The Spirit’s ministry in Luke and in Luke’s second volume, Acts, revives life and takes people places. So, to help us think about ways to pray, I want to play a game with you today with this beach ball globe. Let’s toss it in the air around three times. Each time we the ball is hit, we’ll say Father, or Son or Holy Spirit. After the Holy Spirit hit, the next person will catch it and pick a country. Then, we will pray for that country. We will play a couple of rounds.
I hope that Jesus taught you to pray today. I hope that you found something helpful in our prayer moments today that you can try this week. Maybe you want to light a candle when you have some time with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Maybe you want to use more Scripture as you pray. Maybe you want view prayer not as something you do, but who you are. Our lives are living prayers with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In prayer, we have communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
To close our time today, I’ll lead us in a prayer. We will have some instrumental music playing so if you want to soak up this moment with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are free to enjoy that time. If you want someone to pray with you, I’ll be by the prayer wall as you leave today.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teach us to pray. Help us walk with you through prayer throughout the day. You’re a good Father who forgives and gives us life in Jesus. You’re a good Father who gives the Holy Spirit to us. Holy Spirit, you are welcome in our lives and in Your church. Clean us up. Convict us of sin*. Empower us to bless our neighbors and the nations. Help us to pursue peace and live lives of trust in You. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we praise you for this opportunity to gather. Send us out on mission to advance your Kingdom. We love you! Amen!