Disciple's Prayer Life (2)
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Principles for Asking
Principles for Asking
Several weeks ago we looked at several reasons why God answers prayer. They are:
Prayer that acknowledges God’s -
Honor
character
glory
sovereignty
2. Prayer is supported by the intercession of Jesus
3. Prayer is supported by the intercession of the Holy Spirit
4. Prayer comes from one related to God - as child and as servant
As we study God’s Word and what it says about prayer we learn that there are several principles that - when applied - will empower us to pray more effectively.
In Jesus’ last words to His followers, as recorded by John, He made three remarkable statements:
If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
These are not ‘blank checks’ giving us permission to ask according to our own selfishness. Rather, these promises guide us into recognizing that God’s Kingdom priorities are to guide all we pray for and the manner in which we pray.
PRINCIPLES OF ASKING
PRINCIPLES OF ASKING
...”Ask in the Spirit...”
And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:
We know that the Holy Spirit is interceding from within us - Rom 8:26-27.
Whenever we pray, we are asking the Holy Spirit to aid us in making our requests known to God. We often do this without thought. Can we learn the discipline of asking the Holy Spirit to take our words/thoughts and present them to God on our behalf?
“…Ask with the mind...”
As we read God’s Word, listen to/read the news, share concerns with one another we are to carefully word our requests before God.
Sometimes using the words of others can be helpful. Sometimes taking the time to write our prayers is of benefit.
“…Ask in Jesus’ name...”
If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
Jesus is not giving a ‘blank’ check to ask whatever we might ask. If we are living in such a way that our life honors His name, if we are living in such a way that His priorities and His purposes have become ours, everything we ask will be ‘in His name’
“…Ask while abiding in Christ...”
Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.
Abiding in Christ is shorthand for seeking to live every moment of every day with the confidence and assurance of His presence. Another way to understand the expression ‘abide’ is ‘to be at home with.’ Are we living so that Jesus is ‘at home’ with us and we are ‘at home with Him?’
“…Ask in faith...”
Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.
Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God. I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Prayer is to be done with constancy. Prayer is done acknowledging God’s sovereignty. He is under no obligation to explain Himself to us. He can answer as He sees fit. Praying in faith also requires us to trust that God’s purposes are being fulfilled - even if we cannot see the hand of God we can trust His heart. Finally, praying in faith means holding God to His Word. We can claim His promises…but we have to know them, be familiar with them. and understand the context in which they were given.
“…Ask in Humility...”
If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Praying with humility is nothing less than total honesty. While the words quoted from 2 Chronicles are often used as a pretext to pray for revival, the words are addressed to God’s people to honestly recognize their failure and their desperate need for His presence.
“…Ask in sincerity...”
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.
Sincerity in prayer is a result of faith. As we grow in our ability to trust God, to take Him at His word, our prayers reveal the sincere desires of our own lives.
“…Ask with perseverance...”
“So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
I am not patient. Praying for the same thing over and over again seems counterproductive.
However, praying with perseverance insures that my requests are in line with God’s purposes; forces me to take my eyes off circumstances and look to God alone; demonstrates real, vibrant faith.
How Can We Apply these Principles?
How Can We Apply these Principles?
Honestly, my biggest challenge is taking time to pray. I complain about busyness and too many tasks to do. the honest truth: I have as much time as everyone else.
You might take the prayer guide provided in the written material (copies will be available Sunday on the table in back of the auditorium) and use the principles as an outline by which to organize your prayer requests.
PRAY