God, Help! A-Men

Lord, Help! A-men

By Pastor JC Browning

August 5, 2007

Luke 11: 1 – 13

Matthew 6 : 5 – 13

Prayer is a central part of any Christian’s life, both Up’s and Down’s.

Illustration: A story is told of a small group study that was done each week a church. Each week it would be held in a different member’s home and the host would provide snacks and the opening prayer. One young lady always provided the best food, had the cleanest home, etc. But she could never say the prayer; she was terrified at the thought of praying in front of people. Finally after years of trying she told the pastor one night “Tonight’s the night, I’m going to pray.” Everyone came, they snacked and talked and when it was time to start they all rose, bowed their heads and waited. After a moment the pastor began to wonder and looked over at the young woman. She was visibly shaking, tears in her eyes she quietly prayed: “Lord, Help! A-men.”

What a perfect prayer. It says it all LORD (acknowledging sovereignty) HELP (Acknowledging Need) A-MEN (So be it.)

Let’s Pray:

In today’s Scripture the disciples asked and were taught how to pray. The story is told from 2 different views both equally important, once you look at them.

Proof that no matter what you get out of a sermon, someone else may get a totally different lesson out of it and both people walk away with equal important aspects but it not until we share through Bible study or fellowship that we get the benefit of both lessons.

* Luke 11: 1 – 13

Matthew 6: 5 – 13

We are taught in Luke and Matthew, how to pray.

• The followers of John the Baptist were renowned for their Prayer Life. Christ disciples asked Jesus in Luke 11 to teach them to pray.

• Luke 11: 5 - 13

o Luke tells about the “Ask, Seek, Knock” principal of the prayer lesson.

o Ask, Seek, Knock Luke 11:10

 We don’t have, because we don’t ask

 We don’t find, because we don’t seek

 We don’t always have doors opened to us, because we don’t knock.

• Matthew 6: 5 – 8

o Matthew tells the story from the ‘don’t pray for other men, pray for God lesson.’

Many fear what others will think about them based on their prayer ability.

Illustration: Our prayers are like a child’s art, God doesn’t judge our words, but He sees the heart behind the prayer and he displays it with pride.

Illustration: A dog can teach you how to pray. When you go to feed a dog a piece of meat and you place it on your fork, you have his total focus. Momentarily you have total control of its attention. That is how we should pray; with a total focus on what it is we are coming to God for.

This kind of focus is the basis behind meditation in prayer or centering prayers.

Total focus on the object of our prayers, be it:

• Weakness

• Discouragement

• Doubt

• Etc.

Even Christ felt Discouragement, Need, Fear & Forsakenness; and when he did he went to the Lord in prayer.

Ps. 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

How Jesus Looked To His Father for Help in His Time of Need by Paul Fritz (Sermon Central 2007)

1. When Jesus felt weak He looked to His Father for strength, power and energy to His challenges. The Lord Jesus recalled the words of David, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my hearts trusts in him and I am helped." (Ps. 28:7a) Ask the Lord to strengthen, encourage and empower you to do whatever He leads you to do with all might.

2. When Jesus felt discouraged, He turned to His Father for encouragement. The Lord Jesus remembered the words of David, who wrote, "My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." (Ps. 28:7b) Call on the Lord while He may be found and He will replace your feelings of discouragement with all the joy of His encouragement.

3. When Jesus felt alone and forsaken He cried out to His Father and received sweet assurance of companionship and guidance. The Lord Jesus remembered the words of David, who wrote, "You have made known to me the path of life: you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Ps. 16:11) Ask the Lord to help you take advantage of the promise, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:8)