INTRO. - ILL.- Shortly after the US Supreme Court outlawed prayer in public schools, a pupil in class heard her teacher sneeze and said, "God bless you." The teacher said, "Cut that out or we’ll both be in trouble."
ILL.- One person said, "Now that there’s no more praying in schools, kids will have to go to motels to read the Bible. And if this keeps up, the Gideons will have to go underground."
ILL.- Comedian Bob Hope said in 1970 at Miami University, "It was a little easier to get through school in my day. The questions were just as hard, but praying was still legal."
Thank God that praying is at least still legal in our churches!What’s so important about prayer? Prayer means nothing to some people because they don’t believe in the Lord, but it should mean a great deal to the Christian!
Jonathan Edwards said, “Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life.” Prayer is or should be a normal part of daily living for the Christian just like breathing is.
Corrie Ten Boom wrote: "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" In other words, why do you pray? Do you pray for the Lord to direct you in life or just to help you whenever you get into trouble?
Why should we pray? Here’s a good reason.
ILL.- Wednesday, Jan. 9, 08, MEMPHIS, Tennessee - If there is one place to avoid while on the lam in a zoo, it is the tiger pit. One stray dog learned that lesson the hard way and was recovering from puncture wounds to its neck and shoulders.
"This is one lucky animal," Memphis Zoo spokesman Brian Carter said of the dog. The 50-pound female retriever mix darted inside a service entrance to the zoo on Tuesday and led workers on a brief chase before it bolted over a 4-foot-high visitors railing and a retaining wall at the tiger exhibit.
She swam across a 12-foot-wide moat to the interior of the exhibit and was quickly attacked by a 225-pound female Sumatran tiger. The open exhibit’s main walls are 18 feet high.
"The exhibit is designed to keep the animals from getting out but not for keeping animals from getting in," zoo spokesman Brian Carter said. "You can jump off a cliff but you can’t jump up a cliff."
Zoo workers, who were close on the dog’s trail, used fireworks and air horns to distract the two tigers in the exhibit and get them into their night enclosures behind the exhibit’s viewing area.
One tiger, born in captivity, had the dog in her grasp for several minutes, Carter said. "She didn’t have the experience of live hunting, but she certainly had the instincts," he said. After emergency treatment by zoo veterinarians, the dog was taken to the Animal Emergency Medical Center in Memphis where she was reported in good condition Wednesday. "She’s resting comfortably," said clinic manager Clarita Atkinson. "She’s fairly unscathed for the amount of damage that could have been done."
Brothers and sisters, that was one lucky dog! We would say she was a blessed dog. And what happened to that dog sometimes happens to us in life. Without realizing it we sometimes find ourselves in a cage of lions and tigers.
I Peter 5:8-9 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
The devil doesn’t always look like what we might consider him to be. He can take on a good looking appearance, but nevertheless, he’s still evil and he’s still out to destroy. And we have only ONE defense. "RESIST HIM, STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH."
The faith of Christ is the ONLY way to resist the evil one! Without Christ in our corner it would be like you or me trying to fight Muhammad Ali when he was in his prime! And there is no way that any of us would have had a chance in that fight.
PROP. - Let’s think about some "musts" for the Christian when it comes to the matter of prayer.
1- We must find God’s place
2- We must listen to God’s Word
3- We must respond to God’s will
I. WE MUST FIND GOD’S PLACE
13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.
ILL.- One of his neighbors, the mother of a ten-year-old girl, noticed that the child often visited Albert Einstein’s house. The woman wondered at this, and the child explained: “I had trouble with my homework in arithmetic. People said that at No. 112 there lives a very big mathematician, who is also a very good man. I asked him to help me. He was very willing, and explained everything very well. He said I should come whenever I find a problem too difficult.”
Alarmed at the child’s boldness, the girl’s mother went to Einstein to apologize. Einstein said, “You don’t have to excuse yourself. I have learned more from the conversations with the child than she has from me.”
I am glad that Einstein learned something from that child. We all can learn something from children, but here’s the point.
We all our children in a sense and we all need an expert mathematician. WE ALL NEED AN EXPERT IN LIFE! And where do we find that expert? HE IS GOD, OUR FATHER AND CREATOR! And we need to find a place where we can talk to Him and receive counsel and comfort from Him.
Psalm 46:1 " God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." How can God be our refuge, our ever-present help in life if we don’t meet with Him? If we don’t find time and a place to talk to Him?
Psalm 121:1-3 "I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber." God’s light does not go out at night!
Deut. 4:7 "What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?" What a promise!
Hebrews 4:14-16 "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
There it is! The throne of grace. That’s our special place in life.
Have you been in the throne room today? You can enter God’s throne room in your car, at home, in your office, while walking into Walmart, practically any place you can think of! This is why it says in I Thess. 5:17 "pray without ceasing."
Every human person needs a special place, perhaps a hiding place where they can find comfort, peace, security, etc. God is our hiding place. He is our peace and security.
Mark 1:35 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."
Jesus found His place of security and probably every morning. He had to talk to His Father. He was in the flesh and was tempted just like you and me, consequently, He needed time with His Father. He needed comfort, love, and grace for living in this sin-cursed world. If He needed this special time and place, what about us?
II. WE MUST LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD
13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
One of those listening was a woman named Lydia. Listening is a good thing to do.
ILL.- The minister’s sermon concerned the relationship between fact and faith. “That you are sitting before me in this church,” he said, “is fact. That I am standing, speaking from this pulpit, is fact. But it is only faith that makes me believe anyone is listening.” ARE YOU LISTENING?
You may or may not listen to what I have to say in a sermon but the important thing is that you are listening to God in His Word. I may accidently steer you wrong but God’s Word never will!
ILL.- Before the beginning of an athletic event, awaited by thousands of fans, a little dog strayed from his master onto the field. From the grandstand on one side of the field, one whistled. Presently, many were whistling to the dog from all sides of the field. In the middle of the field, the little dog, filled with confusion and fright, crouched to the ground. Then, a boy at the end of the field put two fingers into his mouth and whistled shrilly and loudly.
The little dog, recognizing his master’s call amidst the others leaped to his feet. With ears erect, the dog ran swiftly to its master.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we responded to our Master’s word that well in a world that is constantly calling to us?
James 1:19-25 "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."
Everyone should be quick to listen, that is, to God’s Word. Because in listening to God’s Word we will be able to overcome many problems and obstacles in life. The more we listen to and digest the Word of God, the less angry we will be in life. We will become more settled and calm, knowing that God is in control and will work out all things to our good and His glory.
The more we listen to the Word of God the better we’ll live. The more scripture gets into us, the more sin will leave.
"Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11
Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
The Word of God is living and powerful. It can get "under your skin," so to speak. It can get deep within the soul and do things to us that we could never do for ourselves.
Lydia was a good woman who had a business. She was a woman who believed in God and who listened to the Word of God. We can learn from her. Not all high and mighty people are in opposition to God. She was a listening woman. She listened to those whom she considered to be from God. And so we must do the same.
III. WE MUST RESPOND TO GOD’S WILL
13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15When she and the members of her household were baptized..
ILL.- One time a little girl was asked if she always came when her mother called her. She said, "Yes, but sometimes I go so far away that I can’t hear her call."
Are we that way with God? Do we hear Him and respond to Him when He calls to us? Or do we ignore His call?
Dr. J. R. Miller wrote: "It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it."
Sometimes when we hear God’s message, we may think, "Wow! I’m not sure I can do that." Or maybe, "I don’t think I want to do that." God’s will may appear to be quite tough or hard, however, disobedience could be a lot tougher.
Lydia responded to God’s message about being baptized. Some people need to respond to this same message. Others need to respond to other messages from God.
ILL.- In the book "A Window on the Mountain," Winston Pierce tells of his high school class reunion. A group of the old classmates were reminiscing about things and persons they were grateful for. One man mentioned that he was particularly thankful for Mrs. Wendt, for she more than anyone had introduced him to Tennyson and the beauty of poetry.
Acting on a suggestion, the man wrote a letter of appreciation to Mrs. Wendt and addressed it to the high school. The note was forwarded and eventually found the old teacher. About a month later the man received a response.
It was written in a feeble longhand and read as follows: “My dear Willie, I can ’t tell you how much your letter meant to me. I am now in my nineties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely, and like the last leaf of fall lingering behind. You will be interested to know that I taught school for forty years and yours is the first letter of appreciation I ever received. It came on a blue, cold morning and it cheered me as nothing has for years. Willie, you have made my day.”
Brothers and sisters, don’t you want to make God’s day? The way to do this is to respond to His Word. Of course, we not only want to make God’s day but we will also make our own day!
There is always a blessing in responding to God in a positive way. GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO RESPOND TO HIM IN SURRENDER AND OBEDIENCE!
What is God’s message for you? What is it that He wants you to do? It would be good to pray about whatever it is you think He wants you to do.
ILL.- Perhaps you recall that when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane that He prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." And what did Jesus do? He apparently made up His mind while in prayer and submitted to the will of His Father. He was willing to bear the cup of suffering on the cross.
Perhaps we need to pray similar to Jesus, "Father, what is it you want me to do? No matter what, help me to do your will."
CONCLUSION ----------------------------
ILL.- We’ve come a long way, baby! Remember that old TV commercial. Well, it applies to cars and prayers as well.
NEW DELHI - India’s Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled the world’s cheapest car, bringing new mobility within the reach of tens of millions of people and nightmares to environmentalists, traffic engineers and safety advocates.
Company Chairman Ratan Tata, introduced the Nano — price tag $2,500 — during India’s main auto show.
The car has seat belts, but no air bags. The Nano is about 10 feet long, 5 feet wide. The 2-cylinder petrol engine delivers 33 horsepower and a top speed of just over 60 mph.
Ford’s Model T, which debuted in 1909 for $825, had a 4-cylinder, 20 horsepower engine with a top speed of 45 mph. The Model T had fuel economy between 13 to 21 miles per gallon.
From the overview of this new car, IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE WE’VE COME A LONG WAY! (unless you’re thinking about economy or cheapness!)
Nor have we come a long way in the matter of faith. Some Christians do less now than they did years ago. That’s not progression! That’s regression! And some have regressed in the prayer department.
Brothers and sisters, now more than ever before, we need to find God’s place of prayer and listen to God and respond to God. There is no blessing in avoidance or indifference, but there is in surrender and obedience.
