"I don’t think we’re going to get out of this thing. I’m going to have to go out on faith."
It was the voice of Todd Beamer, the passenger -- and Wheaton College graduate -- who said "Let’s roll" as he led the charge against the terrorists who had hijacked United Flight 93, the one, you will remember, that crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside.
What gave strength to his bravery was his faith in Jesus Christ. Todd died as he lived, a faithful believer.
After passengers were herded to the back of the jet, Beamer called the GTE Customer Center in Oakbrook, Illinois. He told supervisor Lisa Jefferson about the hijacking. The passengers were planning to jump the terrorists, he said. And then he asked her to pray with him. He began to recite the Lord’s Prayer, and Jefferson joined him: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
As they finished, Beamer added, "Jesus, help me." And then, Beamer and his fellow passengers prayed a prayer that has comforted millions down through the centuries -- the prayer that David wrote in a time of great anguish: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ... Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
And then the famous last words: "Are you guys ready? Let’s roll."
5 Principles of prayer
Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
1. Approach Him with reverence and tenderness
v.9 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
• The words used by Jesus to address Our Heavenly Father
• Pater – the almighty creator of heaven and earth
• Abba – your heavenly daddy who is the God of all comfort
2. Approach Him with humility and dependency v.9 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread.
• Your Kingdom come and will be done, not my will be done
• Declare my dependency on you for my needs, I sacrifice for you and in turn claim the promise that you will provide for my needs.
God appeared to Solomon in II Chron. 1:7 and told he could ask for anything he wanted. Most of us, if put in that position, would have ask for things that would be beneficial to us but because Solomon was in the will of God, he ask for something that would help others. He ask for wisdom to lead God¡¦s people into His will.
3. Approach Him with forgiveness
v.12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
• My I freely forgive others as you have freely forgiven me.
• My I demonstrate your love, grace and mecry as you have shown them to me
4. Approach Him with alertness v.13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.
• Alert to the attach of the enemy
• Alert to the needs to others
1 Tim 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
5. Approach Him with sincerity and gratefulness v.13 For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
• He wants us to come to Him with honesty. He knows how we truly feel so we need to be open and honest with Him.
• The focus needs to be Him and not ourselves and our desires
• Luke 17:11-19 Jesus heals 10 leapers, but only 1 returns to say thank you
A man’s daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. The pastor assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me," he said. "No, who are you?"
"I’m the new pastor at your local church," the pastor replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up."
"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?"
Puzzled, the pastor shut the door.
"I’ve never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head.."
I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, "Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here’s what I suggest. Sit down on a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky because he promised, "I’ll be with you always." Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you’re doing with me right now."
"So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."
The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, and returned to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy had died that afternoon.
"Did he seem to die in peace?" he asked.
"Yes, when I left the house around two o’clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange, In fact, beyond strange--kind of weird. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed."
