“A Room with a View: Perspectives on Prayer”
Distracted by Success
Today, we begin a brand new series entitled “Room with a View: Perspectives on Prayer.” Throughout the past nine months, we have looked at various ideas and concepts that build upon one simple truth…Not I, But Christ! Today, we focus on how to experience His presence in everyday life.
This room will serve to assist me in illustrating the various topics during this series – Our need to pray to God, the various challenges and distractions that we often face when we pray, and it will help me teach you the basics on just how to pray.
We chose a “Room” based on a statement Jesus made in the middle of one of his teaching times with His Disciples (and others). In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount , Jesus instructed them about prayer:
Matt. 6:5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
Why did Jesus instruct them to get alone and pray? Take note of these two reasons:
1. The temptation to use “vain repetitions” goes away because there is no one around to impress.
And, as a result,
2. When you are alone, you can practice real, intimate, soul searching prayer.
Few Christians have anything but a vague idea of the power of prayer; fewer still have any experience of that power. The church seems almost wholly unaware of the power God puts into her hand; this spiritual carte blanche on the infinite resources of God’s wisdom and power is rarely, if ever, used-never used to the full measure of honoring God. It is astounding how poor the use, how little the benefits. Prayer is our most formidable weapon, but the one in which we are the least skilled, the most averse to its use. - E.M. Bounds
We want TRBC to be a church fully engaged in prayer, fully aware of its power, fully committed to its use and fully convinced of our need for prayer. Notice, in this room, there are no windows. It is closed off. BUT, this closed-off room STILL has a view! HOW? Because it is a view of your heart…what you do in here, will provide a portrait (a view)of your heart. You see, this is indeed “A Room with a View”…but, You decide what you look at! You decide what you focus on! You decide what consumes your time in this room.…YOU set the view.
God provides the environment. God provides the opportunity. God provides the access…But it is up to YOU to take full advantage of the opportunity. And it is this “VIEW” that I want to focus our attention on today. For what we FOCUS on in life will either point us TO God or point us AWAY from God.
Sometimes, things that point us away from God are things that “enter our life,” like challenges, struggles, sickness, losses in life. Even though, these things are from the ‘outside’, we should still keep our focus on the Lord.
BUT, today, I want to focus on the things that point us away from God are things that “self-imposed” – that WE put in front of our own eyes… that cause our attention to be drawn AWAY from God.
NOTICE in this room – are a bunch of things:
1. A table over there with a writer’s pad…and we’ll explain the significance of this in the coming Sundays.
2. A mirror
3. A Table full of presents
4. But, you’ll notice that right by the door, is a trophy case!!!
And the reason why the trophy case is right by the door…is because it is this, self-imposed item that often keeps us from entering any further into this room of prayer!!! It is what is on these shelves that so often draw our attention away from entering into prayer.
Let me explain: These trophies represent our own successes…and often when we become recipients of many, many successes in life, there is a very big temptation to depend on self…and NOT on God! Let me share a very familiar verse with you regarding focusing on successes rather than God has done for you and His Holiness:
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
I’d like to share with you Three Realities about Pursuing Intimate Prayer from this little verse
Reality #1 – God will respond to your faithful pursuit to FIND Him through prayer.
James 4:8a – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Once you are a child of God, the level of intimacy and fellowship that you enjoy with your Creator is contingent on your desire, passion, and discipline to pursue Him! Your level of Intimacy with God is up to you! Now, I’m not saying that Salvation is conditional. We believe in Eternal Security not what some theologians call “Conditional Security” (meaning, you can lose it if you ever choose to walk away). Nor, am I saying that works create holiness and righteousness in a person. I am just repeating what the Bible says here; namely, that God won’t force intimacy upon you. You have to demonstrate a desire – a longing to pursue Him, And, if so, he will make sure that you find what you are looking for!
The Good news is – that if you passionately desire to draw near to God, He WILL draw near to you. It is a PROMISE. This reality is made throughout the Bible.
II Chronicles 15:1-4 Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4 but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
Zechariah 1:1-4, 6 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 “The LORD has been very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. 4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.”’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the LORD….6 “[But] they returned and said: ‘ Just as the LORD of hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”
Malachi 3:6-7 “ For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. 7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts.
Reality #2 – God will respond to your faithful pursuit to KNOW Him through prayer.
James 4:8b “…Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
The word, “hands” is often used in the OT & NT to symbolize the heart. That’s why priests would wash their hands before entering the holy of hollies – as a symbol for all to see that they proclaimed – ‘just as my hands are clean, I am going into the presence of God with a pure heart.” In essence, in a couple different ways, he is referring to the same thing. Jewish writers often repeated the point in slightly different ways to really make their point stick!
[the technique is called “parallelism”]
“Cleanse your hands”
“purify your hearts”
The POINT is simple: PURIFY YOUR HEART to enter into INTIMATE PRAYER with God.
Meaning, you can’t just live the unexamined life and expect that God will reward a sinful life with intimate fellowship.
God understands that we indeed sin as believers in our lives (NOTICE: James calls believers “sinners”). So, it is not that you have to get cleaned up prior to coming to God, BUT you do need to talk to him about the sin and challenges in your life…confess them & tell God you’re sorry. THIS is the beginning of INTIMATE PRAYER.
This observation is made throughout the Bible as well.
Psalm 24:3-4a Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart…”
Psalm 145:17-20 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 20 The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.
Again, it is not that you are excluded from worshiping God – no matter what you have done – the Bible says, though, that when you enter into your prayer closet that the FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS on your end should be to examine yourself, confess sin, so that you can enjoy the full measure of your fellowship with God!
But it is the last phrase that really highlights the problem with why we don’t experience intimate prayer:
Reality 3: God will respond to your faithful pursuit to NEED Him through prayer.
James 4:8c“…purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The term “double minded” is a very unique term found only in the book of James – in these two verses – James 1:8 & James 4:8. The word literally means, “two-souled” – Or, a heart that is turned in two directions.
You see, A person who focuses on his/her successes/accomplishments/accolades is in actuality a person who doubts God’s power BECAUSE this person is actually focusing on another source in which to place his/her faith!! The person that does this is really on dangerous ground. For this person is promised spiritual instability and a lack of intimacy with God through prayer.
WHY (again)?
Because, double-mindedness STOPS YOU AT THE DOOR & says,
“Hey, you don’t have to go any further…any deeper into the prayer room of your heart!”
“YOU’RE DOING JUST FINE ON YOUR OWN!!!’”
“Just LOOK at your success – WHO ELSE can tout overflowing amounts of successes like YOU?!”
“You’re doing just fine!”
“Doesn’t everyone look at you and think you are a strong “Man of God” at your church?”
“… Sounds like they’re all just stating the obvious – MORE BLESSING/TROPHIES…THE MORE SPIRITUAL!”
…And we believe the lie – and forget our need for God.”
You know, you look at these trophies and we can get so caught up with our own successes.
Like:
1. Our brilliance or intelligence
2. Our accomplishments
3. Our compliments
...and we have bought into it all! And we think that we don’t need God!
But let’s revisit each one and see what God says about each of these trophies we focus our attention on:
1. Our brilliance or intelligence: God says that our own ‘wisdom’ will not gain you intimacy with God:
I Corinthians 1:18-20 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
2. Our accomplishments: God says that our own ‘efforts’ have never brought about miraculous, spiritual accomplishments. It is God’s power – through HIS name that miracles are done in people’s lives.
Acts 3:11-12, 16 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 16 …[It is] His name [Jesus], through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
3. Our compliments: God says not to listen to words that will foster conceit or selfish promotion and to get our eyes off of ourselves.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
The Point is…if our eyes are on ourselves & our accomplishments, then we simply won’t get past the door…and we will not experience intimacy with God through prayer.
If you have a trophy case, you understand what you do with them.
We sit down and we stare at them…We focus on them…We polish them again…
We position and re-position them again so as to create the best, most impressive view for those who pass by. But the problem is…We find comfort in the presence of our successes and not in the presence of God.
Matt. 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
You know that we have had to lean on prayer in this church. I, as your pastor, have leaned heavily on prayer for His guidance as we move ahead. I ended the Ultimate Ride Series last Sunday telling you that God’s ‘Ideal Family’ must “Value Praying together!” It is not just a nice thing to do…it is necessary to do!
And for the next few weeks – leading up to Easter Sunday – I felt compelled to draw our church’s attention to serious, intentional prayer for HIS Name to be magnified & HIS Glory to be seen in this place. BUT His glory will not be seen if we sit back and focus on what God has done and attribute the successes to ourselves!
While on the mountain tops - we must still remember God. While we have good health - we must still focus our hope in Christ. While Job is secure and successful – we must depend on the Holy One Who is the giver of all blessings.…and you must say, “It must & will begin with me!”
"Our greatest fear should not be that we fail but that we succeed in things that do not matter."
"Nothing of eternal significance ever occurs apart from prayer."
A man is what he is on his knees before God and no more!
All of our failures are prayer failures!
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
