VISITATION #12: JESUS IS THE GOD WHO ANSWERS PRAYER
(March 2011 – Beausejour Church – Pastor Chris Jordan)
INTRO TO TOPIC:
• For the past 12 weeks, we have been studying the life of JESUS.
• We have learned that He is Saviour, Healer, Deliverer, Peace, Hope, Provider and more.
• We will continue our series until Easter weekend – with His death and resurrection.
• We have called the series VISITATION, because it’s not just theology (the study of God), rather it is about personally experiencing Him in our lives.
• One of the best ways for us to encounter Jesus is through prayer.
OPENING TEXT:
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1).
• Jesus’ disciples didn’t ask Him how to preach or lead, but rather how to pray.
o If I wanted to learn how to play the guitar, I would go to Ken or Colin.
o If I wanted to learn how to butcher a cow, I would go to Adolf.
• If we want to learn how to pray powerful prayers: Let’s come to Jesus!
• Side note: If you want to learn more about prayer, get our series “The School of Prayer.”
THE BIG IDEA: Jesus is the God Who Answers Prayer. When we come to Jesus and learn how to pray, our prayers will have great power and wonderful results.
I. OPEN THE DOOR TO JESUS:
Jesus responds to His disciples by giving them what we call the Lord’s prayer.
First, let’s see the cross reference in Matthew’s Gospel:
“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.” (Matthew 6:6).
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20).
• Prayer is first and foremost a personal relationship with the Lord.
II. REDISCOVER THE LORD’S PRAYER:
• Each section reveals to us something about God… (Luke 11:2-4).
1. Father: “So Jesus said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven…”
• This first part of prayer is one of the stumbling blocks for many people – FATHER.
• Because people have had a bad relationship with their fathers, or non-existent ones, they have had a hard time being able to relate to God as a Good Father.
• PERSONAL STORY: Alcoholic promise breaker for a father, strict step-father.
• Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9).
• QUOTE: “Today I wonder why it is God refers to Himself as “Father” at all. This, to me, in light of the earthly representation of the role, seems a marketing mistake. Why would God want to call Himself Father when so many fathers abandon their children?”
• God’s response to this FATHERLESS generation: “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.” (Psalm 68:5).
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:15-16).
• When you become a Christian, you are adopted into God’s family! He loves you!
• So many Christians don’t know and believe the love that God has for them.
• Jesus received the Father’s blessing at His baptism: “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” He heard this at least two other times in His life. Have YOU?
• PRAYER: The Father’s Blessing – for men / young men then women / young women.
2. God: Hallowed be Your name.
• God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.
3. King: Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
• God wants us to pray for His kingdom to come – salvation, healing, etc:
o Pray for the harvest of lost souls (Luke 10:2).
o Pray for all your leaders – pastors, government leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-3).
o Pray for the peace of Jerusalem / Beausejour, Japan, etc! (Ps. 122:6).
o Pray for the church (Eph. 1:15-22; 3:14-21; Col. 1:9-11; Phil. 1:9-11).
o Pray for unity in the church (John 17:20-21).
o Pray for God’s Word to be preached in power (Eph. 6:19).
o Pray for your enemies (Luke 6:28).
4. Provider: 3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
• God has promised to meet our needs (we learned Jesus is our Provider).
5. Saviour: 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
• God will wash us and cleanse us from our sins when we confess them.
• “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15). If we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us.
6. Protector: And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."
• We can pray for God to protect us and deliver us.
III. PERSEVERE – PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS:
“5 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” (Luke 11:5-8).
• Over and over Jesus teaches us that we need to persevere in our prayers: “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1).
“9 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:9-13).
• “how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11).
• Jesus came to reveal to us a good, loving Heavenly Father who loves to give good gifts!
BIBLE EXAMPLE:
“46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." 50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." 52 Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.” (Mark 10:46-52).
• This story is an example to us of the power and importance of faith and perseverance…
• “do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12).
• What promises? The things God has promised in His Word to give to us!
GOD’S PROMISES:
“A Psalm of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” (Psalm 103:1-5).
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
Let’s get alone in our prayer closets until we’re not alone anymore and PRAY!
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
