INTRO.- ILL.- One Sunday in a Midwest city a little boy was "acting up" during the morning worship. His parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the father picked the little boy up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer the little boy called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
Do we believe in prayer? Or do we just believe in prayer in times of emergency only?
As you well know, many people only pray when they are confronted with something extremely difficult or unmanageable in life.
ILL.- I remember going to a funeral home before a funeral to be with the family of a deceased husband. I have often done that but generally, only if I have been asked because most family members want some private time to grieve and especially, the first time they view their deceased loved one. This time was an exception.
I stayed back while the family viewed their loved one. The wife of deceased almost immediately broke down in hysterical crying. She screamed out loud, “Would somebody please pray!” What would YOU do in a situation like that? Since I was speaking at the funeral I immediately stepped up and offered a prayer, hoping it would comfort the man’s wife at least a little. And it seemed to do that.
Isn’t it interesting how coming into the presence of God can calm the spirit and soul of a person?! Shouldn’t this tell us something about prayer? Shouldn’t this tell us that we need more time in His presence in order to calm us while living in this hectic world?
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
That lady was not a Christian as far as I can remember and her husband suddenly left this world from a heart attack. She was in shock! He meant so very much to her. She needed help. She needed the comfort of prayer. She needed the Lord. And prayer is certainly the right approach to God.
Why pray? Because in prayer we bow, we humble ourselves before Him. We admit our need. We admit our helplessness. We admit we need Him, His strength, His help, His blessing, His mercy and grace. AND WE DO! We do every day.
Give ear to my words, O Lord. Don’t we want God to hear us when we pray?
PROP.- How to plead with God to hear your prayers.
1- Ask early
2- Hate evil
3- Seek mercy
4- Live righteously
5- Find refuge
1. ASK EARLY
3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Does the Lord hear your voice every morning? I hope so.
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.”
John Bunyan (November 1628 – August 1688) was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. He wrote: “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.”
Could this be true? If this is true, then we’d better start our days in prayer. At least, I have discovered that my days go better with prayer.
He also wrote: “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” Prayer enhances us and empowers us for life!
Ephesians 3:16 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”
ILL.- I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
I didn’t have time to pray.
Troubles just tumbled about me
And heavier came each task.
Why doesn’t God help me, I wondered,
He answered, “You didn’t ask.”
I tried to come into God’s presence,
I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
“Why child, you didn’t knock.”
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on grey and bleak,
I called on the Lord for the reason—
He said “You didn’t seek.”
I woke up early this morning
And paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.
ILL.- C. S. Lewis wrote: “The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.” That other, larger, stronger, quieter life should be the Lord speaking to us as we seek Him in prayer.
Reuben Archer Torrey (January, 1856 – October, 1928), was an American evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer. Torrey wrote: "Oh, men and women, pray through; pray through! Do not just begin to pray and pray a little while and throw up your hands and quit; but pray and pray and pray until God bends the heavens and comes down."
What did R. A. Torrey mean? I suspect he meant that we must pray and keep on praying until we get an answer from God. Perhaps the idea of “praying through to the end of a matter.” Pray until you get an answer. I do think we often give up too quickly when it comes to praying about things.
ILL.- George Müller (German - September 1805 – March 1898), a Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, cared for 10,024 orphans in his life. Müller prayed about everything and expected each prayer to be answered.
When asked how much time he spent in prayer, George Muller's reply was, "Hours every day. But I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk and when I lie down and when I arise. And the answers are always coming."
We must ask early and often if we want God to answer our prayers.
2. HATE EVIL
4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. 6 You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
If God hates evil then what should we do or how should we feel about it?
Romans 12:9 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
ILL.- Aug. 13, 2011 A father of three was charged with first-degree murder in the case of Breeann Rodriguez, the 3-year-old who went missing on Aug. 6 while riding her pink bicycle in her Senath, Mo., neighborhood. Shawn Morgan, 43, told authorities that “he felt like it took an hour for the girl to die” when he suffocated her with a white trash bag, according to court documents.
When we hear stories like the murder of little three year old Breeann Rodrigues of Seaneth, MO, how can we not hate evil?
If we don’t hate that which is evil how can we love that which is good? And, of course, we need to hate all kinds of evil. The idea, of course, is that we need to have the heart of God. We must love the good and hate the evil. The more we do, the more He will listen to our prayers it seems.
And certainly, if we don’t shun evil, God will not answer our prayers.
Psalm 66:18-19 “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.” We must hate all evil and even in ourselves if we want God to answer our prayers.
3. SEEK MERCY
7 But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.
It is by God’s mercy that we come into His presence and will eventually be in His eternal presence. And it is by mercy that we should live, meaning, we should demonstrate mercy toward others.
“Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 If we don’t treat others right how can we expect God to treat us right AND answer our prayers?
I knelt to pray when day was done,
And prayed, “O Lord bless every one,
Lift from every saddened heart the pain,
And let the sick be well again.”
And then I woke another day,
And carelessly went upon my way.
The whole day long I did not try
To wipe a tear from any eye.
I did not try to share the load
Of any brother on the road.
I did not even go to see
The sick man just next door to me.
Yet once again when day was done,
I prayed, “O Lord bless everyone.”
But as I prayed, into my ear
There came a voice that whispered clear,
“Pause, hypocrite, before you pray,
Whom have you tried to bless today?
God’s sweetest blessings always go,
By hands which serve Him below.”
And then I hid my face and cried,
“Forgive me, God, for I have lied.
Let me but live another day,
And I will live the way I pray!”
4. LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make straight your way before me.
Robert Leighton (1611 – June 1684) was a Scottish scholar, best known as a church minister, Bishop of Dunblane, Archbishop of Glasgow, and Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1653 to 1662. He was "noted for his Christian piety, his humility and gentleness, and his devotion to his calling".
Robert Leighton wrote: "An angelic life, spent between ascending in prayer to fetch blessings from above, and descending to scatter them among men." Amen.
We ask for blessings from God in order to scatter them here on earth. In part, that means when we pray we must also live right or righteously here on earth. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness.
If we stay in daily contact with the Lord through prayer how can we not live right? When you live in the presence of God in prayer how can you live right or at least, want to live right?
We must pray to be right and to live right in this world. If we don’t live right we may not be a people of prayer!
5. FIND REFUGE
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
ILL.- Dr. George Washington Carver said, “My prayers seem to be more of an attitude than anything else. I indulge in no lip service, but ask the great God silently, daily, and often many times a day, to permit me to speak to Him. I ask Him to give me wisdom, understanding and bodily strength to do His will. Hence, I am asking and receiving all the time.” Smart man.
ILL.- Charles Hodge, pioneer Presbyterian minister, said: “I think that in my childhood, I came nearer the apostolic injunction, ‘Pray without ceasing,’ than in any other period of my life. (1 Thes. 5:17) As far back as I can remember, I had the habit of thanking God for everything I received, and asking Him for everything I wanted.
“If I lost a book or any of my playthings, I prayed that I might find it. I prayed walking along the streets, in school and out of school, whether playing or studying. I did not do this in obedience to any prescribed rule. It seemed natural. I thought of God as everywhere present, full of kindness and love, and would not be offended if children talked to Him.” AMEN!
It sounds like to me that both of these men, George Washington Carver and Charles Hodge found a refuge in the Lord! And we must do the same! We do this by praying constantly, by being in constant touch with the Lord.
If we believe He is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble, why would we not want to be constantly talking to Him and seeking His grace?
Hebrews 4:16 “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.” If God is our refuge and strength, let us pray, asking for mercy and grace constantly. WHY? Because we need Him and them!
CONCLUSION-----------------------
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD. He will if we will. He will give ear to our words, our prayers, if we seek Him and ask of Him.
ILL.- When Martin Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; he (Martin Luther) said, 'Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope."
That is the way to pray! FOCUS OR CONCENTRATE ON THE LORD! The only way to survive this world is to focus on the Lord! Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!
Steve Shepherd, Jonesboro Christian Church, AR jonesborochristianchurch@suddenlink.net
