Hello Lord
Selected Scriptures
Introduction-
We have been in a series Thinking, Being, Acting like Jesus.
Last week we moved from the thinking like Jesus to acting like Jesus.
This morning we want to look at prayer. Can you imagine acting like Jesus and not addressing prayer? Can you picture Jesus without having a prayer life to the Heavenly Father.
Everything He did, everything He said lined up with God’s Word, God’s direction, and God’s will and purpose for His life.
In the last several weeks we have been honest about things that we struggle with.
Prayer, communicating with God has to be one of them.
Through these studies, I have had people come to me and say they appreciate my honesty about struggles.
I want to tell everyone again, pastors, leaders, struggle with things just like everyone else.
The difference I pray is that you will allow God to help you through your struggles.
Prayer Works-
That ought to be a sign on everyone of our refrigerators, posted over a fireplace, embedded in our hearts.
Jesus at Gethsemane knew the purpose and the call the Father had for Him.
Jesus knew He could not do it without His Fathers help.
Jesus sought the Fathers help.
There are several reasons that we should pray and several reasons that we don’t pray. Lets start with reasons we don’t pray. Some are very obvious.
1. You do not know God, don’t want to know Him, and you have no reason to communicate with Him.
2. You do know God but are hiding from Him because of some of your life choices.
3. You know God but don’t know how to start a conversation with God or begin a relationship.
4. You want to do things your way, and that will conflict with God’s way.
5. You are swamped with burdens and you do not know how to get out from under them.
6. You are full of yourself, you have no time for God, or for anyone else. It is all about you!
I am sure there is more, but that is a few.
Several reasons you would pray
1. You want to know God’s will for your life.
2. You have seen God work before and you are thankful for what He has done.
3. You have laid your burdens down and desire His peace for your life.
4. You do not want to make big decisions without seeking God’s direction.
5. You have compassion for others and intercede on their behalf.
Just like the Psalmist declares in Psalms 66
“But God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me.”
Like I said last week, if you do not engage or connect with God, wither it be worship or prayer, you will not receive the full benefit or blessing that God has for you.
We engage in prayer by action and by discipline
There is always something else you could do, no time is the perfect time, it takes effort.
We pray because we want to know God better, reinforce our belief in God.
Notice again, Jesus at Gethsemane did not reintroduce himself to the Father. He knew God knew who he was. When I pray I do not come to God and say Hi God, this is Pastor Tony Zibolski or Reverend Zibolski. I do not approach God and say this is the oldest son of Clyde and Sharon Zibolski. I come to God with the assumption that he knows who it is and why I am coming.
• I approach God the Father usually by saying … I come to you… knowing He knows who coming and end by saying… I ask these things in Jesus name…because of my position with God through Christ.
Whither I come with a 911 call to him, asking direction, interceding for someone else, I have a conversation with God. I approach him like a child to His Father.
I did not have a father growing up. I met him only once before he died in 2000.
I Struggled with that of no father, God showed me He could be trusted, He showed me that even though my father-son relationship was not ideal- He would be.
Some have had a great relationship with their father and God says that is good, but He will be even better.
When we trust God and cast our cares on Him, share our heart with Him, He becomes a personal God.
He no longer is a God out there! But in here (heart) we begin to believe and then live out that he cares about our personal lives.
When we give God the Father permission to direct our lives and He becomes involved in our lives, He becomes steward of our lives.
Because God owns everything – he becomes the steward of our lives, and we entrust it to Him.
Listen to me here- Pray that this sinks in.
Jesus tells us about prayer in Matthew 6
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you, and when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
When you pray
Don’t be a hypocrite who likes the attention.
Don’t just babble a lot of words, God knows what you need.
It doesn’t mean all prayers have to be private and in your home. It means that it should come from a sincere heart.
I think it is a great honor that I am asked to pray and lead this church in prayer each Sunday. God has done great things! He desires to hear from each one of us also. If everyone would pray right now in the world, God would hear every prayer given to Him. Amen.
(9) This then is how you should pray
Our Father in heaven
Hallow be your name
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive our debts
As we also forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from the evil one.
For if we forgive men when they sin against you,
Your heavenly Father will also forgive you
But if you do not forgive men their sins
Your Father will not forgive your sins.
Some believe that is the only way to pray. Jesus by example gave us that way of prayer.
If that is the only way you communicate with the Lord, you have limited yourself to just ritual communication.
Jesus used that prayer as an example to show us what we can expect to accomplish by prayer.
Model of forgiveness received and given to others
Praise to the Father, and submission to His ways.
Prayer is not a babbling of words, but communication with God.
We see that God will not always deliver us from our circumstances but will deliver us through our circumstances.
The word prayer brings many thoughts because so many people have different ideas when it comes to prayer.
For some it comes easy and for some it brings intimidation.
But if you will remember that prayer is communication with God, it will be easier.
We are invited by a loving God to dialog with Him. He speaks to us, we listen to Him.
He is not a distant object out there- He listening, and He cares , and we listen and respond to Him.
Question- what does a good prayer sound like?
Lots of words?
Deep Theological overtone?
Loud voice?
Frantic excitement?
A good prayer is when communication with you and God has been achieved. He spoke and you heard and responded.
Max Lacado , speaker, author, preacher, is his latest book “Prayer Whimps” has acknowledged shortcomings in his prayer life at numerous times of his life.
• Who would have thought?
• He said that people assume that all church leaders have real solid prayer lives. He acknowledges that all struggle at times unless you prioritize your focus.
Question 2- what can be accomplished when you pray? 3 parts to this answer
1. You can lay your request before God
You acknowledge God is bigger than your problem and bigger than you can handle so you entrust it to Him. Scripture encourages us to lay it down to Him
James 5:13
“Is any of you are in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
It seems to me that if we would do more praying and laying our request to God, we would see more prayer answered.
“ The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and affective.”
2. You can find the direction for our lives that we need.
Prayer and conversation with God navigates us through life’s tough obstacles.
The Lord said to the Israelites I am the Lord that brought you out of Egypt, I delivered you from your oppressors. I am the Lord your God.
If we did more asking of God what we should do instead of trying to navigate our own lives, we would be better off.
I don’t know about you, but give me a chance of which way to go- I usually make a wrong turn.
My internal GPS doesn’t work well on its own.
I rely heavily on the fact that the Lord will be with me, and will make straight my path.
3. You can know God
There is something therapeutic about being honest with God concerning your life.
Psalmist
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?”
How many people have prayed that prayer?
Had to get to that broken state where we are willing to listen to what God says.
We all have.
How many will respond to God?
He wants to take us from hopeless to hope.
He wants to make Himself known to us as a personal God.
“I cried out to God for help
I cried out to God to hear me
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord.”
Let me bring this home
James 4:7-
“Submit yourselves, then to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.”
That is prayer- To know God, and to communicate with Him and respond to Him.
That is for everyone of us- pastors are not the only ones who should be praying. He wants to hear from us all.
Last question- how is your prayer life?
If you are not praying- start praying! You have to start somewhere. Lord’s prayer is a good start.
If you know you need to pray more than you are- set that time aside and pray.
If you are running from God, stop running- He loves you, he desires to have a relationship with you.
Don’t know what to say- keep quiet and let Him speak to you.
Amen.
