UNSAFE PRAYERS
Jer. 42:20
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE LUMBERYARD
1. A man went to the lumber yard and said to an attendant, “I want 5 4X2’s.” The attendant said, “Do you mean 2X4’s?” He answered, “Let me go out to the truck to ask.”
2. He went out and came back and said, “Yes!” Then the attendant asked him, “How long do you need them?”
He answered, “Let me go out to the truck to ask.”
3. When he came back, he said, “I need them for a long time. I’m building a house!”
B. TEXT
“You are putting your lives at risk by sending me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God; tell us everything the Lord our God says, and we’ll do it.’” Jer. 42:20, CEV (Contemporary English Version).
C. THESIS: SAFE VS. UNSAFE PRAYERS
1. I want to talk about unsafe prayers. Is there such a thing? They’re not necessarily the easy prayers we’re accustomed to.
2. Most of us prefer the safe prayer route. We often pray “God bless us…help us…protect us.” Those aren’t bad prayers, but they are safe prayers, because they allow us to keep our distance from God.
3. Unsafe prayers take us out of our comfort zone; where we’re asking God to do more than just keep us safe. They’re intimate prayers, which if we pray them will open ourselves much more to God. Sounds fun! Right?
4. The title of this message is, “Unsafe Prayers.”
I. “SEARCH MY HEART”
1. The first unsafe prayer was prayed by David in Psalm 139. David’s enemies had accused him of having wrong motives. Instead of defending himself, David turned to God and said, “God, SEARCH MY HEART and see if this is true!”
2. TEXT: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive [wicked] way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24.
3. You may wonder, “Why would we ask God to search our heart? He already knows it.”
A. WITHOUT CHRIST, WE HAVE BAD HEARTS
1. Actually, we need to understand that without Christ, we don’t have a good heart. We often make this statement about people, “Oh, they have a good heart.” Actually, if we want to be truthful, they don’t.
2. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” KJV. The Complete Jewish Bible translates the KJ “wicked” as “mortally sick.”
3. The fallen nature is a fatal condition that is incurable. It can only be remedied by a heart transplant. This helps us to understand that our hearts are wicked and incurable.
4. Even with Christ, we still struggle…but this prayer may help us to uncover more about ourselves, which is why it’s not so safe.
B. WE EASILY DECEIVE OURSELVES
1. We easily deceive others and most often, ourselves. For example, and here’s a dangerous question: “How many of you have told a lie, even since you’ve been a Christian?”
2. One of the political candidates was asked if they’d ever lied and they said “No.” Everyone immediately doubted their honesty, because EVERYONE tells a “white lie” now & then. We’re all guilty. None of us are innocent. That’s why we need Christ.
3. We lie to ourselves. When we sin, we tell ourselves, “It’s not so bad. Everyone else is doing it, nobody will know I did it. I can stop after 1 drink; I’m not full of pride; I’m just as good as anyone else. In fact, I’m better! I don’t lust. I’m not materialistic, I just like nice things. I’m not a gossip, I just want to pass on prayer requests.”
4. “Search me, O God, and know my heart!” This prayer gives God the opportunity to show you some things about yourself which can bring you into a more intimate relationship with Him.
5. The hope is that the Holy Spirit will transform you more and more into the image of Christ. It’s not safe, but it can make you so much closer to God.
C. SHOW ME WHERE I’M WICKED
1. David was asking: “God, while I’m being really vulnerable, see if there’s anything in me that’s offensive or wicked?” How many want to ask that prayer? I told you this is not a safe prayer! It takes courage.
2. We have to really trust that God loves us and won’t shoot a lightning bolt at us when our sin is revealed. Have you ever noticed it’s really difficult to see our sins? Yet, it’s easy to find everybody else’s.
3. This can be one of the most God honoring prayers you ever pray – giving God permission to point out any sin that’s in your heart. And when God points it out, we mustn’t deny or become defensive about it. Submit to God and cooperate with God to make the changes you need to.
4. The best way to start is by confessing to God. Come clean: admit, “I have an addiction issue.” “I’m full of pride.” “I’ve got a lust issue.” “My anger is out of control.” “I’m materialistic and selfish.” Pray for deliverance.
5. HUMOR: HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT
a. There’s a fantastic exercise that really helps you to lose weight: Turn your head to the left. Good.
b. Turn your head to the right. Very good. Repeat this exercise whenever you are offered any food.
6. For victory, we must embrace Jesus’ power and grace, receive healing & forgiveness and strive to live free from any addictions. We’ll have it if we want it bad enough. You just need more of Jesus!
II. “I SURRENDER ALL”
A. JESUS BROKEN & POURED OUT FOR US
1. This next prayer is one you may not want to pray. It’s not safe or comfortable. At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.” 1Cor. 11:24-25.
2. This is my body – BROKEN for you! This is my blood – POURED OUT for you (Mt. 26:28).
B. THE WOMAN’S SACRIFICE OF LOVE
Just before the Last Supper (Mark 14), Jesus was anointed by a woman at Bethany.
1. Mark 14:3-6; “And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.”
2. Somewhere along the way, this woman found she was valued, respected and honored by Jesus. She experienced the power of God’s love, through Jesus. Maybe it was the first time she’d ever felt loved.
3. It transformed her and she wanted to worship Jesus in the most sacrificial way she could imagine. She took something worth an entire year’s income – today, like $31,000 – and poured it out on Him. In a flash it was gone!
4. Some people just freaked out. They were furious. How could she do that? Why would she do that? Maybe put a drop or two on His head, but not the entire bottle!
5. But it was an act of worship. Essentially, she was saying, “I'm giving you my whole life. I'm giving you the most valuable possession I have. This represents my life. Jesus, you’ve given your all for me so I now give my all for You!”
6. That’s what Jesus wants us to pray, “Lord, I surrender all. Take my life and make it an offering for Your glory!”
III. “GIVE ME BOLDNESS TO WITNESS”
Here’s a third prayer you may not want to pray.
A. TEXT
29 “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:29-31.
B. AN AMAZING PRAYER
1. The Apostles had just been dragged before the authorities. They were preparing to pay a physical price for sharing their faith.
2. I’m sad to say I’ve never ‘bled’ for the Gospel. Medhi Dibaj, Iranian Martyr, said, “It is a terrible waste for a Christian to die a natural death.”
3. The Apostles had been commanded by the highest ecclesiastical authorities not to speak any more in the name of Jesus. They threatened them with physical beatings if they continued.
4. So what did they do? Turn tail & run? Hide out? Keep quiet? No! They prayed for greater boldness to speak about Jesus, even in the face of potential death-threats!
C. REWARDS OF THIS PRAYER
1. This prayer seems like a foolish prayer to pray, but any time you step out to do the will of God, you’re coming down on the right side of the transaction.
2. We see 3 results of this prayer:
a. First, the place where they were meeting was shaken. This happened when Paul & Silas were in Philippi. It was a manifestation of the supernatural – an explosion of power in the spiritual realm.
b. Next, all those who were praying were refilled with the Holy Spirit. They’d already been filled in Acts 2, but they needed a new dose. There’s no reason to fuel a parked car! Move out and the Lord will give you fresh anointing.
c. The third result was that God gave them courage to speak boldly. Put yourself in the place to be used by God and He will orchestrate the miracle!
3. We’ve seen the 3 types of Unsafe Prayers: Search Me, I surrender All, and Speak through Me! They may not be safe, but they’re profitable!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: ‘SAVING A LIFE’
1. Dennis Rabineau, an Assemblies of God pastor, was sitting in a restaurant near a man who suddenly jumped up and tried to pull something out of his throat. Dennis watched, certain he would clear the obstruction, but the man suddenly turned his back and began waving his arms.
2. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Dennis went to him, wrapped his arms around him, and performed the Heimlich maneuver.
3. Dennis said, "When I rose to put my arms around him, I was nervous and fearful. I wondered, "Will I do it right? Will it work?"
4. As we sat there afterwards, he said to me, "You saved my life." The same fear I had felt before helping the man, was the same fear that keeps us from witnessing about the Lord.
5. The tragedy is that many may die without Christ simply because we fail to offer them the soul-saving message. We sit across the table from them and watch them dying.
6. Sometimes we may think they are pushing us away, when in reality, they were showing signs of desperation.
7. As Christians, you and I have the answer. It takes courage to share your faith; to confront those who are dying with the message of life.
B. THE CALL
1. How many would be willing to pray 1 or more of those Unsafe Prayers? Let’s ask Him to search our hearts and reveal any wicked ways in us!
2. Secondly, let’s surrender all to the Lord.
3 Thirdly, let’s ask the Lord to use us in witnessing, especially where it takes boldness to do so!
4. Prayer & altar call.
[This is a rewrite & condensation of Michael Deutsch’s messages, “Unsafe Prayers – Search My Heart” and “Unsafe Prayers – Broken.”]
