Title: That’s Why I Pray
Place: BLCC
Date: 1/8/17
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5.17
CT: I pray because my Savior Jesus prayed.
FAS: Play "That’s Why I Pray" video by Big and Rich
[Screen 1]
LS: I’m begging for forgiveness
I wanna make a difference
Even in the smallest way.
I’m only one person, but I can feel it working
I believe in better days.
That’s why I pray.
I love the message of this song. I first heard it about 4 or 5 years ago and still crank it up sometimes as I pray.
Prayer is mentioned over 600 times in the New Testament alone. Must be pretty important. I am in my second week of the series on prayer. Today we are looking at “Why We Pray”.
The Bible does not beat around the push and just suggest we pray every once in a while or before we eat or before we go to bed. These are all good, but that is still short of what God’s word says we are to do.
Our main text today comes from 1 Thess. 5.17. Shouldn’t be too hard to memorize this one. Two words: [Screen 2] PRAY CONTINUALLY. How do we do that? Well, what I say and you can disagree with me because I don’t have a scripture to back this up. This is my own commentary I have in my head which could be foggy since my wife gave me a shirt this Christmas that says my brain is 75% full of old song lyrics. She is probably right.
But I believe this short text means we are to live our life as a prayer. By this I mean everything we say and do should be focused on God and His Son and their will on my life. Tall order for two little words I guess, but I tend to think that way.
So as I listened to the Big and Rich song I saw how it gave rise to reinforce this belief I have about prayer. I also see it as very biblical as well, which is really where my belief comes from.
The chorus:[Screen 3]
-Begging for forgiveness.
That is found in Matthew 6.10. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. We hit this last week. Our prayers should always keep this in mind.
[Screen 4]
-I wanna make a difference.
Wow don’t we all want to do that. Shouldn’t that be what we are about here at BLCC, making a difference not just trying to prove a point?
Ephesians 6.18-20. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
It says we are to pray for all people. We are to prayer in the Spirit. We are to pray that what we do will make a difference and get the gospel to other people.
[Screen 5]
-Even in the smallest way.
You may feel like there is nothing you can do. You feel too small or not skilled enough to make a difference. But don’t forget what Jesus says in Matthew 13.31-32. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.
God can use our smallest amount of faith demonstrated in a prayer in enormous ways. Never forget that. [Screen 6]
-Only one person but I can feel it working.
What can I do as only one person? James 5.16, Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
He didn’t say the prayer of the church or the prayer of the preacher. He is talking about us all as one person who does his or her best to follow Jesus Christ.
Pray for the one… what you wish you could do for everyone. Look for the chance to put your prayer into action for one person. That’s is where community comes in. That is what church is about. That is what the body of Christ is about. All of us as members of the body doing and praying for our one will reach an amazing number of people as a church and as the body of Christ. Our ones add up to many.
Jesus did this all the time. We are to be like Jesus, even in Walmart. Even at school. Even at work. Even at….you finish the sentence. [Screen 7]
-I believe in better days. 1 Peter 1.3, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
There is a guarantee of a better day if we are in Christ. You get that. That’s the gospel for today.
Jesus is found praying over a dozen specific times in the gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He also, we can assume, spent much time in prayer alone.
No doubt he spent much time in prayer in the 40-day duration of his tempting by the Devil in the wilderness.
He also prayed aloud in times of trouble and turmoil. He prayed to God to take away the cup he was to drink in the garden of Gethsemane. [Screen 8]
Mark 13.46, “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Jesus cried to his father on the cross. [Screen 9]
In Hebrews 5.7 it says Jesus prayed for God to save his life. We know Jesus lost his life on the cross, at least his earthly life. Jesus would live again eternally for sure. And so will we if we are in Him. Guess that is the gospel again. Can’t seem to get too much of that.
But God does not always answer prayer the way we would want or even as Jesus would want. What I do know is that when I pray to God I will get a positive outcome in the end.
Jesus even made it known by praying publicly that others may believe. [Screen 10] John 11.42, I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Yet there are those who claim prayer is a waste of time. I’ve seen posts where people mock those who offer prayer on Facebook. Some very mean and vicious posts I might add.
Does prayer matter? When doubt begins to creep in and I wonder if my prayer may be a fancy way of just talking to myself, I quickly remind myself that the Son of God who is the master of the universe felt the need to pray.
So I guess the simplest answer to someone who mocks our prayers and the importance we place on them is to say, “I pray because Jesus prayed. As his follower, what else would I do?”
There are three things that make it hard for so-called enlightened people to believe in prayer. [Screen 11]
1. God exists. You have to get past that first. God is not dead. [Screen 12]
2. God hears our prayers. God is not just sitting up in heaven on his throne watching us as little specks running around down here. He hears and sees us. [Screen 13]
3. God cares about our prayers. If you get John 3.16 this one is a no-brainer for you.
These must be believed. If we don’t believe this we are basically saying Jesus is mistaken or deluded. As for me I take the word of the One who predicted his own death on a cross and told everyone he would rise again on the third day. HE DID!!! Nuff said.
In many ancient cultures, Greeks for example, prayer was mocked and made fun of. The playwrights of that culture used prayers to introduce comedy into their plays. Even the Jewish people were beginning to believe their prayers were not being heard.
But Jesus came to be the answer to their prayers and ours.
When I visit with people grieving over some illness or loss or tragedy and they ask me “why” this had to happen, I have to be honest and tell them I can’t answer the “why” though I would love to be able to. This is the question I often get from a family member.
What I do tell them is God does hear and does know how they feel. We see the face of God when we see the tear streaked face of Jesus at the graveside of a friend and see how he responds to those he comes in contact with who are hurting and sick.
I guess to address the problem of why children are abused, cancer comes back, relationships fall apart, loved one are lost too soon, or you name your own struggle, we must look closer to who God is.
For whatever reason, it is God’s will to respect human freedom. As long as sin and darkness are allowed to reign on earth there will be terrible things happen to God’s people. I cannot say prayer will fix everything or heal everyone. Miracles do happen but not always and God's will is never over ruled.
What I can say is I have a God we see in Jesus who said of his people in Matthew 23.37.
[Screen 14] How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
God will one day gather us all as his children. All those who are willing to follow Him.
Jesus prayed for his disciples before he left to be crucified. He prayed that God would sanctify them, to set them apart, to make them holy. [Screen 15]
Jesus also prayed for us today. John 17.20-22, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.
Jesus’ prayer is yet to be answered. He wants us all to come to him. That is his prayer.
[Screen 16]
AND THAT IS WHY I PRAY!
When I am tempted, that’s why I pray. I pray for wisdom.
When I feel weak, that ‘s why I pray. I pray for strength.
When I am discouraged, that’s why I pray. I pray for encouragement.
When someone is hurting, that’s why I pray. I pray for healing and mercy.
When someone is hurting me, that’s why I pray. I pray I can forgive them.
When someone is losing to sickness, that’s why I pray. I pray for a miracle.
When someone is lost, that’s why I pray. I pray for the Holy Spirit to take over and intervene. I only witness, He will save.
When something needs to be done. That’s why I pray God will give me what I need to get it done for Him.
When I realize I can do no more to help a friend or family member, that’s why I pray. I’ve been there. [Screen 17]
Luke 18.1, Then Jesus told his disciples… they should always pray and not give up.
And that brings us back to our original verse. Two words: [screen 18] 1 Thess. 5.17 PRAY CONTINUALLY.
But I also like the two words in the verse just ahead of it. [Screen 19] 1 Thess. 5.16 REJOICE ALWAYS! (emphasis mine)
[Screen 20] That’s Why I Pray
I truly do pray for forgiveness!
I pray to make a difference!
I pray to be the one who can help even in the smallest way as one following Jesus!
I do pray to believe in better days in Jesus no matter what this world throws at us!
CT: I pray because my savior Jesus Christ prays. His prayer is for all to accept Him and his love and grace. Colossians 3.4 says, pray that a door will be open. Let us pray for someone’s door to his or her heart is opened today.
Let us pray… It is not my job to save, I am to witness, God, we ask you to save.
Bibliography:
Thanks to Big and Rich for their Faith filled song, That’s Why I Pray
Yancey, Philip (2008-09-09). Prayer Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
