House of prayer sermon #2
“Get Praying”
1 Timothy 2:1-7
- I urge you. I encourage you. I challenge you. I charge you. I beg you. I plead with you. I appeal to you. I’m asking you. Wow! That’s a lot urging.
Sometimes it takes a lot to get people to do things.
ILL.- One dental worker said: At the busy dental office where I work, one patient was always late. Once when I called to confirm an appointment, he said, "I’ll be about 15 minutes late. That won’t be a problem, will it?"
"No," I told him. "We just won’t have time to give you an anesthetic." He arrived early.
The idea of suffering pain was a pretty good motivation. That’s always a good motivator! Most of us don’t like pain!
ILL.- Bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "Because that’s where the money is."
Money is also a good motivator. As the bumper sticker reads: “Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I go.” Or it’s more like, “I owe, I owe, so it’s off to work I go.”
ILL.- There was once a jockey who had an unbelievable winning record. Just before the end of any race, the jockey would lean way over and seemingly speak to the horse. A reporter asked the jockey what he did that made such a difference in the horse’s speed. He replied: "I simply quote a little verse in his ear: ’Roses are red, violets are blue; Horses that lose are made into glue!"
Mercy. Yes, I guess the thought of death would be a good motivator for most folks. However, I’ve known of doctors to say to some people, “If you don’t stop what you’re doing you’re going to die.”
And some of those people just keep right on doing what they’ve been doing. Maybe some doctors should say even more, like, “If you don’t stop that wild living not only are you going to die, you may also spend eternity where you don’t want.”
YOU:
LOOK:
1 Timothy 2:1
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—"
The word “URGE” or exhortation is stronger than a simple suggestion.
Paul wants these instructions:
- carried out to the letter.
- more than proper actions,
- the acts are to be joined with the right attitudes
- 1 Timothy 1 emphasized proper attitudes
- especially proper attitudes in prayer
We are reminded that our PRAYERS are to be:
- “made for all people” 1 Timothy 2:1
- this includes a heavy emphasis on the LOST
Prayer is a stool with 4 legs:
A. Prayers of PETETION:
- these are prayers from the deepest part of the heart
- also called prayers of “supplication”
- these are prayers of NEEDS.
We pray a lot of “I Need” prayers:
- I’m sick, I’m broke, I’m exhausted, I’m overwhelmed
- Lord Help ME!!!
- Lord Give me (money, health, peace, strength)
I’d say that we need to balance:
- our “I need” prayers with prayers for others
- except that word “balance” implies a 50/50 relationship
- between prayer for “MY”, or even “OUR” needs.
The text today is teaching us to Pray unbalanced prayers:
- spend time praying for the lost, the least, the little
- spend time praying for Kings and politicians even.
Pray for yourself, but spend more time praying for the NEEDS OF OTHERS:
- The Bible tells us that God knows our needs
- it is right to ask God for what we want
- God loves you, but he also LOVES OTHERS
- It pleases God when we LOVE OTHERS enough to pray for them.
- both in Christ and ALSO those outside the Christ
B. General PRAYER:
- these prayers are to be offered for “All men”
- pray for the cashier at Kroger, the UPS man, pray for your neighbor and his Salvation.
Remember that God SALVATION of PEOPLE is of 1st Importance to God:
“For God so LOVED the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
When we pray ESPECIALLY FOR THE SALVATION OF THEIR SOUL:
- We are valuing SACRIFICE Jesus made for all men
- We are LOVING PEOPLE the way God loves people
- aligning our hearts desire with the desire of God
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
The fact that people are dying and going to HELL:
- should concern us
- draw us to our knees in sadness
- pull our hearts to the Lord and seek his blessing upon these people
- that we would have a part to play in their salvation
WE pray for the Lost because:
IT IS NOT OKAY WITH US THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW JESUS
C. Prayers of INTERCESSION:
- This is the prayer of going before God
- and “pleading for God’s blessing on behalf of another person.”
We need to intercede on behalf of others:
Intercede? What’s that?
It’s like being a lawyer on someone’s behalf in a court of law only in this case you plead to God for them!
And your pleading in the name of Jesus will do more good than any lawyer, in any courtroom, pleading to win his case.
WHY? BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOVING, COMPASSIONATE FATHER!
4. Prayers of THANKSGIVING:
- most of us are great at ASKING God for a blessing
- Do we Thank God for what:
- He has done already?
- His Goodness to know how to bless us NOW
Do we THANK GOD for giving:
- us SALVATION that comes through his sacrifice on the CROSS?
- Choosing to LOVE us when we:
- were sinners
- sin NOW even when we know better
- Giving good things to his Children when we DESERVE DEATH?
- Considering each hair on our head?
- Telling us plainly that WHILE
- he organizing everything in the universe
- he still works into EVERYTHING the good of those who follow JESUS?
1 Timothy 2:1b-2
“for all people—2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
- “for all people”
- includes Kings and those in authority
- the President, Congress, Senators, local governments
But WHY pray for these people???
- Prayer can reach them,
- and change them uniquely
- all of them need God’s direction in ways that connect with our lives.
“God is still ruling the affairs of men. It is still God who raises up and casts down rulers of this nation and world. God does not operate on man’s schedule – but ACTS in answer to the prayers prayed like Daniel of old.” (College Press 1 Timothy commentary page 49.)
Remember Daniel 6:6-10:
“So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.
8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”
- Prayer was outlawed, except in worship to King Darius
- So Daniel prayed anyway.
- He was thrown in the the LIONS DEN
Daniel was a tough guy, not afraid of Lions
Daniel was a “Savage” Prayer warrior
Daniel 6:23
“The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in God.”
For Daniel:
- he would rather spend the night locked in a cave with hungry Lions than to stop praying
YOU:
Are YOU in the habit of Prayer?
Where does Prayer fit into your life?
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO BE THROWN INTO THE LIONS PIT:
- so that you could remain faithful in prayer
- knowing that God is with us, even when we are in a PIT
“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight…..”
Daniel 6:22
Daniel was faithful in prayer:
- even when life and death were on the line
- even in the Lions pit God sent His angel to shut the mouths of the Lions.
We have some Pit dwellers here this morning:
- you are in the pit of poverty
- or you are in the pit of sickness
- it could be this morning you lie in the pit of Pain
- or the pit of desperation
- maybe you are in the pit of lonliness
- you could be in the pit of debt
I want you to know, that God hears our prayers:
- even when we are in the pit
- that God is near
- sometimes God will take you out of the pit
- And sometimes God is with us in the valley of the shadow of death.
- but we have no need to fear because God is WITH US
- His rod and staff guide us to the very end of our days!!
The Power of prayer can help us, but it can MORE IMPORTANTLY:
- change someone’s eternal destination from Heaven to Hell
- it can give hope and salvation to the lost
- prayer involves us in an ACTIVITY THAT PLEASES GOD….
WE ARE URGED TO BE FAITHFUL IN PRAYER BECAUSE:
- it is God’s desire
“that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:2)
1 Timothy 2:3-4
“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
God is pleased when PEOPLE PRAY:
- God wants all people to COME to be saved
- our prayers to that END UNITE us with GOD’s WILL
SINCE God wants people to be saved:
- and tells us to pray for the LOST,
- made a path for the LOST to be FOUND,
- through the Blood of Jesus there is a path from Sinners to God
- it only makes sense that God would BLESS our efforts
WHEN we PRAY!!!
If anyone dies and goes to HELL:
- it is against God’s will
- God’s will is that everyone go to HEAVEN,
- God sent Jesus to the cross, so that EVERYONE could be save
- God takes no pleasure in the CONDEMNATION of anyone.
- But we have FREEWILL to:
- choose to accept or reject the offer
“For there is (A) one God and (B) one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ©6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a (D) herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.”
1 Timothy 2:5-7
Why Pray for ALL MEN?
A. There is one God
B. There is one mediator, that is Jesus
C. The Ransom has been paid
D. The Commission to the Gentiles…
- we remember that Paul was the Apostles to the Gentiles
- to the Jews, Gentiles were rejects
- better a dog than a Gentile
- and Still God pursues the LOST..
- We also Remember the Great Commission of JESUS:
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
I once was LOST, but NOW I am FOUND, WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE, …..
- we are must be concerned with the Souls of the LOST
- we must be busy doing our Fathers work
- the most important work we can do it PRAYER.
God’ grace is not just for ME,
God’s grace and salvation is meant to SAVE the WHOLE WORLD….
What do I DO with all this???
DO:
1. I URGE YOU TO PRAY
Ephesians 6:18
“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 saints.”
Colossians 4:2-4
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.”
We shouldn’t have to be urged to pray.
- It should come naturally for the child of God.
- We should want to pray.
- We should want to talk to God constantly.
Good w/o Prayer:
When Robert Louis Stevenson was a boy he once remarked to his mother,
"Momma, you can’t be good without praying."
"How do you know, Robert?" she asked.
"Because I’ve tried!" he answered.
I agree:
- I don’t think any of us can be what God wants us to be without prayer.
- Our relationship with God calls for prayer, much prayer.
- Much time alone with Him.
? We need Him to be good!
2. I URGE YOU TO BE GODLY:
This world that we live in is more WICKED than it is GOOD.
- Nevertheless, we’re here and we are urged to be holy and godly.
- Goodness and godliness don’t come easy to us.
- It’s easy to sin, but it’s much more difficult to be holy
- It’s easier to be a sinner than to be a saint.
Paul said that we should pray in such a way as to develop holiness or godliness in us.
Psalm 37:7
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
3. SEEK SALVATION:
- what do you mean? I’m already saved.
- seek salvation for the LOST
This sermon series is called “HOUSE OF PRAYER”
- I don’t think we do a very good job of praying for the lost
- we can do better, I can do better.
- will we do better??
WE must seek the salvation of lost souls, by pointing them to JESUS:
- don’t look to me to give you salvation, I can’t save you
- don’t look to your neighbor or anyone else.
- only Jesus can save a soul
CONCLUSION------------------------
ILL.- Enveloped in a cloud of dust, the county agricultural agent drove into the farmyard and bounced onto the old farmer’s porch. The farm looked pretty much run-down, and the farmer sitting in the creaking rocker did too.
The agent began sharing what he thought were exciting ideas for improving the farm, but the old man stopped him in mid-sentence and said, "Simmer down, sonny; already I ain’t farmin as good as I know how.”
Most of us know a whole lot more than we are doing. We know how to live better than we do. We know that we need to pray more, be more holy and lead more people to Christ.
What’s the key? Not more education, not more and better equipment, but more or better motivation. And our motivation is: THE LORD TOLD US SO!
Credit: Steve Shepherd “I Urge You” sermoncentral Jan. 24, 2011, College Press commentary on 1 Timothy 2. These are free resources on collegepress.com. If I have your material in this sermon, let me know and I’ll give you credit. I am sorry if the format of this sermon if challenging. I am using some of Jeff Strites material.
