TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER
PS. 86:1-4
1. INTRODUCTION. WE AS A PEOPLE HAVE A TENDENCY TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE TROUBLING US BEFORE WE TELL GOD ABOUT IT. WHILE OTHERS MIGHT LISTEN, OFTEN TIME THERE IS VERY LITTLE THAT THEY CAN DO. I’M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE DON’T SEEK COUNSEL FROM OTHERS, BUT I AM SUGGESTING THAT BEFORE WE TALK TO ANYBODY ELSE, WE OUGHT TO TALK TO GOD FIRST. AS I ROLL BACK THE PAGES OF MY LIFE AND SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE, THAT NOBODY CAN ATTEND TO OUR REQUEST LIKE GOD. NO GROUP OF PEOPLE CAN BRING ABOUT THE RESOLUTION TO OUR SITUATION LIKE GOD. NO GOVERNMENT AGENCY CAN FREE OUR SPIRIT IN TIMES OF TURMOIL LIKE GOD. SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IN ALL THAT WE GO THROUGH, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER.
2. THE TEXT. DAVID REALIZED THAT HE NEEDED GOD TO GIVE HIM RELIEF AND RELEASE FROM THE PERPLEXING PREDICAMENT THAT HE FACED.
a) DAVID KNEW THAT NO MATTER HOW GREAT HE WAS, HE NEEDED THE ASSISTANCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD.
b) HE UNDERSTOOD THE PRINCIPLE THAT NO MATTER WHAT HE HAD ACCOMPLISHED IN HIS LIFE; HE NEEDED GOD WHO WAS FAR GREATER THAN HIMSELF TO HANDLE HIS SITUATION.
c) AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, NO MATTER HOW GREAT WE MIGHT THINK WE ARE AND NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN THIS LIFE, WE STILL NEED GOD.
d) WOE UNTO THE MAN OR WOMAN WHO FEELS THAT THEY DO NOT NEED GOD!
e) WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR PROBLEMS OUT OF OUR HANDS AND PUT IT IN GODS HANDS (ILLUSTRATION ABOUT THE SNAKES ON THE PLANE).
3. THE ELEMENTS OF DAVID’S PRAYER. DAVID REQUESTED THAT GOD WOULD HEAR HIS PRAYER.
a) WE SHOULD ALWAYS ASK GOD TO HEAR OUR PRAYER.
b) DAVID GOES TO GOD AS A SERVANT AND NOT AS A KING.
c) IT’S NOT ABOUT OUR POSITION, BUT OUR DISPOSITION.
d) DAVID SAID, “FOR I AM POOR AND NEEDY.” RECOGNIZING THAT HE HAD TO SUBMIT TO GOD.
e) IF WE WANT GOD TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS, WE MUST BE HUMBLE.
f) 2 CHRONICLES 7:14, “IF MY PEOPLE, WHICH ARE CALLED BY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY.”
g) ONE REASON WHY SO MANY PRAYERS DO NOT FIND FAVOR WITH GOD IS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF HUMILITY AND THE MINDSET THAT GOD OUGHT TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS.
h) NONE OF US HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPECT GOD TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS BASED ON MERIT, BUT ON THE SINCERITY OF OUR HEART.
i) ANOTHER ELEMENT OF DAVID’S PRAYER WAS CONSISTENCY. DAVID PRAYED DAILY TO THE LORD, MEANING THAT HE WAS ALWAYS IN PRAYER MODE.
j) ANOTHER ELEMENT OF DAVID’S PRAYER WAS RELATIONAL.
k) DAVID SAID “FOR I AM HOLY,” WHICH SIGNIFIES THAT HE HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
l) IF WE WANT GOD TO HEAR AND ANSWER OUR PRAYERS, WE NEED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, AND NOT JUST WHEN THINGS ARE GOING BAD.
m) ANOTHER ELEMENT OF HIS PRAYER IS HIS CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
n) HE SAYS, “SAVE THY SERVANT THAT TRUSTETH IN THEE”
o) MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GOD IS A GOD WHO CAN BE TRUSTED, AND WE MUST HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HIM, THAT HE WILL HEAR OUR PRAYER AND ANSWER OUR PRAYER.
p) ANOTHER ELEMENT OF HIS PRAYER IS THAT HE EXERTED HIMSELF.
q) IN OTHER WORDS, HE PUT HIS HEART INTO HIS PRAYER.
r) IF OUR PRAYERS ARE BORING TO US, CERTAINLY THEY ARE BORING TO GOD.
s) I WANT TO ENCOURAGE US TO PUT EVERYTHING THAT IS WITHIN US INTO OUR PRAYERS.
t) YOU HAVE HEARD ME SAY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT IF WE WANT OUR PRAYERS TO MEAN ANYTHING TO GOD, THEY BETTER MEAN EVERYTHING TO US!
u) I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT GOD DOES NOT ANSWER OUR PRAYERS BASED ON THE TONE OF OUR VOICE, BUT ON THE DILIGENCE THAT PROTRUDES FROM OUR HEARTS.
4. OUR GOD. IS NOT SOME IMPERSONAL GOD WHO IS DISCONNECTED FROM HIS CREATION.
a) GOD LOVES US.
b) AND BECAUSE HE LOVES US, HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT US.
c) GOD DELIGHTS HIMSELF IN LISTENING TO HIS CHILDREN.
d) THE QUESTION IS DO HIS CHILDREN DELIGHT THEMSELVES IN TALKING TO HIM?
e) I LOVE IT WHEN MY CHILDREN WANT TO TALK TO ME. IT PAINS ME WHEN THEY HAVE PROBLEMS AND THEY DON’T WANT TO TALK TO ME.
f) WELL, IT PAINS GOD WHEN HIS CHILDREN HAVE NEEDS AND THEY DON’T WANT TO TALK TO HIM.
g) GOD STANDS READY TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS.
h) ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS PRAY AND BELIEVE!
i) PS. 50:15, “AND CALL UPON ME IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE; I WILL DELIVER THEE, AND THOU SHALT GLORIFY ME.”
5. WHEN A CHILD OF GOD DOES NOT PRAY.
a) THEY SHORTCHANGE THEMSELVES OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE POWER AND THE MIRACLES OF GOD.
b) THEY CHEAT GOD OUT OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING GLORY TO HIS NAME.
c) THEY ROB GOD BY DEPRIVING HIM OF THE CHANCE TO PROVE JUST WHO HE IS.
d) THE CHILD OF GOD WHO DOES NOT PRAY WILL BE POWERLESS TO STAND IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY.
e) THE CHILD OF GOD WHO DOES NOT PRAY DEMONSTRATES THAT THEY HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD.
f) THE CHILD OF GOD THAT DOES NOT PRAY WILL NOT EXPERIENCE THE PEACE THAT PERVADES THE SOUL IN THE MIDST OF DANGER AND DILEMMAS.
g) GOD WILL DO THROUGH PRAYER WHAT HE WILL NOT DO BY ANY OTHER MEANS!
6. THREE POINTS/CONCLUSION.
a) ONE, WE MUST SEEK GOD. JER. 29:13, “ AND YE SHALL SEEK ME, AND FIND ME, WHEN YE SHALL SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART.”
b) TWO, WE MUST HAVE CONFIDENCE IN GOD. PROV. 3:26, “FOR THE LORD SHALL BE THY CONFIDENCE, AND SHALL KEEP THY FOOT FROM BEING TAKEN.”
c) THREE, EXPECT GOD TO ANSWER. JER. 33:3, “CALL UNTO ME, AND I WILL ANSWER THEE, AND SHEW THEE.”
• NO MATTER WHAT BEFALLS US, WE MUST TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER.
• IN SICKNESS, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• IN DISTRESS, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• IN PAIN, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• IN THE DEATH OF LOVED ONES, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• WHEN OUR MOUNTAINS GET HIGH, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• WHEN OUR VALLEYS GET LOW, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• WHEN OUR ENEMIES WON’T LEAVE US ALONE, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• IN THE MIDST OF A FINANCIAL CRISIS, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• IN LONELINESS, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• IN FRUSTRATIONS ABOUT LIFE, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• WHEN OUR CHILDREN GET BESIDE THEMSELVES, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• WHEN WE FACE PRESSURE ON OUR JOBS, TAKE IT TO THE LORD
• BE NOT DISMAYED, WHATEVER BETIDES, GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.
• JUST TELL GOD ALL ABOUT IT!
