A. One night a young boy was kneeling next to his bed with his mother and grandmother beside him as he softly said his prayers, “Dear God, please bless Mommy and Daddy, and all the family, and please give me a good night’s sleep.”
1. Then suddenly the little boy raised his voice and shouted, “And don’t forget to give me a bicycle for my birthday!”
2. The boy’s mother gently corrected him, “There is no need to shout like that, son, God isn’t deaf.”
3. “I know,” whispered the little boy, “but Grandma is.”
B. Today, I want us to talk about the important place that prayer holds in the life of a disciple of Jesus.
1. Disciples of Jesus believe in the power of prayer, because disciples believe that God hears and answers our prayers.
2. And like that little boy in the opening story, disciples of Jesus know that God isn’t deaf.
3. We know that we don’t have to shout our prayers in order for God to hear us.
4. In this sermon, I want us to be reminded of what disciples should believe about prayer, and then what we should do with prayer because we believe in prayer’s power.
C. Before we focus in on these things about prayer, let’s do a brief review.
1. After having covered lots of the basics of discipleship, including: the call, the cost, and the command of discipleship, we moved into understanding the stages of discipleship and the spheres of discipleship.
2. Since then, we have been talking about the essentials of discipleship and have focused on the place of love, Jesus, and the Bible in the life of a disciple of Jesus.
3. Today, we add the essential of prayer in the life of a disciple.
4. Prayer in the life of a disciple should include all kinds of prayer – concentrated prayer, continuous prayer, and quick prayer.
5. I will describe what I mean by those kinds of prayer later in the sermon.
D. But let me say at the outset of this sermon: prayer is a huge subject that requires extensive study and lots of practice.
1. One sermon can’t cover every aspect of prayer, and I won’t attempt to do so today.
2. Prayer is a subject and discipline full of paradoxes.
a. Prayer is simple and basic, and yet it is filled with complexities and nuances.
b. Prayer is sometimes put into words that are verbalized, but other times prayer is just something in our hearts and minds, and is sometimes beyond words or thoughts.
c. Sometimes prayer requires lots of time and attention, persistence and patience, but other times it is brief and immediate.
d. God knows what we need before we ask, yet God wants us to ask and waits for us to ask.
e. God has a will and wants it to be done, and yet works His will through our asking.
f. God promises to give us what we ask for, and yet God reserves the right to say “no” or to give us something different and better than what we ask for.
3. I won’t pretend to know and understand all there is to know and understand about prayer, but that won’t stop me from believing in the power of prayer and obeying God’s command to pray.
E. So, what should every disciple know and believe about prayer?
1. First of all, we should know and believe that God hears and answers our prayers.
a. Psalm 17:6 says: I call on you, God, because you will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say. (This verse begins with just a general truth that God hears our prayers)
b. Psalm 145:18 says: The Lord is near all who call out to him, all who call out to him with integrity. (This verse adds the truth that God is near and listening to those with integrity)
c. Proverbs 15:29 says: The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. (This verse adds to the requirement of integrity with idea of righteousness)
d. 1 John 5:14-15 says: This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him.
e. This verse adds the understanding that our confidence about God’s hearing us and answering us comes from our relationship with Him and our knowledge of God’s will.
f. So, for starters, disciples should know that God hears and answers our prayers.
2. Second, we should know and believe that God hears and answers our prayers because we are His children, His faithful followers.
a. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 7: “7 Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him” (Mt. 7:7-11).
1. Here we note that Jesus emphasizes that God is a good father who hears and answers His children’s requests with what is good and right.
2. We are promised that those who ask - receive, those who seek – find, and those who knock – the door is opened, because they are children of a good God and Father.
b. Let’s add a verse from the letter of James: The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect (James 5:16b).
1. James emphasizes that the prayer of the person who is in a right relationship with God is effective and powerful.
c. Look at this promise of Jesus from John 15: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you (Jn. 15:7).
1. Note the condition that makes prayer powerful and effective – that we remain in Jesus and that His words remain in us.
2. In other words, if we walk in faithfulness as disciples of Jesus and children of God, then we know that God hears and answers our prayers.
3. Let me offer one final thing that we should know and believe about prayer, and that is that God can do more than we can ask or imagine.
a. That’s what Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians: Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Eph. 3:20-21).
b. That’s what disciples of Jesus should believe – that God is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think – God can do more than we can imagine or even dare to ask.
c. And all this unbelievable and unimaginable stuff that God does, He does through His power that is at work in us.
F. Because disciples of Jesus know and believe these things about prayer, we should “always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1), we should “devote ourselves to prayer” (Col. 4:2), and we should “pray constantly” (1 Thess. 5:17, or pray “continually,” or “unceasingly”).
1. Because disciples of Jesus believe that God hears, and powerfully and wisely answers our prayers, then we should always pray…be devoted to prayer…be in prayer constantly.
2. On a practical level, how do disciples of Jesus pray constantly?
3. We do so by making prayer a regular and natural part of our lives.
4. Corrie Ten Boom, the famous Holocaust concentration camp survivor asked the question: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” (I like that question, don’t you?)
5. How often do you use your spare tire? Rarely, maybe never, only in the case of an emergency.
6. How often do you use your steering wheel? Continually while driving, right?
7. We need to use prayer continually while living.
G. Let’s go back to those three kinds of prayer I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon: concentrated prayer, continuous prayer, and quick prayer.
1. I want to help us understand how to employ the power of prayer in these three ways.
2. Let’s start with the idea of concentrated prayer – a time of prayer during our devotions.
3. It was in 1882 on the campus of Cambridge University that the world was first given the slogan: “Remember the morning watch.”
a. Students at Cambridge found their days loaded with studies, games, and lectures.
b. Enthusiasm and activity were the order of the day, but some of the Christian students soon discovered a weakness in their spiritual armor, a small crack which could bring disaster.
c. They sought an answer and came up with a scheme they called the morning watch – the plan to spend the first minutes of a new day alone with God, praying and reading the Bible.
d. The morning watch sealed the crack and it brought to the surface an important truth: To know God, it is necessary to spend consistent time with Him.
4. The idea of the morning watch caught fire and a remarkable period of religious blessing followed on that campus which culminated in the departure of the Cambridge Seven, a band of prominent athletes and men of wealth and education for missionary service.
a. Those seven young men gave up everything to go to China for Christ, and before they left for China in February of 1885, the seven held a farewell tour across England, and that’s when they were dubbed “The Cambridge Seven.”
b. They all served long and well for the cause of Christ in China, and it all began with prayer.
5. Now we should realize that beginning each day with a time devoted to Bible study and prayer was not new or unique, and yet it was revolutionary and life changing for those young men, and for anyone who has made it a practice.
a. Every disciple of Jesus who wants to grow in their relationship with God and who wants to be spiritually strong will set a regular time each day to meet with the Lord in His Word and in prayer.
b. Consider the Example of Jesus…Jesus spent time alone with His heavenly Father regularly throughout His busy ministry, and many times it was first thing in the morning: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying (Mark 1:35).
5. Certainly, our daily devotional time doesn’t have to be in the morning, but I can’t think of a better way to begin each day.
a. And I can’t think of a better way to prepare myself for walking with God and living for God throughout the day, than to begin the day communing with God.
6. Here is a great poem on the subject of morning devotions: “The Secret” by Ralph Cushman
I met God in the morning, when the day was at its best,
And His presence came like sunrise, like a glory in my breast.
All day long the presence lingered, all day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness o’er a very troubled sea.
Other ships were blown and battered, other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them brought to us a peace and rest.
Then I thought of other mornings, with a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings with the Presence left behind.
So I think I know the secret, learned from many a troubled way;
You must seek Him in the morning if you want Him through the day.
H. Concentrated prayer is a devoted time of prayer where we commune with God in listening and speaking.
1. In this time of prayer we will want to include all the aspects of well-rounded prayer that includes: praise, thanksgiving, confession and requests.
2. The acronym A.C.T.S. of prayer is a helpful outline: adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication (requests).
I. In addition to times of concentrated prayer, I want to encourage us to learn to walk with God in a spirit of prayer throughout the day – what I am calling continuous prayer.
1. Just because we can’t be in concentrated prayer all the time doesn’t mean we can’t have an ongoing conversation with God going in our minds and hearts.
2. When we see or experience something good or beautiful, we can thank God for it.
3. When we see someone or something that needs prayer, we can bring it before God and ask Him to intervene – it could be the ambulance rushing by, or the young mother with a misbehaving child – we can just lift them before God in our hearts.
4. As requests come to our mind, we can talk with God about them.
5. I’ve used the illustration of Tevye from the musical Fiddler on the Roof and how he had an ongoing conversation with God as he walked through his day.
J. The last kind of prayer – is what I call quick prayer (I couldn’t come up with a word that started with C) – it’s emergency prayer for something urgent and serious, when immediate help is needed.
1. For instance, like when your angry boss barges into your office to confront you about something – you don’t have time to drop to your knees in prayer, but you need prayer! – so in your heart you can quickly ask God for help.
2. This is what Nehemiah did – he had been fasting and praying for some time about the situation in Jerusalem, but when the King asked him what was bothering him, Nehemiah shot off a quick emergency prayer and then he answered the king.
L. These three kinds of prayer – concentrated, continuous, and quick – help us to build a strong relationship with God and they provide the discipleship empowering we need for life and ministry.
1. Here are three ways to use prayer in life and ministry.
2. First, life can be hard and filled with challenges and anxiety, but our relationship with God and the discipline of prayer helps us cope.
a. Paul taught us to use prayer for this purpose: Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7).
b. I hope that every disciple will learn to use prayer to overcome our tendency to worry.
3. Second, there is a spiritual battle going on around us and the only way to fight and win that battle is to put on the armor of God and to employ the power of prayer.
a. Paul instructed us: Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil…Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints (Eph. 6:10-11, 18).
b. I hope that every disciple will learn to use prayer to overcome the spiritual battles we face.
4. And third, in the life of every disciple there are daily opportunities to serve others and to share the good news, and prayer helps us to minister God’s grace and to share the Gospel with others.
a. Paul asked for prayer about his ministry: Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should (Eph. 6:19-20).
b. As great a follower of Christ as Paul was, he knew he still needed prayer for God’s provision of boldness and the right words to share God’s truths.
c. If he needed God’s help to minister, then surely I need God’s help, and so do you!
K. I hope and pray that all of us will believe in the power of prayer and will therefore devote ourselves to prayer – concentrated prayer, continuous prayer, and quick prayer.
1. I hope we will be ready to pray about everything and with everyone when there is a need.
2. When we are with people we can ask them if there is anything we can pray for them about.
a. You can simply ask: “Is there something I can pray for you about today?”
b. Ask that of the waiter serving you at the restaurant, the cashier at the store or bank, the doctor or nurse at the doctor’s office or hospital.
3. When a situation arises, or someone pours out their heart to you about something, ask if you can pray with them about it right then and there.
4. As disciples of Jesus, and ministers of His grace, prayer needs to be the tool and weapon we reach for to unleash the power of God.
5. And let’s remember: the power doesn’t come because of us, rather the power is in God and from God.
6. But when we pray, we need to pray with faith and anticipate that God will do something because He hears and answers our prayers.
M. Let me end with this humorous story:
1. Once there was a nightclub owner who decided to build a raunchy nightspot right next door to a church called the Saint Lukewarm Church.
2. The good folks of the church started a prayer vigil against that nightclub business.
3. Amazingly, the nightclub’s business dwindled so much they had to close the doors.
4. This wasn’t altogether good news because the owner of the nightclub brought a lawsuit against the church accusing them of ruining his business with their prayers.
5. The attorneys for the church argued that there was no way their prayers could have had any effect on the poor performance of the nightclub.
6. The judge agreed and ruled in favor of Saint Lukewarm, saying: “While the nightclub owner strongly believes in the power of prayer, the church membership does not.”
7. Let’s not be like them, let’s believe in our God and pray believing that God will work, and when God answers our prayers, let’s give the credit and glory to God. Amen!
N. Just as faith is critical for effective prayer, faith is also critical for salvation.
1. We can’t be saved without faith.
2. But when we believe, we will repent and be baptized into Christ, and then by faith we will live faithfully.
3. If you haven’t yet become a Christian, or if you are not walking faithfully as a Christian, then we would love to help you in your relationship with God.
Resources:
Being Disciple of Jesus – Morning Watch, Sermon by David Sargent.
