THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER
Heb. 10:19
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: BRAGGING OF PERFECTION
1. One denomination believes you can “pray through” to perfection. One member of this group went to see a Christian neighbor. He struck up the subject of the believer's perfection.
2. The neighbor said, "Can you point to a single perfect man or woman in the Bible?" "Yes! In Luke 1:6 it says that Elizabeth and Zacharias “walked in all the commands and ordinances of the Lord blameless."
3. "Then you consider yourself a believer like Zacharias?" said the neighbor. "Yes, I do," said the perfectionist. "Ah," replied the neighbor, "I thought you might be. If you read a few verses later in that chapter you’ll find that Zacharias was struck dumb for his unbelief!" [Anonymous]
B. THESIS
1. Privilege is defined as “a special, unearned advantage, favor, right, or benefit granted to a person; especially, a rare or fortunate opportunity.”
2. PRAYER IS A PRIVILEGE. It’s an unspeakable honor that we should be allowed to have access to the God of the Universe.
I. EXAMPLES OF ROYALTY NOT BEING ACCESSIBLE
A. KINGS/QUEENS OF ENGLAND
1. The only people who can get audiences with the King/Queen are diplomats from other nations; political leaders, religious and military leaders, and people who have won prestigious cultural prizes, get audiences. That’s it.
2. If you were invited to visit with the King of England, there are many protocols to be observed. You must approach & withdraw from the royal presence in a specific manner. You must know how and where to sit; how to address the King; what kinds of things you can say and what you can’t say.
3. No hugging the Monarch, don’t sit if they’re standing; don’t show up casual; do bring a gift; don’t speak unless spoken to; if walking, don’t lag behind; don’t begin eating unless they’ve started eating; don’t slurp your tea; all British subjects must bow or curtsy.
B. KING XERXES & ESTHER
1. King Xerxes of Persia held court in his royal palace in Susa (in modern day Iran). According to Esther 4:11, no one could enter his royal throne room without prior invitation; to do so was death, unless he extended his gold scepter – which he did for his wife Esther, in 5:2.
2. The LESSON? The few who hold great power DO NOT ALLOW ACCESS to themselves by average people! Only those of similar power or fame come into their sphere.
C. OUR GOD IS A GREAT KING
1. If earthly kings are shown such deference, how much more does the Creator of the Universe deserve honor above these petty kings? Our God is a Great King (Ps. 47:2; 95:3; Mal. 1:14); the King of Kings! He deserves higher honor than any human.
2. YET, amazingly, He makes Himself available to the lowest, the least, the nobodies, who are but dust. He requires no protocols but sincerity, humility, and respect. He has a heart of love toward all that He has made and eagerly reaches out to us in reconciliation! What an amazing God! He doesn’t need us. There’s nothing we can contribute to Him. He doesn’t NEED our worship. Yet His heart of love extends to us!
II. THE CONTRADICTION OF PRAYER
WE SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PRAY TO GOD. WHY?
A. BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS – THE HOLY GOD
1. Sin (moral evil) is opposed to God and His government. Sin is a poison that contaminates all that is holy. God doesn’t allow sin into His presence.
2. “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil [person] dwells with You” Ps. 5:4, Amp. “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing” Hab. 1:13.
3. Even the most holy of God’s angels – the seraphs – cover their faces and feet as they cry “Holy, Holy, Holy.” The Hebrew word "holy" means “separate.” God is unlike us and is separated from all taint of evil.
B. BUT GOD DOES LISTEN TO OUR PRAYERS
1. Because He’s loving & merciful and longs for our restoration, He WILL hear prayers of repentance & forgive our sins. But all God’s grace is based on Jesus’ sacrifice for us!
2. Twice God the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17; 17:5). Since Jesus is the only genetic Son of God, the Father loves Him and has given Him all things (John 3:35; 5:20).
3. Jesus lived a sinless life and died as the substitute for the human race, atoning for our sins. He purchased eternal life for all who trust in Him. All who are “in Christ” share the Father’s favor for Him and are heirs with Him in all His inheritance.
4. Jesus is the great door of grace that has been opened to the human race. When Jesus died, the veil of the Temple – representing the separation between God and mankind – was torn from top to bottom, by God. This signifies the removing of that separation in Christ. In Him Paradise is restored! So Jesus’ sacrifice for us has opened the way even into the Holy of Holies.
5. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith” Heb. 10:19,22.
C. SHOCKING TRUTH: THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER IGNORED
1. Imagine if there was only one PLACE we could pray; Only one place where our prayers would be heard by God! Mecca, Jerusalem, Rome, etc.
a. All people would long to go there. People would save up to go there and hope to get there once in a lifetime; they’d make pilgrimages there.
b. Once there, people would push, shove, and squeeze to get into that one place. But since we can pray anywhere, we take it for granted and don’t bother to pray.
2. Suppose only one PERSON in the world would be heard by God. If only Franklin Graham, Tony Evans, Beth Moore, the Pope, etc., could be heard.
a. All of us would try to get to that one person and ask them to pray for us. He/she would have no rest, for millions would besiege him with requests.
b. But now that we can ALL pray to God, prayer is little regarded!
3. Suppose no one could pray unless they PAID $10,000/min.
a. Oh how the poor would grumble, the middle class would protest the discrimination!
b. Think what huge amounts of money the rich would lay out! But now that prayer is free, people don’t bother to pray!
4. Q - How many of you need to pray more often?
III. OTHER GREAT BENEFITS OF PRAYER
A. PRAYER ENABLES US TO KNOW GOD
1. If we abide in Christ & His Word, and set ourselves to listen for His voice, then our prayers become a conversation with God, even as we talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally.
2. There will come to us a sweet, joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. Our hearts will burn within us as He draws near to commune with us as He did with the disciples of Emmaus.
B. PRAYER IS THE KEY TO DIVINE PROVISION
1. Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” Matt. 7:7.
2. Prayer is the key that unlocks heaven’s storehouse. Everything we need has been promised – food, clothing, shelter, ability to produce wealth, healing and divine health, freedom & deliverance, etc.
3. Being in an atmosphere of prayer also keeps us in the place of victory. It hurts Satan to be in the presence of God. The higher you go, in God, the more Satan and temptations fall away. Like the fighter jet pilot who heard a rat chewing on his wiring. He must stop it or the plane could malfunction. Idea? He flew the plane up to 35,000 feet and the lack of oxygen killed the rat. Get in God’s presence & the devil will go!
C. PRAYER CHANGES US
1. The prayer of repentance and faith in the blood of Jesus to forgive – is the shower that washes away our sins. The presence of Jesus, released within us, alters our base nature into His glorious and holy nature. Prayer changes us!
2. We become like those we hang around. Proverbs 13:20 says that if we “walk with the wise we become wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” The disciples of Jesus became like Him (Acts 4:13), because they hung around Him. Daily prayer is essential for growth in grace & maturity into the image of Jesus!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: THE WHISPERED PRAYER
1. Visitors to the famous Gallery in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, can hear the guide's whisper travel around the whole dome. If you put your ear close to the wall, you can hear what is said on the opposite side of the dome, even though it may be said in the lowest of tones.
2. A number of years ago, a poor shoemaker whispered to his young lady that he could not afford to marry her because he didn't have money to replenish his leather supply, and his business was ruined. The poor girl wept quietly as she listened to this sad news.
3. A gentleman on the other side of the gallery, which is 198 feet across, heard this story and the shoemaker's whispered prayer, and he decided to do something about it. When the young shoemaker left St. Paul's the gentleman followed him, and after finding out where he lived, had some leather sent along to the shop. Imagine how delighted the poor man was! He made good use of this gift, and his business prospered so that he was able to marry the girl of his choice.
4. It was a few years later when he learned the identity of his unknown benefactor: the Prime Minister of Great Britain, W. E. Gladstone.
5. Remember, there’s always One above who hears our whispered sorrows and prayers, and will take action. No matter how low we whisper He can hear. We cannot always tell our human friends about things, but God always knows, so we can tell Him all in prayer, and He will hear and answer.
B. THE CALL
1. Robert A. Cook, president of The King’s College in New York, told a crowd, “Yesterday I was in a meeting in Washington and talked with Vice President George Bush. Two hours later I spoke briefly with President Ronald Reagan." Then smiling broadly, Cook told them, “But that’s nothing! Today I talked with God!” [Our Daily Bread]
2. How many of you need something from God? Do you have a problem? Is there something you wish was different? Stand and let’s take these needs to God. Paul said, “My God shall supply all your needs by Christ Jesus!”
