May 18, 2003
Title: Why God Wants Us to Pray
Text: Luke 18:1-8
Introduction
We continue to focus on our global mission: Loving God...Reaching Families...Making Friends.
This year, our vision to accomplish our mission is...
Christ First
The "I" in Christ stands for Intercessory Prayer
And we have set apart the month of May to focus our minds and our hearts on prayer.
If we as a church will redouble our efforts in prayer...
then we will see the power of Christ unleashed in our presence...
If we as individuals will redouble our efforts in prayer...
then we will see the power of Christ unleashed in our own spiritual life...
We will see our prayers answered...
we will see our loved ones coming to Christ...
we will see miracles take place in our lives and the lives of our loved ones
But that’s a big "IF"!
We as a Church
and we as individuals have GOT to be willing to pay the price in prayer.
God wants us to pray!
Jesus Himself said, "If you remain in me and follow my teachings, you can ask anything you want, and it will be given to you" John 15:7 (NCV)
He wants us to spend time with Him in prayer...
He wants us to ask Him stuff...
He wants us to tell Him about what what is going on in our lives...
You might ask, "why does God wants us to pray"?
Well, I’m glad you asked!!
Because that what I feel led to talk with you about this morning.
Read Text: Luke 18:1-8
Body
1. Firstof all, prayer Is A Way of Starting A Conversation
My children have yet to learn the art of starting a conversation...
they will just burst out and say, "Daddy, can I have some ice cream?"
But when the get a little older...
I’m guessing that they will learn more effective ways of starting that conversation...
They might sit down and say, "Daddy, can I sit down and talk with you"?
and of course, I will be excited that my kids want to spend time with me instead of their friends...
I’ll stop whatever I’m doing and pay close attention...
They might say, "Daddy, You look really good...
have you lost any more weight?
You are really getting handsome as you get older....
I love your little bald spot and how it just glistens in the sun when you hold your head at just the right angle."
O, by the way, would you like to go and get some ice cream together"?
It would be pretty hard to say N0...
after all that!!
But if my kids were to just say, "Daddy, I want some ice cream"...
well, they are less likely to get what they want.
And God is the same way...
if you just blurt out...
God, I really need a new car...
or God, if you will help win the lottery, well, I’ll give half of it to Belleview Church of the Nazarene...
(maybe I’ll join you in THAT prayer!!)
But that is no way to start a conversation....
God wants us to spend time with Him...
He wants us to tell Him how wonderful He is....
It isn’t that we are insincere...
and it isn’t that we are trying to bribe God...
It is just that people like to be told how much you appreciate them...
they want to be told that they are special...
they want to be told that you love them....
and God is no different than you and me in that respect.
Prayer is just a good way to start a conversation.
2. Mind Meld
Another reason that God wants us to pray is because of something I call "the mind meld"
Any of you Star Trek fans probably remember the "Vulcan Mind Meld"
Spock, one of the characters on Star Trek was from the planet Vulcan.
And one of the abilities of a Vulcan is ability to meld their mind with someone else.
They would be of the same mind....
aware of each other’s memories and so on...
When two people talk...their minds merge
as you begin to know each other better...
you begin to think more like the other person...
you begin to know what that person might say or do in a certain situation.
My wife loves Cracker Barrel
If we were to go there to eat...
I could probably order my wife’s entire meal...
because I know what she likes....
Sometimes I can tell what she is thinking...
and she can tell what I am thinking...
because we have spent time together...
and our minds have merged to a certain degree.
Philippians 2:5 says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" Phil 2:5 (KJV)
Through prayer, we can share the Mind of Christ.
We can begin to think like Christ...
we can begin to know what Christ would do in certain circumstances...
and we can know these things,
simply because we have spent time together
and our minds are becoming more like Christ’s.
Prayer Makes the Journey More Enjoyable
3. Another reason that prayer is important is because prayer makes the journey much more enjoyable.
I can remember when Kay and I were dating.
I might invite her to go for a walk with me down to the corner and get an ice cream.
I can assure you that; although I like ice cream....
the ice cream WASN’T the most important part of the trip!
While the destination was going to be very nice...
the walk along the way was special!!
We would hold hands...
talking and laughing as we go...
and the journey itself was just so enjoyable...
because we could be together along the way.
The same is true with our prayer life.
Heaven is going to be a wonderful place...
but our time spent with the Lord along the journey...
makes the journey so much more enjoyable...
It certainly is not as much fun walking to the ice cream store by myself...
By the same token, it is not much fun walking through this journey we call life all by ourself...
Aren’t you glad that we don’t have to do that!
According to Proverbs 18:24, we have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother!!
4. Prayer Makes God’s Answers to Prayer a Delightful Surprise
Have you ever been praying for something and then, in an incredible way, God answers that prayer?
It is just an incredible feeling...
I mean, we do believe in a Prayer-Answering God...
but even still, it is just such a delight to know that the God of the Universe listens to me!
It is such a delight that God will answer my prayers!!
Some of you probably remember back in November when Ethan got hit by a baseball and it ruptured his spleen.
The doctor’s were so concerned...
they took him by helicopter up to Gainseville...
but before they did...
while we were sitting in the emergency room...
and during one of the times when Ethan was actually able to sleep, in the midst of the pain...
I laid my hand gently upon his stomach, near where his spleen is.
He didn’t even know what I was doing...he didn’t wake up.
And no, I didn’t have the oil for anointing...
and no, I wasn’t able to call those who believe in the power of prayer to gather around his bedside...
it did happen on a Wednesday night...and I know that many of you were praying
But as I laid my hand upon his stomach...
I prayed as ernest a prayer for healing as I ever have....
I didn’t pray out loud...
in fact, no one except for Kay knew what I was doing.
I believe in a prayer answering God...
and I know that God can work miracles...
but for some reason, I fully expected for us to get up to Shands Hospital to find out that Ethan was going to require emergency surgery to remove his spleen....
but when we got up there...
and following some more tests...
we were told that it didn’t look like surgery would be required...
I feel like God answered my prayer....
I don’t have any medical proof, one way--or the other--
but I believe that God stopped the bleeding as I said that prayer...
I believe that while I laid my hand upon Ethan’s stomach...
God’s hand was mending his spleen.
Now, here I am...a Minister of the Gospel
I believe in a God who answers our prayers...
but I am still filled with delight, and awe, and amazement when He does!!
And that’s one of the reasons God wants us to pray.
God desires to amaze us!!
5. Another reason, Prayer is the tool whereby God supplies our needs
When God supplied the manna for the Children of Israel in the wilderness...
He could have supplied enough to last them for months...
but instead, He only gave them enough to last 1 day.
And there was a reason for this...
God wants us to be in
constant
regular
and faithful communion with Him.
If God proved the manna once a month...
I’m sure the Children of Israel--knowing them like we do from God’s Word--
would have only gone to the Lord in prayer once a month...
just when they had the need!
Perhaps that is why Jesus; when Jesus taught His disciples to pray...
He told them to say, "Give us TODAY our DAILY bread" Matthew 5:11.
Prayer is the tool whereby He plans for us to ask for what we want and what we need.
6. And finally, Prayer Helps Us to Keep from Taking God for Granted
Everything we have comes from God...
Job said, "naked I came into the world, and naked I shall return".
everything else is just gravy!
Do you have clothes to wear?
Give glory to God!!
Do you have food to eat?
Give glory to God!!
Do you have a roof over your head?
Give glory to God!!
Are you able to breath in and out?
Are you able to come to the house of God?
Are you able to worship Him?
Do you enjoy the bonds of friendship with someone else?
Do you have someone that loves you?
Do you have a God that loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you?
Give Glory to God!!!
Let us never take God for granted!
We know that the Children of Israel got real tired of manna.
I can remember a time in my life when we ate a LOT of macaroni and cheese.
And you can get tired of macaroni and cheese after a while...
but PRAISE THE LORD MACARONI AND CHEESE!!
Conclusion
Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (NIV)
1 Thessalonians 5:17 -18 says, "pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (NKJV)
And the words of our original text: Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up Luke 18:1 (NIV)
And then Jesus told the story of a widow who was persistent in coming to the judge.
She just wouldn’t quit!!
The judge...who wasn’t much of a judge in the first place...
finally thought, "well, I better go ahead and help this stupid woman...
i mean, I could care less about her, but if I don’t do something soon,
she will just wear me out...
she will not quit!
And then Jesus basically tells us,
if a wicked judge will give justice to a poor widow if she is persistent?
Will not the God of the Universe--
the God of justice--
the God who loves you and cares for you--
will He not hear us when we cry?
Will He not answer us when we call upon His Name?
Of course He will!
But God wants us to pray!
because it is a great way to start a conversation!
God wants us to pray because through prayer, our minds become more like Christ!
God wants us to pray because prayer makes the journey so much more enjoyable.
God wants us to pray because then; when He answers our prayers; it is always such a wonderful blessing!
God wants us to pray because that’s the way He designed the plan to provide for our needs.
And, God wants us to pray because it helps us to keep from taking God for granted.
(I got the idea for this sermon from "Exploring Prayer with Jack Hyles")
