Fix Your Prayers (part 2)
Matthew 7:7-11
It is quite possible that no aspect of the Christian life is as mysterious as prayer. What should I pray for and how should I pray? How come it seems like nothing happens when I pray? Do you ever think you’re just talking to the wall when you pray? Why pray? God already knows what will happen. What can my prayer do to change the will of God? We talked already about the Lord’s Prayer and studied what Jesus had to say about our prayer lives and specifically what we should pray for. Now Jesus tells us how to pray. We will look at fixing our prayers, part 2. What should be my attitude when I pray? Should I come to God and make specific requests or should I pray seeking to change only me, not God? Jesus seems to tell us that the answer is both. I pray to change situations and to change me. Jesus is finishing his Sermon on the Mount and now he talks about how we should come to God. Let’s read Matthew 7:7-11
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
When we discussed the Lord’s Prayer, we talked about how prayer changes me. You may remember the example we gave of being in a boat and casting a boat hook onto the shore and then pulling on the rope. Just as doing that would not pull the shore closer to us, but us closer to the shore, so prayer does not change God nearly as much as it changes me.
But that could lead to a faulty idea of prayer. Prayer changes me, but does it change God? What do I do in times of trouble? I pray for God to act. I pray that He will heal my loved one or that He will help me get out of my hard time. And while I certainly add, thy will be done to my prayers, it is my HOPE that the situation changes, not that he changes me. I don’t want to learn to accept this illness or hardship. I want it to go away. That is what Jesus prayed in the garden. I don’t want to go through all this. I want it to go away. But if it won’t, your will be done. That is our prayer, too. Lord don’t change me, change the situation. But if not, then help me submit to your will.
This morning I want us to look at prayers for God to change the situation. I think that we have heard so often that we should pray for God’s will to be done that we have lost the idea that our prayers matter much. Sure they may change me, but they may not make much difference in the situation. If you ask how someone in the hospital is doing and the doctor says, all we can do now is pray, what does that mean? In typical medical talk, that is not a good report. If you really think about it, all most of us can do is pray from the very beginning. And what does it say about our view of prayer if we see it as a last resort?
Two deacons were discussing the financial woes of the congregation and one of them said, I guess we could pray about it. The other one replied, Has it really come to that, then? I didn’t know we were that bad! Too many times we pray to the Almighty Creator of the Universe and we forget that we are instructed to call him father. An old Scottish lady got tired of her preacher’s long prayers and she decided to set him straight. Her advice for a good prayer was this. “Just call him Father and ask for something.”
I want you to know that God is a powerful God who still moves and acts and does amazing things because His people pray. Jesus says for us to ask and it will be given to us. Before we get into this, I need to tell you that I still believe firmly in the sovereignty of God. God alone rules this universe and there is nothing I can do in prayer to make him do what I want Him to do if He doesn’t want to do it. But, I believe that there is some freedom in the will of God, too. Jesus told us what God’s will is. In John 6:40 he says that God’s will is “that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life” Peter tells us that the will of God is that none should perish but that all should come to repentance. Beyond that, there is quite a bit of room.
If a young Christian wants to be a doctor, then God may bless them and make them a fantastic Christian doctor. If that same young person decides to become a social worker, they could be equally blessed by God and be a great Christian social worker. Either path could be blessed by God and neither one might be “right” or “wrong.” Too many times we have been prone to assume that if God is in complete control then that means we have no control. I believe that God created us with the ability to decide what we want to do and that He will bless our choices and give us wisdom to make wise choices. Seeking God’s will can be an excuse for not making a decision. If God has a will for you in every decision that you make, then what did God want you to eat for breakfast? And if you say that decision is too small for God to worry about, then where is the line? I would argue that God gives us complete free will. I can even choose whether I will go to Heaven or Hell and God will respect my decision, even if I decide poorly.
Is there something you need? Maybe it’s just something you want. Have you asked God for it? Jesus says to ask and it will be given to you. Is there something lacking in your life? Ask God about it. This is part of the great success of the little book about a guy in 2 Chronicles named Jabez. He asked God to bless him. Have you done that? I mean really. Lord, we need a vacation but there is no money for one. Would you bless us with a vacation? Guess what? If it is outside the limits of God’s will, you won’t get it and you will grow through the experience. But it may be that He is there just waiting to give it to you if you will only ask. Ask and you shall receive. How many blessings have we missed because we were too afraid to ask?
You say, I know God isn’t like Santa Clause where I make out my list and send it to him. You’re right. That’s why you ask God, you don’t place your order. God knows us best and He will bless us with good things in our lives. Isn’t that the point that Jesus makes at the end of the passage? God loves us and even we imperfect humans know how to give good gifts to our children. Imagine how much more a perfect, all loving God knows how to give good gifts to His children!
So ask God for blessings. Jesus also tells us to seek and we will find. In other words, when you don’t know something, ask God for wisdom. You see, seeking implies that, whatever I’m looking for, I don’t know where it is. Is there anything in your life that you want but don’t know how to get? These may be a little more spiritual than the things we ask for. Lord, I want to be happy but I’m not and I don’t know how to get happy. Lord, I can’t sleep at night. I need peace but I don’t know how to get it. Lord, I have a sin that I just can’t seem to beat. Seek and you will find.
And then Jesus says knock and the door shall be opened. These are obstacles in our lives. What stands in your way? What doors are shut for you right now? What opportunities are you looking for? Have you brought those to God? He is the great opener of doors.
Do you see that Jesus is emphasizing the power that your prayers can have? They can be a source of blessings for you. They can help you find answers when you don’t know where to turn and they can knock down obstacles and create opportunities for you. So why is it that your prayer life isn’t as strong as it should be?
That’s the real heart of the message here. Jesus doesn’t even have to say this part. If all of this is true, then the logical conclusion is that we should spend time talking to God about our lives. We need to tell Him our troubles, our trials, our needs and wants.
If you want to have a relationship with God like the one Jesus is describing, you have to spend time with Him. Tell God everything about you. We spend a lot of our prayer time talking to God about other people or other things. Talk to God about YOU for a while. Tell Him about the guy you have a crush on or about the SUV you really want. Tell him about the doubts you have about your own ability to be a parent. Let him know about your wants and wishes. Spend time with Him in prayer. God wants to love you as His child. Are you His child this morning? Have you acted like it? Have you talked to Him? God doesn’t want to be a casual acquaintance, He wants to love as a Father loves His child. Talk to him about that. This morning, if you are not His child, you can come to Him and become one. If you are His child, talk to Him. Let Him know your heartaches and longings. Let Him help you with your burdens. Tell Him every care. If we can help you, please come.
