PLENTEOUS PRAYER
JER. 33:1-3
Today I want to begin a series of sermons on prayer. Most of the messages will be based on the writings and sermons of Charles Spurgeon that famous 19th century preacher who was known as the prince of preachers.
My goal in this series is to get you to pray more. I you are thinking that you pray enough that only goes to show how much you need these messages. I figure by the time we are done you will be praying for me to stop preaching on prayer.
If you look throughout the history of the church of Jesus Christ one thing that seems to hold true is that some of the most spiritual , and most comforting book and sayings have come from those were in this mist of tribulation. So of the greatest things ever written in the church were written from behind bars. I think of John Bunyan’s “A Pilgrim’s Progress” which is a tremendous book. This book was written by Bunyan while in jail for preaching the gospel. I could of course give other examples.
The words of Spurgeon ring true when he states, “God’s people have always in their worst condition found out the best of their God. He is good at all times, but he seems to be at His best when they are at their worst.”
Affliction seems to bring us closer to God. It seems to give us understand that we in that past did not have. As our days go darker the light of Christ seems to get brighter and brighter. I cannot tell you of the many things that God has shown me during times of struggle, thinks I would never had know where it not for those times.
Maybe you are in a situation right now that seems dark. Some sort of trial that the Lord has placed before you. I know that some of you are. My prayer today is that you would find comfort in the passage that we are going to be looking at. In our passage today we have the word of God spoken unto one of His prophets. A prophet who was at the time going through a dark time, sitting in prison. Please turn with me to our passage for this morning, it comes from the Book of Jeremiah 33:1-3. That is page 686 in your pew Bibles. Jeremiah is in jail for simply telling the people what God had told him to tell them. The people did not like what they heard so Jeremiah is thrown in prison.
Jer. 33:1-3; “Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name): Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
Listen to the words of ver. 3 again; “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Let me tell you that there is great comfort in those words. In this verse we can see three distinct factors. 1. Prayer commanded “Call to me” 2. An answer is promised, “I will answer you”. and 3. An encouragement to faith, “and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”.
Let us look at the first factor. Prayer is commanded by God. The Lord quite plainly in this verse “Call to me”. It is not a mere recommendation, it is not a suggestion, it is a command. “Call to me”.
If I were to build and staff a hospital and told everyone that admission and treatment would be free, do you think I would have to ask the government to make a law requiring people to come to my hospital. We have a soup kitchen in Oneonta, but no one thinks that we need a ordinance by the city council to compel those who are hungry to go and get a meal.
Yet is seems to me strange that man needs a command to be merciful to his own soul. We have gracious Father above who gives to us a commandment a love because the Father knows that we would rather starve then come to the banquet of prayer.
It seems odd that we need no command to eat, we need no command to sleep, no command to breath, yet just as those things are vital to our physical condition, prayer is equally vital to our Spiritual condition. Because God knows our stubborn hearts, He commands us to “call to me”.
Some may say will I forget to pray? Do you forget to eat, to you forget to sleep or breath? Again prayer equally as vital to our spiritual well being as food, and drink, sleep or air.
Do you think you do not have the time to pray? If you have the time to take care of our your physical body, surly we each have time to take care of our souls.
As Spurgeon states, “hours for the world, moments for Christ.”
If believe that God commands us to pray because He understand what heavy hearts we have at times. He understands that there are times when we listen to the enemies lies when he says to us, “Why should you pray? What good will it do?” The Lord knows that at times we listen to the enemies lies when he tells us, “Why go to the King when you have been a traitor? You are not worthy of prayer, God will not listen to you because you have done this or that.” The enemy tries to convince us that we not good enough to go to the Lord in prayer.
But in Christ we are made righteous. And I praise God that we are commanded to pray or else in times when we are feeling low we might give up on prayer. We might believe the lies. But through those lies comes the Command of God, the command of our Lord and King, “Call to Me.” The command of God to “pray without ceasing,”. God wants our prayers folks.
We are further commanded to prayer because of our frequent unbelief. Our sinful hearts tell us “What good is it that we should bother the Lord with such and such a problem?” Unbelief tells us that the matter is too small for God to care about, or to big a matter for God to handle and that we have no right to take it to God.
But what does the Word say, “Call to me”. There is no stipulations, there is no prerequisite to prayer other then having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Saviour. God tell all is people, no matter what the situation big or small, no matter whether you feel distant to the Lord or close, He tell us “Call to me, call to me”
Remember those words good people. “Call to me” Are you sick and desire to be healed “Call to me”, Are you living in a current situation that seems to stressful, “call to me”, Family problems, “Call to me” work problems “call to me”. A burden you cannot carry, “call to me”. God is there in our need, and He is telling us, commanding us “Call to me”.
I believe it would do us well to realize the amount of times that we are commanded to call upon the Lord. Some examples, Psa. 50:15; “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psa. 62:8; Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him;” Isa. 55:6 “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.” Matt. 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” 1 Thess 5:17 “pray without ceasing,” James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Rom 12:12; “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;”
Need I go further. We should never question whether we have the right to pray, we should never ask May I come into His presence, but are to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Why do we question our right to pray when we have so many commands in God’s word to pray. Why do we neglect so great a command to pray.
Let me say that I am willing to bet that the most oft repeated command in the Bible is the command to pray, yet for to many of us is the most oft ignored. Think about that.
Let us now turn to the second factor of our passage, an answer promises. God very plainly states in Jer 3:33 if call to me, “I will answer you,”. To believe that God will not answer prayer is to call God a liar. He says, “I WILL answer you”. We may sometime not like the answer but God will answer prayer.
For God not answer prayer will go against His very nature as manifested in Jesus Christ. God nature is one of love, full of grace and truth and mercy. How can He refuse those whom He commanded to seek His face and favor.
There is a story the dates back to when the Greeks ruled the world. When the Athenian senate would meet they would meet outside. As they were sitting in their deliberations a sparrow, pursued by a hawk flew in the direction of the senate. Losing ground to the hawk the sparrow sought shelter in the bosom of one of the senators. The senator being a man known for his gruffness took the bird from his bosom and through it to the ground killing the bird. With one single voice the rest of the senate arose in a uproar condemning the man to death, as he was looked upon as being unworthy of not only a seat on the senate, but unworthy as a citizen of Athens because he did not render protection to the one whom had confided in him.
Could we think that God whose very nature is love and mercy, could tear from His bosom one who has sought Him out for mercy. Would God give an invitation to seek His grace and then callously toss us aside when we sought such grace. God will never nor could He not answer our prayers.
It is not only God’s nature that He answer prayer but it is seen to be His character as well. You want to know the character of God? There is no greater illustration then this. Listen to Rom. 8:32; “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
If the Lord did not refuse to hear our call when we were guilty sinners and His enemy, why do we think that He would disregard our call now that we are justified and saved, now that we are His children.
How foolish it is to believe in Romans 5:8; “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Yet believe that God will not answer our prayers. If He heard me while I was yet a sinner, certainly He will hear me now that I am His friend.
We must believe that we pray to a God who cannot lie. If God said, “I will answer you” those words are true. They were true when He spoke them to Jeremiah, they were true in the time of Christ, and they hold true today. And they are words that are spoken to each one of you.
We cannot pray to God unless we believe the words of Heb. 11:6; “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
If we have any question at all whether are prayers are heard we are compared to the waves of the sea that are tossed to and fro by the wind. James 1:7-8; “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;”
Lastly in regards to our second factor, an answer promised, our own experience will tell us that God does indeed answer prayer. While I cannot speak for any of you I can speak for myself. If there is one thing that I know for certain it is that God answer prayer. And I know that because I stand before you as an answer to prayer. My own conversion to Christ was an answer to prayer. The prayers of my mom and others who were a part of her church. God heard their cries and here I stand before you preaching the gospel. I will add that I do many things that are beyond my capacity to do but they are done through the power of prayer.
I can say yes God “will answer you” because I have seen it so many times with my own eyes.
Let us know turn to our third factor in this passage, which is an encouragement to faith. Listen to the end of verse 3; God is telling us, “(I will) show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
These words were originally spoken to a prophet of God, but these words apply to every teacher of the Word, and indeed every teacher must be a learner, so they apply to every who seeks to learn divine truth.
So what is it telling us? That the best way in which a prophet, a teacher, or a learner grow in the revealed truths of God is by waiting in God in prayer. God tell us, Call on me, I will answer your prayers, and I will teach you, I will show you great things, mighty things, things which you cannot know unless you come to me in prayer, unless you call on my name. What a wonderful promise.
I know that many of you are familiar with the story of Daniel and how he interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. It seems that Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and wants to know what it means. The soothsayers, magicians, and the astrologers they all get a shot but amiss all their abracadabra’s they cannot tell what the dream means. But what does Daniel do? He prays. And not only does Daniel pray but he gathers his friends and has them pray as well. They call upon the Lord, and God answers them, and God “show(s)(them)...great and mighty things, which you (they) (did)do not know.”
You who wish to learn the things of God, you who teach Sunday School, I pray that you would remember that prayer is the best means of study. Like Daniel if we pray to God He will give us understanding. James 1:5 tell us; “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
We need not stop there. Through the Saint will experience as deeper Spiritual relationship with God. Through prayer we grow closer to God, through prayer we grow spiritually.
While all those who have placed there faith in Jesus Christ have salvation eternal not all commune with God on the same level. All believers may see Christ but not all will put their fingers in the prints of the nails. Not all have the privilege of John to lean upon the bosom of Jesus, not all like Paul are caught up into the third heaven. Prayer brings us closer to Christ, it bring us to His bosom, it brings us closer to the dwelling place of our King.
Most Christians as to the river of spiritual experience are only up to their ankles, other have waded in further still to their knees, few others are up to their chest, but few have found it a river to swim in where they cannot touch the bottom. Those are things that come through calling on the name of God. Those are the things of which the Lord states, I will “...show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” when you Call to me.
If we wish to experience God on a higher plain, if we wish to know the things of God more clearly, if we wish to grow in faith and wisdom, then we much spent much time in prayer.
There is also encouragement in faith for those who serve the Lord. Eph. 3:20 tell us “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” If you wait on the Lord in prayer you have the promise that God will do great things for you and through you that you cannot imagine. He can do great things for this church if we would unite in prayer. He would do great things in this community if we would unite in prayer.
Am I being presumptuous in saying that? I do not believe so. God promises us “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Oh how slow we are to believe that.
You may wonder well what can I do? We are so unaware of the things that God can do through us. To believe that we are useless in serving God is to believe a lie of the devil.
How much use would be think a jawbone of a donkey had. But in the hand of Samson and through the power of God it killed a thousand enemies of God.
The question is not what can I do when I am in the hand of God, but what can I not do in the hand of God.
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
We have promise by God that when we serve Him in His will we will have success, great and mighty things will happen.
So we see in this verse three factors that make up plenteous prayer, or fruitful prayer. We have a command to call on God, we have promise of an answer, and we have and encouragement to faith, and encouragement that God will do mighty things through our prayers.
We cannot begin to guess how God will bless our prayers. I bid you to go and stand at His door. To go boldly to His throne. God only knows what He has in store for you. If you do not ask you will get what you ask for, James 4:2; “Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”
Go to the table of the Lord, while we may ask for scraps, the Lord may have planned for us a feast. I think of Ruth, all she asked for was to glean among the sheaves, but what was she given, Boaz states, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.” He further tells Ruth, Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” God provided for Ruth in ways she never thought.
He desires to do the same for us. Let us be obedient to this passage. Let us stand on it’s promises on the promises of God. Let us mediate upon those wonderful words; “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
In closing may I say there may be some here today who have never trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. There may be those here who have never placed their faith in the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sin, never trusted in Christ for eternal life. Never believing that Christ died for you, that He rose for you, that He sits on the right hand of the Father for you.
If you have never trusted in Jesus I pray that you would take this passage to heart. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Call upon the Lord and you will be saved. Call upon Him and He will answer you, He will give you eternal life, He will fill you with His Holy Spirit. Call upon Him and He will indeed show you great and mighty things, thing which you do not know. He will show how you can be free from the bondage of sin, how you live a life glorifying to Him.
LET US PRAY
