September 24, 2003
Title: The Time Has Come to Pray
Text: John 17:1
Introduction
1. A year ago last summer, we had small groups meeting in different locations.
A. My small group met here in the Fellowship Hall
and we did an intensive study of the Lord’s Prayer
found in Matthew 6, right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount.
It was a very interesting and informative study.
one of the things that we pointed out...
it really isn’t the Lord’s Prayer...
It is the Disciple’s Prayer.
It is the prayer that Jesus gave as an example to the Disciples...
when the disciples asked, in Luke 11, "Lord, Teach us to pray"
B. And now that we are doing a Prayer Meeting for our Break Out Group...
And I thought it would be appropriate for us to study the REAL Lord’s Prayer
This is not the prayer that Jesus gave His disciples to pray...
this is the prayer that Jesus Himself prayed to His Father.
It is found in John chapter 17.
It is sometimes referred to as "the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus"
It is the longest prayer that we have on record that Jesus made.
It came at a very crucial time in the ministry of Jesus.
C. Those early disciples were able to have a window into the heart of Jesus
as they saw and heard Him speak to His Father.
And I would like for us to join those early disciples by looking on...
and listening to Jesus as He prays.
As we do, I’m sure it will have a profound impact on you in many ways.
2. Ann Graham Lotz, in her book, "My Heart’s Cry", has a chapter covering part of this prayer. (pp. 211-230)
A. In it, she refers to one of her favorite stories writen by Frances Hogston Burnett called, "The Littlest Princess" about a girl named Sara Crewe. I’d like to share it with you. "As the story unfolds...(from page 211 of "My Heart’s Cry")
B. In the "real" Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is turning to His Father just before He is arrested...
just before His is to face such brutality..
and ultimately to lay down His life on our behalf...
and here, just moments before those horrific events...
Jesus turns to His Father in Prayer...
C. And in a sense, we are on the outside, looking in...
And if we will give ourselves the opportunity...
we, just like Sara, will be strangely moved...
and strangely warmed...
by what we see unfolding before our very eyes and ears.
Read Text: John 17:1a
1. Jesus said, "The Time has come"!
A. And using the words of Jesus, I’ve entitled this series, "The Time Has Come... to Pray"
Someone wrote a poem that I’d like to share with you. I don’t know who wrote it, so I am unable to credit a source:
Have you ever had anyone come to you and say, "Tell me...how do you know when it is time to pray?"
I mean our stomachs growl when it is time to eat.
Our eyes start closing when it is time to sleep.
When our feelings get hurt, it is time for tears,
With a new birth it is time to care.
People will often tell us, quite so,
When it is time to come, or stay, or go.
But how do you know when it is time to pray?
Does an alarm go off next to your bed?
Or is there a clanging inside your head?
Do your eyes start blinking, a horn start blowing?
Or do you listen for a rooster crowing?
Just what is your way of knowing when it is time to pray?
With me...
I find it is time to pray
At the beginning and ending of each day.
And when I am sick and feeling bad,
Or scared, or lonely, or lost, or sad.
When the bills blow in like sand
I seek a touch of the Master’s hand.
When I need patience, hope and peace
And an abiding love that will not cease.
When I am thankful for all there is
That now is mine, and yet is His.
Gladness, sadness, joy and grief
We share in prayer. And it is my belief
That whenever my heart has something to say
That is how I know when it’s time to pray.
B. Jesus was at a crucial point in His ministry...
just before He was to suffer and die for all mankind...
instead of curling up in a ball and saying, "why me?"
instead of running away...
instead of telling God to forget the whole mess..."I’m not going to do it"
Jesus turned to God and prayed.
C. This is not all that unusual...
Jesus often found time to pray.
Jesus prayed in the mornings...
Jesus prayed in the evenings...
Jesus prayed in groups...
and Jesus prayed by Himself...
Jesus prayed on His knees...
Jesus prayed standing up with His face to the heavens (like in this prayer)
Jesus prayed when He was tempted...
Jesus prayed when He was sad...
Jesus prayed when things were going well...
Jesus prayed when things were going bad...
Jesus prayed when He was in excruciating pain...
Jesus prayed when He was lonely...
Jesus prayed long prayers...
Jesus prayed short prayers...
sometimes Jesus even prayed the whole night long...
Jesus prayed before He ate...
and Jesus prayed while He was fasting...
Jesus prayed on the moutaintop...
Jesus prayed in the valley...
Do you get the picture here?
Jesus prayed!!!
D. Jesus had just had a very busy week.
It was Thursday...
He had been teaching every day on the Temple grounds...
He arranged His final meal with His disciples...
He washed the 24 dirty feet of the disciples
He dismissed Judas to go and betray Him...
He poured out His heart to His friends...
He encouraged them...
He taught them...
He told them He would answer their prayers...
and now, with the 11 that were left...
teaching them everything that they would need to know before His death...
John 17:1 says, "After Jesus had said these things, He lifted His head toward heaven and prayed"
He prayed!!
2. "The Time Has come"
A. I just believe that "the time has come" for us to pray!
We have been studying on Sunday Mornings about how close the End Times events are...
We realize that there are crucial happenings going on right now...
We realize that there are still people who need Jesus...
We realize that our Church is the only thing that will reach some of those people...
Not only are we at a crucial time as it relates to End Time events...
We are at a crucial time in the life of our church...
we are on the verge of selling the Youth Center...
We are on the verge of paying off our indebtedness...
We have the opportunity to free ourselves up to new areas of ministry..
And the time has certainly come for us to pray!!!
If there was ever a time for us to be in prayer for God’s direction and guidance, it is now!
Now, I realize that some of you have been praying already...
and I certainly appreciate all the prayers for the Church and for your pastor...
but I want us to re-double our efforts in prayer at this very important point in the life of our church.
B. Not only that....But for some of you, you are at a crucial time in your life...
Maybe you are facing an important decision...
maybe you are struggling with some issues in your family...
maybe you are struggling with some spiritual things...
maybe you are struggling with temptation or sin....
maybe you are struggling with knowing and doing the will of God...
"The time has come...to pray"
Conclusion
1. Now that we have started our new Prayer Meeting Break Out Group...
A. and we are beginning a study on the "real" Lord’s Prayer...
We need to commit ourselves to look upon Jesus as He prays to His Father...
We need to be willing to come to Jesus...
from our position outside the window...
allow Jesus to clean us up...
allow Him to show us His glory...
allow Jesus to help us as we pray...
allow Jesus to minister to us during this study...
allow Jesus to lead us and guide us as individuals and as a church...
B. And as we do, we will find warmth for our soul
we will find strength for our task...whatever it may be...
and we will find that as we focus our eyes on Jesus during this prayer...
that we too will have a greater desire to be in prayer with our Father.
2. "The Time Has Come...to Pray"
