How to Persevere in Prayer
October 19, 2003
Introduction:
Survey on Prayer:
On March 31, 1997, Newsweek magazine published the result of a survey on people’s prayer beliefs and habits. The title of the survey was “Is God Listening?”
87%--of the people believe that God answers prayers.
54%--say they pray on a daily basis, that is, 25% pray once a day and 29% more than once a day.
Then it gets interesting when Newsweek asked them what they believe about prayer:
82% ask for health or success for child or a family member
82% believe that God does not play favorites in answering prayers
79% believe that God answers prayers for healing someone with an incurable disease
75% ask for strength to overcome personal weaknesses
72% think prayers for help in finding a job are answered
54% say that when God doesn’t answer their prayers, it means it wasn’t God’s will to answer
51% think that God doesn’t answer prayers to win sporting events
36% never pray for financial or career success
82% don’t turn away from God when prayers are not answered
Questions:
Why the big difference in percentage between those who believe that God answers prayers and those who actually prays?
Out of 87 percent who believe that God answers prayers, why only 54 percent prays on a daily basis?
Possible reasons why people don’t pray:
1. They don’t believe in prayer
2. They don’t have problems to pray for
3. They could not find a time to pray
4. They don’t know how to pray
5. They could not find a place to pray
Main challenge in prayer
1. It is not the theology of prayer—belief in the power of prayer. God answers our prayers
2. It is not the rewards of prayer. In the Bible we have plenty of examples of miracles as a result of prayer
3. The main challenge in prayer is the the practice of prayer itself.
Comparing a sermon process with prayer: The main challenge of the whole sermon process
1. It is not the preparation
2. It is not the writing of the sermon
3. It is not the theology of the sermon
4. It is not presentation or delivery of the sermon
5. It is not the hearing of the sermon
6. It is the application of the sermon
Just like in the sermon process, the practice of prayer is the main challenge to prayer.
Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Survey on spiritual challenges:
Discipleship Journal, 11-12/92
A recent survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them:
1. Materialism
a. Pre-occupation with the material things of the world
b. Materialistic solution to our need for God
c. Instead of spending time with God in prayer, we spend most of our time on things that will someday perish.
d. Instead of going to God for solution to our problems we go to the material things of the world to solve our problems.
1) If people have financial problems, people don’t pray to God, they go to their bank.
2) If people need healing, people don’t pray to God, they go to their doctors.
e. Hence, materialism becomes a number one hindrance to spiritual growth. In this case, to prayer.
2. Pride
a. The problem of pride is directly contrary to prayer.
b. Prayer is a symbol of humility
c. Literally, prayer is to prostrate oneself
d. Luke 18:10-14, “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
e. We cannot continue to pray as long as we treasure pride wihtin us.
3. Self-centeredness
a. The focus of prayer is God, not self
b. In the OT, prayer was often accompanied by a sacrifice. And the ultimate focus of all these sacrifices is God.
c. Daniel’s habit of prayer is an example of this principle.
1) He opened his window towards the temple in Jerusalem and prayed
2) To Daniel, the temple was the house of God. He was directing his prayer to where God was.
4. Laziness
a. Illustration—police officer killed because he was lazy to wear his bulletproof vest.
b. We are waging a war against Satan.
c. Paul’s counsel in Ephesians 6:11-18, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness
6. (Tie) Sexual lust
7. Envy
8. Gluttony
9. Lying
Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected their time with God (81 percent) and when they were physically tired (57 percent).
Resisting temptation was accomplished by prayer (84 percent), avoiding compromising
situations (76 percent), Bible study (66 percent), and being accountable to someone (52 percent).
How to persevere in prayer:
1. Change our attitude about prayer
a. Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”
b. Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
c. Common attitude about prayer
1) Prayer is only for the sick and those who are dying
2) Prayer is only for the lame
3) Prayer is only for those with big problems
4) Prayer is only for those with no hope
5) Prayer is a waste of time
d. What should be our attitude towards prayer?
1) Prayer is a command—1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”
2) Prayer is power
i. Joshua prayed and the wall came tumbling down
ii. Jonah prayed and he was delivered from the belly of the fish
iii. Elijah prayed and rain was withheld for three years in Israel
iv. Daniel prayed and the lions’ mouths were shut
v. Shadrach, Meschach, and Abegnego prayed, and they were delivered from fire.
vi. Jairu prayed, and his daughter was healed
3) Prayer is our lifeline to God
i. Illustration—concerns about overstreching supply line during Gulf War in Iraq
ii. Many times we allow our lifeline to be shattered
2. Recognize our need for prayer
a. Arthur C. Coxe, “We are living, we are dwelling, in a grand and awful time, In an age on ages telling; to be living is sublime.
Hark! the waking up of nations, hosts advancing to the fray;
Hark! what soundeth is creation’s groaning for the latter day.”
b. Romans 8: 22-23, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
c. 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
d. Psalm 90:3-5, “Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. 4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.”
e. Daily activities, we need God’s guidance
f. Jacob recognized his need for a blessing and so he wrestled with the angel
g. The woman with an issue of blood realized her need and so she pressed toward Jesus in spite of the crowd.
3. Remove things that interfere with prayer
a. Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
b. Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
c. These other gods will interfere with my worship to the true God
d. Other gods
1) Material things
2) Job
3) Pleasures
4) Comfort
5) Freedom of everything
6) Unbelieving relatives/spouses
e. Joshua 24:15, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
4. Set a time and place for prayer
a. Matthew 14:23, “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”
b. Luke 6:12, “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
c. Luke 9:28, “And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.”
d. The poem below illustrates this point:
No Time
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They’d laugh at me I’d fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"
5. Record and testify about answered prayers
a. Make a memorial of God’s goodness
b. Joshua 4:20-24, “And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. 21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? 22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: 24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
c. Remember your answered prayers and give a prayer of thanksgiving.
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Salvation was wrought in the Garden of Gethsemane
Calvary was the result of Gethsemane
Without Gethsemane there is no Calvary
Like Jesus who persevered in prayer, may we persevere in our prayer life also.
