How to Have a More Effective Prayer Life
Phil. 4:6-7
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Unexplainable peace (passes all understanding)
To claim this promise…free from fear, anxiety, frustration…we have to follow this prescription God’s way, to a “T”.
3 elements here:
prayer/supplication/thanksgiving
The definitions of all 3 will teach us much about prayer.
“Prayer”—carries the idea of adoration, devotion, and worship
[exactly the opposite of rushing into the presence of God…which is how most of our prayer lives are!]
Being still and knowing He is God/meditation/seeking peace and being still
“careful for nothing”=to be pulled apart/drawn in separate directions
when we have a giant problem/mountain to cross…we need a correct view of God/how big He is
Next to me my problem seems very big/next to God very small!
We need to be able to view our problems not in relation to my power, but God’s/not in relation to my resources, but God’s!
Some say, “I take my BIG problems to God”
But are there any big problems next to God?
Ill.—student asked teacher if there’s life on other planets/bible teacher answered that “Eve” means mother of all living, and she didn’t think so/then why go to all the trouble of making all the other planets?/what trouble?!
And He’s big enough to deal w/ my problems if I’ll let go and let God!
So start off prayer time w/ praise time, worship, adoration…being still and thinking of how great and powerful He is…thanking Him for flinging the stars into space [omnipotence]/and omnipresence: that’s He’s everywhere at all times, He’s w/ me in this problem, darkness, difficulty.
Psalms 139:17-19
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God…
Hear the victory in that verse? It’s the result of worship, adoration, and praise at the beginning of the prayer!
…also, thank Him for His omniscience=all knowing
Ps 103:14 -
For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
To be transparent, I struggle sometimes as a younger pastor w/ self-doubt, and wondering if I’m capable of this position…as the honeymoon period has ended, I’ve become a target to those not interested in following…the armchair pastors, and often it seems like it’s impossible to please people, there’s no appreciation, and going all the way to the top, I’m not developing leaders and growing people, and cannot even get people in leadership to recognize the spiritual condition we’re in and what God’s mind is on this, and I feel like I’m just not going to be able to do it all, and so I’ve been asking myself the question, should I step out of the way? Was my job just to come energize for a while and get the building settled? I never want to be in the way if my time is done!
And God has taken me by the shoulders and shook me to attention, and caused me to realize I’m just looking for the easy road…and that I should stop praying for God to make my tasks equal to my abilities, and start praying for Him to make my abilities equal to the tasks He’s put before me!
I realize this church hasn’t come this far because of me, and it won’t go into the future because of me either…but God can do it thru me and us, together!
It’s hard to get on my knees and gripe and moan to God about the cross I have to carry when I’ve started out the prayer w/ worship and adoration about how capable He is of taking care of everything I’m about to list!
We spend most of our prayer time telling God our list [which He already knows], when we should invest much of that same time thanking Him that we can bring this list to Him to deal with!
That’s the idea behind the word prayer=adoration…
Then there’s the word “supplication”=idea of earnestness and sincerity
The opposite would be half-hearted, insincere praying…praying to the people around you instead of God, or to yourself (thinking), rather than truly talking to God.
God wants us to be earnest in our requests.
Mt. 7:7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Look at the earnestness in these verses…all 3 words: ask, seek, and knock indicate a higher level of earnestness than the one before…each grows in intensity, passion, earnestness.
Ill.—kimberly sent me once to the store for cream of tartar [what in the world is it/where in the world is it? For fish right?]
I looked up and down every aisle I could imagine…and she needs it, and I’d better not come home w/out it!
So I humble myself and ask someone…they point me to the spice aisle…what???
OK, so I go there…ever seen how many spices there are…now I’m seeking, getting nervous!
Never a worker around when you need them, but I hear some talking behind the 2 big metal swinging doors…so what do I do? I approach and knock…excuse me, sir, where’s the cream of tartar? Spice aisle? Yes, I know. Do you know WHERE on the spice aisle? Can you tell me exactly where? Is there gps on it? Would you mind just getting some and placing it in my hand? I cannot go home w/ out it!
I asked, then I started seeking, finally I knocked…I wasn’t half-hearted, I didn’t give up easily! I wanted to get someone’s attention, to get some action/results!
God wants more than just prayer…He wants supplication…there’s a difference between just praying and truly crying out to God.
Ill.—Ian and I joked about those whose whole prayer life consists in meal-time and church prayers…and they try to include every missionary in their prayers/unlike dad who says, thanks for the food, amen!
This is the kind of praying Jesus did in the Garden in Gethsemane…
Heb. 5:7-8
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
We need to put some passion in our prayers, if we want that peace, being careful for nothing, then we have to do more than pray, we have to make supplication…and we have a high priest which takes our passion and passes it along to the Father w/ groaning which cannot be uttered!
Most of the crowd prays, but when is the last time you engaged in supplication…came to a sweat, and like David, watered your couch w/ tears?
Ill.—in the OT, incense was a picture of prayers, but it had to be set on the hot coals or no smoke rose up
[prayer w/ out passion=incense on a cold altar=stirred, but not changed]
Passionless prayers don’t get wayward children right w/ God/lost spouse saved/financial turnaround/church revival
Hudson Taylor
The beginning of it all was a quiet hour among his father’s books, when young Hudson Taylor sought something to interest him. His mother was away from home and the boy was missing her. The house seemed empty, so he took the story he found to a favorite corner in the old warehouse, thinking he would read it as long as it did not get prosy.
Many miles away, the mother was specially burdened that Saturday afternoon about her only son. Leaving her friends she went alone to plead with God for his salvation.
Many miles away, the mother was specially burdened that Saturday afternoon about her only son. Leaving her friends she went alone to plead with God for his salvation. Hour after hour passed while that mother was still upon her knees, until her heart was flooded with a joyful assurance that her prayers were heard and answered.
The boy was reading, meanwhile, the booklet he had picked up, and as the story merged into something more serious he was arrested by the words: “The finished work of Christ.” Who can explain the mystery of the Holy Spirit’s working? Truth long familiar, though neglected, came back to mind and heart.
“Why does the writer use those words?” he questioned. “Why does he not say, ’the atoning or propitiatory work of Christ’?”
Immediately, It is finished shone out as in letters of light. Finished? What was finished?
“A full and perfect atonement for sin,” his heart replied. “The debt was paid by the great Substitute. ’Christ died for our sins,’ and ’not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.’”
Then came the thought with startling clearness, “If the whole work is finished, the whole debt paid, what is there left for me to do?”
The one, the only answer took possession of his soul: “There was nothing in the world for me to do save to fall upon my knees and accepting this Savior and His salvation to praise Him for evermore.”
Old doubts and fears were gone. The reality of the wonderful experience we call conversion filled him with peace and joy. New life came with that simple acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ, for to “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” And great was the change that new life brought.
Longing to share his new-found joy with his mother, he was the first to welcome her on her return.
"I know, my boy, I know,” she said with her arms about him. “I have been rejoicing for a fortnight in the glad news you have to tell.”
“You can see why I’m a believer in passionate prayer,” Taylor said.
3rd part of the prescription is thanksgiving…after prayer and supplication…
Phil. 4:6 (read again)
First adoration, then supplication, finally appreciation!
It doesn’t say to thank Him when it’s answered, but in advance.
Many pray and say, “we’ll thank you for these things…” [when you answer is the implication]
Certainly God wants us to thank Him afterwards as well…Lk. 17—10 lepers healed, 1 said thank you…Jesus asked, “where are the 9?”
But God is even more delighted when we thank Him in advance, because it requires faith, which pleases Him!
That’s the prescription…now the promise…
v. 7 peace!
[unexplainable, which passes all understanding]
Read Dan. 6 on your own and you’ll see Daniel practicing all 3 parts of the prescription: prayer, supplication, thanksgiving…then enjoying peace in the Lion’s Den!
