The Purpose of Prayer
Examining the Motives behind our Prayers
Turn to Romans 8
There are many different types of prayer:
public, private, group, family, church, national,
confession, petition, intercession, fasting, short, long…
Three-year-old Donna, who loved to pray before meals, would sometimes get carried away. Occasionally her pastor father would have to say, "Amen. That’s enough, Donna." One Sunday in church, as a lengthy benediction was being pronounced, Donna stood up and declared, "Amen. That’s enough, Daddy!"
I want us to think through what the Bible says about prayer. I’m not here to lay guilt on any of us about how long or loud we should pray. Fact is, God’s Word isn’t clear about those issues. Nor does it delineate when or what posture we are to use. But the Holy Spirit wants to make sure that some things are very clear to us so we will understand:
• The PURPOSE of Prayer and…
• What our MOTIVES are when we pray.
James 4:3 and I Chronicles 28:9
The Holy Spirit wants us to understand that the Purpose of Prayer is:
1. Not a speech, but a conversation with God.
Let’s compare two different prayers:
Luke 18:9-12
Jonah 4:1-11
What a difference in these two prayers:
Pharisee – An utterance based in pride-it was
a “speech”
Jonah - A conversation with & listening to God
Prayer is not:
1-way but 2-way communication and it includes…
speaking and listening to His Word & voice,
& paying attention to His leadings & pleadings.
2. Not a begging session, but for spending time
in God’s Presence:
One grandma tells this story: “My granddaughter, Hannah, begged me long-distance to come help her celebrate her sixth birthday. Unable to resist, I made my plans to join the family.
When we sat down for the birthday dinner, my son asked Hannah if she would like to bless the food on her birthday. "Sure, Daddy," she said. She closed her eyes and began, "Dear Lord, thank you for Mommy and this good food she fixed. Thank you for letting Grandma come here today."
Pausing momentarily, Hannah opened her eyes to
peek at me before she continued. "And please Lord,
let us have a good time at ’Toys R Us’ this afternoon."
Now that was news to Gramma…
So why did she want Grandma to come to town?
Just to spend time with her sitting on the couch talking about life and getting to know Grandma better?
I don’t think so…she wanted to “get” something!!
The very heart of Prayer is not to “get” something but for spending time in God’s presence for the purpose of:
Cleansing = to receive refreshing from
God Psalm 32:1-2
In his book Why Prayers Are Unanswered, John Lavender tells a story about Norman Vincent Peale.
When Peale was a boy, he found a big, black cigar,
slipped into an alley, and lit up. It didn’t taste good, but it made him feel very grown up ... until he saw his father coming. Quickly he put the cigar behind his back and tried to be casual. Desperate to divert his father’s attention, Norman pointed to a billboard advertising the circus.
"Can I go, Dad? Please, let’s go when it comes to town." His father’s reply taught Norman a lesson he never forgot: "Son," he answered quietly but firmly, "never make a petition while at the same time trying to hide a smoldering disobedience."
The purpose for Prayer includes Cleansing:
Comfort- to be assured of God’s faithfulness-
31:1-2
Closeness - to be secure in the love of God –
31:19-21
3. Not a self-centered exercise, but for expressing
real needs to God.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you shall find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.”
Psalm 37:4-9
4. Not a maneuver to get our way, but to submit
to His ways.
A 7-year-old daughter had just won $2.00 for her memory work in Sunday school. After the morning service, the Pastor’s wife congratulated her. *She proudly announced, "And I put it all in the morning’s offering!" "My, how wonderful!" the pastor’s wife exclaimed. "I’m sure God will be pleased." "Yes," the child replied. "Now maybe God will let me do some of the things I want to do!"
Why do some of our Prayers seem to go unanswered?
• Wrong Motives
• Lack of Faith
• Ask out of God’s Will
• Wrong Timing
• We won’t know until we get to heaven…
One of the biggest reasons our prayers are not answered is because we pray for our will to be done rather than His Will to be accomplished!
Isaiah 55:6-8
Prayer is for:
• submitting our thoughts to His
• changing our desire to match His
• dedicating our will to do His
(Believing and asking for His will to be
done ‘on’ & ‘in’ earth)
• bending our knee and head to Him
We need the Holy Spirit to help us express those kinds of prayers & to help us live like we pray.
I John 5:14-15
James 4:6-10
I ASKED GOD
1. I asked God to take away my Pride. God said… "No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.”
2. I asked God to grant me Patience. He said… "No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn’t granted, it is spiritually earned.”
3. I asked God to give me Happiness. He said…
"No. I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.”
4. I asked God to keep me from all Pain. God said… "No. Some suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.”
5. I asked God to make my Spirit grow. He said… "No. You must grow thru spiritual disciplines and I will prune you to make you fruitful.”
6. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
My Father said… "No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.”
7. I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much
as he loves me.
God said... “Ahhhh, finally you have the idea!”
The Purpose of Prayer is not so much about us and what we want as it is about God, Who He is, What He knows is best for us and how He wants to use us to minister to others. The Holy Spirit’s role in this is crucial.
PRAY
