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Welcome, attendance pad
Luke 11 (NLT)
5Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this illustration: "Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You would say to him, 6`A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7He would call out from his bedroom, `Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and we are all in bed. I can’t help you this time.’ 8But I tell you this--though he won’t do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you what you want so his reputation won’t be damaged.9"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. 10For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.11"You fathers--if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."
prayer
Dear Father, we praise you for your good character. We praise you for your faithfulness, when so many of those around us do not seem to be so faithful. Your constant love surrounds us even when we do not clearly sense it. We are confident in your complete provision for our needs, even when it is not yet obvious to us.
Father, we pray for the many hurts that we have - some known only by you. For those in marriage near divorce, for those of us whose loved ones are very sick, for those whose emotions have been deeply wounded by those that we dearly love, for those of us needing money and seeking employment to where we believe you have called us, for those of us who need to express our deep personal emotions - let us be near you now. This morning touch our lives with your strong and powerful hand.
Help us to see ourselves, your provision for us and your everlasting love for us through your caring eyes and sensitive heart. Prepare our minds, wills and emotions as well as our spirits for worship of you this morning. Look clearly into our hearts as we sing and speak praise to you. We pray to receive all that you have to give us this morning. May our lips and lives glorify you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
As you know, we are beginning today our “I Love My Church” campaign. One of the best ways to show and grow in our love for the church is through prayer, praying for the church, praying for each other. And that’s what I want us to focus on this morning.
A little boy wanted $100 very badly. He prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. So, he decided to write a letter to God requesting $100.
When the postal authorities received the letter to "God, USA", they decided to send it to the President. The President was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5 bill. The President thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.
The little boy was delighted with the $5 bill, and sat down to write a thank-you note to God. The postal authorities forwarded this letter on to the President, too.
It read:
"Dear God, Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you sent it through Washington, D.C., and those guys deducted $95 in taxes!"
That’s an appropriate story as the election draws near.
8.30 Service—
As you begin to think about prayer—watch this video about what some people on the street had to say about prayer. And what people pray for.
(11 am --In 1996 a Spanish man visiting Stockholm on business stood to inherit about a million dollars, according to an October newspaper account in Germany’s daily Bild. Eduardo Perez had stopped off to pray at a Roman Catholic church and signed the guest book of a man whose body lay there in a coffin. Perez was later notified that the deceased, real-estate developer Jens Svenson, had died without heirs and had specified that "whoever prays for my soul gets all my belongings."
Don’t you wish your prayers yielded results like that?)
I bet if I surveyed you today most of you would conclude that your prayers are ineffective. You seldom see results or answers that are as clear as you’d like them to be.
Maybe you’ve wondered if God is even listening. Have you sometimes felt like it’s a waste of time, that the heavens are closed to your requests?
Perhaps you feel like Franklin Roosevelt did when he was president of the United States. He often endured long receiving lines at the White House and complained that no one really paid attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who came down the line and shook his hand he murmured, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." The guests responded in typical fashion with phrases like, "Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir."
It was not till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard. Unrattled, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, "I’m sure she had it coming."
Truth be known, that’s the way a lot of us feel. We’re more surprised when our prayers yield answers that when they don’t. And why not? When you think of what prayer really is it’s astounding that we’d get and answer at all.
Ambrose Bierce once said that to pray was …
"To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy."
What I want you to understand is that unanswered prayer should be the exception and not the norm. We were created by a God who is more willing to answer us than we are to ask him. As it turns out, that’s the biggest problem with prayer … us.
Jesus taught his followers the characteristics of effective prayer. If you want to pray and see results then begin to apply his teaching.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE PRAYER
Effective prayer is
1. Aimed at specific situations.
Jesus begins this teaching on prayer with a simple, everyday example. One man has a need and asks his neighbor for help.
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Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this illustration: "Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You would say to him, ’A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’" Luke 11:5-6 (NLT)
The man had a specific need for bread. In those days hospitality was a big deal. When a visitor arrived at your home it was your responsibility to set a meal before them immediately. Usually the people baked just enough bread for the day. This guest arrived unexpectedly and there was no bread in the house, so he heads down the road to ask his neighbor for help.
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The same logic must be applied to prayer. Often times we see no results because we ask for nothing specific. When we pray we tend to generalize and not ask God what we really need.
"How often have we prayed something like, ’O Lord, be with cousin Billy now in a special way’? Have we stopped to consider what it is we’re requesting? Imagine that you are a parent who is preparing to leave your children with a babysitter. Would you dream of saying, ’O Betsy, I ask you now that you would be with my children in a special way?’ No way. You would say, ’Betsy, the kids need to be in bed by 9 pm. They can have one snack before their baths, and please make sure they finish their homework. You can reach us at this number if there’s any problem. Any questions before we go?’
We are very specific with our requests and instructions for our babysitters. We want them to know specifics. It should be no different with prayer." (David Jeremiah, Prayer: The Great Adventure, p. 58. )
Whatever you want God to do for you or another person, ask specifically. It’s not a petty matter to God. He is intimately interested in the details of your and my life.
Name names.
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One of the mistakes we make in praying is being too general. Who hasn’t prayed a prayer something like this, "Lord, for all whom it’s my duty to pray..." or "Lord, just bless everybody"?
Our prayers, especially intercessory prayer, needs to be specific. Call the person’s name aloud as you pray. Let that person’s face come to your mind and their name to your lips!
Second, do not be afraid to pray for what you think the person needs. Be specific about that, too. Bring the person’s situation to God. Does the person need healing, money, reconciliation, a job, help-whatever you believe that person needs. Ask that God would meet it.
Pray specific-name names and for specific needs.
Pray specifically. After all, how can God prove to you he’s answered unless it’s specific?
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Secondly, effective prayer is…
2. Approached with confidence.
Notice the reason Jesus gives for the man getting his request granted by his neighbor.
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He would call out from his bedroom, ’Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and we are all in bed. I can’t help you this time.’ But I tell you this - though he won’t do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you what you want so his reputation won’t be damaged." Luke 11:7-8 (NLT)
He was bold. It took a lot of guts to do this. In ancient times most homes had only one room. On one end was a raised platform where everybody slept together - husband, wife, and all the children. Makes you wonder how they were able to have any children at all.
Not only did the entire family sleep in this one room, so did all the livestock. They’d bring the chickens and goats inside too. The man knocking on the door was confident. The other fellow would have to get up, possibly wake up his wife and kids, stir up the animals, light a lamb, go unlock and open the door and give the man some bread.
The person knocking was confident because he knew his neighbor’s reputation was on the line. Remember, hospitality was a big deal and he didn’t want to lose good standing in the community.
Jesus’ point isn’t that God will do things grudgingly because his reputation’s on the line. He teaches us that we can be confident in prayer because of God’s character. He is compassionate and gracious and loving. He wants to answer us and he’ll do it.
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So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
Ask specifically and ask confidently because God cares for your needs.
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Then effective prayer is…
3. Applied with persistence.
Here’s where we lose it. Most often we don’t see results in our prayer life simply because we’re not persistent enough. We give up too soon.
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"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks." Luke 11:9-10 (NLT)
Jesus’ point is that the persistent seekers find what they’re looking for. They find answers. Let me point out, however, that we don’t always get what we ask for. We will always get an answer if we ask, seek and knock, but it may not be the answer that we want.
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If God doesn’t present you with what you need, there’s a reason. Persistence helps you at least discover that reason. In his book, Too Busy Not To Pray, Bill Hybels gives us an easy way to understand what God’s up to.
"If the request is wrong, God says, ’No.’
If the timing is wrong, God says, ’Slow.’
If you are wrong, God says, ’Grow.’
But if the request is right, the timing is right,
and you are right, God says, ’Go!’
The truth is, sometimes God denies your prayer requests because you’re thinking and you’re asking too small. It’s true! Sometimes God denies your prayer request because you are thinking and asking too small. He wants to give you something bigger and He wants to give you something better. But first, He has to prepare you for the bigger and better answer. You’re not ready for it yet. So God uses delays in answering prayer to help you grow, to help you get ready, to help prepare you for a bigger and better answer.
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Ephesians 3:20 Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
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Personally, I am thankful to God that He has not answered all my prayer requests. I’m really thankful. There were girls I dated in school that I prayed, “God, make them fall in love with me!” but I’m so glad I never married those girls.
I’m also glad that God has also not answered my prayer requests on my timetable. Many times I’ve thought, “God! I’ve got to have it now!” And looking back I didn’t have to have it then. If I’d gotten it then, it would have been a smaller answer. But because I waited, the answer was bigger and better.
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Remember that God will sustain you while you are waiting. Psalm 55:22 “Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders. He’ll carry your load. He’ll help you out.” If He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders, He’ll carry you through your tough times.
Your prayer will always be answered, but be ready because the answer might be "No," "Slow," "Grow," or "Go!" There’s a misconception that prayer is simply getting God to give you what you want. Actually prayer is a means by which God changes us. If we’re persistent he shapes us to want what he wants. He actually give us the desire to want what right when we seek him in this way.
Pray specifically. Pray confidently. Pray persistently. The fourth characteristic of an effective prayers is it is….
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4. Answered through trust.
An auto dealer, facing bankruptcy, was walking along a beach when he kicked a bottle and out popped a genie. "Thanks for setting me free," said the genie. "To show my appreciation, I’ll grant you one wish."
"Okay," said the auto dealer, "I want to be the only foreign car dealer in a major metropolitan market."
"Done!" cried the genie.
Immediately, the dealer found himself in a glass-walled office looking out over a major city. "Quick," he said to his secretary, "tell me who I am."
"You’re the only Cadillac dealer in downtown Tokyo," said the secretary.
The thing that you’ve got to know is that God is not like a genie. He’s not some malicious tightwad in the sky either. Listen to how Jesus describes the Father.
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"You fathers - if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Luke 11:11-13 (NLT)
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The people of Jesus’ day were heavily influenced by Greek culture. The Greeks had their own mythology concerning the relationship between the gods and humanity. If you’ve ever read the stories you soon see how awful these deities were to men and women. The cared not one lick for the welfare of human beings, unless they happened to fall romantically in love with one. They were capricious, petty and mean. The Greek gods preferred to torment people for their own pleasure.
Jesus’ point was that the true God, our heavenly Father is nothing like those mythological gods. He’s a perfectly loving Father, who always has our best interest at heart. He’s on our side. He’s pulling for us. He wants to meet our needs more than we really understand.
If you have kids think about how you love to meet their needs. If one of your munchkins should ask you for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you wouldn’t wink at your spouse and slip them a peanut butter and petroleum jelly sandwich. If one of your little ones asked for a glass of milk you wouldn’t present them with spoiled milk and laugh while they wretch, would you?
No, you’d give them the best that you have. Why? Because you love them and want their best. God is the same way, but to a greater degree. He’s a perfect parent who gives us the absolute best. Why? He loves us. It’s for this reason that we can trust him. Effective prayer derives from a trust in the character of our and build on that same trust.
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"Real prayer comes not from gritting our teeth, but from falling in love." (Richard Foster)
The Bible confirms this fact.
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So all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children - calling him "Father, dear Father." For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children. Romans 8:14-16 (NLT)
Prayer that gets results can be the norm in your life rather than the exception. Commit yourself to pray specifically, confidently and persistently. Entrust yourself to a heavenly Father who loves and cares for you more than you could ever dare to dream.
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On your message outline today I have a prayer sheet that I’d like for you to look at. (explain 3 columns—be specific in requests for others, for yourself and church). Keep this guide for the 5 weeks of the campaign and you will be amazed at the answers to your prayers.
PRAYER GUIDE -- MY PERSONAL REQUESTS
Date Request Date Answered
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I heard about a prayer list in another church and the special service they had. The list was slowly read aloud. The pastor requested that at least one person come to the altar to represent each of those needy persons. As he read each name, one or more persons came and knelt at the altar rail. When the list was finished, prayer counselors came up and laid hands on those kneeling. They spent several moments in silent prayer. They left that altar with the feeling that this prayer had really made a difference. And during the following weeks they watched in wonder as many of those prayers were answered.
I want us to do this today. But before we do, are there any names we need to add to our prayer list that’s printed in today’s program?
As I read each name, would that person, or a member of that person’s family, or a friend, or anybody else who feels so lead come forward and represent that person by standing or kneeling at the altar? Then, I and the prayer counselors for today—Mae Houff and Gary Sorrells (Harold Roller 11 am)-- will come forward and lay our hands on these persons and I will lead us in a prayer.
As you come forward for prayer we will sing a song. During this song, you are also invited to come forward to the minister for a time of prayer for yourself, or to make a profession of faith in Christ and seek baptism, or to seek membership in our church family.
