“Prayer -- a GOTTA, Not an OUGHTA” -- James 5:13-16, John 17 January 9, 2005
I was looking at a past issue of Pray Magazine, a great magazine that is about, in the editors’ words, “encouraging a passion for Christ through prayer.” As I perused some of the articles I had a spiritual revelation. God told me that I wasn’t putting prayer as a priority. I didn’t want to hear that. In fact, I didn’t want to believe because I pray. I enjoy praying. I lead others in prayer.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the truth – I have let prayer become more of an “oughta” than a “gotta.” I’ve let prayer become something I feel I ought to do, like it’s an obligation, and not something I’ve got to do, a priority...with a great sense of urgency.
In other words, I’ve let prayer take a back seat to such things in my life as worry, busyness, work and even such unsavory things as gossip, temptation and anger.
And here’s another part of God’s revelation to me – I’m not alone! It’s an epidemic, this putting a low priority on prayer! It’s hitting our churches like this year’s version of the flu! And it’s making the church sick!
The truth is that most of us have made prayer more like a new year’s resolution than a priority.
It’s kind of like making a promise with our fingers crossed – “This year I will spend an hour day in prayer and make prayer a part of everything I do.” Uh-huh. How’s that promise going so far?
I’m not going to go the way you may expect this morning. I’m not going to do a sermon on how to pray.
I’ve seen you pray and I’ve heard your prayers, so I think we know how to pray.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s important that we know how to pray. Maybe we just need a quick reminder of it’s important. Not a sermon just a quick review.
Here’s what I think – If prayer is meant to be a priority, and it is, then the most important request the apostles made of Jesus was, “Teach us to pray.”
And if you look at Matthew 6 and Luke 11 you found that Jesus did teach them to pray.
He told them it was personal – it was between them and God and was key to having a personal relationship with Him.
He told them to pray from the heart, not by rote – it’s not about the words but more often about the spaces between the words.
Then he gave them the model prayer (recite the Lord’s Prayer).
- prayer is about recognizing who God is; this is worship, praise and thanksgiving.
- prayer is about recognizing God’s daily care of us; we can ask for and receive his provision.
- prayer is about recognizing our sinfulness and God’s grace; we can ask for and receive His
forgiveness.
- prayer is about recognizing God’s guidance by the Holy Spirit who will counsel us, lead us, nudge
us and even guilt-trip us if necessary into going God’s way.
- prayer is about recognizing God’s protection; He will deliver us from evil and move us out of
harm’s way.
Are you beginning to see the importance of prayer; are you getting a sense of what God revealed to me about it becoming a priority – a “gotta,” not an “oughta”?
Let me get further into preaching mode here.
Let me first share with you...
Three Things to Pray For
Here’s what I think: Being specific in prayer makes it easier to make prayer a priority.
The three things I’m proposing we pray for are Jesus-inspired from his very personal and powerful prayer in John 17, which you can read on your own. According to the NIV Bible, here are the headings for the portions of our Lord’s prayer and my own transliterations:
1. “Jesus Prays for Himself” = Pray for yourself. That’s not selfish, just common sense. How are you going to pray for others if your relationship with God is ragged and rusty, or if you have unmet needs and extra baggage? What do you need prayer for?
2. “Jesus Prays for His Disciples” = Pray for your church. Those first disciples were the congregation of the “First Church of Jesus Christ” and Jesus knew they would need God’s help if they were going to continue his work in the world. He said, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” He prayed that they be faithful, protected and sanctified (set apart for God’s purpose). That’s all stuff we can pray for our church, isn’t it? Think of the difference it would make. What does your church need prayer for?
3. “Jesus Prays for All Believers” = Pray for your world. When Jesus prayed for those who would come to salvation through the message of the disciples he prayed, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Jesus prayed that the world would come to a saving knowledge and eternal relationship with him. What does your world need prayer for?
If you make prayer a priority in the pattern of Jesus, three things will happen in those areas of your life.
Three Things That Will Happen if You Make Prayer a Priority
1. If you pray for yourself, it will change you...
a) by deepening your relationship with God through conversation; prayer creates a space in which
God can speak to you (that’s the space between words I spoke of)
Ask: Have you ever tried to have a relationship with someone without talking to that person?
c) by letting you see the reality of your faith as that your faith is real as the grace of Christ unburdens
you from the weight of life and frees you from the chains of sin
Ask: Has anybody here ever had a prayer answered. What was that like? What did it do for your faith?
Prayer will change you.
2. If you pray for your church, it will change your church...
a) by deepening our relationships with one another; praying for others creates spiritual connections
to one another, even if those others don’t know we’re praying for them; Jesus said to love one another and prayer is that love given wings!
b) by deepening our relationship with God together; what a difference it will make if we’re are lifting each other up in prayer, praying for everyone’s relationship with God to be stronger and deeper, just like Jesus did for his disciples.
Prayer will change your church.
3. If you pray for your world, it will change your world...
a) by deepening our awareness of God’s relationship with the world; God loves His world and the people He has created in His image...every one of them! They may not all acknowledge Him or even know His name; they may not know what He has done for them through Jesus Christ, but He loves them anyway! God longs for them to come and know the depths of His love and accept their place in His family. Relationship!
b) Pray for your “Village.”
- family and friends (saved and unsaved)
- contacts and acquaintances
- local community (ministries, leadership, businesses)
Drive around and take a good look at this village you live in. Walk around your neighborhood. Ask God to share with you who to pray for and, even, why.
Pray “Lord, let the things that break your heart, break my heart.” And make a list.
c) Pray for your “Global Community”
- foreign churches and mission fields
- places of pain and need
We have a tremendous opportunity to prayer for our global community right now, don’t we? The tsunami in Thailand and Indonesia certainly has and will have a global impact. Here are a couple of statements posted on Rick Warren’s pastoral website.
"I feel so thankful and grateful for those who share this concern. There are only a few churches here. Practically, we have very limited resources. But when we all come together, we can become much more powerful and effective." - A pastor in Thailand
"Your prayers can make a difference -- and bring a miracle to pass. Please pray for the Lord’s hand to intervene, open doors, protect, and heal in the days to come." - Dave Kenney, pastor of the International English Service congregation in Jakarta, Indonesia
Knowing who and what to pray for in your global community is easier than you think. Look on the web; read the newspaper; get a copy of our denominational magazine “In Mission”; try “Pray” magazine (from the Navigators); contact a missionary (find a name on that Mission bulletin board in the back).
Prayer will change your world.
Let me end with a starting point.
Three Beginning Steps for Moving Prayer From an “Oughta” to a “Gotta”
From James 5:13-15
1. Give in to prayer! (verses 13-14) Give in to the call to pray, to be a person of prayer, to make prayer a priority.
2. Dive into prayer! (verse 15) Dive in head first and go deep! Let God show you how to swim the waters of prayer and handle the depths of prayer he wants you to enjoy as you make prayer a priority.
3. Live in prayer! (verse 16) Let prayer become your way of life to the point where you can’t live without out; let prayer be your priority and it will become a natural, integrated part of who you are.
Shall we pray?
