The Battle Plan: Prayer Series

The Battle Plan (1)

Scott Bayles, pastor

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 4/3/2016

There was a pastor who had a pet parrot. All the parrot would say was, “Let’s kiss. Let’s kiss.” The pastor tried to teach him to say other things but to no avail. He learned that one of his deacons had a parrot. The deacon’s parrot would only say, “Let’s pray, let’s pray.” So the pastor decided to invite the deacon and his parrot over to his house, hoping that his parrot could learn from the more spiritual parrot. When the deacon arrived they put the parrots into the same cage to see what would happen. The pastor’s parrot says, “Let’s kiss, let’s kiss.” And suddenly the deacon’s parrot shouts, “Thank you, Lord. My prayers have been answered.”

Prayer works, doesn’t it?

Sadly, prayer has been on the decline in recent years. While a majority (55%) of Americans claim to pray at least once a day, the share of adults who seldom or never pray has increased from 18% to 23% since 2007. Even those of us who try to make prayer a priority tend to struggle. Many of us have good intentions when it comes to prayer. But we get so busy and distracted that our prayer-life falls by the wayside. For some of us prayer is a last resort, when all else fails. Wouldn’t you like to pray more? Better? Stronger? Deeper? With more fire, faith and fervency?

The problem is—many of us don’t know how to pray or even what we should be praying for. It may help to know you’re not alone. Let me share a clip with you from Christian comedian Michael Junior about his experience with prayer.

• Video Clip: Michael Jr. – Pray with Your Neighbor

Maybe some of you can relate to Michael Junior. A couple of weeks ago, we showed the movie War Room here at the Grove and the Girlfriends Bible Study group is doing a study all about prayer right now. So I’d like to piggyback on that idea for just one Sunday. To be really effective in prayer, we need a plan. A strategy. In Colossians 4, Paul provides us with a clear, concise battle plan for prayer. Here’s what he says: “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart” (Colossians 4:2 NLT).

In just 11 words Paul provides us with a three-point battle plan for a powerful and prosperous prayer life. First, Paul tells us to be persistent in prayer!

• BE PERSISTENT IN PRAYER

Paul begins by saying, “Devote yourselves to prayer…” The word translated “devote” implies unrelenting persistence. It’s the opposite of “hit and miss.” The Amplified Version translates it: “Be persistent and devoted to prayer” (Colossians 4:2 AMP). Another translation says simply, “Keep praying” (GWT).

In other words, don’t bail. Don’t give up. Be consistent and committed in your prayer life. You may have dry times and days when you don’t know what to say. You may moments where it feels like your prayers aren’t reaching past the ceiling, but keep praying anyway.

Jesus actually tells a parable about the importance of persistence in prayer.

“Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.” (Luke 11:5-8 NLT)

Now don’t misunderstand. Jesus isn’t comparing God to this grouchy neighbor. In fact, just the opposite—He’s saying that if persistence paid off as a man beat on the door of a reluctant friend, how much more would persistence bring blessing to us as we pray to a loving Heavenly Father! Jesus then concludes, “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9 NLT).

Believe it or not, God actually wants to meet our needs. He wants us to keep coming to him in prayer. D.L. Moody once commented, "Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all." By praying persistently we not only get answers to our prayer, but more importantly we develop a richer and deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father. Persistent prayer isn’t about changing the mind of God; it’s about drawing near to the heart of God.