What Do We Learn From Jesus' Prayer?

What Can We Learn from Jesus’ Prayer?

Matthew 26:36-46

ILLUSTRATION… Children’s Prayers http://www.bible.org/illus.php?topic_id=1145

Dear God: Please send a new baby for Mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much. - Debbie, 7

Dear God: Who did you make smarter? Boys or girls? My sister and I want to know. - Jimmy, 6

Dear God: How many angels are there in heaven? I would like to be the first kid in my class to know the answer. - Norma, 8

Dear God: This is my prayer. Could you please give my brother some brains. So far he doesn’t have any. - Angela, 8

Dear Lord: Thank you for the nice day today. You even fooled the TV weather man. - Hank, 7

Dear God: Please bring me a new brother. The one I got socks me all the time. - Agnes, 6

Dear God: Please help me is school. I need help in spelling, adding, history, geography and writing. I don’t need help in anything else. - Lois, 9

Dear God: Do you have any helpers in Heaven? I would like to be one of Your helpers in Heaven when I have summer vacation. - Natalie, 7

Dear God: I need a raise in my allowance. Could you have one of your angels tell my father. Thank you. David, 7

Dear God: I am saying my prayers for me and my brother, Billy, because Billy is six months old and he can’t do anything but sleep and wet his diapers. Diane, 8

INTRODUCTION

I want to introduce you to a few people this morning. They will help us think about the prayer that we will read and also help us think about ourselves.

First, I want you to meet Tom. Tom is a young man in school. He is studying to become a pharmacist. He has been in school for three years and has three years more. His parents cannot help him financially through school and the bills are starting to mount up. He works as hard as he can in school and at a full-time job. He goes to school full-time and works full-time. He is almost to the point of having to quit school… the bills are overwhelming. And there’s this girl. He met her through some friends at work. He likes her. He likes her a lot, but she is not a Christian and his friends at church have been discouraging him from seeing her. His life just seems so stressful and he has decisions to make… but isn’t sure what to do. What does he do about school? What about his job? What about the new girl?

Second, I want you to meet Ted. He recently got back from Iraq. Before that, he had been in Afghanistan. He’s out of the military now, but is not sure what to do with his life. Unfortunately, he has been having some health issues… he seems to be sick. Some of the things he experienced in Afghanistan and Iraq have been troubling him emotionally. And on top of all that, while he was away, his father had a heart attack. He feel that if he had been home he could have helped his dad. He feels guilty. He feels guilty for a lot of things. What is he supposed to do? His health is not great and his dad is sick as well. It is hard to keep working steady… so money is tight. What is he supposed to do?

Third, this is Luis and Nina. Luis and Nina have been married for 6 years and they have no kids. They have a dog that they treat like a kid, but no human kids. Luis and Nina have it all. Both of them have good jobs. Luis works for a company with computers. Nina is a dental assistant. They are financially secure. They were able to afford a small house. They each drive a nice car. They have great friends. But, they struggle in their marriage. They don’t seem to communicate. They don’t seem to really love each other anymore. The only time they look happy together is when they go to church and put on their church faces. Luis wants a divorce. Nina wants a divorce. What are they supposed to do? Do they stay married? Do they quit? Do they ask for help? What do they do?

Fourth, I want to introduce you to Jerry and Rosa. They are enjoying the twilight years of their life. Both Jerry and Rosa have secure retirements and they enjoy traveling and cards and eating out. They also enjoy visiting most of their children and grandchildren. They have three kids and ten grandkids. Jerry and Rosa raised their children in the church, but the youngest seems to have gone his own way. He’s spent time in jail. He doesn’t go to church. He has struggled with drugs, but is doing okay with that now. He has a child from a previous girlfriend who he might loose. The mother is not in the picture and the child might go to foster care. They worry about him and their grandchild… it is stressful on all of them. What are they supposed to do? What do they do for their son… for their grandchild?