Why God Wants Us To Pray

May 18, 2003

Title: Why God Wants Us to Pray

Text: Luke 18:1-8

Introduction

We continue to focus on our global mission: Loving God...Reaching Families...Making Friends.

This year, our vision to accomplish our mission is...

Christ First

The "I" in Christ stands for Intercessory Prayer

And we have set apart the month of May to focus our minds and our hearts on prayer.

If we as a church will redouble our efforts in prayer...

then we will see the power of Christ unleashed in our presence...

If we as individuals will redouble our efforts in prayer...

then we will see the power of Christ unleashed in our own spiritual life...

We will see our prayers answered...

we will see our loved ones coming to Christ...

we will see miracles take place in our lives and the lives of our loved ones

But that’s a big "IF"!

We as a Church

and we as individuals have GOT to be willing to pay the price in prayer.

God wants us to pray!

Jesus Himself said, "If you remain in me and follow my teachings, you can ask anything you want, and it will be given to you" John 15:7 (NCV)

He wants us to spend time with Him in prayer...

He wants us to ask Him stuff...

He wants us to tell Him about what what is going on in our lives...

You might ask, "why does God wants us to pray"?

Well, I’m glad you asked!!

Because that what I feel led to talk with you about this morning.

Read Text: Luke 18:1-8

Body

1. Firstof all, prayer Is A Way of Starting A Conversation

My children have yet to learn the art of starting a conversation...

they will just burst out and say, "Daddy, can I have some ice cream?"

But when the get a little older...

I’m guessing that they will learn more effective ways of starting that conversation...

They might sit down and say, "Daddy, can I sit down and talk with you"?

and of course, I will be excited that my kids want to spend time with me instead of their friends...

I’ll stop whatever I’m doing and pay close attention...

They might say, "Daddy, You look really good...

have you lost any more weight?

You are really getting handsome as you get older....

I love your little bald spot and how it just glistens in the sun when you hold your head at just the right angle."

O, by the way, would you like to go and get some ice cream together"?

It would be pretty hard to say N0...

after all that!!

But if my kids were to just say, "Daddy, I want some ice cream"...

well, they are less likely to get what they want.

And God is the same way...

if you just blurt out...

God, I really need a new car...

or God, if you will help win the lottery, well, I’ll give half of it to Belleview Church of the Nazarene...

(maybe I’ll join you in THAT prayer!!) :)

But that is no way to start a conversation....

God wants us to spend time with Him...

He wants us to tell Him how wonderful He is....

It isn’t that we are insincere...

and it isn’t that we are trying to bribe God...

It is just that people like to be told how much you appreciate them...

they want to be told that they are special...

they want to be told that you love them....

and God is no different than you and me in that respect.

Prayer is just a good way to start a conversation.

2. Mind Meld

Another reason that God wants us to pray is because of something I call "the mind meld"

Any of you Star Trek fans probably remember the "Vulcan Mind Meld"

Spock, one of the characters on Star Trek was from the planet Vulcan.

And one of the abilities of a Vulcan is ability to meld their mind with someone else.

They would be of the same mind....

aware of each other’s memories and so on...

When two people talk...their minds merge

as you begin to know each other better...

you begin to think more like the other person...

you begin to know what that person might say or do in a certain situation.

My wife loves Cracker Barrel

If we were to go there to eat...

I could probably order my wife’s entire meal...

because I know what she likes....

Sometimes I can tell what she is thinking...

and she can tell what I am thinking...

because we have spent time together...

and our minds have merged to a certain degree.

Philippians 2:5 says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" Phil 2:5 (KJV)