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So you want to be like Christ? - PRAYER: Calling out Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN Main Theme: This series is designed to take us past the good news of God’s grace! Grace is amazing but it is completely God driven. AFTER salvation comes the task that includes our participation: Becoming more and more Christ-like; the purpose of a Christian’s life! How we grow deeper in love with Jesus requires an intentional lifestyle aimed at becoming godly, not religious! We will look at 8 essential disciplines that will help our relationship with Jesus grow! Today, in our 5th week, we see that PRAYER is communicating with God, and we cannot be Christ-like without it! Prayer is not bargaining or pleading, a get-rich-quick scheme, presenting God with a wish-list – it’s seeking His plan so we can adjust our will to match His. It is a Spiritual response that should be a priority. It is the cure for worry. We are to pray without ceasing. But prayer should never 1) be a substitute for responsible action, 2) picture God as limited in power, 3) be postponed due to busyness, or 4) reduced to shallow formulas. God promises… a) He will hear and answer regardless of the time, b) His presence regardless of the outcome, and c) inner peace and relief regardless of the chaos and complications. The goal of prayer is intimacy with God! (Based on Chuck Swindoll’s book “So, you want to be like Christ?” and other research.)
2) BY & FOR GOD! The 1st sentence in Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life begins a discussion on life with these words: “It’s not about you.” He got that from Colossians 1:16 which tells us “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether throne or powers or rulers or authorities; for all things were created by Him and for Him.” No – life is not about us! And neither is prayer. Prayer is a loving collaboration with the Lord to accomplish His goals. We talk with God because we’re born BY His purpose and FOR His purpose. And we can’t accomplish “God’s will” if we don’t constantly communicate with Him! We need to deliberately seek the mind of God on any and every matter on our heart. And the good news is that God never hides His will – He actually delights in giving it to anyone who seeks it! That’s why prayer is as much about listening, (waiting intently on the Father), as it is in talking. Created BY God, FOR God, our prayer should be God-centered, never self-centered.
3) MISUNDERSTOOD! Unfortunately, prayer is often misunderstood. It was true in Jesus’ day and still is today! So first, let’s listen to what Jesus says prayer IS NOT!
4) BARGAINING/PLEADING! So, the first thing prayer is not: 1) Prayer is not bargaining or pleading. In other words, it’s not a question of changing God’s mind or exercising some magical influence or spell. Pagan religions worshiped gods that could be charmed with incantations or special offerings. Guess what… that concept is still with us! Have you ever heard the “name it and claim it” preaching going on in some circles today. Or the call to “sow the seeds of faith until your checkbook gasps!” Go ahead and try it – God will not be manipulated! To reduce prayer to a cheap marketing scheme actually insults God’s character. The Lord is holy and righteous, and He will always act in your best interests whether you behave correctly of not. No, prayer is not bargaining or pleading…
5) IS NOT! Like wise, 2) Prayer is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Despite what some TV evangelists declare: prayer does not release the powers of good fortune from heaven, filling your pocketbook with an avalanche of cash! God is more concerned about establishing a loving relationship with His children, and there are times when His will may be for some of His people to live as poor as dirt. Why do I say that? Because Jesus and His disciples lived that way! Jesus did not come to make us rich financially, He came to bring us back into the loving arms of our Father in heaven. He came that we might KNOW Him! Thirdly, 3) Prayer is not presenting God with a wish list – as though He were a genie granting wishes. And fourthly, 4) Nor is prayer a painful marathon of pious verbal religiosity being spewed out for hours and hours in order to prove your piety to God. In Matthew, Jesus condemned “babbling” with “many words”. Realizing that prayer is not bargaining, or financial manipulation, or the giving of wish-lists, or meaningless babbling, leads us then to uncovering what prayer IS!
6) HIS! Prayer is, above all else, “an authentic seeking of His plan as we willingly adjust OUR will to match His.” Prayer is a personal conversation with the Almighty that includes both expressing our concerns and listening to His response. In prayer we’re gleaning the Lord’s perspective, or as the Apostle Paul called it, “the mind of Christ” (1st Corinthians 2:16) Prayer can take place anywhere and anytime. In fact, carrying on a conversation “all day long” – that’s the way God likes it! Because when God and His will becomes our focus (instead of our latest personal struggle), we are relieved of worry. As we tune into the majesty, the power, and the awesome love of God, our anxieties melt and we get excited about pleasing Him. Our mind, heart, and emotions are clear, and the problems of the world no longer keep us in bondage. Prayer makes that possible! Does “praying all day long” describe your life? Is your daily routine characterized by “an authentic seeking of His plan as you willing adjust YOUR will to match His”?
7) FIRST PRIORITY! Let me ask you, is prayer your first response or your last resort? Believe me, I know – making prayer a priority is not easy. Why? Because prayer is not a natural response; it’s a spiritual response. …one that Paul once emphasized to young Timothy in a letter when he wrote about the importance and priority of the discipline of prayer. He said, “I urge, then, first of all (not secondly or lastly – but first) that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone… that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (Timothy 2:1-2) In other words, start each day with prayer! First, before you slide out of bed – pray. First, before your shower – pray! First, before getting to work – pray! First, before an appointment or class, or errand begins… pray! Pray! Pray! Prayer must become a key priority!
8) EARLY CHURCH! It was for the early church! Scripture says (Acts 2:42) “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer!” The early church was raised and bred on prayer! Acts 4 tells us (vs 24), “when they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer.” Despite chaos and persecution, the early church did not panic – they prayed! They sought God’s mind, protection, strength and sustaining grace. Despite the persecution the early church grew. Suddenly overworked, the 12 apostles followed God’s will and selected other leaders and delegated responsibilities to them so they could once again “…give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4) Wise decision! Stick to your priorities! Focusing on prayer reveals spiritual maturity. Every member of ASLC needs to start, interrupt, and finish everything we do with prayer – “if” we are to imitate the early church and faithfully continue the ministry they started.
9) DEVOTED TO PRAYER! Now, this isn’t easy – because “prayer” would probably seems like a huge waste of time to our secular corporations today. And yet ironically, many Christians mistakenly strive to treat the church like a business. And worldly wisdom would tell us Christians “you can’t waste all that time praying – you’ve got a church to run!” But no, …actually we don’t! See… it’s not our church! It’s God’s! And it isn’t our responsibility to run it! I thank God that HE, and only He, is responsible for the church’s success! Our priority is to be devoted to prayer and the Word, so as to align ourselves with His will. And believe me, the time spent praying is an investment that pays for itself many times over. When the pastor, elders, and members of the church prayerfully seek the desires of God, there is no need to spend time arguing for our own agendas. Prayer breaks down barriers, softens hearts, and unites wills. Our first priority in the church is to become devoted to prayer! Like Paul told Timothy, “first of all – pray!”
10) WORRY! Don’t forget; prayer is also the cure for worry! Many of us are caught up in an energy-draining sin – and that’s worry! Some of us get out of bed in the morning and strap on our well-worn backpack of worry… instead of starting with prayer. But what did Jesus say? “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27) Worry solves nothing. It creates unrest, uneasiness, and, left unchecked, it can churn small waves of anxiety into a “perfect storm” of emotions. Fact is, the stress from worry drains our energy and preoccupies our minds, and strips us of our peace. Few of us are exempt. And some of us are addicted to worry. It becomes a favorite pastime that we “love to hate.” It’s an addiction that causes us to mentor our children in the art of worry!
11) GIVE IT TO GOD! Does Scripture have an answer? Yes! Paul wrote to the Philippians (4:4-7) “Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In short, we’re told: Worry about nothing. Pray about everything! Give it to God! Notice – that indicates a choice! You can attempt to ignore the problem, singing, “Don’t worry, be happy!” while existing in a state of denial. Or… give it to God! Let’s face it, in a broken world, all of us have problems that are hard to solve – that may have serious consequences if a solution is not found. But worry solves nothing! The alternative – giving it to God solves everything and allows us to remain calm and quiet internally… even while the storms rage around us.
12) FEARS! If you and I intentionally work on the discipline of prayer – we’ll find relief from worldly fears. You and I have a choice – worry or pray. Prayer trusts in God’s ability to handle anything that comes our way, and enables us to “Rejoice” – because we’ve learned to turn everything completely over to God! Of course this isn’t easy or natural, so understand; if you pray, and anxiety and fear rush back in just as soon as you say “AMEN!” – then this is a signal to spend more time with the Lord! I receive that signal more than I care to admit – still it’s important to review the problem with Him, tell Him how it driving you crazy, and admit it if you are struggling to turn it over to Him – afraid He won’t handle it quick enough. Hand that fear to Him, and ask for the Spirit to place inner peace in your heart.
13) THANK HIM! Then understand - having a deep, persistent concern for a problem is not the same as worry. Worry is choosing to fret and churn instead of turning it completely over to God. Worry is wrestling with anxiety on your own rather than releasing it to the Father. Hand the problem over to God, and then do something that sounds a little crazy at first: Thank him for the answer. Even though you don’t know what the answer is, or when it will come – thank Him, KNOWING that when you present your concern to Him, He promises and will fulfill that promise to handle it! Thanking Him helps us release the fear, remembering that God always has and always will have everything under control! Remember worry comes from NOT turning it over to God, (or turning it over and immediately taking it back again). No, give it to Him, thank Him for the answer that is still to come, and cease trying to seek the answer or find the solution by yourself.
14) PRAY CONTINUALLY! So got a problem that needs a solution? Friends, you solved the problem when you gave it to God! Your major responsibility now is to wait for His leading. Sure, it’s OK to remain concerned, (that keeps your antenna constantly tuned to picking up God’s answer when it comes), just don’t worry about it. God’s handling it! Relax. And in order for that to happen: the best plan is to pray a lot! Every time that anxiety returns – you return to prayer and release it all again! Perhaps the need for constant prayer is why Paul says in 1st Thessalonians 5:17 “pray continually”, or other versions says “pray without ceasing.” Pray when you get up, pray when you drive to work or school, pray during your lunch break, pray when you’re dealing with difficult people, pray when surprises come, pray in the midst of painful news. Pray continually. Pray without ceasing! You will receive what has been promised you. After you have done your part, God will do His! “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7)
15) RESPONSIBILITY! Now, caution - do not make these mistakes: 1) Prayer is never a substitute for human responsibility. If a student prays, “God please help me score well on my exam” and never once cracks a book to study – they have been faithful in prayer but a failure in preparation. God expects students to study, and then, most likely, He will help that student bring to mind all that they have studied! …because it is quite common that God grants us the privilege of contributing to the answer to our own prayers. Praying to loose weight, still requires exercise. Praying for the poor or hungry, requires giving. Praying that the empty seat in this church will be filled, requires evangelical hearts reaching out to their friends and family. Remember: take your concerns to God, but don’t ignore your responsibilities! Divine intervention and human involvement often go hand in hand.
16) BUSY/FORMULA? Two more cautions: 2) Don’t postpone prayer due to a busy schedule. Make it a priority! Prayer is an investment. The time you dedicate to prayer is never lost – it will return dividends far greater than all the time you spent on the task by yourself. And thirdly, 3) Don’t reduce prayer to a shallow formula. God isn’t a vending machine. Popular televangelists would have us believe that we can get exactly what we want IF we “pray correctly”, or “pray specifically”, or use the right words or have the right attitude, or …or… or…! They would have us believe that without the right formula God will not act on our behalf! That’s nonsense! God only looks for an expression of trust! He’s after a loving relationship! He cares for us, and knows what we need! Forget formulas and just communicate with God the best way you know how. Martin Luther told us to “…lay our needs before God… (and) …have no doubt that our prayer is acceptable and heard…” he went on to say “…and we must leave the measure, manner, time, and place, for God will surely do what is right!” Prayer is not a formula – it’s a sincere, honest, trusting conversation with Jesus! Your best friend!
17) PROMISES! Now here’s three promises the Lord gives to help you pray!
18) PRAYER! Christ comes now to remind us that His goal for us is intimacy with Him! And nothing is more central to KNOWING HIM than prayer! It connects our heart with His! …brings us into communion with Him! He’s interested in everything in your life – and delights in your bringing it to Him! God promises to 1) hear and answer regardless of the time, 2) provide His presence regardless of the outcome, and 3) supply inner peace and relief regardless of the chaos and complications. So He’s here to empower you to make prayer a priority – a way of life! Receive the Holy Spirit – that you may grow closer to your Lord, through the gift of prayer. Receive HIS life-giving will into your life! Let Him open your heart to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding! He delights in bringing you a joyful worry-free life that comes when you “pray without ceasing!”
Praise God!
AMEN
Sermon/Confessional Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that we do not talk to you enough. We tend to use prayer as a last resort and only when we can’t find a solution ourselves. More than likely we spend most of our time telling you what we need rather than seeking your will for our life. Forgive us for treating you like a divine vending machine, and help us instead to pray in ways that help us to know you better, and seek your life-giving will for our lives. Lord, too often we hand you our problems and then, when there is not an immediate solution according to our expectations we take that problem back again and attempt to solve it ourselves. Forgive us, and empower us to release our problems into your capable and caring hands – and teach us to thank you for the answer that is still to come; trusting in you and knowing that it will be the right and best solution for our lives. And now Lord, although you know us better than we know ourselves, listen as we share in a moment of silence, those other parts of our lives that need to be forgiven, washed clean, healed, and recommitted to you! (made anew.) (Silence) Lord, we need your Holy Spirit to live within us, that we may be drawn to you in prayer all day long! Please help us to make prayer a priority! Help us through prayer to surrender all our worries and anxieties into your capable, willing, and caring hands. In Jesus Name We Pray. AMEN Assurance of Forgiveness: Friends, listen to the good news: The Lord, who offers you the life-giving discipline of prayer, …that Lord has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, and let unceasing prayer become a way of life! For it brings a peace that surpasses all understanding to those who seek continually to KNOW God and His WILL for their lives. Praise God! AMEN Opening prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, all week long we had needs. We faced problems, crisis’s, and challenges – and most of the time we tried to handle them all by ourselves. You stood right there behind us… and we hardly took notice as we rushed through our busy schedules, or bogged down in self pity. When we turned to you it was usually to tell you what we thought needed to be done. So it is good that you have drawn us here this morning to slow down and focus only on you. And to teach us how to pray! It is good you bring us your life-giving word that focuses our attention on your will, not ours. It is good that we find time to stop talking at you and listen instead – for you know our needs better than we do. It is good that we quiet our hearts and turn all our worries over to you! It is good that we honesty share our sins with you that we may receive your divine gift of forgiveness and renewal. Lord, all that we need comes through a deepening relationship with you – help us to develop the spiritual disciplines that empower us to KNOW you – really know you – that we may walk fearlessly through life, with a Christian purpose and identity that results in inner peace, faith, and love! Hear our prayers, receive our praise, and draw us ever closer to you! In Jesus Name We Pray! AMEN! |
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