How Do You Pray?
Have you ever wondered about people who doubt the power of prayer? Its like the
guy who was struggling to put food on the table, pay the bills and make ends meet.
He prayed three times a day and twice at night, “Dear God, please help us, please
dear God provide us with money so that we have food on the table, pay the bills,
and to be able to put some back in the event of an emergency. Please dear God
answer my prayer. Amen.” Then one day he saw in the paper that there was going
to be a drawing for one million dollars and all you had to do was go buy a ticket.
He got down on his knees and began to pray:
“My Father who Art in heaven, you know my needs, you know our
situation. Father, let me win this drawing of one million dollars so that
I can get our life back in order. Sometimes Father I doubt that you are
even listening. IF YOU ARE LISTENING THEN PLEASE DEAR FATHER
HEAR MY PRAYER. Then again, I doubt you are there and I Doubt if you
even are, that you are listening.”
Suddenly there was a bolt of lightning and a bright light as God’s voice could be
heard:
“MY SON I HEAR YOUR PRAYERS ALWAYS, I hear your concerns
always and I am here with you as I have always been and shall be. Do
not doubt me My son. You need to understand YOU must meet me
halfway. GO BUY A TICKET!”
This morning let us look at the importance of prayer, the content of prayer and
some of the obstacles of prayer. I believe many Christians become hung upon
how to pray right. As Jesus was, I have been asked,
Luke 11:1
Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
Some think so hard on what doctrine, what theological perspective, what words
are proper to say in prayer. They think so hard that they forget that prayer is not
just an expression of words. Prayer is an expression from within our heart to God
and we must not speak to talk but mean what we say. We should not pray “as
John taught his disciples.” We should pray as our heart is touching our mind and
soul.
When we speak to God with our heart, not our mind, in prayer it is amazing what
prayer can do for the human heart and soul.
Luke 11: 9-10
“And I tell you, Ask, and it will given you; seek and
you will find knock, and it will be opened to you.”
“Ask.” Ask for what?
What about Asking for strength and fortitude to weather the storm? The problem
with prayer is that so often “I” get caught up on “I” instead of keeping my eye on
God.
Prayer is a means to satisfy the heart for the heart can find direction on how to
cope with worry and those things in our life that tempt us. God is listening, the
world may not be but God is.
The prayer is, Our Father, not MY OR MINE, but OUR Father for in the eyes of
God we are one and we all, not I, WE ALL ARE ONE.
We all are one in MY Father, not Nike, Adidas, or any earthly brand Name. “Our
Father,” who art in, not the Mall, or some expensive home or car. NO, OUR
FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN, lives where he looks upon us with love and
care. Like a shepherd he is there watching over us.
OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN HALLOWED BE THY, NOT “I” “THY”
NAME, not an earthly brand name, THY NAME.
THY KINGDOM COME, the best is yet to come for those who know Jesus Christ
as their Lord and Savior.
THY WILL, NOT MY WILL, THY WILL BE DONE We get into trouble in prayer
when we pray for MY WILL instead of THY WILL. What you want can set you up
for failure in prayer instead of “God you know what is going on, what I need. God
please give me the strength to endure what is about to happen before me. Please
God, show me the way.” Notice the prayer did not say I will show the way, but,
“Show me the way.” In the words of wisdom, “Don’t worry about anything. Instead
pray about everything.”
But be careful for what you ask for as you just might receive it.
A child of God sat in the waiting room praying with tears in her eyes as her loved
one was in surgery, praying:
“GOD I NEED A MIRACLE, GOD LET MY LOVE ONE LIVE FOR THERE IS
STILL A NEED FOR MY LOVED ONE HERE ON EARTH. PLEASE GOD,
PLEASE ANSWER MY PRAYER.”
Her loved one in surgery died and as I sat with the child of God, as tears flowed
down her face I asked, “What do you remember about your loved one who God
has called home? With a smile among tears she replied, “Just before the doors
closed for them to take him into surgery he looked at me and said, “HEY, BABE
I LOVE YOU.” Then she hesitated for a moment and said, “You know he wanted
to donate his eyes so that someone who cannot see will be able to see. ”He
knocked, the door was opened, and now his loved one lives with tears and a
smile as she hears those words, “HEY, BABE I LOVE YOU,” and a child of God
who was blinded by illness for the first time in years has seen their family. What
a joy to know that because He lives I can see tomorrow.
“Ask and you shall receive,” receive in maybe not the way you want, but receive
through the grace of God. It is all a matter of how we make the choice to look at
what God has done in His, not my, His wisdom.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come, the best is yet for those who believe,
Thy will be done, NOT MY WILL, on earth as it is in heaven.
We can be on earth and still have heaven with us. It is all about attitude and how
we make the choice to live our lives.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Is your daily bread money, drink, food, sin?
What do you exist on? What would you give another?
Luke 11:11-12
“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of
a fish give him a serpent; or if he ask for an egg, will give him a
scorpion? “
God the Father hears our prayers, he is listening, and he will not give us a serpent
or a scorpion. No God will feed His children with goodness and richness.
“Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our trespasses
as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.”
The words are, I LOVE YOU, And NOT, I HATE YOUR GUTS!
Matthew 26: 41
“Watch and pray that you will not enter into temptation;
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Sometimes when we pray our prayers may not be answered the way we would
like them to be answered. Our prayer may be from a self centered temptation of
“I” instead of “GIVE ME STRENGTH FATHER.” Maybe we should pray for
deliverance of evil.
“I am weak and need you to hold me in your loving arms Father, hold me by the
waist when I cannot stand alone. Father, as I reach for your right hand in my times
of trouble may I reach for a healthy hand here on earth to love and support me.”
For thine, NOT I, THINE, are the kingdom and the glory, and the power for ever
and ever.”
Life is temporary and so are those devices you use for a crutch to support you in
your pain. Listen closely; the love of God is not temporary and neither is salvation.
Amen, not the end!
Luke 11:13
“If you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
You know what I love about God? God is better than any ATM, he is there 24/7.
The difference is that what receives from God is will make you richer in more
ways than any ATM we could go to here on earth.
Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be opened. Because he lives I
know there is a future and life is worth living, just because he lives.
How do you pray?
Father, Abba, may we approach you not asking for MY will to be done, But for
your will to be done. In your will Father may we find peace and comfort for in our
will we will find emptiness and loneliness.
Amen
____________________________
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Prayer satisfies the deepest needs of the human heart
People: Prayer is a means of discovering God’s guidance in our life
Leader: Prayer is the means God has given us to deal with worry
Peo[;e: Prayer communicates our needs and concerns to God
ALL: Prayer aids us in our fight against sin and temptation
When we feel all alone God is always there listening to our prayers
Prayer (in unison)
Father, may I learn how to pray for the things I need, not the things
I want. Things I need such as your presence, your comfort and protection,
peace in your presence. May I come to know that you are a loving, caring
Father, who is not distant, but watching over me from heaven. May I come
to know you in prayer and to realize that you will welcome me in time of
need and cherishes me when I am in your presence.
Amen
08/01/04 JWM
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