How Should A Child Of God Rise From His Knees
Matthew 6: 13
The prayer that is given here is a direct response to the disciples request, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The prayer is a model designed to show us to pray, and it has lost none of its power after over 2000 years.
As we look at the last words of the Lord’s model prayer, I want to focus our attention on how we should rise from our knees. If we fail here, we are left with more of a sense of our problems than with the hope of their solution. It is important we rise from our knees in prayer right.
I read a bout some residents of a drought stricken community in West Texas who contacted the local pastor and ask him if he would call a special prayer meeting to pray for rain. He gladly agreed and the ate and time were set for the meeting. The people all assembled one evening on a hills side to pray for rain. When the minister arrived he gazed upon the assembly and said, “Let us go home. There is no sense in praying tonight. Not one of us brought an umbrella.”
How should we as a Christian rise from our knees?
I. Committed to the authority under which I am to live
"Thine is the kingdom" --recognize His sovereignty. He is King. He is in control. This recognition is often one of the hardest lessons for man to learn. HE IS LORD!
Because He is king there needs to be an
A. Acceptance to His will I must make
"thy will be done" - not suffered, endured, but done.
whatever, wherever, whenever
B. Allegiance to His will I must manifest
If He is enthrone, others are de-throne.
"Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
Shew me and I will do it. "Not my will, but thine be done"
II. Confident in the adequacy with which I am to live
"thine is........ the power." I should rise from my knees confident in the adequacy of his power. What confidence in the power of God marked the early church
With God all things are possible - God is powerful beyond our imagination. All power is given unto Him.
There is nothing to hard from Him. Ephesians 3:20
A. It is a power that must be recognized
He is more than enough. He is all sufficient.
See Matthew 11:24
A teacher once asked her students in Sunday School why did they think Elijah poured 12 barrels of water on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. One student answered, "He was counting on God to make some gravy."
B. It is a power that has been received
Acts 1:8
C. It is a power that needs to released
That power needs to be free to work in and through us
D. It is a power that can be relied upon
You can depend on God. God can answer prayer.
While crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner, F.B. Meyer was asked to speak to the first class passengers. At the captain’s request he spoke on "Answered Prayer." An agnostic who was present at the service was asked by his friends, "What did you think of Dr. Meyer’s sermon?" "I didn’t believe a word of it," he answered. That afternoon Meyer went to speak to the fourth-class passengers. Many of the listeners at his morning address went along, including the agnostic, who claimed he just wanted to hear "What the babbler had to say." Before starting for the service, the agnostic put two oranges in his pocket. On his way he passed an elderly woman sitting in her deck chair fast asleep. Her hands were open. In the spirit of fun, the agnostic put the two oranges in her open hand. After the meeting, he saw the old lady happily eating one of the oranges. "You seem to be enjoying that orange," he said with a smile. "Yes, sir," she replied, "My Father is very good to me." "Your father? Surely your father can’t still be alive!" "Praise God," she replied, "He is very much alive. I’ve been seasick for days. I was asking God somehow to send me an orange. I suppose I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had not only sent me one orange, but two!" The agnostic was speechless.
III. Concerned for the ambition for which I am to live
"thine is.......the glory"
in my life - authority under which I live
for my life - adequacy with which I live
with my life - ambition for which I am to live
"Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
"Glorify God in your body."
"Do all to the glory of God."
A. How shameful is the reproach (done by men)
David committed adultery with Bathsheba
Abraham and Lot could not get along
1. Places we go
2. Pleasures we seek
3. Pre-eminence we give
B. How powerful is the motive
His glory should determine the life we live.
His glory should determine the decisions we make in life.
His glory should determine our actions, attitudes, attire, and ambitions.
So often we want the glory for things.
Once time filming a movie in the desert and an old Indian walked up and said, "Tomorrow Rain." The next day it rained. Week later the old Indian walked up again and said "Tomorrow storm." Three days later walked up and said "Hail storm." The director was
amazed with the Indian, and he told his secretary to hire the Indian so He could predict the weather for the remaining of the shoot. However, after several accurate predictions the old Indian did not show up for 2 weeks. Finally the director sent for him. They found him and told him the director was counting on him for his weather predictions because there was a big shoot coming the next day if the weather permitted it.
"What is the weather going to be like?’
The old Indian shrugged his shoulder and said, "Don’t know... radio is broken."
All our success should be to His praise and glory.
