The Purpose of Prayer
We have been looking to understand and implement into our lives the habits or discipline that conditions the spiritual dimension of our lives that in turn increases our capacity to relate to God. Only when these activities become a way of life will we see the desired growth we all long to experience. It is sad, but unless we actually schedule time for God in our life it won’t happen. Then we need to take time each day to remind ourselves and affirm the fact that He is boss and we are not. We also need to take time daily to acknowledge our failure to keep God the center of our life and the areas that we have failed to obey His will for us. Since the Word of God sustains spiritual life, a healthy walk requires some level of interaction EVERYDAY. It is not just enough however to interact at some intellectual level or even an emotional level but genuine trust is validated by action. Faith has to do with a decision to do what God instructs based on a settled confidence that God always does what He says. Interaction with the truth enlightens our perception concerning God and stirs the core of our being to respond in some way. The response of man’s heart to revelation of God’s person and purpose and awareness of His presence has many facets. Such response is called worship, praise, thanksgiving, celebration, obedience, adoration, exaltation. Praise and thanksgiving must become an every day habit.
Daily conversation is another essential building block for relationships. The first sign of trouble in a relationship is that the conversation decreases and degenerates. Prayer is not that mysterious. At the very least, prayer is simply conversation with God. Just as our human conversations vary, so our conversation with God varies.
General talk
Seek information Convey information Express admiration or gratitude Affirm commitment
Express concerns Seek help Offer help
These all also describe our conversations with God. Such vital conversation is a central part of our relationship with God and the power source of the church on earth. God is more engaged by the honesty of our heart than the eloquence of our words. Scripture describes and prescribes two avenues of conversation with God.
Personal conversation with God – personal prayer
Public conversation with God – public or corporate prayer
Nearly every monumental movement of God has been the result of a group of people praying together.
The Pattern left by Jesus
In the Gospels we find the picture of a praying Jesus like an etching, a sketch in black and white, the fewest possible strokes of the pen, a scratch here, a line there, frequently a single word added by one writer to the narrative of the other, which gradually bring to view the outline of a lone figure with upturned face. In all this praying, only fragments of the actual prayers of Jesus, save a most important intercessory prayer in John 17, have been recorded. Christ left us a record of the consistency of His prayer life rather than the content. Prayer is personal communion from the heart of the individual. In fact, all the recorded prayers of Jesus could be recited in 10 minutes. Yet we know that Jesus prayed constantly. There are 15 references of Jesus praying recorded in the Gospels.
OCCASIONS
1. Before difficult or impossible tasks
* The raising of Lazarus John 11:41-42
* The Garden of Gethsemane Lk 22; Matt 26; Jn 18
* The choosing of the disciples Lk 6:12
2. During difficult times
The first and last words on the cross were prayers. Forty strenuous days of temptation was thoroughly resisted with prayer and fasting.
3. After a difficult and trying day
He prayed after a long day of ministry and confrontation with Satan’s kingdom. Lk Lk 4:42; Mk 1:35 Mark says that after this long day of ministry:
"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."
"And after bidding the crowd farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray. (until evening) Mk 6:46
Jesus knew where to refuel. He knew where His energy to sustain a people ministry was to be found; intimate conversation with the Father.
4. During times of joy and success
As a result of the joyful return and report of the seventy missionaries Jesus took time to thank God for the revelation of truth that had been opened to them. Lk 10:21
5. To avoid trap of notoriety
But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed." Lk 5:15-16
6. As a habit of life
He went to a certain familiar place like it was a custom. This incident was 1 to 2 1/2 years into His time with the disciples.
7. Blessing and thanks for food
* At the feeding of the five Thousand Lk 9:16
* At the Passover celebration
PLACES
1. In the Jordon river Lk 3:21,22
2. Solitary place Mk 1:35
3. Desert Lk 4:42
4. Wilderness Lk 5:15,16
5. Mountain Mark 6:46
6. Certain special place Lk 11:1
TIMES AND DURATIONS
1. In the morning Mk 1:35
2. All night Lk 6:12
3. Special Needs i.e. Peter’s faith
4. Evening
5. Day Time
6. Long
7. Short
8. Continual intercession for us Heb 7
INTENSITY
1. With great Joy
2. With thanksgiving
3. With blood and sweat
4. With heartbreak
5. With loud cries
In the days of His flesh, He (Jesus) offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal life. Heb 5:7-9
PRAYED ALONE
Prayed alone silently among the disciples. Lk 9:18-31
PRAYED WITH OTHERS
PRAYED FOR PEOPLE
1. Children Matt 19:13
2. Disciples as a group
3. Disciples individually
4. Future generations John 17
5. Every believer Heb 7
The principle taught in Scripture -- PURPOSE (Why)
1. Meaningful conversation with God flourishes intimacy with God.
This comes from time talking about our feelings, our struggles, our dreams, and our aspirations.
The Psalms are a written record of many of King David’s prayers. A good portion of his prayers were simply talking to God about what was happening or how he was feeling at the moment. There can be no closeness without communication.
No Intimacy without interaction.
No relationship without relating
No walking together without talking together.
No caring without sharing.
These conversations open the heart. This aspect of conversation encourages deeper intimacy.
You can tell how close you are to someone by how much of your inner soul you expose.
The level of conversation indicates the depth of intimacy. How real do you get with God?
How honest are you about your feelings? God knows how your feel?
2. Meaningful conversation with God fosters humble dependence ON God.
When we become self-sufficient, we become ungrateful and cold toward God and the things that concern Him sometimes without even realizing it. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Our pride keeps us from asking for things. When we realize how weak we are, and how strong He is, we are better able to recognize our dependence on Him and in a position to listen. Why ask if He knows what I need already?
1--The very act of asking fosters the vital attitude of humble dependence necessary for Him to answer.
We generally know what our children need and want. Yet we desire their dependent relationship and are delighted when they ask and we are able to supply in response to those petitions. This builds relationship.
2--Exposing helplessness and vulnerability deepens our sense of intimacy.
3. Meaningful conversation with God facilitates God’s work on earth
God executes His plan through our prayers. This a definite mystery. Why the infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing God operates in response to the cries of finite, weak, short-sighted creatures is beyond me. It is God’s absolute power and control over our universe that enables Him to know what is best and to bring it about. It is His compassion for His creatures that draws Him to take our needs and desires into account in that plan. We are an intricate part of God’s plan for the universe. We have a part in eternity.
Won’t God act whether I pray or not? Does God’s plan really depend on the prayers of neglectful saints? What are the implications of this verse in James? "You have not, because ask not." We do not see some things happen because we neglect prayer. We do not receive certain blessings because we fail to pray. There are many places in Scripture regarding the cooperation of the divine and the human in the unfolding of this eternal drama.
When we neglect prayer, we will experience far less than what we could have had we prayed. We will lose His peace, His provision, His plan, the joy of seeing others set free, our reward.
Christ could not do many miracles in Nazareth because of their unbelief. God furthers His work in this world through our prayers and has promised to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. If we fail to ask or think, we will never experience what He had in His mind for us. This is not to say that God’s over all plan is in jeopardy because His saints neglect to pray. Prayer is His way and He will bring about His glorious product through our prayers.
"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
4. Meaningful conversation with God fortifies the soul against temptation
Matthew 26:41 "Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Continual communication with the Father enables us to be alert to the schemes of the enemy. It keeps us connected to the commander and chief and the source of our strength. If we are talking and listening to God, there is less time to hear from the enemy. Besides the fact that God instructs us to pray without ceasing and pray at times for all the saints, prayer (meaningful conversation with God)…
•Brings new levels of intimacy with God.
•Empowers us through our increased dependence on God rather than ourselves.
•Unleashes the power of God in our lives and in the lives of those for whom we pray
•Provides divine protection and victory over the schemes of the enemy.
When we neglect talking with God
•Feel distance from God
•Pride taints all our relationships
•Lack the power to impact others (have not because we ask not)
•Temptations overcome us.
Benediction and blessing
May the infinity of God’s greatness stretch the capacity of your mind!
May the immensity of God’s goodness overwhelm every area of your heart!
May the anticipation of God’s loving kindness awaken gratitude every morning!
May the remembrance of God’s faithfulness inspire words of thanks every night!
May every prayer be offered with an attitude of thanksgiving!
May every deed and word be motivated by a grateful heart!
May every conversation be seasoned with thanksgiving!
May we learn to thank God in everything for this truly is God’s will in Christ Jesus.!
Through Christ may we continually offer up a sacrifice of praise, that is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name and never neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21
