Standing in the Need of Prayer
Matthew 7:1-7
I. Pastor – parrot
A. all would say, “Let’s pray, let’s pray.”
1. Pastor tried to teach parrot to say other things but to no avail
B. Pastor learned that a Deacon had a parrot
1. Deacon’s parrot would only say, “Let’s kiss. Let’s kiss.”
C. Pastor invited Deacon and parrot to house
1. Put parrots in same cage to see what would happen
2. Deacon’s parrot said, “Let’s kiss, let’s kiss.”
3. Pastor’s parrot said, “Thank you, Lord. My prayers have been answered.”
D. Prayer is one of most neglected spiritual disciplines
1. Sometimes pray before meals and when called upon to pray
2. Pray when things are bad
3. We fail to pray unceasingly
4. I Thess. 5:16-18 “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
E. Why neglect to pray?
1. Maybe we feel that God knows anyways, so why pray?
F. God wants us to pray
G. Great power in prayer
H. One of the most important activities a Christian can do
I. Prayer is possible for every child of God
1. We cannot all pastor but we all can pray.
2. We cannot all give large sums of money, but we can all pray.
3. We cannot all go to the mission field, but we can all pray.
4. We cannot all teach a class, but we can all pray.
II. When call someplace – talk a real person, not computer answering
A. As we pray, we hear
1. Thank you for calling heaven, your call may be monitored for quality control.
2. Please select one of the following options…
a. Press 1 for prayer requests
b. Press 2 for prayers of thanksgiving
c. Press 3 for prayers containing complaints
d. Press 4 for all other prayers
3. I’m sorry; all of our angels are busy helping others right now.
However, your prayers are important and will be answered in the order
received, so please stay on the line.
4. If you would like to leave a voice mail message for:
a. God, press 1 now
b. Jesus, press 2 now
c. the Holy Spirit, press 3 now
5. If you would like to hear the King David Singers sing a Psalm while you are
holding, please press 4 now
6. To find out if a loved one has been assigned to heaven, please enter their
Social Security number (without dashes), then press the # key.
If you get a negative response try again using area code 666.
7. For reservations please dial 5646-316 (John 3:16)
8. For nagging questions about dinosaurs, the real age of the earth,
where Noah’s Ark is, and any other questions, please wait until you arrive.
9. Our computers indicate that you have already prayed once today.
Please hang up and try again tomorrow.
The office is closed on weekends, and any State or Federal holiday.
Please pray again between 9am and 5pm EST Monday – Friday.
If you need emergency assistance when this office is closed, contact
your local pastor.
B. Isn’t good to know when we pray that we don’t come away upset, like
Most computer assistance answering systems make most of us
C. Is not like that at all, many feel calmer and content when we pray
D. The sheer magnitude of the idea that we can communicate with God
should stir our souls
E. seen that all Lent
2. today conclude our series on prayer
3. with Standing in the Need of Prayer
4. we have talked about how important prayer is, taking time to pray,
praying for others, listening to God
5. today – something we tend to forget or feel embarrassed about doing it
F. Have you ever asked a dumb question?
1. Teachers – no dumb questions
2. Afraid to be teased
G. Today one of those questions
1. People have asked me if it is okay to pray for one’s self?
2. They don’t think it is right
3. Selfish
a. starving children around the world
b. strife and violence in our own land and in other countries
c. should be praying for these things
G. I have an answer from scripture
1. John 17 & Luke 22 – Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane hours
before the crucifixation
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but
yours be done.”
2. now if we see Jesus praying for himself, then the answer is absolutely YES
3. praying for yourself is not a sin
4. God cares about what you care about
H. Jesus – sincere and honest
1. our prayers – sincere and honest
2. not self-centered like “Lord, I need $1,000,000 & a Lear jet if you don’t
mind, I could really use them. Thanks in advance. Amen.”
3. like an example of how not how to lift yourself up in prayer and then an
example of how to do it right
a. Luke 18:10-14
b. 2 men went up to the temple to pray, 1 a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector
c. the Pharisee stood & prayed “God, I thank you that I am not like other
people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all I get.
d. But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to
lift up his eyes to heaven , but was beating his breast, saying, “God, be
merciful to me, a sinner.”
e. I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles
himself will be exalted.
Bruce Almighty illust.
VI. Just Do It – stop talking about it, stop reading about it
A. “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
B. We need to pray for ourselves, we need to talk to God about what is going
on in our lives
C. Wrong today to preach on praying for ourselves, if not allow us to take time to pray for ourselves
1. During the hymn, invite to come to front and stand or kneel if you feel the need to present your need to God. If you are not able you sit where you are
2. Take time to seek God and pray for yourself and for God’s leading in your life; you can stay at the front even after the hymn ends and during the dismissal
D. I close with 2 scriptures:
1. from James 4:2 “You do not have, because you do not ask God.”
2. Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
