October 21 Sermon –
Increase our Faith by Praying Every Day
When you heard Jesus talk
about our need to pray always and not to lose heart, did you think “Maybe I
don’t come to the Lord often enough in prayer - I should pray more often.” Or, I wish I had a better discipline of
prayer.
To encourage us, Jesus told a
parable about a widow who was seeking justice for herself. In those days, a widow was often left in
poverty after her husband died.
But unfortunately her case
had come before an “unjust” judge – one of those judges who’s
more attuned to the dollar than the divine. What’s in it for me? He doesn’t give a rip about spiritual things
– and doesn’t care what other people think.
He answers only to himself – and has no sympathy for this widow.
Yet that widow doesn’t give up.
She keeps badgering him day-after-day.
She becomes such an irritation, that finally he grants her request for
justice.
The parable is an argument from the lesser to the greater. Now if this hypothetical unjust judge, who
doesn’t care about the widow’s fate, will grant justice in response to
persistence, how much easier is it to have confidence that the divine Judge who
loves you will respond to your persistence.
Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry
to him day and night? Luke 18:7
Jesus encourages us to be persistent in our prayers to God. Even when nothing seems to be happening –
keep praying, and don’t give up.
Jesus elevates persistence in prayer as an essential element of faith.
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For some, prayer is like brushing your teeth. You pray every morning and evening. It’s a habit, like brushing teeth – and
that’s good. A habit,
like praying before meals – also good.
A habit is something you’ve learned to do on a regular basis. And that’s the first point about prayer. You need to discipline yourself to do it
regularly, on schedule, every day.
When I was in school, girls learned to type and guys didn’t. So I never learned to type.
Then I got my first computer – and discovered that to talk to it I had
to use a keyboard – just like that unfamiliar typewriter with the letters all
mixed up.
So I spent hours with a program called typing tutor. From those error
filled hours emerged an ability to type and put the computer to good use.
Daily prayer often begins like those typing exercises. We self-consciously “practice” the exercise
of prayer so that it will become a habit.
And as it becomes a habit, it begins to feel natural.
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Daily prayer should be a habit, a discipline, because when you don’t
feel like praying is just the time when you should be praying.
Pray always
so that you do not lose heart. 18:1
Often when life gets you down, you’re not motivated to pray. Your mind gets filled with negative thoughts
– and God may seem far away. The gospel
refers to that simply as “losing heart” – losing that positive attitude. So Jesus says instead pray always so you
don’t lose heart. Discipline yourself to
pray so that you’ll begin to break that downward cycle in your mind. If you have the habit of regular prayer, you’ll
stop and turn to the Lord even when you don’t feel like it – turn to the Lord
so he can begin to lift you up.
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Why does God grant some prayers and not others. How long does it take to change God’s mind?
Honestly, we don’t know.
Sometimes we are hurling our prayer petitions against long periods of
silence. The human experience is one of
delay – of waiting.
In those days of repeated prayer, is the Lord hammering us into a
vessel that will be able to hold his answer when it comes? Is that persistent prayer preparing us for
His answer?
In an age of instant communication, we want instant answers. But the Lord wants us to keep praying and to
wait, trusting that he will act in His way at His time.
Could the delay be caused by God waiting for me? Maybe what I’m asking for is not His
will. He wants me to keep praying until
I discern that other door He will open for me?
We do not know – so we have to just keep praying until we receive an
answer –
- and be ready to accept one that differs from
our original request.
In that first lesson, Jacob is up all night wrestling with an angel. It is a strenuous, exhausting
engagement. Could that be a metaphor for
persistent, insistent prayer? Stay
engaged with the Lord in prayer – keep asking – pestering God until you get an
answer. Wrestle with the Lord in prayer.
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A Sunday School teacher was explaining that
nothing is impossible for God.
One boy said “I know something God can’t do.”
She countered; “God can do everything.”
“No, he can’t please everyone.”
And God doesn’t promise that every material need of yours will be
met. Sometimes he says “Not yet”. Other times “You’ve got to be kidding.” But he does promise to give you spiritual
blessings – patience, peace, love, joy, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self control.
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Some think of prayer as a “hot line to God” – like a 911 call. Lord I’ve got this problem and I need your
help right now.
But really prayer is more than that.
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Regular prayer builds us up – and thus prepares us for difficult
times. We learn that prayer is not “dial
a gift”. My prayers should not be just
focused on me – Not all “I”, “I need”, “I want”. Prayers are first of all “God-centered”.
In the prayer Jesus taught us –
the Lord’s Prayer, the first lines deal solely with God, not you and me. We praise God’s name and hallow it. We ask for the coming of His kingdom and that
His will be done. Only after focusing on
God and His will do we turn to our needs.
Hallowed be
Thy name
So begin your prayer with
praise. You might praise Him for the
wonders of creation. Take time to thank God for your blessings. Mention some specific, personal
blessings. Let your heart be open to God
in gratitude.
Thy will be
done
Ask God to guide you in the
choices you make today, and in the conversations you have, so that your
attitude and behavior may reflect his will and way.
Forgive us as
we forgive
Next, you may want to talk to God about yesterday’s mistakes or today’s
short-comings. That’s called
confession. The idea is not to make you
feel bad, but that you can learn from it and be free of it. (By the way, that’s
why we have confessional prayers at the beginning of the service – so that we
can get rid of anything that might separate us from God – be free of it so that
we can draw near and worship Him and learn from His word.) Give thanks for God’s forgiving lover that
offers us a new beginning with Him.
Give us this
day
The take time to tell God what you need – talk to God
about what’s really important to you. Be honest.
What do you desire? Trust Him to
grant you what is best for you.
After you talk about your needs and desires, pray for others. Mention them by name and share with God your
deepest hopes and desires for them and their lives. Give them into God’s care. for
He loves them more than you can imagine.
Lead us not
into temptation
Ask His help in resisting temptation, and seek guidance in choosing how
you spend this day, so that you might walk in His way today.
Finally, spend a few minutes in silence. Maybe there is something you need to think
about. Listen for guidance from
God. Then conclude by again praising
God.
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This week we’re offering a free, thirty day trial – no risk, no
obligation – with a money back guarantee.
Set aside and use a special time of daily prayer each day for the next
thirty days. During that time, take note
of what happens to you – your responses to stress, your outlook, your response to others.
It will give you a glimpse of what God can do in your life. How, if you pray persistently, regularly,
you’re less likely to lose heart.
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Think of your prayer as a conversation with the Lord. You might want to imagine yourself talking to
Jesus. Close your eyes and think of
Jesus as a real man. He is gentle, but
he is strong. He is understanding, and
has a direction for your life. He’ll
give you all the time you need to sort things out. He wants to empower you to live as the child
of God you already are. He’ll listen to
your concerns – and offers His guidance through His word.
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Increase
our faith: Pray with confidence – be insistent and
persistent. Be confident that God will
provide that which we really need.