SHIP 005

SHIP 005

Duties
Prayer

Jesus said, "When you pray . . . ," not "If you pray. .  . " so it's a pretty good bet He expects us to be praying people.  And why would we not be.  Having access to the Throne of Grace is a great blessing and wonderful opportunity.  But, prayer can be tricky.

Huh????

Well, what is prayer?  Monologue?  Dialogue?  Petition?  Supplication? Praise?  Adoration?

Yep - that's it.

But for many folks it's a strange thing.  They struggle with the whole thing wanting to be sure they are heard and answered so they struggle to "get it right."

OK - a few basics.  Remember "who" you are talking to.  Remember you have every right to go to Him?  Remember that all prayers are heard and answered?  Graciously, there is no such thing as a "bad" prayer.

Jesus gave us a model to follow:  Matthew 6:7-13.  It's a very simple model.
Note the :  OUR Father part!  You are never praying alone!
Hallowing His name - thank You - thank You - You are the only God
Calling for His will to be done here - submission of all - especially "me"
Our daily needs - characterized by "bread"
Protection - from ourselves and "them" ;-}
Forgiveness- to receive and to give

We can even go to Paul for some direction:
Philippians 4:6 ESV
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

"prayer" - think worship
"supplication" think seeking, asking, entreating
"thanksgiving" - think acknowledging the source of ever blessing with gratitude
"let your requests be made known to God" - think - needs, desires, wants, questions, comments, etc.

In Matthew the model is "sandwiched" between two very important things:
Matthew 6:5-6 ESV
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. [6] But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

and

Matthew 6:14-15 ESV
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, [15] but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Vss. 5 and 6:  Simply, prayer is between you and Him.  We may indeed take part in public prayers but Jesus wants us to understand that we need to talk with God when we talk with God.  We don't want to entertain or impress - we want to talk with the one who love's us best, knows us best and wants what is best for us.  We need private prayer - !!!!

Vss.  14-15:   Ouch - but if we go to Him with a lack of both the desire and willingness to be forgiving than we are usurping His perogative and putting ourselves in His place.  We do not come to Him as equals but as adopted children, blessed beyond measure.  Harboring a refusal to forgive poisons our hearts and hence our thoughts and then our prayers.

Now, about the, "do not be anxious about anything" part in the Philippians passage.  it certainy enjoins us to not be sinfully anxious but anxiety is common for fallen - even redeemed fallen men and women.  I refer you to, Triumphing Over Sinful Fear, by John Flavel if you reallly want to gain a better understanding.

But, to continue, there is an aspect of the term used here that refers to, seeking to promote one's interests.  It may be that Paul is using this term in a broad sense to include both sinful fear and self-promoting prayer.  

Here's my struggle, maybe it's yours as well.  Consider that I have a need - perhaps a big need and it troubes my heart.  Now, God has promised that He will provide for my common needs - the basics.  But this need, though not fundamental, seems to me to be overwhelming.  I run the danger of this "need" distracting me to the point that i only see it.  This affects my praying.  I begin well but find myself "hung up" on this one thing becasue "to me" it seems more important than any other need and more important than what I've been promised.  So my praying is distracted and uneasy.  

I've also been brought to a point where I have to confess that I am wanting to live by sight much more than faith.  I really want to ask for an immediate answer and find myself praying more about how I desire God to solve the issue than submitting to His will in it.  I even find myself telling Him how He can meet the need - oh presumption yu are a curse.

"It's hard to be focused when you think your hair is on fire!"  Or - "It's hard to remember that the original intent was to drain the swamp when you're up to your elbows in alligators."  

Anxiety is common.  ANXIETY is not healthy either physically or spiritually.  But how many of us are able to just say, "God's in control," and move on?  Not many of us.  This is because our faith s weaker than we thought.  Not to worry - think mustard seed.  But god desires to grow our faith and how can He do that unless we find ourselves in a position where we have only Him?  

Faith is either true or false.  Weak and strong are measures of faith that is true - faith that is.  If you didn't have faith you couldn't have weak or baby faith.  So please do not make this "anxious" thing some self-condenmnatory hammer.  You believe and you are lerning to believe better, broader and bigger.  That is a good thing.

I have several clients who struggle with praying.  They are in situations and circumstances where there are lots of inner and outer distractions.  They begin their prayer well and then find themselves circling around one or to issues.  Here's what I suggested for them.
1.  Make a list - stick to the list.
2.  Read the Psalms as prayers.
3.  Find an mp3 or something where the Psalms are sung and sing them.
4.  When the big anxiety issue pops in your head - pray then - asking God to calm your heart and help you wait His pleasure.  This is my favorite.
5.  Ask Him to help you see why this "thing" is such a biggie for you - this is a very intersting thing to do and leads to some real insights into our deeper needs.
6.  KEEP A JOURNAL DAILY OF HOW HE HAS BLESSED YOU AND THOSE YOU KNOW- NOTHING IS TOO SMALL!
7.  I had a mentor who when he was ovewhelmed with things would simpy go out into the woods, sit on a log and pray, "God, it's Travis," and then just sit and enjoy his surroundings.

May God bless you in your prayers and from your prayers and keep you from sinful fear.

Peter's Pen 1st Peter 4:7

1Pe 4:7  The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.  ESV
1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things has drawn near. Be of sound mind, then, and be sensible to prayers;  NASB
1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. KJV

Three translations?  Yeah, wasn’t that happy with the ESV.

Rationale:  The end of all things is near.
Yeah, I know, the end has been near for 2000 years – but it’s just a close as it ever was.

Look, God delays to condemn because He desires to save.  What that means exactly, I don’t know but:

2Pe 3:8-10  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  (9)  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  (10)  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

All we can do is know that He knows “when” and that He will keep us in Him for “then.”

But I think we all agree that it can come none too soon for us who believe.  However, if you could trade the salvation of Uncle Fred for Christ to come now would you send Uncle Fred to hell just so you could benefit?

I also wonder what has happened to our belief that He could return at any minute.  We want tornado warnings, ice-storm warnings and food contamination warnings so we can be prepared and safe.  But what about our warning others of the judgment to come?  Have we fallen into the trap of, “I’m saved – so come Lord,” without any concern for those who aren’t prepared?

Somehow the fact that without the Gospel, without faith, His coming will be the end of hope for so many seems to have eluded us.  Is it the idea of predestination – of election that makes us so unconcerned?  Or is it we are saved so who cares?  Or is it that we do not want to pay the price for being His witnesses?  I think the answer is,

“Yes!”  Three times, “Yes!”

So, God has His “elect.”  So no one is going to hell that isn’t supposed to – right?  But what of His command that we preach the Gospel?  Consider the following:

Mar 16:15  And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

1Co 9:16-17  For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!  (17)  For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.

Well, I’ll forgo a rant on these passages.  But where has our mourning and concern for the lost gone?  Where has our desire to be His instruments gone?  Why aren’t we sharing the Good News any more?

Sometimes I fear our attitude is, “The end is near, to h***with it.”

Be self-controlled:  to think and act soberly, discreetly, to use sound judgment and moderation.
Not controlled by the self but rather in control of one’s self.

Be sober minded: OK, “minded” is an editorial addition – the Greek just says sober meaning watchful, discreet:  to refrain from the abuse of it (alcohol) which leads to intoxication.

The whole idea here is that of diligence, watchfulness, awareness, sensibility; as opposed to unsound and intoxicated.

And we are to be so, “for the sake of your prayers.”

Paraphrase = the end is near – be sound minded and clear headed in your prayers.

With the situations we see around the world it is imperative that we pray - and pray more than ever - for His will to be done - His people to be faithful and for each of us to be ready to be His witnesses, to actually share the Gospel regardless of the cost.