March 11th, 2012
God Answers Prayer
Today I’d like to speak to you about praying and seeing God answer.
“Prayer is first”, according to one wise servant of the LORD, “oneness with the LORD.” [G. MacDonald found on www.jesusworkministry.com]. Shall we pray?
Please open your Bible with me to II Samuel chapter fifteen and verse thirty-one. II Samuel 15:31 “And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
For some time now we’ve been looking inside the heart of a man named David in hopes of learning how to walk more closely with the LORD. At this point in his life, you might think he’d be frustrated and maybe even sensing complete failure. Think for a moment how you’d feel if your son usurped your authority and your throne. Yet, David, as we know, is a man after God’s own heart. David, as we know, is a man of prayer.
My hope today, as we prepare our hearts and minds to come to meet with the LORD at His table, that we renew our hearts to prayer.
“LORD, teach us to pray as you taught Your disciples.
Now, please open with me to two places in the NT. The first one is found in the Gospel of Luke at chapter twelve. Luke 11:1
Luke 11:1 “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
(2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. (3) Give us day by day our daily bread.
(4) And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”
Do you see the disciples asking Jesus the same question you’d ask Him if He was here? “LORD, teach us to pray.”
And Jesus does two things. One, He tells them what to pray. We call His words today “The LORD’s Prayer.” And then He tells a story; something Jesus often does when people asked Him a question; verse five.
(5) “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; (6) For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
(7) And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
(8) I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
(9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (10) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
It sounds like prayer is asking for something from a friend, doesn’t it? It’s like if I asked my friend Wilfred to help me repair my truck and he were to say to me. “I’m tired. I’ve got other things to do. Don’t bring your troubles to me right now. I just can’t help you today.”
Then, when I persist in asking for his help, Wilfred says this. “I’ve got a lot to do. But because the Pastor is so insistent, I’ll take a look at his truck and see if I can repair it for him.”
And you’d say Wilfred should have given him help immediately and not let the Pastor keep asking till he got what he needed.
Yet, that is exactly what Jesus tells His disciples.
You see, “he that seeks finds. And to him that knocks, it shall be opened. Everyone that asks receives.”
And notice what touched the heart of this man’s friend. Look with me at verse eight again. (8) “I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”
Your Heavenly Father knows what you have need of before you ask. Yet, He knows it’s best that you come to Him and ask. And when you learn that that’s what prayer is, you’ll see that it’s good to learn to trust God while you are praying. Prayer is asking and trusting as you ask.
Next, go with me to Luke chapter eighteen. Luke 18:1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (2) Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
(3) And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. (4) And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
(5) Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. (6) And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
(7) And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? (8) I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
Here Jesus presents a widow in need. And her need has to do with an enemy. Look again at verse three. (3) “And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.”
She simply wanted justice. Why else would she take her plight to the judge? And the judge doesn’t grant her request – “not for a while”; verse four. (4) “And he would not for a while:…”
Yet, because this needy widow is persistent, the judge grants her request.
Can you see what prayer really is? It’s going to the LORD with your need and asking and then asking again and then asking again. All of us have been there. And all of us have even quit asking. Yet, is that what prayer is? Is it asking once and then no more?
What is it that you really need from the LORD? Do you know that He’s ready to listen to you – right now? Do you know that He’s got all kinds of supplies ready to dispense to you. But your heart is not ready to receive; in some cases. You’ve asked, but you aren’t glad to know that He’s your Heavenly Father, that He’s got the entire universe at His disposal, and that He’s all the while teaching your heart to trust Him.
Every time you come to Him you exhibit trust. Your trust will be rewarded. You will see Him supply. You’ve got a promise from your Father. He will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
“Prayer is first”, according to one wise servant of the LORD, “oneness with the LORD.” [G. MacDonald found on www.jesusworkministry.com]. Shall we pray?
Please open your Bible with me to II Samuel chapter fifteen and verse thirty-one. II Samuel 15:31 “And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
For some time now we’ve been looking inside the heart of a man named David in hopes of learning how to walk more closely with the LORD. At this point in his life, you might think he’d be frustrated and maybe even sensing complete failure. Think for a moment how you’d feel if your son usurped your authority and your throne. Yet, David, as we know, is a man after God’s own heart. David, as we know, is a man of prayer.
My hope today, as we prepare our hearts and minds to come to meet with the LORD at His table, that we renew our hearts to prayer.
“LORD, teach us to pray as you taught Your disciples.
Now, please open with me to two places in the NT. The first one is found in the Gospel of Luke at chapter twelve. Luke 11:1
Luke 11:1 “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
(2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. (3) Give us day by day our daily bread.
(4) And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”
Do you see the disciples asking Jesus the same question you’d ask Him if He was here? “LORD, teach us to pray.”
And Jesus does two things. One, He tells them what to pray. We call His words today “The LORD’s Prayer.” And then He tells a story; something Jesus often does when people asked Him a question; verse five.
(5) “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; (6) For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
(7) And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
(8) I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
(9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (10) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
It sounds like prayer is asking for something from a friend, doesn’t it? It’s like if I asked my friend Wilfred to help me repair my truck and he were to say to me. “I’m tired. I’ve got other things to do. Don’t bring your troubles to me right now. I just can’t help you today.”
Then, when I persist in asking for his help, Wilfred says this. “I’ve got a lot to do. But because the Pastor is so insistent, I’ll take a look at his truck and see if I can repair it for him.”
And you’d say Wilfred should have given him help immediately and not let the Pastor keep asking till he got what he needed.
Yet, that is exactly what Jesus tells His disciples.
You see, “he that seeks finds. And to him that knocks, it shall be opened. Everyone that asks receives.”
And notice what touched the heart of this man’s friend. Look with me at verse eight again. (8) “I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”
Your Heavenly Father knows what you have need of before you ask. Yet, He knows it’s best that you come to Him and ask. And when you learn that that’s what prayer is, you’ll see that it’s good to learn to trust God while you are praying. Prayer is asking and trusting as you ask.
Next, go with me to Luke chapter eighteen. Luke 18:1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (2) Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
(3) And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. (4) And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
(5) Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. (6) And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
(7) And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? (8) I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
Here Jesus presents a widow in need. And her need has to do with an enemy. Look again at verse three. (3) “And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.”
She simply wanted justice. Why else would she take her plight to the judge? And the judge doesn’t grant her request – “not for a while”; verse four. (4) “And he would not for a while:…”
Yet, because this needy widow is persistent, the judge grants her request.
Can you see what prayer really is? It’s going to the LORD with your need and asking and then asking again and then asking again. All of us have been there. And all of us have even quit asking. Yet, is that what prayer is? Is it asking once and then no more?
What is it that you really need from the LORD? Do you know that He’s ready to listen to you – right now? Do you know that He’s got all kinds of supplies ready to dispense to you. But your heart is not ready to receive; in some cases. You’ve asked, but you aren’t glad to know that He’s your Heavenly Father, that He’s got the entire universe at His disposal, and that He’s all the while teaching your heart to trust Him.
Every time you come to Him you exhibit trust. Your trust will be rewarded. You will see Him supply. You’ve got a promise from your Father. He will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.