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January 25, 2015
*Intro* –Jas 4:2-3 reminds us of 2 main reasons prayers seem unanswered: “You do not have, because you do not ask.
(Problem #1, we don’t ask) 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
(Prob #2, we ask selfishly).
Either kills the spirit of prayer and it is the second we want to examine today.
Lu 11:1-4 contains Jesus’ response to a request, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
So far we’ve studied 8 general principles we learn here.
Today we look at 3 more before getting into detail next week.
A bird’s eye perspective.
*IX.
It focuses on Needs, Not Wants*
This is readily apparent from a review of the 5 requests the Lord suggests form a framework for prayer.
There is not a luxury item in the list.
Even food – not a month’s worth or a week’s worth, but just what is needed today.
The requests are about God and His glory.
The emphasis is all on needs as defined by God, not on wants as defined by me.
Do you see that?
Prayer is asking – but in the pursuit of His will and His glory, not my will, and my glory.
That misses the entire spirit of prayer.
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (Jas 4:3).
God is far more interested in making us holy than He is in making us happy, The idea that He is some kind of divine genie who can be tapped to make me happy misses the point – badly!
But that’s how most treat prayer!
Christian Smith is a sociologist who wrote Soul Searching, documenting an extensive study of American youth.
Many interesting insights, but he concludes that the religion of America is moralistic, therapeutic deism.
What does he mean by that?
Let’s take the deism first.
This is the premise that God created, then left.
Most Americans believe God created the world – but He mostly stays out of it.
Classical deism says He created, wound it up like a clock and never intervenes.
In the modern version you can call on God occasionally.
But He’s uninvolved unless you call Him to solve a problem.
Like a divine butler.
You whistle and He comes.
Otherwise He’s uninvolved.
How about moralistic?
Moralistic means God rewards nice people.
He’s the eternal Mr. Rogers.
Who defines the morals?
In our relativistic society, that’s largely up to the individual.
The Bible’s definitions are too strict, certainly in the area of sexuality.
So, we can define morals in whatever way works for us, just so we mean well.
Well-intentioned people go to heaven and most are.
Hitler wouldn’t make it.
Putin, maybe not, but most people you meet are fine.
Therapeutic?
This element means that the central goal of life is to be happy; to feel good about yourself.
I’ll never forget one famous NFL quarterback explaining his infidelity to his wife by saying, “God wants Joe [blank] to be happy.”
Guess God didn’t care about the wife.
That’s the therapeutic part of moralistic, therapeutic deism.
My happiness is what is most important.
It's all about what God can do for me.
How can He make me happy?
How can He contribute to this movie that is my life?
There was a great book title a few years ago: Life, the movie by Everyone.
It’s premise was we live like we’re in a movie.
"Here, God, let me grab you as a bit player.
You'll be a walk-on.
We’re not gonna be a close, but you can help keep me happy.”
God's nice, we are nice, so let's all be nice.
This is America’s spiritual creed.
Happiness is the ultimate good!
But with that creed being taught in churches and lived out in lives, is it any wonder our prayers are sloppy, self-centered exercises focused on us?
Wants instead of needs.
Luxury instead of necessity.
Happiness instead of holiness.
We pray for what makes us happy; when did we last pray for what makes us holy?
A pastor bought a parrot with a colorful vocabulary from its previous owner.
A woman in the congregation suggested he put him with her well-behaved bird who said nothing except, “Let’s pray.”
So they were caged together.
The pastor’s parrot took one look at his new companion and chirped, “Hey, Toots, how about a kiss?”
The other responded, “My prayers have been answered.”
That’s our prayer life, isn’t it?
It’s all about me and my wants.
We hardly know the difference between needs and wants anymore.
We pray, “Give me a new car.
Give me a boyfriend.
Give me better job.
Give me a better husband.”
Can we pray about those things?
Yes.
God cares about our needs.
But we pray those things for our own passions.
We’re not looking for God’s interests; we are looking out for our own.
We are not looking for holiness; we are looking for happiness.
We have acquired more of the decadence of our society.
We must retrain to look for the mind of God.
*X.
It focuses on God First, Then Self*
Jesus model prayer consists of 5 petitions here (7 in Matt).
But the starting point is God.
Note the beginning.
V. 2, “Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Most of our prayers are self-centered.
Jesus’ example is very God-centered.
Listen, does Jesus care about us?
He loves us more than we love ourselves.
But He knows our best good and greatest happiness will be found in putting God first.
Otherwise, everything gets all messed up.
There is so much misunderstanding about prayer.
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