The Protocol of a Productive Prayer Life

Prayer  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  55:17
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The Protocol of a Productive Prayer Life

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The Scriptures teach there is a protocol to prayer.
They teach that the Christian is to pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit.
Just as there is only one way for salvation, which is through faith in Jesus Christ, so also there is only one way to pray.
Protocol is a rigid, long established code and procedure, which prescribes complete deference to superior rank and authority, and which deals with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.
In eternity past, God established a code and procedure for prayer, which prescribed complete deference to His authority and followed a strict adherence to formality, precedence, and etiquette.
First and foremost, in God’s protocol for prayer, the believer-priest must address God the Father in prayer (John 14:13-14; 16:23-27; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 2:18; 3:14; 5:20; Col 1:3, 12; 3:17; 1 Peter 1:17; Revelation 1:6).
Even the Lord Jesus Christ taught to address the Father in prayer.
When His disciples asked Him how to pray, His response was, “pray to your Father” (Mat 6:6).
Luke 11:1 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “When you pray [proseuchomai], say ‘Father, hallowed [hagiazo: to revere, honor and respect] be Your name [onoma: the person and character of God]. Your kingdom come.’” (NASB95)
While many Christians today may argue otherwise, the Scriptures clearly dictate God’s protocol for prayer.
Prayer that is not addressed to the Father in the name of the Son by the power of the Spirit is not heard because it is not done according to God’s protocol.
The apostle Paul taught the churches, throughout the Roman Empire, to address the Father in prayer (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6; Eph 2:18; 3:14; Col 1:3; 1:12).
The apostle Peter also stated that prayer was to be addressed to the Father.
1 Peter 1:17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth. (NASB95)
The Lord Jesus Christ taught that prayer must be made in His name or His person, since He is the intermediary to the Father (Eph 5:20; Col 3:17).
John 14:13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (NASB95)
Christ taught His disciples in the Upper Room Discourse to pray in His name.
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (NASB95)
John 16:23 “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” (NASB95)
John 16:26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. (NASB95)
It is through the merits of Christ’s impeccable person and work on the cross that gives the believer the privilege to boldly approach the throne of God in prayer.
To pray in His name is equivalent to praying in union with Christ and thus, to pray in His name is, essentially, to pray from the vantage point of the believer’s new and exalted position in Christ.
John 14:13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (NASB95)
Name,” in John 14:13, is the noun onoma, which has a five-fold meaning.
First, it refers to the “person” of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is undiminished deity and true humanity and, thus, the unique theanthropic person of history and creation.
Second, the word refers to the “character” of the Lord Jesus Christ, the aggregate features and traits of the Lord Jesus Christ’s divine and human nature.
Onoma also refers to the Lord Jesus Christ’s work during His First Advent, which ended with His greatest accomplishment, His substitutionary spiritual death on the cross. His death fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Mosaic Law, destroyed the works of the devil, redeemed the entire human race from the slave market of sin, propitiated the Father’s righteous demands that every sin in history be judged, and reconciled the entire human race to God.
The word also alludes to Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of the Father (Eph 1:21; Phi 2:5-11; Heb 1:4), since it refers to His reputation before mankind as the Savior of the world, redeemer of all mankind, and sovereign ruler of history.
Lastly, onoma refers to the Lord Jesus Christ’s position before the Father as righteous and holy and as His beloved Son.
Essentially, considering all five meanings, onoma refers to the impeccable person of the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union, who is the only person holy enough to have merit before God the Father.
The Lord Jesus Christ is honored when we express faith in Him and demonstrate that faith by obeying His commands and prohibitions.
Therefore, to pray “in My name” is essentially to pray from the vantage point of a new and exalted position of being in union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praying in the name of Christ is a new and revolutionary concept exclusive to the church-age.
Once believers begin praying in the name of Christ, they begin experiencing for themselves the power of Christ as sovereign ruler of history.
Therefore, this phrase, “in My Name,” describes the eternal union between Christ and the believer that is supernatural in nature.
A.H. Strong writes, “Christ and the believer have the same life. They are not separate persons linked together by some temporary bond of friendship—they are united by a tie as close and indissoluble as if the same blood ran in their veins.”
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (NASB95)
Because the believer is always positionally “in Christ,” the very fact that Christ conditioned prayers to be asked in His name indicates that the condition is more than being positionally “in Christ.”
Thus, it must mean that a believer is to pray “consciously aware” of his exalted position in Christ.
Ephesians 5:20 Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. (NASB95)
Since the believer stands positionally secure in Christ, the fact that God created a protocol for prayer and specifically commanded, in his Word, to pray in the name of Christ indicates that the conditions for prayer require more than being positionally “in Christ.”
Therefore, a believer should pray consciously aware of his exalted position in Christ.
Indeed, the very fact that the Lord felt it necessary to state, “in My name” as a condition, while we are already positionally “in Christ,” implies a need for conscious awareness.
A believer should, therefore, end his prayer with the phrase, “This I ask in Jesus’ name, amen.”
The believer may also wish to repeat the phrase at the beginning of his prayer, thus bringing into remembrance, at the onset, that he is “in Christ” and that Christ serves as his advocate and intermediary.
We may also say to the Father, that we are aware of our position, which seats us at His right hand while we are offering our prayers to Him.
Regardless of whether the phrase is attached to the beginning or end of a prayer, the issue is that the believer consciously acknowledges he is approaching the Father in prayer because of the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. (NASB95)
Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (NASB95)
Finally, prayer must be made by the power of the Spirit or by means of the Filling of the Spirit (Jude 20), which is accomplished by praying in accordance to the Word of God.
Upon confessing our sins and regaining fellowship with the Father, the Holy Spirit is free to inspire and guide us in prayer.
Apart from the Filling of the Spirit, we pray to serve our own agenda.
With the power of the Spirit, we pray to obey God’s agenda.
Ephesians 6:18 All of you pray on a consistent basis, at all times by means of [the omnipotence of] the Spirit through every kind of specific prayer request and for this very purpose, all of you be continually alert with every kind of persistent specific prayer request on behalf of all the saints. (My translation)
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