The Pattern of Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Good morning Church!
Announcements:
The last week of July will be our VBS. Our theme this year is Zoomerang!
We want to thank those who donated school supplies. We have counted all of the supplies that have been brought in and there is an updated list in the foyer.
We also need boxes to build up the scene for VBS. All different sizes.
There is a VBS volunteer sign-up sheet in the foyer. Please be getting your names down as to where you want to serve this year!!! We truly need all the help we can get.
Praise Reports:
Prayer Requests:
Tithes
Children’s Church
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart that I might not sin against God! Amen!!!
Open Bibles To: Matthew 6.9
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Context
Context
So far, we looked at “The Priority of Prayer” & “The Intricacies of Prayer”.
We have discussed the importance of having a dedicated prayer life. We have also discussed who we are to pray to, who we are to pray through, and the one that empowers us to pray effective, biblical prayers.
Today, we are going to discuss a pattern of prayer that will help in praying more effective prayers.
I don’t know about you, but if I am not careful, I can make all of my prayers about me. Whether I am praying for 2 minutes, or 20 minutes, I can get stuck in a rut of praying for things that just affect my life, or my family’s life.
When we are praying for things that are specific to our own lives, the Bible calls it supplication. A supplication is a humble request for help or mercy from someone in authority.
Please don’t misunderstand me. We are supposed to bring everything to God in prayer, including things that pertain to our lives. Listen to what Paul wrote unto the Christians at Philippi:
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
We should ask God for things that we need. James also wrote:
2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
Unfortunately, if we are not careful, we will rush straight to our supplications every time we pray, and we will forget about other, more important things that we should also be praying for. Yes, God loves us unconditionally, but there are more important things in this world than us.
Today, we are going to look at a pattern for prayer that will help us to broaden our focus during prayer.
Alright! Let’s look at this “Pattern of Prayer”!
Content
Content
Adoration
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
What do we mean when we say “Adoration”?
Adoration has been defined as the act of rendering Divine honor, including in it reverence, esteem, and love. The literal meaning of the word means to apply the hand to the mouth (to kiss the hand).
Though this act is not popular within our western culture, many Eastern cultures see this act as one of the great marks of respect and submission.
Hindrances to praying with adoration (R.C. Sproul):
Our simple lack of suitable vocabulary.
“O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing”, by Charles Wesley.
Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and king,
The triumphs of His grace!
My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad,
The honors of Thy name.
A limited understanding of the One whom we are adoring.
Consider the love-struck teenager who writes love notes to his girlfriend. This particular young man may be shy on the surface, but if you give him a pen, a piece of paper, and a little bit of time, he suddenly becomes a young Shakespeare! The longer they stay together, the longer the letters become.
The words he writes may be less than sophisticated, from a literary standpoint, but there is no lack of words. Why? That boy is in love, so his heart moves his pen.
The importance of praying with adoration:
It is our duty as human beings to do so.
We have been called to fill the earth with the glory of God. We were created in His image to reflect His glory. Therefore, our main function is to magnify the Lord.
God has revealed His glory unto us not only through the nature of His creation, but also through the divinely inspired Scriptures. Furthermore, Christ has torn down the middle wall of partition between God and man to make God accessible unto us.
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Furthermore, because we are able to approach God through the righteousness of Christ, we are to come boldly unto Him and pray in faith.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
As we read God’s Word, we are constantly reminded of God’s holiness by almost every character:
Centurion in Matthew 8 (I am not worthy for you to come to my house)
Jairus (worshipped the Lord as he presented his request unto Him)
Leper in the book of Mark (came kneeling down to Him)
Syrophenician Woman (came and fell at His feet)
The man full of leprosy (Seeing Jesus, fell on his face)
John the apostle (We beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.)
All of these examples serves to teach us about the nature of our prayers unto God:
Come boldly, but not arrogantly.
We are not to practice “Conversational Prayer”.
God cannot be manipulated. (do this and God will/must answer your prayer)
The entire life of the Christian, which is to live a life of obedience and service, is motivated and enriched when the holiness of God is etched into our minds.
Before I can be motivated to do something difficult for someone, I need to have a certain amount of respect for that person. When someone asks me to go out into the world and endure persecution from angry people, I must respect that person deeply. It is only when our love and respect for an individual outweighs the consequences of being associated with them, that we will make sacrifices on their behalf.
As I give adoration unto God, it motivates me to serve Him.
Giving God adoration reminds me of His holiness.
As I personally speak the glories of God through my lips, it reminds me of His holiness. God knows who He is, but the question at hand is whether or not we know who He is. God does not need to be reminded to His holiness, but we must constantly be reminded of His holiness.
As I speak words of adoration unto God, the light of His purity and perfection ever grows within my heart. It is against the backdrop of that light, that the darkness of my sin becomes clear. When I see His perfection, I realize my imperfection. When I survey His holiness, I see my wretchedness.
This is common with those who follow God faithfully:
Moses - remove the sandals from off thy feet
Isaiah - Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips
Peter - Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
Job - I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
As we speak of the holiness of God, every trace of pride within our hearts is stripped away so that we might come to God in the correct posture.
Giving God adoration sets the tone for the rest of my prayer.
As I enter the presence of God and praise His Holy Name, my heart is prepared to continue on in prayer.
After acknowledging the holiness of God, I must confess my sin; I must give Him thanks for all of His many blessings; I will bring my supplications before Him, but I will do so in light of His power and glory.
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication
Commitment
Commitment