THE PURPOSE & POWER OF PRAYER

THE PURPOSE & POWER OF PRAYER James 5:13-16; Luke11:1-4; Luke 18 As I mentioned last week, we want to get this New Year off to a good start. To do so spiritually speaking, we want to cover all the basic disciplines of the Christian life that will help us succeed. We have talked about the purpose and power of fasting and today we are going to talk about prayer. Throughout the Bible we find the encouragement to pray, but how many of us have found it hard to do, and even harder to know what to pray at times? This is common and we all experience it and there are some principles in Luke 18 that will be of great help to us. But I think we should start with an example of how not to pray: A nice family had invited some people from their church over for dinner. When everyone was seated at the table, the lady of the house turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, Would you like to say the blessing over our meal? Oh! well the little girl exclaimed, I just wouldn't know what to say! In a reassuring tone her mother answered, Well honey, just say what you ve heard Mommy pray. Alright Mom, the little girl replied as she bowed her head slowly and reverently, then she prayed, Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people over for dinner? Amen! While that s not the best example of what to pray, at least she was obedient and sincere! I believe with all my heart that God is calling us as a people to earnestly and fervently pray for our community and our nation, as if we were the only ones praying. Please do not misunderstand me, I do not intend to imply that we are the only ones God will use, but we must respond to what I believe God is speaking to us as a congregation to do. We must understand our assignment; the call to prayer is not just a once-a-week-on-a- Sunday-only thing. Intercession for our community and our nation must become an integral part of everything that we do, a permanent addition to our lives and not just an occasional footnote or afterthought. While there are many practical things that we can do to bless our community is it imperative that we understand that the most pressing duty and call of the church is to pray. It is through prayer that we will best serve the interests of the kingdom, locally, nationally and globally. The fiery Methodist pastor Samuel Chadwick said: God seeks people to prevail in prayer. It is His ordained means to move the world toward righteousness and the people of the world toward salvation." It has been often said that the church advances on its knees. Intercessory prayer is a mighty weapon that will avail much if we will learn to practice it with discipline and dedication. Throughout the NT we find Jesus drawing away for times of prayer, so often that his disciples were incited to ask, Lord, teach us to pray. 1

In our text Jesus instructed His disciples saying, men ought always to pray and not to lose hear (faint). When the disciples asked this they weren t looking for new a devotional habit, they were seeking the release of a new dimension of grace and power in their lives as they witnessed in His! There is no greater privilege granted to us than to be able to communicate with God, our Father through the vehicle of prayer. If we are to live as His victorious children, overcoming the power of the enemy and be truly engaged in the work of the kingdom, then we must be people of prayer. It is impossible to believe the promises of the Bible if we move away from the altar of believing prayer. Every Christian, every church is only as strong as its prayer life. Where there is no prayer, there is no life! Prayer is to the Spirit what breathe is to the natural. As John Wesley said, Prayer was never meant to be incidental to the work of God; it is the work! As I read through this 18 th chapter of the Book of Luke I begin to see some defining principles that will help us understand what effective prayer looks like. We are here in this place for such a time as this, and if we will commit ourselves to prayer, I know we will see our families, our community and our nation changed for the glory of God! Let s look together into our text and discover what we can learn to help us become fervent, effectual prayer warriors in our day! I. A PAIN THAT PERSISTS Luke 18:1-8 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' " 6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Ø Prevailing prayer is persistent. Ø Dedicated kingdom living includes persistent persevering prayer that trusts God to answer and supply our needs. A. By Christ s own words this judge was not a righteous man. He didn t fear God and he wasn t afraid of other men but the widow discovered the point of his weakness. 1. He recognized that she wasn t going to give up and would be a persistent pain until he satisfied her request for justice. 2

2. We do not know the details of her petition but what we do know is that she was unwilling to give up. She would keep on asking until the answer came. 3. Jesus rehearses the account of a man who came to his friend in the middle of the night to borrow some food for his visitors. The AMP Bible gives us a great translation of this parable in: Luke 11:8-10 (AMP) I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened. B. Faith is the one thing Christ is after. He wants us to trust and believe in Him at His Word. 1. The greatest evidence of faith is persevering prayer; they are eternally bound together. If we truly believe, we will be known as people of prayer. 2. Ask and keep on asking. If you are asking according to the will of God and if you are persistent enough, He will change your desire to line up with His will for your life. II. THE PROUD AND PENITENT Luke 18:9-14 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Ø Effective and powerful prayer flows from a humble and contrite heart. Ø Dedicated kingdom living involves prayer that confesses one s sin and seeks God s forgiveness, humbles ourselves and mindful of the well being of others. A. The spirit needed for our prayer to be effective is clearly revealed here in this second parable. Prayer that moves the heart of God is not the self-righteous rehearsal of one s obedience, but it is the fruit of humility and flows from humble heart before God. B. The prayers offered by these two men are vastly different, in motive and content: 1. The Pharisee prayed because as a religious man it was expected. 2. He legalistically followed every rule, but his prayer was not effective because it as all about himself. 3. He didn t praise God, or thank God for His goodness and mercy, He only thanked Him because he was better than other people especially this lowly tax collector! 3

C. An entirely different kind of prayer came from the tax collector s lips. His was a prayer of honesty, repentance, humility, and dependence. 1. The Pharisee looked piously toward heaven; the tax collector dare not lift his eye but his heart was raised his to heaven. 2. The Pharisee was proud and confident; the tax collector grieved over his condition. 3. The Pharisee described his righteousness; the tax collector cried for mercy to escape the judgment his sin deserved. D. So which one of these men truly prayed? Jesus made it clear: praise yourself, God will humble you; humble yourself, and God will raise you up. 1. For our prayers to be effective, we must acknowledge our need of a Savior, (remembering we can do nothing to earn God s favor) then humbly accept His forgiveness, mercy and grace. III. THE FAITH OF A CHILD Luke 18:15-17 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Ø Prayer is so simple, even a child can do it! Ø Dedicated kingdom living beings with child-like faith. A. It is amazing how many believers are intimidated when it comes to prayer. They have no problem talking with their friends, singing loudly with the radio in their car or screaming like crazy at their kids ball game, but ask them to pray out loud and terrified silence! 1. That s because when it comes to prayer, we are afraid of not getting it right so we over complicate it, get frustrated by it and many just avoid it altogether. 2. The enemy loves to convince us that if we are not Bible scholars or profoundly educated we can t say anyway to God anyway, and nothing is farther from the truth. B. Prayer is a dialogue, an ongoing conversation with God. Just as a children talk with their parents, true prayer is as natural comfortable exchange. 1. True prayer, has as its foundation an intimate relationship and absolute faith in God. 2. It is simply a matter of trust. 3. Webster defines trust: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something 1 4. Just as a child trusts his parents even before he understands what it truly means to do so; he trusts them. 5. Child-like faith speaks, believes God hears and trusts that He will answer. 1 Frederick C. Mish, Preface, Merriam-Webster s Collegiate Dictionary. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003). 4

6. And it never gives up because it rests and relies on His character, ability and faithfulness. Luke 11:11-13 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" IV. A PRICE FOR PRESENCE Luke 18:18-23 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' " 21 And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. Ø Effective prayer will pay the price to live in His presence. Ø Dedicated kingdom living will give up everything for the greatest reward of all Jesus Himself. A. This young man was sincere in his desire to follow the Lord and he recognized Him for who He was, but he was unwilling to pay the price to follow, be fully in His presence. B. Prayer that will be powerful and effective in our day will not come without a price. 1. Prayer that prevails and reaches the courts of heaven is prayer that is sacrificial in nature and must be totally abandoned to His will. 2. The invitation to be with the Master was given to the rich young ruler, but that which was dearest to his heart was revealed. C. I am not saying that Christ will call you to sell all your worldly possessions and walk the world in your flip flops, but I am saying, that true intercession does not come about accidentally, with out a price being paid, and that price is much time waiting in the presence of God. 1. If we will give ourselves to prayer and seeking Jesus above all other loves, we can know His transforming presence, for our selves and for the needs of others. V. TAKING DEAD AIM Luke 18:35-43 Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. 36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, 5

Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39 Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, 41 saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." 42 Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Ø Effective prayer must be specific, and expect to be answered. We must take dead aim and pray specifically for what we need and desire. Ø Dedicated kingdom living means boldly approaching the throne of grace with confidence that God will supply our needs when we ask. A. Taking dead aim is a concept I learned from a little red book by a great golf coach and teacher named Harvey Penick. What it means is this; take dead aim at the target mentally, see the shot in your mind before you ever address the ball and then hit it. 1. It is amazing how powerful your mind is in helping your body to do what it needs to do. So, what does that have to do with prayer? 2. Well, let me give you another example. There is a huge different in hunting with a shotgun and a rifle. With a shotgun there is reasonable room for error and your aim does not have to be as precise. But with a rifle, you have to take dead aim. B. This blind man, Bartimaeus as Mark s gospel identifies him, had sat by the roadside in Jericho for most of his life. We are not given his history but it is clear that he is in a desperate condition. 1. Now he hears it is Jesus that the crowd is following, he begins to cry out for mercy. 2. As the crowd attempts to discourage him the Bible says, He cried the more a great deal! (KJV) 3. As Mark records this account there is something very interesting to notice in verse: Mark 10:49-50 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you. 50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. C. This garment was something not many beggars had in the first place and many commentators suggest that it was an identifying coat, letting all other know he was blind. 1. But notice, he got up and threw it aside and came to Jesus. Unlike the rich young ruler who returned to his fortune, Bartimaeus left the only thing of value he had. 2. When Jesus inquires as to his need, Bartimaeus wasn t vague or wishy-washy at all; He took dead aim and said boldly, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." D. For our prayers to truly be effective we need to pray specifically for our concerns, for the needs and burdens that we carry. We need to boldly approach the throne of grace to bring our request before God. 6

1. This is not the hour for ambiguous, half-hearted prayers; people s eternal souls hang in the balance and the future of our very nation is at stake, we need to cry out for mercy! 2. And just like Bartimaeus, when we pray we should expect Jesus to answer. Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Taking it Home Prayer, an essential component of life with God, involves asking God persistently for what you need, believing he will provide. The prayer of faith places no stock in personal goodness or personal wealth. Faith prays persistently even as it takes up the cross and walks toward crucifixion. Faith knows it can ask for God s mercy and receive God s rewards for a consistent faithful life. The purpose of prayer is that the will of God may be realized in our personal lives, the life of this fellowship and community and to see His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. The power of prayer is atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ who through his own blood, opened the way for us to come boldly into the presence of God. And when we pray according to His will, He hears us, and if He hears us He will answer! How to pray: - Just start conversation with God. - Pray the Word of God; the Book of Psalms! - Pray in the Spirit and with your understanding. - Start today and pray without ceasing. Optional quote: The Christian author T.A. Hegre made the following observation. "If the church would only awaken to her responsibility of intercession, we could well evangelize the world in a short time. It is not God's plan that the world be merely evangelized ultimately. It should be evangelized in every generation. There should be a constant gospel witness in every corner of 7

the world so that no sinner need close his eyes in death without the hearing of the gospel, the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ." 8