Good morning Lighthouse. Prayer Today I would like to talk to you about God s great gift of prayer using Psalm 61 as an example and how it helps us grow in God. The most common type of psalm in the Bible is prayers to God which cover a wide spectrum of emotions, situations and experiences. I think what makes these prayers so powerful are the honesty, passion and sometimes desperation you can hear and feel in the writer s heart at the time. God hears this as well and responds to it. David was a man of prayer, a man who continually seeked God s will and purpose for His life and guidance for nearly every situation he faced through prayer. But I think for me David always shows us that the only place we really should want to be is in the presence of God. Prayer is one way we can encourage and cultivate the presence of God. So we should be eager to engage with God in prayer. I would like us to go through Psalm 61, a prayer of David. This prayer it seems is set while David is in exile either by Saul or Absalom some think Absalom because of David s reference to a King in verse 6. He starts his prayer distressed but by the time he ends his prayer his soul and attitude are lifted and praising God. Psalm 61 (ESV) Lead Me to the Rock To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. 1 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; David petitions for God s attention. We know through the Bible God is always watching over us, listening to us and waiting for us to engage with Him. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 1 of 17
David called to God from wherever he was. We also can call to God wherever we are. As we have the Holy Spirit within us we don t have to wait till we get to church to talk to God. 2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, David shows no matter how dire his situation or however he is feeling he will always call to the Lord in his time of need. God is the only place he will turn or even want to turn too. He acknowledges with thanks giving and exultation as he approaches before God. He is being led to a place much greater than himself, maybe in some way beyond his grasp if not for the Lord s invitation and means to bring him there. This rock is Jesus and He is the one who takes us to a higher place. 3 for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. David acknowledges that God has been his refuge, a place he can come too to find peace and rest from the tribulations of life far beyond his foes and troubles. He trusts God s protection as He has never failed him or let him down. He has complete confidence in God. 4 Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah David just wants to remain in the presence of God. To be truthful that s all we would want to do as well. He is also conscience that God is eternal. Being in His presence is not for a season or a short period but it is for life, both in this mortal frame and beyond when we go back home to Him. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 2 of 17
We now live in Jesus, who is our eternal refuge through the covenant of grace. As God s children we can ask for His protection. 5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. David confirms he has made vows to God. Vows were not taken lightly and needed to be strictly adhered too. David is showing his seriousness to follow and obey God. But he also shows the reward of this, the inheritance that believers receive when they follow, fear or revere and have awe of our Almighty God. We receive His Son Jesus as our reward. 6 Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! 7 May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! So David in the first five verses acknowledges the greatness and joy of knowing God and he now asks for God s blessings on his life. The reason he is talking in the third person is that once he had written the psalm he would pass it onto his people to sing and they would sing about him (David as king). But maybe David is also showing a parallel of the coming Saviour, our Lord Jesus who would fulfil all these words and more when He defeated death and sin upon the cross once and for all forever. 8 So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day. As with any prayer or worship to God we should end in praise that God is good in everything. We don t need an excuse to praise; we should just do it because God enjoys our praises. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 3 of 17
He seeks people who will worship Him in Spirit & truth and He will inhabit the praises of His people so if we want more of God s presence we need to praise all the more of His goodness to us & His people. This also applies to us as children of God so if we can find something to praise about in our lives, in our families, in our work, in our colleagues, in our employer, in Jesus name, I believe we can cultivate and encourage more of His presence in our lives and the lives around us even the workings and the leadership of our town and our nation. It worked for David, it can and does work for us. So we have seen an example of prayer from someone who frequently communed with God in prayer. So let s take a closer look at prayer itself. Prayer is not just about receiving something from God. It is about receiving something for you to share with others for the glory of God. Collins defines prayer as God s chosen way of communication and fellowship between the Christian and Himself. It is the secret of spiritual growth and effective service. Matt Slick (Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry) says Prayer is a privilege and an obligation of the Christian where we communicate with God. It is how we convey our confession (1 John 1:9), requests (1 Tim. 2:1-3), intercessions (James 5:15), thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6), etc., to our Holy God. We are commanded to pray (1 Thess. 5:17). Some personal requirements of prayer are a pure heart (Psalm 66:18), belief in Christ (John 14:12-14) and that the prayer be according to God s will (1 John 5:14). We can pray standing (Neh. 9:5), kneeling (Ezra 9:5), sitting (1 Chron. 17:16-27), bowing (Exodus 34:8), and with lifted hands (1 Tim. 2:8). Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 4 of 17
Like many before me I just thought prayer was what I needed to do to receive something from God be it answers, direction, to fulfil a need or desire, etc. But that was selfish thinking and narrowed how powerful our prayers can and should be. Prayer for some of us is about asking God to Meet our needs (provision) Give us more faith (maturity & growth) Strengthen us / encourage us / protect us (empower) Forgive us for sins committed or say sorry for others (forgiveness) Receive more of God s wisdom / insight / direction e.g. Fasting Impart in us God s power for a particular purpose e.g. Healing / Leading / Sending out people on a particular task, etc Preparing our hearts before a Holy God David asked that God search his heart for anything that was not good. There is empowerment from God to us when we are talking to God in prayer but there is also a confidence and assurance received by us in the answering of prayer. We can experience Greater faith in God God may speak to us in visions or prophecy Changed lives and hearts for God Greater love in the church & beyond e.g. households, workplace, etc More glory is given to God Greater perseverance in our trials God proves He is who He says He is in so many wonderful and gracious ways for every circumstance An example of this is shown through Peter as he heals the lame beggar in Acts 3 where Peter and John are on their way to the temple for prayer. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 5 of 17
Just as they are about to enter a lame beggar is brought to the temple entrance and asks them for alms or anything they could provide e.g. money. Both apostles fixed their gaze on him and Peter asks the beggar to fix his attention on them. Let s pick it up from verse 6. Acts 3:6-10 (ESV) 6 Then Peter said, Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognised him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Peter tells the beggar he has no money but what he does have he will willingly share with him. What did Peter have to share? God s love, His power and His grace to heal this man and bring others to faith in Christ Jesus. I believe Peter had been praying beforehand in preparation to going to the temple and was probably with John praying to God as He healed the beggar before their very eyes. The impact of our prayers are not dependent on the length of them or the numbers who pray for a situation. I believe it is the faith expressed within the prayer that pleases God. Be persistent in your prayers. God rewards your persistence as you continually seek His will in situations. Not all healing is physical. How many believe salvation is a form of healing? I do. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 6 of 17
Some healings are instant and some may take years but both normally have some sort of prayer involved with them. In the beggars case he received both physical healing and salvation. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 7 of 17
Mark 11:24-25 (ESV) 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Jesus was impressed at the faith & humility of the Roman centurion asking for his servant to be healed. The centurion could have commanded Jesus to come to his home but instead pleads with Jesus to show compassion to his servant. Matthew 8:10-13 (ESV) 10 When Jesus heard this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, Go; let it be done for you as you have believed. And the servant was healed at that very moment. So we have explored some examples of prayer and seen prayer works on many levels so let s look at some questions asked about prayer. Prayer Questions / Myths Who do we pray too? Initially most of us might have begun our prayer life speaking to God the Father and then with more understanding recognise Jesus, God The Son and the Holy Spirit in our prayers. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 8 of 17
Jesus instructs us to ask the Father in His name when we pray. For me all the Trinity are God so we should acknowledge all three in our prayers when we are comfortable or confident enough to know all three. All three are distinct and our prayers do change in light of who we address or call out too. Who prays for us? What is the process of prayer? Jesus intercedes for us in every moment for all our needs and challenges. The Holy Spirit helps us lift up prayers to Jesus or God the Father be it in our own words or in tongues. God the Father hears our prayers and responds to them according to His great purposes and mighty will. Our prayers and their outcomes all work towards the glory of God and the lifting up of His great name. We also have our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ interceding for us while we are here on earth led by the Holy Spirit. When do we / should we pray? God is always talking to us but we do not always listen or respond. He is an eternal God who never sleeps or goes on holiday. More importantly He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives all the time. Tell story of David asking you to preach. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 18 (ESV) 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus. So in effect we should be praying or talking to God all the time. We live in a fallen & sinful world and we ourselves are mixture at the best of times. The only way to ensure we have the strength and wisdom to stay on track for Jesus is to constantly be connected in prayer with Him. Prayer imparts God s power & authority to His church. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 9 of 17
Acts 8:14-17 (ESV) 14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for He had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Jesus calls the twelve disciples He prays for them before He send them out to impart His power and authority within them. Matthew 10:5-8 (NIV) 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven has come near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. What position or stance should I take to pray? There is no set position or stance for prayer. Believers have prayed On their knees (1 Kings 8:54) Bowing (Exodus 4:31) On their faces before God (2 Chronicles 20:18; Matthew 26:39) Standing (1 Kings 8:22) Sitting (1 Chron. 17:16-27) With lifted hands (1 Tim. 2:8) You can pray with your eyes opened or closed, quietly or out loud. Do what is most comfortable and brings least distractions for you. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 10 of 17
Should I Pray Alone or with Others? It is beneficial for you to do both. There are times when you need to commune with God one to one to receive insight or a revelation. There will also be times that you need the support and faith of your brothers and sisters in Christ to pray you through a situation. And there will be times that you just lift you voice in corporate prayer for someone s need and for God s hand to move. In all things go as the Spirit leads you. Does God hear every prayer? I believe God hears every prayer lifted to Him and He answers every prayer be it by responding to the prayer or not responding to the prayer. All prayer is answered but the response to the prayer may not be what you expected. Moses prayed to free His people and prayed many more times that God not wipe them from existence. Samson prayed for strength to smite the Philistines leading to his death. Hannah prayed for Samuel. Samuel prayed for Saul and for a new king. David prayed that God keep him but more importantly that God s presence would never leave him. Do prayers have to be spoken out loud? No, God hears all our thoughts both intentional and unintentional. But I personally believe it is beneficial for us both individually and corporately to pray out loud as it is a form of faith. Also the atmosphere around us is impacted and the presence of God is cultivated / encouraged / felt which would not have been encouraged in silent prayer. Hearing others praying sometimes builds us up and encourages us to lift something up to God in prayer also. What did Jesus do in regard to prayer? I believe He constantly spoke with God for guidance, strength, instruction, thanksgiving, praise and glorifying Him. But at certain times Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 11 of 17
He took time away from people and the world to do this. We need to follow His example and give time to corporate and individual prayer. Prayer takes time and should not be rushed and why would you be in a rush to leave the presence of the Lord. It s the best place to be. Moses loved being in His presence Deuteronomy 9:25 (ESV) 25 So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said he would destroy you. Moses prayed for the people 40 days and 40 nights on numerous times that they might be spared. God not only spared them but He blessed them through Moses prayers. Moses was not the High Priest appointed by God, Aaron was but it was the heart and faith of Moses for the people which pleased God and saved a nation. Moses did not always get on with his people; in fact they got on his last nerve. But when the chips were down he would intercede for them despite how they had treated him. He loved his people despite their behaviour towards him; we must be the same to pray freely. Church with greater faith and hearts made bigger by God we can save a town, even a nation. Are we up for the challenge, will we stand in the gap for those who can t help themselves like the lame man Peter healed. What are the benefits of prayer? Prayer develops in you a heart and desire for more of God in you and around you and through you. It is a natural and important part of our relationship with God. And God loves to hear from us. Prayer is infectious and is great when we encourage one another in prayer. It produces declarations of faith from us and builds up our faith. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 12 of 17
Each time God brings us to a point of prayer where we really have to dig deep and seek His face diligently it produces testimonies of faith for ourselves and the church. Declaring prayers is just as important as confirming and giving thanks for answered prayers. Prayers show we are putting our faith in God, seeking His will or power in a situation. There is joy in praying as we press into the presence of God and He draws closer to us. Prayer helps you develop and build your relationship with God. As He answers your prayers, your faith grows and deepens as does your relationship with Him. We can and should be honest in our prayers. God wants us to be free to express all our emotions to Him and we should be willing to listen to His response to our rantings. We pray to receive inspiration from the Holy Spirit. We go to God for forgiveness to correct our wrong thinking, to help us in our battles in our minds, to say sorry for what we have done wrong. Prayer can help us overcome our fears and brings comfort in hopeless situations and desperate times. How can we pray effectively and without hindrance? Ensure you pray with wholehearted faith (Mark 11:24) Ensure you are right before God and His people (James 5:16) Be obedient and follow all His ways (1 John 3:22) Love the Lord and His people (Matthew 22:37-39) Keep prayers in accord with God's divine will (1 John 5:14) Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words (Romans 8:26-27) How do we pray to God? God is limitless so why do we think it proper to limit how we pray to Him. God has given us trustworthy guidelines in how we should pray. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 13 of 17
Acknowledge who He is and what He has done for us (Adoration & Thanksgiving) Acknowledge our sins and pray for our forgiveness and the forgiveness of others (Humility & Sanctification) Acknowledge His Kingdom and authority over all creation and us (Obedience & Faithfulness) Ask for provision of His strength, wisdom, direction & instruction (God s providence) Acknowledge His power to save our souls from our sins and eternal damnation (His provision of our salvation). I have based these principles on my interpretation of the Lord s Prayer. I am sure there is always more we can lift up in prayer to God to glorify His name, to rejoice in His love, grace and mercy that He shows us, our loved ones and this fallen world each and every day. We also need to share our burdens in prayer with brothers and sisters we trust in certain circumstances so we don t battle with our burdens alone. Be specific in your prayers, give room for God to move and answer your prayer. In some cases you may need to get out of the way for the prayer to be answered. It is also beneficial to confirm with one another when God has answered prayer. This is especially important if you have prayer warriors praying for your situation. Our prayers need to have passion sometimes as God is looking for passion in His people. Our prayers reflect our faith & dependency in God. We should always approach God reverently in prayer. We are able to be in His presence through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus but as God is a holy, righteous, pure God we should acknowledge we are still mixture at this time and we should ask God to search our hearts for anything that displeases Him or hinders our walk with Him. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 14 of 17
David with many Psalmists and prophets and later many puritans prayed this frequently and this reminds us to approach the throne of glory humbly. Yes, Jesus is our friend and our brother but He is also our High Priest, our Lord and our Master. We must remember and show the appropriate respect when we approach Him. Prayer can and should be scripture based. It is good to quote the Living Word in prayer. You can argue or negotiate with God in prayer but this is not advised or recommended. A verse I use constantly in my prayers is the assurance God gave to both Moses and Joshua before they took on their responsibilities Joshua 1:5 (ESV) 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. But the verses I use to keep me grounded and to finish any argument I have with God are the words and prayer of Jesus Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane Luke 22:42 (ESV) 42 saying, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. CS Lewis quote For most of us the prayer in Gethsemane is the only model. Removing mountains can wait. CS Lewis is saying when all else fails and we don t have the words for our situation remember Jesus words at Gethsemane. Jesus asked God to remove the cup of God s wrath from Him three times in the Garden of Gethsemane but in all three times He confirmed not His will be done but God s will be done. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 15 of 17
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced a grisly death but preferred death than go against God s will. Abraham was prepared to sacrifice the son God blessed him with rather than disobey God s will. If you want His presence and faith to grow in your times of trouble put His will before yours in prayer and trust Him completely. Why Should We Turn To God In Prayer? The Lord instructed us to pray. Normally I guess a lot of us will say we turn to God when we are desperate or in desperation. But there are many more reasons why we should turn to God in prayer. There is adoration, thanksgiving, seeking His wisdom, His direction, His impartation. Praying for His presence & influence in a situation for us or for someone else. In prayer we should just talk to God, always asking for His grace, His mercy, His kindness & wisdom, His strength and His compassion. I guess what we should be doing in prayer is asking for more of Jesus because if we are asking for that we can t go wrong. Ephesians 6:18-20 (ESV) 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. My final point is Why Do We Need Prayer? The outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of church as we know it begun with prayer and continues with prayer. We effectively pray at every meeting not just Sunday services. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 16 of 17
God uses our lives and prayers to establish His will and purposes on earth. In return we have the privilege of entering His throne room, into His presence when we press closer to Him through prayer. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV) 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Here are some people noted for their prayers and prayer was central to their lives in the Bible Job Moses Elijah Elisha Nehemiah David Paul And of course, the most important person our Lord - Jesus Christ. Prayer was central in Jesus life. He taught His disciples to pray and stressed the importance of being persistent in prayer all the time. Prayer was the backbone of the early church, allowing it to progress through many difficult times in history and prayer remains the most effective tool in a Christian believers arsenal to bring change in any landscape for God s purposes. Prayer helps the believer Commune with God building relationship with Him Grow in God learn to listen, respond & grow in His character Prepare for service for God knowing & following His will Praise God adoration for who He is, what He has done & will do Experience God - at many different levels as you press deeper Put God at the centre of it all Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 17 of 17
I experience great joy when I see my prayers have brought a change in myself but I receive greater joy in seeing my prayers answered for change in others around me and in their situations. God wants us to be involved with His changes to His children, other people and the world around us and prayer is a powerful way to bring those changes to pass. So I pray Light-House we strive to be a praying church motivated to fulfil the will and purposes of God for His glory and for His Kingdom. Prayer Amen. Lead Communion with C.S. Lewis prayer I pray because I can t help myself I pray because I m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time waking and sleeping It does not change God it changes me. Have workplace prayer at end of the service. Importance Of Prayer (Psalm 61) 161009 Final Page 18 of 18