Pray As Commanded

Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 views
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →

Luke 11:1-13

 

            There was a man, a woman, and their child.  Both parents were professors of English at a major university and held great expectations for their son.  Having read to the child even before he was born, they expected him to both speak and to read at an early age.  When at the age of three the boy had still not spoken, they began to become concerned and had him thoroughly tested by their pediatrician.  The doctor assured them that their son was perfectly normal and that some children matured more slowly than others.

            The years passed and the boy never uttered a single word. The parents resigned themselves to having birthed an abnormal child.  Then one morning, when the boy was 15 years old, he dumped his oatmeal onto the table and clearly said, “This oatmeal is cold!”  Both parents were shocked.  They looked at one another in amazement, then asked, “How long have you been able to speak?”  The young man replied, “Since I was a year old.”  They then asked, “Why have you waited so long to speak to us?”  He replied, “There was never any need before.  Up until now everything has been just right.”

            Have you ever noticed that you pray less when everything seems to be going well for you?  There have been times in my life when it seemed I was praying during every waking moment.  And then there have been those times when my prayers were perfunctory, matter of fact, even habitual.  When there is great need, prayer is as natural to a Christian as breathing, but when things are going well that same believer is likely to take even God for granted.  Jesus’ example should teach us to cultivate an active prayer relationship with the Heavenly Father.  Not only did He stress the importance of prayer, He offered us a perfect example.

            We have been especially blessed to have lived most of our lives in the 20th century.  We have known prosperity and a level of normalcy that our children and grandchildren will never know.  Anyone of sense can observe the news and recognize that the future will be difficult.  Government is becoming more intrusive and the economy is falling apart.  It may be that we will face times hard enough to bring us to our knees.  Therefore, now is the time to prepare.

 

 

I.                    Jesus’ Model For Prayer

 

A.    Give thanks to God

1.      For being our Father; for loving us enough to make a way and a place

2.      For Heaven.  Heaven is real, the rest of life is temporal and will pass away

B.     Give praise to God

1.      He is unique and alone worthy of praise

2.      He demands praise and will have it one way or another

C.    Make demands of God

1.      Pray for His kingdom to come.  We and the world need for Jesus to be enthroned

2.      Pray for daily needs

3.      Pray for forgiveness – ours and the world’s

4.      Pray for help in this time of testing that it might reveal our Christian character

 

II.                 Jesus Shows Us How We Should Pray

 

A.    With perseverance and endurance

1.      Approaching the throne with boldness

2.      Refusing to leave His throne without answers

3.      Claim the promises

B.     Why we must endure

1.      Prayer teaches us to communicate with God

2.      Prayer teaches us patience and hope

3.      Prayer teaches us to love God even more (the better you know Him the better you love Him)

4.      Prayer demonstrates commitment and trust

 

III.               God’s Promise To Us – “I Will!”

 

A.    Honor His commitments

B.     Give us His Spirit

Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more