Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro* – We all know about Tebowing, but Tim did his praying on the sideline.

Not so Isadore Irandir, Brazilian soccer team goalie who allowed a kick from mid-field to fly past his ear only 3 minutes into a game in the early 1970’s.

He was still on his knees finishing his pre-match prayers.

There is a time to pray – and a time to act.

Unfortunately most of us confuse the 2. We’re far more prone to act than to pray, right?

The Bible invites believers, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Despite that clear and plain invitation, we will do almost anything to attack a problem before praying, will we not?

Prayer is the last thing on our mind – literally!

But that was never Jesus’ way.

As the crowds diminished and evil forces began to plot His demise, He did not seek new strategies, did not soften the message, did not take an audience survey to determine how to be more appealing.

Rather, He sought the guidance of the Father.

V. 12. “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” Jesus wasn’t much for methods, but He was big-time into prayer.

It’s prayer, not methods, that succeed with God.

It always has been.

It always will be.

How I pray that God will burden us with the need to seek Him.

*I.

Prayer Has a Time*

Notice v. 12, “In these days.”

In what days?

The days when opposition was building and crowds diminishing.

In those days.

What did He do? “He went out to the mountain to pray.”

Prayer has a time.

And that time is before initiating any action.

Jesus is about to choose 12 apostles to form His inner circle, 12 who will carry on once He is gone.

But before He chooses, He prays.

Prayer has a time.

And the time is before the decision, before the crisis, before the planning, before the ministry, before the action.

Prayer is our last resort!

We act, and when it comes apart, then we pray.

A child gets sick.

What do we do?

Home remedies; go to the doc; ER – and then we pray.

We have a ministry need.

So – we count the money.

Devise a solution – new class; new building; new staff.

Then we pray.

But that’s backwards, Beloved.

Jesus prayed as a first resort, not a last.

The time to pray is before the planning, before the crisis, before the decision, not after.

So often when we see a need, we complain, bicker, criticize, backbite, whine.

Anything but pray!

Ever been guilty?

Oh, I have, God forgive me.

Beloved, do you see a problem, have a concern?

Then don’t complain.

Pray!

Prayer has another time, too.

In Matt 14:23.

Jesus has just finished feeding 5,000 men plus women and children.

It was a good day.

Good time to rest up.

But Matt tells us, “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

When evening came, he was there alone.”

Jesus prayed before crisis decisions; He also prayed after great victories.

That’s when we are most vulnerable.

That’s where Elijah failed.

In I Kings 18 he prays fire down from heaven to annihilate the prophets of Baal; then he prays down rain to end a 3-1/2 year drought.

Prayed down fire and rain in the same great day.

But wicked Queen Jezebel, having found that Elijah killed her prophets “sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow (you got 24 hours to get out of Dodge, Elijah).” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life” (I Kings 19:2-3).

The price of letting up after victory.

We celebrate and begin to feel that it’s on us, get vulnerable to pride and then fear.

And we go down.

Prayer has a time.

You say, “Well, I thought we were supposed to be praying all the time.

I Thess 5:17, ‘Pray without ceasing.’”

And that’s right.

Life should be running conversation with God.

But that can never replace specific daily prayer times.

Like Daniel had 3 times a day (Dan 6:10).

Tweets throughout the day don’t sub for defined times of prayer.

They do not.

If Jesus needed regular prayer times, how much more do we?

Specific times.

Intense times.

That’s the pattern Jesus shows and that Daniel and Paul teach us.

*II.

Prayer Has a Place*

V. 12, “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray.”

Prayer has a place.

Jesus constantly sought solitude so He could concentrate.

Mark 1:35, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

Prayer has a place.

God deserves our undivided attention.

Distractions are a major issue in prayer.

We all get them.

Eliminate them.

By having a private place.

By praying out loud.

Does God know our thoughts?

Absolutely.

So, yes, we can pray in our mind.

But your mind will quickly wander.

Pray out loud.

Martin Luther used pray aloud because he wanted the devil to know he was praying.

That’s reason enough.

But it will increase your faith, improve your focus and up the intimacy exponentially if you pray out loud.

Feel awkward?

Keep at it.