Pray Anyway - How to Pray
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Journey students I need to let you know that I am proud of you and of what God is doing in you and through you. How God is moving in you as i hear about your groups, your text messages, you being bold and inviting friends, confessing sin, reading the scriptures, praying all of it. Even when you fall you don’t stay down but you get back up and move forward in the spirit. I don't think you hear it often enough, but you are the generation of people who will make the largest impact for the Kingdom of God if you allow God to use you and not live in fear, but live in faith. God isn't done with you, he isn't done with this church and I just believe that we will see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life and in this region of North Peoria. Keep moving forward.
So as we start today, I’m going to ask three questions. By a show of your hands how many of you would say that you believe in the power of prayer? Just as I thought, most of us. Second question, how many of you, even though you believe in the power of prayer, believe that you should pray more and pray with more faith? Same amount of good, and last question, how many of you would say that you would pray more and pray with more faith if you knew how to pray better? That’s what I thought, almost all of us.
There is so much you can say on the topic of prayer, that prayer isn't just sitting down quietly for 5 minutes its more of a way of life. Thats why Paul says pray continually, that we are to be in constant prayer throughout the day, just like you are constantly on your phones texting friends or family, prayer should be constant. Prayer should be a dialogue not a monologue, you pray to God and you wait for his response. Prayer isn't professional, it’s personal, sometimes we pray as if Human Resources are reading our emails, so we don’t actually tell God how we are feeling, if we are angry at him, wrestling with issues, repenting of sin. Prayer is communal, we have the ability to pray to God on behalf of others. But prayer also isn't about us, God isn't a cosmic vending machine where we ask all of our hearts desires, and he gives it to us, and if he doesn't then that must mean he isn’t as good of a God as i thought. Prayer isn't a last resort, we only pray when we need God to intervene, instead it should be our first response every morning. Pray is praise, it is pain, it is adoration, it is anger, acknowledgement of the goodness of God, it is alignment of our hearts to God’s heart. Prayer may not change my circumstance, but it will change me in the middle of my circumstances. So in all of that The problem with prayer isn't that we don't know alot about it, we don’t really know how to really do it.
That is why I wanted to do a quick two part series before Easter to focus on two things, how to pray, and what to do when I don't want to pray. It’s called “Pray Anyway.” When Jesus was asked how to pray he gave us an outline in his famous sermon on the mount in Matthew 6. We are going to look at that outline and see how Jesus desires us to pray. But also, I am going to give you a tool and a resources that you are going to practice in your groups tonight. This tool and resource will help you pray better, know the scriptures more deeply, and over time be changed by the Holy Spirit. In fact, I have not actually ever taught this method in a sermon before, because if I am honest, it is pretty advance. I have taught the ACTS way of praying, Adoration to God, Confession before God, thanksgiving to God and Supplication from God. But I’ve decided you can handle it, it is called Lectio Divina.
So lets jump in, Jesus says this in Matthew 6:9, “This, then, is how you should pray, Our Father in heaven.” Being able to pray properly begins with a proper perspective of your relationship with God. Jesus says we are to approach God, as our father. For some of you that doesn't sit well because your earthly father isn't someone to look up to, you don't have a relationship with, but listen your heavenly father is perfect. He cares deeply for you. You see in the first century when Jesus lived kids were powerless social dependants, and fathers were viewed as strong providers and examples on whom their children could depend on. Jesus invites us into a relationship and prayer life that is rooted in God being our good and perfect Father. Our Father in heaven.
“Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” How many times have you prayed something like this, “Dear heavenly father, thank you for today, I pray that you will allow me to have a good day, protect my family, friends, neighbors…I pray you help me in school…pray for my friends mom who…etc.” What's the difference between what Jesus prayed and what I just prayed? Jesus shows us that we should pray for Gods will and desire to be done first, rather than ask for our will or desire to be fulfilled. I don't know if you know this or not, but here we go, God’s ultimate will is for his kingdom to be fulfilled. We will see in a moment that we can pray for our day and our needs, but our day and needs should align with what God wants first, not what we want first. As I have said before, God is not our slave and has to do our bidding beucase we ask, we have no right to be angry at God for not answering our prayers. If it is not in his will it will not be given. Know this friends, God always answers prayers, it is one of three option, Yes. No. or Not Yet. All three are complete sentences and all three need no further explanation other than his kingdom come his will be done. Align your prayers to be focused on God’s kingdom being completed.
V. 11 Give us today our daily bread. - This is where we can ask God for our daily needs, prayer requests, protection, you will in the blank. Notice out of the whole passage the one part of the prayer that is the shortest, is this one. Praying for yourself is the shortest part of the Lords prayer, not because he doesn't care, he cares deeply about your day to day, but it is hard to be focused on God’s kingdom if we spend all our time praying for our kingdom. But pray for yourself, pray for your strength or your circumstances you are in always ask God to intervene and help. But don't make it all about you.
V. 12 - And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. - This is confessing our sin to God, repenting from our sin, asking to be healed from sin, all of it. This is also thanking God for the fact that you have been forgiven and set free from sin. But the catch is we thank God for what he has done, and in turn forgive others for what they have done to us. This is when we can pray for our enemies, people who have harmed us or hurt us. They may never know you prayed for them, but it’s hard to hate someone when you pray for them constantly.
Lastly, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. - This is a prayer of protection and deliverance. Do not ever forget that there is a real enemy out there, Satan wants nothing more than to take you down and take you out and he will do it with temptation, and if you fall, when you fall, the last thing you want to do is return back to God. So what happens, a day goes by, the next day you still feel guilty, maybe it happens again, not a pattern arises and over time people feel like they cant return to God because of their sin, and it all started with a temptation. Be aware and on guard, pray that God would protect you and give you a way out.
That's how Jesus taught us to pray and what to focus on when praying. I want to show you know a way of praying through the scriptures that will open up a whole new window of prayer for you, and once again we are going to look at the Lords Prayer, and then you are going to take it into your groups and practice it on your own. This practice is called, Lectio Divina. It is latin for Divine Reading and it has been practiced since the 3rd century and to this day monks and monasteries do it daily. It has 5 Basic Principles. Here they are:
Step 1: Prepare for the Word - Recite Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know, I am God.” 3-5 times in your mind or out loud to prepare your heart, soul, and mind. After each reading ask the Holy Spirit to slow you down, limit your distractions, clear your mind and open your heart.
Step 2: Read the Word - Pick 3-5 verses and read them 3-5 times slowly. Each time repeat words or phrases that jump out. Try putting a different emphasis on different verses each time you read.
Step 3: Meditate on God’s Word - Think about what stood out and why it stood out. How does it connect with your life? Ask God any question that comes to mind. Let the word or phrase sink in deeper.
Step 4: Pray about the Word - Talk with your Heavenly Father about the passage. Thank God, be honest with God about how this passage impacts you. Sit and listen for a deeper understanding.
Step 5: Connect with the Word - Rest in the goodness of God. This is a moment of stillness as you note what God is trying to teach you and how you can begin to apply what God has taught you.
This is a way that you will connect with God more deeply and understand his word more clearly. It takes time, energy and effort to get good at it. In the first few times you have to deconstruct your habit of always looking at your phone, or computer when you get “bored” allow yourself to go past what is uncomfortable and see what God does on the other side.
So in your groups, over the next several minutes, you are going to practice this. And this is what I want you to do. Grab a blank sermon notes sheet, or if you have a notebook even better. When you get to your groups, place your phones, apple watches, tablets whatever on the tables, spread out and practice this while reading over the Lords Prayer. I have printouts if you do not have your bibles on you. And experience God meeting you as you preform this. Go.