Sermon Tone Analysis

Prayer

PRAY - Now Find with me in your Bibles, Luke chapter 11 and READ with me what we know traditionally as “The Lord’s Prayer” but really and truly it should be called The Disciple’s Prayer.

We will also read the subsequent parable on prayer.

For many of us prayer is like the National Anthem before a football game.

It gets the game started, but simply has no connection with what’s happening on the field.

It’s a Courtesy.

- Tony Evans

For many of us prayer is like the National Anthem before a football game.

It gets the game started, but simply has no connection with what’s happening on the field.

It’s a Courtesy.

- Tony Evans

Illustration: This past Tuesday, Joanna and I were on the way to Cape to get VBS supplies at Lifeway.

I looked down at the gas gauge and told her to remind me to stop for gas as soon as we cross the River into town.

She kind of nervously asked me if we were gonna make it that far.

I nonchalantly quipped back, “Yeah we are good the need fuel light is not even on yet.”

God meant for prayer to be a part of every day and everything of our life, not just saved for liturgical moments or traditions - “God is good, God is great.”

I think, however, if we were honest, we would say that more often than we would like to admit, those two illustrations describe our attitudes regarding the need for connecting our lives, our church, doing the Lord’s work and prayer.

We are taught from many verses of the Bible that prayer is intentional communication with God.

When a Christian prays, he/she should assume in faith that God is powerful enough, willing enough, and gracious enough to hear and respond to the prayer.

I see here in this chapter of Luke a recognition by Jesus’ disciples, or at least one of them, that prayer is something more significant than just a courtesy.

Through the repeated example of their Rabbi/Master and even from watching John teach his disciples, they became aware of the great:

I think, however, if we were honest, we would say that more often than we would like to admit, those two illustrations describe our attitudes regarding the need for connecting our lives, our church, doing the Lord’s work and prayer.

I see here in this chapter of Luke a recognition by Jesus’ disciples, or at least one of them, that prayer is something more significant than just a courtesy.

Through the repeated example of their Rabbi/Master and even from watching John teach his disciples, they became aware of the great:

Privilege of Prayer

They began to recognition there must be something very important about getting alone and talking to God.

They saw what a privilege they could be part of in praying.

Take note now the irony in this.

Take note of how odd this must have been for a bit.

Jews prayed but still felt that Yahweh was not a very personal deity.

Abba - was not a word utter by most Jews when praying to Yaweh - yet Jesus reveals to the apostles and to us, something absent from the Jewish prayers of His day, an intimacy true Christ followers can have with God the Father, just as Jesus maintained.

Mark 14:36

Apostle Paul, the Hebrew of Hebrews, reiterates the fact of that available intimacy.

and

****We must see how Prayer is such a great privilege from the word Abba.

In Jesus telling us to call Yahweh/Jehovah - Father, He is putting us to equality with Himself, not in becoming deities, but in becoming part of the family - children, equal in God’s love for us, and it demonstates our security in the family.

The Father is not going to disown Jesus, thus those in Christ will never be disowned.

Loved as Jesus was loved, and having the same access to the Father as Jesus had.

So, understanding the great privilege of prayer and witnessing Jesus getting alone and praying often, the disciples wanted to learn how to do it well.

They saw his actions were the result of His prayer life.

This is the only request found in the Gospels asking Jesus to give a teaching lesson.

This suggests maybe that followers of Jesus should want to be known best as prayerful people, people characterized by their relationship with Him.

That is how the 1st Century church was known in their culture.

Pattern of Prayer

Notice, however, their request in v. 1, teach us TO pray, not HOW to pray.

The perfection of our praying will come through the practice of our praying.

Also, notice Jesus suggests to them a pattern to use whenever they are praying, making the assumption they already were praying.

Pattern of Prayer

The pattern is a simple outline of, “A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies”

The pattern is a simple outline of, “A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies”

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988).

Prayer.

In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol.

2, p. 1745).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Do you see the pattern here in vs. 2-8

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988).

Prayer.

In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol.

2, p. 1745).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Proclamation - Regarding God

Provision - Requesting from God

Provision - Requesting from God: our food and his forgiveness for life now

Protection - Receiving from God

In this pattern Jesus teaches us that all our praying must begin with a focus on the Person and Character of God not on our concerns.

Then we must concern ourselves with God’s sovereignty and Kingdom not worrying about our personal security and comfort.

Jesus proves to us our greatest need is that of daily forgiveness, not just at the time of our salvation.

Then and only then should we seek our temporal support and spiritual protection (from temptation, never from trials).

The reason many Christians do not pray in this pattern is they know that praying regularly such a prayer will move them out of their comfort zones into a hostile world in need of God’s people penetrating the darkness to build His kingdom.

That could be the reason for God through Apostle Paul telling us our greatest need is to pray because it is our weapon of offense and protection of defense against Satanic attacks.

Turn with me in your Bible to and Ephesians 6

Eph 3:14

Eph 3:14

Ephesians 6:10-18

What about you?

Do you pick up your helmet and sword and pray at all times in the Spirit?

Do you pray more for God’s Kingdom to come or for your comfort to be kept?

What about you?

Do you pick up your helmet and sword and pray at all times in the Spirit?

Do you pray more for God’s Kingdom to come or for your comfort to be kept?

Notice the request in v. 1 though was, teach us TO pray, not HOW to pray.

It is more about the:

Notice the request in v. 1 though was, teach us TO pray, not HOW to pray.

Practice of Prayer

Also, notice Jesus suggests to them a pattern to use whenever they are praying, making the assumption they already were praying persistently.

The perfection of our praying will come through the practice of our praying.

Parable of Prayer

Jesus being the master teacher, illustrates the primacy of the prayer connection between us and God with a humorous but poignant parable.

From it we should take the truth that practice may not make perfect but still needs to be often.

The parable teaches us 2 duties given to us in similar situations of people in need.

1 - Meet a perilous problem head on through the persistence of prayer.

God calls upon you to be an intercessor, to stand in the gap between Him and a person in need, petitioning Him to provide a solution to the problem.

Pray earnestly and persistently for others far more than you do for yourself.

Notice back in the pattern, Jesus said to pray “our bread” and “our sins.”

Prayer in its proper form is never selfish.

Lesson here as well is - we must never play at prayer, when praying for our needs or others needs.

If we do not want it enough to be persistent, then we must not want it very much.

What does that say about how often and how long you pray for the lost souls of this county and country and world?

2 - Be the purveyor of God’s provisions as an answer to persistent prayer.