Prayer and Faith
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Jesus tells a story about a Judge
Jesus tells a story about a Judge
The purpose of a judge was to decide law and justice.
This judge was unjust.
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
What kind of judge is this?
What kind of judge is this?
He was
++A man with authority
++A man with power
++Not a man under authority
He did his own thing.
He did his own thing.
He didn’t
++Fear (Worship)God
++Regard (have respect for) man
He is the opposite of what God has called us to.
He is the opposite of what God has called us to.
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
God calls us to
++Love God
++Love others
The story is also about a widow.
A widow is a women bereaved of her husband.
This woman
++Had a problem
++Had no means to resolve it
++Had no help
++Came to the judge
3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
It was the judge’s responsibility to help her.
It was the judge’s responsibility to help her.
The Widow
++Lived in the city
++Was not a foreigner
++Under his jurisdiction
It was in the Judge’s power to fix her issue.
It was in the Judge’s power to fix her issue.
But he didn’t
++Fear God
++Care about her
Have you ever tried to get help from someone that didn’t care?
How did it make you feel?
What if they were the only one who could help you?
4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
The judge said no.
The judge said no.
The widow was
++In a hopeless situation.
++Undeterred by his response
++She was persistent in prayer
++She recieved her request
Prayer is not about
++The Problem
++The Issue
It is our confidence in God
It is our confidence in God
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Prayer requires us
++Hold on to our Confidence
++Keep our faith
++Trust God
6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Why did the judge meet her request?
He met her request
++Not because it was right
++Not because it was his responsibility
++Because of her persistence
7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
God is not unjust
God is not unjust
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
Pray Always
Pray Always
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Prayer is
++What we ought to do
++Not an option
++What this story is about
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
In everything pray
++In good times
++In troubled times
Prayer is the activity of faith.
Prayer is the activity of faith.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith
++Is the mark of the believer
++Declares our trust in God
++Is demonstrated in our prayer
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
This is what Christ will seek
++Not a building
++Not a movement
++But a people of Faith