Always Pray

Always Pray Presented by Daniel Keeran, MSW

Always Pray Presented by Daniel Keeran, MSW

Scripture Reading: Luke 18 : 1-14 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Always Pray The purpose of the message today is to encourage you to pray. If there is anything you question or if you think differently about anything I say, I invite you to talk with me after the service. I am not inspired as the apostles were, and I think it’s healthy to discuss the things of God as a way of deepening our faith and understanding of God’s will for our lives.

In the reading about the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus teaches us to pray persistently and not give up... in this case, it is for justice and for fairness in a court situation.

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The Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6:9-15 This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, holy is your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

Our Father in heaven, holy is your name....So first of all, in this model prayer Jesus wants us to recognize the holiness of God. It’s easier to pray more often when we who God is and know that the one who made the universe and holds everything together, is constantly present, always caring for us, and wants to hear from us. Then we can simply open the eyes of our heart to speak to God. What an amazing thought, that the one who made the universe cares about little me and not only cares about me but knows me better than I know myself and knows what I need better than I do.

It’s so easy to give up praying because we can be distracted by the material world and the cares and anxieties of life. To strengthen your faith, pray more often. To have less faith, pray less often.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

So we can pray knowing that God exists, God hears, and God answers. your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven....Jesus wants us to pray that the reign and rule of God, his teaching, will be obeyed as perfectly on earth as it is in heaven, in my life and in the lives of people everywhere on earth.

Give us today our daily bread....God is the one who gives us health, work, knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence to live from day to day, and we acknowledge this by asking God to grant us our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors....If we want God to forgive our sins and offenses against Him, we need to forgive our spouse, our neighbor, our children, our friends, and the driver who just cut me off in heavy traffic. Our first prayer is in baptism when we pledge to keep a good conscience before God. 1 Peter 3:21 “....baptism now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but a good conscience pledge toward God.”

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When we sin after baptism, we are taught to pray to receive forgiveness: 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one...Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Ask God to lead you into paths of righteousness and to protect you from situations and opportunities in which you may choose to follow Satan in the unhealthy selfish use of material things, and anger, gluttony, drunkenness, and sexual immorality.

Pray In Jesus’ Name When we pray, I think it’s good practice to ask in Jesus’ name. In the past, this was the standard practice, but today there is more variation and many sincere Christians leave out the name of Jesus. I won’t offer a judgment on the matter but simply say let every Christian be convinced about what God wants.

John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

Why? So that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

Devote Yourselves To Prayer Prayer was a constant practice of the disciples of Jesus recorded in the book of Acts, and even of the Jews. I encourage us all to make prayer something we do often personally and when we gather in small groups. When you have quests in your home, pray with them before they leave.

Acts 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Every place there are Christians can be a place of prayer.

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Acts 16:13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.

Intercessory Prayer Intercessory prayer is when we pray for each other. When someone is on your heart and you are worried about them, maybe a son or daughter or a friend or family member who may be ill or in some kind of trouble or lost in their poor choices, you pray constantly, often throughout the day, every day for weeks and maybe months and even years. This is called intercessory prayer and it’s in the Bible.

Romans 1:9-10 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

As we think about intercessory prayer, here is Paul’s intercessory prayer for the Ephesian Christians: Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

This is Paul’s intercessory prayer for the Colossian Christians: Colossians 1:9-12 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual 4

wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

God Knows What We Need Something else that is amazing about prayer is that we believe the Holy Spirit actually communicates for us and intercedes for us to God. This is another way of saying we don’t know what is best for ourselves or for others, but we can trust that the Spirit of God knows what is best for us, what we need.

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Matthew 6:8 ...your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

God does not always give us what we pray for because God knows what is best for us.

Luke 5:16 ... Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

We have seen how the early church was devoted to praying together, and when we look at Jesus who although he was the eternal divine Son of God, we see that he often privately and personally used prayer to talk to God. Acknowledge and thank God for all he has done: creating the universe, blessing us constantly with good things, sending Jesus, forgiving our sins, always be present, always caring for us, for the hope of the resurrection and of eternal life. Here is a beautiful example of praise and adoration in prayer.

Jude 1:24-25 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!

My understanding is that the sacrifice of praise and prayer is with the lips spoken or sung, and I think this is because of what the Bible says in Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

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Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

God says: “I love you. I fogive you. I hear your prayers. I care for you in your suffering. I am always here for you.”

God Answers When We Pray James 1: 5-7 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Think about how you could invite God into that situation. Ask God for wisdom to fix it, for patience with yourself, and self-forgiveness. Ask God for clarity of mind to problem-solve the situation. Ask God to bring others into your life who can give wise counsel. Invite other Christians to pray for you and with you.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. This reminds me of: Psalm 42:8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

Can God Be Persuaded?

James 5: 13-18 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human 6

being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

John 14:23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.

James 4:2-3 You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

So when you make any request to God, pray that it will be given only if it glorifies God and serves His purpose.

Francis of Assisi in the 1200’s, wrote this prayer that wasn’t actually published until 1912. The prayer reflects his desire to be used by God for his purpose: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

God had given wisdom to human beings to point others to himself: Reinhold Niebuhr wrote these well-known words in 1943: God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

And finally I want to close with the intercessory prayer of our Lord.

John 17: 22-23 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father...I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father--that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the 7

world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are -- I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me“ (v.22-23).

Let’s join our prayer with Jesus’ prayer: Lord we are amazed that you who created the universe and hold it together, would hear our feeble prayers. We pray for the unity of all who sincerely try to follow Jesus, so that the world will see the love and unity among us and turn to you for salvation. Lord we pray that the words spoken today will remain in the hearts of all who heard so that we will gain strength from drawing near to you in constant prayer. Thank you for your constant presence and unfailing love. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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